N-CSR 1 d562330dncsr.htm FINANCIAL INVESTORS TRUST Financial Investors Trust
Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number: 811-8194

FINANCIAL INVESTORS TRUST

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

David T. Buhler, Secretary

Financial Investors Trust

1290 Broadway, Suite 1100

Denver, Colorado 80203

(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 303-623-2577

Date of fiscal year end: April 30

Date of reporting period: May 1, 2012 - April 30, 2013

 


Table of Contents
Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

 


Table of Contents
      
Table of Contents
April 30, 2013
  
  Disclosure of Fund Expenses      1   
  ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund   
 

Management Commentary

     5   
 

Performance Update

     6   
 

Statement of Investments

     8   
 

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     9   
 

Statement of Operations

     10   
 

Statement of Changes in Net Assets

     11   
 

Financial Highlights

     12   
  ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund   
 

Management Commentary

     15   
 

Performance Update

     17   
 

Consolidated Statement of Investments

     19   
 

Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     24   
 

Consolidated Statement of Operations

     25   
 

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     26   
 

Consolidated Financial Highlights

     27   
  ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund   
 

Management Commentary

     30   
 

Performance Update

     33   
 

Consolidated Statement of Investments

     35   
 

Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     37   
 

Consolidated Statement of Operations

     38   
 

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     39   
 

Consolidated Financial Highlights

     40   
  ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund   
 

Management Commentary

     43   
 

Performance Update

     44   
 

Statement of Investments

     46   
 

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     48   
 

Statement of Operations

     49   
 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     50   
 

Financial Highlights

     51   
  ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund   
 

Management Commentary

     55   
 

Performance Update

     56   
 

Statement of Investments

     58   
 

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     61   
 

Statement of Operations

     62   
 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     63   
 

Financial Highlights

     64   
  Clough China Fund   
 

Management Commentary

     67   
 

Performance Update

     69   
 

Statement of Investments

     71   
 

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     74   
 

Statement of Operations

     75   
 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     76   
 

Financial Highlights

     77   
  RiverFront Global Allocation Series   
 

Management Commentary

     80   
 

Performance Update

     84   
 

Statements of Investments

     94   
 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     104   
 

Statements of Operations

     106   
 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     107   
 

Financial Highlights

     112   
  Notes to Financial Statements      129   
  Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm      154   
  Additional Information      155   
  Trustees and Officers      157   


Table of Contents
Disclosure of Fund Expenses     
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Funds, you will incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including applicable sales charges (loads) and redemption fees; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, shareholder service fees and other Fund expenses. The following examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 invested on November 1, 2012 and held until April 30, 2013.

Actual Expenses. The first line of the table on the next page provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading “Expense Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes. The second line of the table on the next page provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio 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 mutual funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing Fund costs only and do not reflect transaction fees, such as sales charges, redemption fees, or exchange fees. Therefore, the second line of the table on the next page is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and may not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

1  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
Disclosure of Fund Expenses     
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

     Beginning Account Value
November 1, 2012
    Ending Account Value
April 30, 2013
 

    Expense    

Ratio(a)

 

Expense Paid

During Period

November 1, 2012 -
April 30, 2013(b)

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund

Class A

       

Actual(c)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,126.80

  1.25%  

$  4.37

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,018.60

  1.25%  

$  6.26

Class C

       

Actual(c)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,125.80

  1.85%  

$  6.46

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,015.62

  1.85%  

$  9.25

Class I

       

Actual(c)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,127.80

  0.85%  

$  2.97

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,020.58

  0.85%  

$  4.26

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund(d)

Class A

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    971.00

  1.36%  

$  6.65

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,018.05

  1.36%  

$  6.81

Class C

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    968.00

  2.05%  

$  10.00

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,014.63

  2.05%  

$  10.24

Class I

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    972.70

  1.15%  

$  5.62

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,019.09

  1.15%  

$  5.76

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund(e)

Class A

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,062.80

  2.00%  

$  10.23

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,014.88

  2.00%  

$  9.99

Class C

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,061.40

  2.60%  

$  13.29

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,011.90

  2.60%  

$  12.97

Class I

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,065.80

  1.60%  

$  8.20

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,016.86

  1.60%  

$  8.00

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

Class A

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,240.40

  1.48%  

$  8.22

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,017.46

  1.48%  

$  7.40

Class C

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,235.50

  2.25%  

$  12.47

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,013.64

  2.25%  

$  11.23

Class I

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,243.00

  1.25%  

$  6.95

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,018.60

  1.25%  

$  6.26

Class R

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,245.80

  1.75%  

$  9.74

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,016.12

  1.75%  

$  8.75

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

Class A

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,168.40

  1.40%  

$  7.53

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,017.85

  1.40%  

$  7.00

Class C

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,161.70

  2.15%  

$  11.52

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,014.13

  2.15%  

$  10.74

Class I

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,168.50

  1.15%  

$  6.18

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,019.09

  1.15%  

$  5.76

 

2  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
Disclosure of Fund Expenses     
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

     Beginning Account Value
November 1, 2012
 

    Ending Account Value

April 30, 2013

 

    Expense    

Ratio(a)

  Expense Paid
During Period
November 1, 2012 -
April 30, 2013(b)

Clough China Fund

Class A

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,150.40

  1.94%  

$  10.34

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,015.17

  1.94%  

$  9.69

Class C

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,146.10

  2.70%  

$  14.37

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,011.41

  2.70%  

$  13.47

Class I

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,152.90

  1.71%  

$  9.13

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,016.31

  1.71%  

$  8.55

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

Class A

       

Actual(f)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,052.00

  1.15%  

$  5.85

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,019.09

  1.15%  

$  5.76

Class C

       

Actual(f)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,048.70

  1.90%  

$  9.65

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,015.37

  1.90%  

$  9.49

Class I

       

Actual(f)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,053.20

  0.90%  

$  4.58

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,020.33

  0.90%  

$  4.51

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

Class A

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,102.50

  1.15%  

$  6.00

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,019.09

  1.15%  

$  5.76

Class C

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,097.60

  1.90%  

$  9.88

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,015.37

  1.90%  

$  9.49

Class I

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,103.80

  0.90%  

$  4.69

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,020.33

  0.90%  

$  4.51

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

Class A

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,105.50

  1.15%  

$  6.00

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,019.09

  1.15%  

$  5.76

Class C

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,101.80

  1.90%  

$  9.90

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,015.37

  1.90%  

$  9.49

Class I

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,107.90

  0.90%  

$  4.70

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,020.33

  0.90%  

$  4.51

 

3  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
Disclosure of Fund Expenses     
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

    

Beginning Account Value

November 1, 2012

 

    Ending Account Value  

April 30, 2013

 

    Expense    

Ratio(a)

 

Expense Paid
During Period
November 1, 2012 -

April 30,  2013(b)

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

Class A

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,122.20

  1.03%  

$  5.42

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,019.69

  1.03%  

$  5.16

Class C

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,117.30

  1.81%  

$  9.50

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,015.82

  1.81%  

$  9.05

Class I

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,122.70

  0.80%  

$  4.21

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,020.83

  0.80%  

$  4.01

Class L

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,123.40

  0.81%  

$  4.26

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,020.78

  0.81%  

$  4.06

Investor Class

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,121.40

  1.06%  

$  5.58

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,019.54

  1.06%  

$  5.31

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

Class A

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,079.40

  1.15%  

$  5.93

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,019.09

  1.15%  

$  5.76

Class C

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,075.00

  1.90%  

$  9.78

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,015.37

  1.90%  

$  9.49

Class I

       

Actual

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,080.00

  0.90%  

$  4.64

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $    1,000.00  

$    1,020.33

  0.90%  

$  4.51

 

(a) 

Annualized, based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half year expenses.

(b) 

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half year (181), divided by 365.

(c) 

The Fund commenced operations on January 2, 2013. For purposes of calculating the “Actual” figures on page 2, actual number of days from commencement of operations through April 30, 2013 were used (120 days).

(d) 

Includes expenses of the Jefferies Asset Management Cayman Trust (wholly-owned subsidiary), exclusive of the subsidiary’s management fee.

(e) 

Includes expenses of the Kotak Mauritius Portfolio (wholly-owned subsidiary), exclusive of subsidiary’s management fee.

(f) 

The Fund commenced operations on September 4, 2012.

 

4  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance

Since the Fund’s inception on December 31, 2012, the Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund, the Fund’s Class A Shares delivered a net return of 12.68% at Net Asset Value (Class A delivered a net return of 6.50% at MOP, Class C was 11.58% with CDSC, and Class I was 12.78%). Master limited partnerships benefited from strong gains in early 2013 as uncertainty surrounding the fiscal cliff and tax changes during the latter part of 2012 ended.

Distribution growth1 for the asset class continues to remain strong. The weighted average distribution growth2 on a year-over-year basis for the first quarter of 2013 was 8.54%.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) notes that the global energy map is being redrawn by the resurgence in oil and gas production in the United States. The United States is one of the leading producers of natural gas and within this decade, it may overtake Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest oil producer. This surge in production has boosted the economy with investment capital inflows, the creation of thousands of jobs, and more importantly, the need for adequate energy infrastructure to move, store, and process such production.

Because of new supply and shifting demand areas, the US is in the process of being re-piped. In 2013 alone, industry analysts expect MLPs will invest $30 billion in infrastructure growth projects to address takeaway constraints. Such projects include converting existing natural gas pipelines to transport crude oil from Canada or the Bakken Shale in North Dakota, as well as building ethane or natural gas liquid (NGL) pipelines from the Marcellus Shale in the Northeast to major NGL hubs such as Mont Belvieu, Texas. They also include investments in response to new energy trends, such as expanding rail terminal facilities because more crude oil is being transported by railroad, or building out liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) export facilities because there is increased demand to ship cost-advantaged feedstock such as propane, butane, and isobutene to overseas customers.

Mergers and Acquisitions and Initial Public Offering activity thrived in 2012 and in early 2013 as the MLP structure has historically been an optimal way for corporations and private firms to monetize assets while simultaneously providing investors access to stable cash flow and distributions, in our view. During 2013, several companies with major infrastructure assets have announced intentions to form MLPs, many of which may come to market late 2013 or early 2014.

Significant changes in the North American production profile have created vast opportunities for MLPs to participate in the energy infrastructure build-out of North America. These opportunities, along with cash flow underpinned with toll-road business models and long-term contracts have made MLPs a compelling opportunity for investors seeking after-tax yield.

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the fund(s) or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. Alerian does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

 

1 

Distribution growth is the amount by which a partnership increases its quarterly or annual distributions; the MLP terminology for distributions is similar to C corporation terminology for dividends.

2 

Weighted average distribution growth is calculated by multiplying the weight of each constituent in the AMZI (Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index- the index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes; an investor may not invest directly in an index) at March 31, 2013 by the constituent’s year-over-year distribution growth percentage.

 

 

5  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes maximum sales charges of 5.50%)

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Average Annual Total Returns (as of April 30, 2013)

 

     3 Month     Since Inception ^       Total Expense Ratio *       What You Pay **  

Class A (NAV)1

    4.43%   12.68%   1.49%   1.25%

Class A (MOP)2

   -1.33%     6.50%    

Class C (NAV)1

    4.34%   12.58%   2.09%   1.85%

Class C (CDSC)2

    3.34%   11.58%    

Class I

    4.43%   12.78%   1.09%   0.85%

Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index3  

    6.91%   20.65%        

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. The Fund imposes a 2.00% redemption fee on shares held for less than 30 days. The Fund imposes a maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% to shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase, and on Class A shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase in excess of $1 million. Performance shown does not reflect the redemption fee or the CDSC, which if reflected would reduce the performance quoted. For the most current month-end performance data please call 1-866-759-5679.

Investments in securities of MLPs involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. MLPs are controlled by their general partners, which generally have conflicts of interest and limited fiduciary duties to the MLP, which may permit the general partner to favor its own interests over the MLPs. The benefit you are expected to derive from the Fund’s investment in MLPs depends largely on the MLPs being treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. As a partnership, an MLP has no federal income tax liability at the entity level. Therefore, treatment of one or more MLPs as a corporation for federal income tax purposes could affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective and would reduce the amount of cash available to pay or distribute to you. Legislative, judicial, or administrative changes and differing interpretations, possibly on a retroactive basis, could negatively impact the value of an investment in MLPs and therefore the value of your investment in the Fund.

 

6  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

2 

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) includes sales charges. Class A returns include effects of the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%; Class C returns include the 1.00% CDSC.

3 

Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index is comprised of 25 midstream energy Master Limited Partnerships. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

^

Fund inception date of December 31, 2012. The Fund commenced operations on January 2, 2013.

*

Excludes current and deferred income tax expense.

**

What You Pay reflects the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s decision to contractually limit expenses through August 31, 2013. Please see the prospectus for additional information.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

This Fund is not suitable for all investors and is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the Fund’s top holdings is subject to change. Performance figures are historical and reflect the change in share price, reinvested distributions, changes in net asset value, sales charges and capital gains distributions, if any.

Mutual funds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

 

Top Ten Long Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)

 

Enterprise Products Partners LP

       10.08%      

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP

       9.94%      

Magellan Midstream Partners LP

       7.48%      

Energy Transfer Partners LP

       7.47%      

Plains All American Pipeline LP

       7.47%      

MarkWest Energy Partners LP

       6.48%      

Enbridge Energy Partners LP

       4.92%      

Williams Partners LP

       4.92%      

Buckeye Partners LP

       4.86%      

ONEOK Partners LP

       4.80%      

Top Ten Holdings

       68.42%      

 

 

Holdings are subject to change. Table presents indicative values only.

Industry Sector Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)

 

LOGO

 

 

 

7  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund     

Statement of Investments

   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS (105.70%)

  

Gathering & Processing (23.84%)

  

Pipelines (23.84%)

   

Copano Energy LLC

    2,339      $ 94,004   

DCP Midstream Partners LP

    1,674        82,227   

MarkWest Energy Partners LP

    3,839        242,625   

PVR Partners LP

    2,884        72,100   

Targa Resources Partners LP

    2,638        119,765   

Western Gas Partners LP

    1,625        98,248   

Williams Partners LP

    3,372        184,280   
   

 

 

 
      893,249   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL GATHERING & PROCESSING

  

    893,249   
   

 

 

 

Natural Gas Pipelines (36.46%)

 

Pipelines (36.46%)

   

Atlas Pipeline Partners LP

    1,758        63,886   

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP

    3,126        94,499   

El Paso Pipeline Partners LP

    3,735        160,007   

Energy Transfer Partners LP

    5,621        279,869   

Enterprise Products Partners LP

    6,224        377,486   

ONEOK Partners LP

    3,327        179,991   

Regency Energy Partners LP

    4,329        112,987   

Spectra Energy Partners LP

    1,216        46,135   

TC Pipelines LP

    1,084        50,948   
   

 

 

 
      1,365,808   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL NATURAL GAS PIPELINES

  

    1,365,808   
   

 

 

 

Petroleum Transportation (45.40%)

 

 

Pipelines (45.40%)

   

Access Midstream Partners LP

    1,896        78,248   

Buckeye Partners LP

    2,945        181,942   

Enbridge Energy Partners LP

    6,191        184,492   

Genesis Energy LP

    2,010        96,621   

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP

    4,208        372,198   

Magellan Midstream Partners LP

    5,282        280,104   

NuStar Energy LP

    1,943        97,305   

Plains All American Pipeline LP

    4,872        279,750   

Sunoco Logistics Partners LP

    2,092        129,934   
   

 

 

 
      1,700,594   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL PETROLEUM TRANSPORTATION

   

    1,700,594   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL MASTER LIMITED

PARTNERSHIPS

(Cost $3,325,728)

  

 

  

    3,959,651   
   

 

 

 
     7-Day
Yield
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (0.41%)

  

Money Market Fund (0.41%)

  

Dreyfus Treasury Prime Cash Management Fund, Institutional Shares

    0.00004     15,384      $ 15,384   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $15,384)

  

  

    15,384   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (106.11%)

(Cost $3,341,112)

  

  

  $ 3,975,035   

Liabilities In Excess Of Other
Assets (-6.11%)

   

    (228,965)   
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

 

  $ 3,746,070   
     

 

 

 

Common Abbreviations:

LLC - Limited Liability Company.

LP - Limited Partnerships.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

8  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund     
Statement of Assets and Liabilities    April 30, 2013

 

 

ASSETS

  

Investments, at value

   $         3,975,035   

Receivable for shares sold

     2,500   

Dividends receivable

     19,026   

Prepaid offering costs

     46,017   

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     3,182   

 

 

Total Assets

     4,045,760   

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for investments purchased

     31,546   

Deferred tax liability

     225,947   

Investment advisory fees payable

     16,736   

Administration and transfer agency fees payable

     926   

Distribution and services fees payable

     973   

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

     49   

Legal fees payable

     128   

Audit and tax fees payable

     18,000   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     5,385   

 

 

Total Liabilities

     299,690   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 3,746,070   

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 3,351,285   

Accumulated net investment loss, net of deferred income taxes

     (7,626

Accumulated net realized loss on investments, net of deferred income taxes

     (764

Net unrealized appreciation on investments, net of deferred income taxes

     403,175   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 3,746,070   

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 3,341,112   

 

 

PRICING OF SHARES

  

Class A:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 11.10   

Net Assets

   $ 927,816   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     83,576   

Maximum offering price per share ((NAV/0.9450), based on maximum sales charge of 5.50% of the offering price)

   $ 11.75   

Class C:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 11.09   

Net Assets

   $ 562,725   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     50,758   

Class I:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 11.11   

Net Assets

   $ 2,255,529   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     203,031   

 

(a) 

Redemption price per share may be reduced for any applicable contingent deferred sales charge. For a description of a possible sales charge, please see the Fund’s Prospectus.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

9  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund     
Statement of Operations                            For the Period January 2, 2013 (Commencement) to April 30, 2013

 

  

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Distributions from master limited partnerships

   $         69,393   

Less return of capital distributions

     (69,393)   

 

 

Total Investment Income

       

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Investment advisory fees

     7,698   

Administrative and transfer agency fees

     1,876   

Distribution and service fees

  

Class A

     892   

Class C

     1,753   

Legal fees

     147   

Audit and tax fees

     18,000   

Reports to shareholders and printing fees

     274   

State registration fees

     218   

SEC registration fees

     609   

Custody fees

     4,102   

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     94   

Offering costs

     25,068   

State registration fees

     1,737   

NASDAQ fees

     1,500   

Miscellaneous expenses

     2,762   

 

 

Total Expense

     66,730   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor (Note 7)

  

Class A

     (9,499)   

Class C

     (9,045)   

Class I

     (36,196)   

 

 

Net Expenses

     11,990   

 

 

Net Investment Loss, Before Deferred Income Taxes

     (11,990)   

Deferred income tax benefit

     4,364   

 

 

Net Investment Loss, Net of Deferred Income Taxes

     (7,626)   

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN/(LOSS)

  

Net realized loss on investments, before deferred income taxes

     (1,201)   

Deferred income tax benefit

     437   

 

 

Net Realized Loss on investments, Net of Deferred Income Taxes

     (764)   

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment, before deferred income taxes

     633,923   

Deferred income tax expense

     (230,748)   

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation on Investments

     403,175   

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS, NET OF DEFERRED INCOME TAXES

     402,411   

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 394,785   

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

10  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund     
Statement of Changes in Net Assets   

 

 

    

For the Period
January 2, 2013
(Commencement) to

April 30, 2013

 

 

 

OPERATIONS

  

Net investment loss, net of deferred income taxes

   $ (7,626)   

Net realized loss on investments, net of deferred income taxes

     (764)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments, net of deferred income taxes

     403,175   

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

     394,785   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

  

Dividends to shareholders from tax return of capital

  

Class A

     (8,653)   

Class C

     (8,137)   

Class I

     (32,548)   

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets from Distributions

     (49,338)   

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 6)

  

Shares sold

  

Class A

     851,295   

Class C

     500,010   

Class I

     2,000,010   

Dividends reinvested

  

Class A

     8,653   

Class C

     8,137   

Class I

     32,548   

Shares redeemed

  

Class A

     (10)   

Class C

     (10)   

Class I

     (10)   

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions

     3,400,623   

 

 

Net increase in net assets

     3,746,070   

NET ASSETS

  

Beginning of period

       

 

 

End of year *

   $ 3,746,070   

 

 
*Including accumulated net investment loss, net of deferred income taxes of:    $ (7,626)   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

11  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund – Class A

Financial Highlights

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the period indicated:

 

 

     

For the Period
January 2, 2013
(Commencement) to

April 30, 2013

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment loss(a)

   (0.03)

Net realized and unrealized gain

   1.29

 

Total from investment operations

   1.26

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

  

From tax return of capital

   (0.16)

 

Total distributions

   (0.16)

 

Net increase in net asset value

   1.10

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $11.10

 

TOTAL RETURN(b)

   12.68%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

  

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $928

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waivers and income tax expense

   5.51%(c)(g)

Ratio of expense waivers to average net assets

   (4.26%)(c)(g)

 

Ratio of expenses to average net assets net of waivers and before income tax expense

   1.25%(c)(g)

Ratio of deferred income tax expense to average net assets(d)

   20.55%(c)

 

Ratio of total expenses to average net assets

   21.80%(c)

 

Ratio of investment loss to average net assets before waivers and income tax expense

   (5.51%)(c)(g)

Ratio of expense waivers to average net assets

   (4.26%)(c)(g)

 

Ratio of investment loss to average net assets net of waivers and before income tax expense

   (1.25%)(c)(g)

Ratio of deferred income tax benefit to average net assets(e)

   0.40%(c)

 

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets

   (0.85%)(c)

 

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

   3%

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b)

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(c)

Annualized.

(d)

Deferred income tax expense estimate for the ratio calculation is derived from the net investment loss, and realized and unrealized gains/losses.

(e) 

Deferred income tax benefit for the ratio calculation is derived from net investment loss only.

(f)

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

(g)

Expense ratios before reductions for startup periods may not be representative of longer term operating periods.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

12  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund – Class C
Financial Highlights   
Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the period indicated:

 

     

For the Period
January 2, 2013
(Commencement) to

April 30, 2013

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment loss(a)

   (0.05)

Net realized and unrealized gain

   1.30

 

Total from investment operations

   1.25

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

  

From tax return of capital

   (0.16)

 

Total distributions

   (0.16)

 

Net increase in net asset value

   1.09

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $11.09

 

TOTAL RETURN(b)

   12.58%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

  

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $563

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waivers and income tax expense

   7.01%(c)(g)

Ratio of expense waivers to average net assets

   (5.16%)(c)(g)

 

Ratio of expenses to average net assets net of waivers and before income tax expense

   1.85%(c)(g)

Ratio of deferred income tax expense to average net assets(d)

   20.55%(c)

 

Ratio of total expenses to average net assets

   22.40%(c)

 

Ratio of investment loss to average net assets before waivers and income tax expense

   (7.01%)(c)(g)

Ratio of expense waivers to average net assets

   (5.16%)(c)(g)

 

Ratio of investment loss to average net assets net of waivers and before income tax expense

   (1.85%)(c)(g)

Ratio of deferred income tax benefit to average net assets(e)

   0.40%(c)

 

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets

   (1.45%)(c)

 

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

   3%

 

 

(a)

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b)

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(c)

Annualized.

(d)

Deferred income tax expense estimate for the ratio calculation is derived from the net investment loss, and realized and unrealized gains/losses.

(e) 

Deferred income tax benefit for the ratio calculation is derived from net investment loss only.

(f)

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

(g)

Expense ratios before reductions for startup periods may not be representative of longer term operating periods.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

13  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund – Class I
Financial Highlights   

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the period indicated:

 

 

     

For the Period

January 2, 2013

(Commencement) to

April 30, 2013

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment loss(a)

   (0.02)

Net realized and unrealized gain

   1.29

 

Total from investment operations

   1.27

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

  

From tax return of capital

   (0.16)

 

Total distributions

   (0.16)

 

Net increase in net asset value

   1.11

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $11.11

 

TOTAL RETURN(b)

   12.78%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

  

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $2,256

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waivers and income tax expense

   6.01%(c)(g)

Ratio of expense waivers to average net assets

   (5.16%)(c)(g)

 

Ratio of expenses to average net assets net of waivers and before income tax expense

   0.85%(c)(g)

Ratio of deferred income tax expense to average net assets(d)

   20.55%(c)

 

Ratio of total expenses to average net assets

   21.40%(c)

 

Ratio of investment loss to average net assets before waivers and income tax expense

   (6.01%)(c)(g)

Ratio of expense waivers to average net assets

   (5.16%)(c)(g)

 

Ratio of investment loss to average net assets net of waivers and before income tax expense

   (0.85%)(c)(g)

Ratio of deferred income tax benefit to average net assets(e)

   0.40%(c)

 

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets

   (0.45%)(c)

 

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

   3%

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(c) 

Annualized.

(d) 

Deferred income tax expense estimate for the ratio calculation is derived from the net investment loss, and realized and unrealized gains/losses.

(e) 

Deferred income tax benefit for the ratio calculation is derived from net investment loss only.

(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

(g)

Expense ratios before reductions for startup periods may not be representative of longer term operating periods.

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

14  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

The twelve months ended April 30, 2013 produced modestly negative results for the commodity markets. Commodity futures, as measured by the diversified Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB Total Return Index1 (CRYTR), were down marginally, -5.74%. Commodity equities, evaluated against the Standard & Poor’s® Global Natural Resources Total Return Index2 (SPGNRN), were also down, -1.74%. ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund (which prior to April 30, 2013 was known as the Jefferies Asset Management Commodity Strategy Allocation Fund) (JCRIX) delivered a net negative return of -6.16% for the period (JCRAX was -11.58% at MOP and JCRCX was down -8.02% with CDSC).

The Fund underperformed its benchmark, the Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index, by approximately 51 basis points3 in the twelve month period ending April 30, 2013 (measured against the performance of the “I” shares). The Fund employs a strategy that combines an actively managed portfolio of commodity futures related exposure (collateralized by Treasury Inflation Protected Securities – TIPS), commodity equities, and physical commodity ETF’s. While the exact composition of the fund changes from time to time in response to structural and value opportunities identified by the Fund Policy Committee, the Fund allocated approximately 65% of its assets toward commodity futures related investments and approximately 35% of its assets in commodity equities on average throughout the year. The Fund was about 97.5% invested by the end of April.

With a few exceptions, commodity prices were subdued for the year. Some of the performance can be explained by the relative strength of the US Dollar. The Dollar was up approximately 3.77% for the previous twelve months (April 30, 2012 – April 30, 2013) as measured by the US Dollar Index. Banking worries in Cyprus and a more concerted effort to stimulate the Japanese economy through massive quantitative easing policies pressured the value of the Euro and Yen respectively. Since most commodities are priced in Dollars, an increase in the value of the Dollar usually translates into lower commodity prices, excluding other factors.

Certain sectors and specific commodities fared better than others during the period. Energy prices were mixed. Natural gas posted a 27.44% gain for the year. The relative low cost of gas versus coal prompted a number of power generation plants to switch to gas for fuel. This demand helped to reduce some of the natural gas supply overhang. Crude oil (West Texas Intermediate - WTI) prices declined, -10.09% for the year. Gasoline (reformulated blendstock for oxygenate blending – RBOB) was down 4.02%. Prices for the refined product declined in the month of April 2013 after retail prices of gasoline hit historic seasonal highs in the month of February.

Agricultural commodity prices exhibited sharp contrasts. Crops with a higher degree of North American production displayed better price performance. Residual concerns about crop yields and low levels of stocks caused by last summer’s drought kept some prices relatively buoyant. Corn and soybean prices, as measured by futures contracts maturing in July 2013, gained 13.99% and 4.83%, respectively. Cotton futures with the same maturity lost -1.51% for the twelve

months ending in April 2013. Lean hog prices, as measured by the June 2013 futures contract, went up 5.56% for the year. On the other hand, exceptional growing conditions in South America led to sizable price declines in other commodities. As measured by their July 2013 futures contracts, Sugar fell by 20.97% and coffee prices dropped 29.71% for the year.

Base and precious metals prices declined noticeably this past year. August 2013 Gold futures prices dipped,
-12.27%. July 2013 Silver and July 2013 COMEX copper were down 22.44% and 16.73% respectively. Dollar strength played a role in metals prices, in our opinion. Additionally, concern about diminished global industrial activity weighed on base metal prices. Short term technical pressure was probably a major factor pushing precious metals down. Leverage and overconcentration may have also contributed to the significant downward move gold and silver experienced in mid-April 2013.

{The Fund’s top equity holdings at the end of April 2013 included Monsanto (MON) +42.38%, Exxon/Mobil (XOM) +5.80%, Syngenta AG (SYNN) +24.61%, Potash (POT) +1.11%, Deere & Company (DE) +10.91%, Chevron Corporation (CVX) +18.39%, Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) +12.87%, The Mosaic Company (MOS) +18.90%, Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) +.72%, CF Industries (CF) -2.60%, and Agrium Inc. (AGU) +5.95%}

U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Bonds or TIPS are held by the fund to invest excess cash and as collateral for commodity futures related investments held in our Cayman Island subsidiary. Nominal yields on the benchmark 10 year note began the year at 1.91%. Rates moved lower, to 1.67%, at the end of April. The most recent announcements from the Japanese central bank relating to their large quantitative easing package helped to lower rates globally as currency flows from Tokyo accelerated and found new homes in US fixed income amongst other yield seeking maneuvers. Despite the efforts by the Federal Reserve and other central banks to maintain historically low interest rates, we believe we may be nearing the end of what has been a significant multi-year rally in US treasury prices. As a result, we continue to invest in TIPS with limited duration exposure. At the end of April, our weighted average maturity was approximately 2.6 years in our TIPS portfolio.

We strongly believe that the long term fundamental drivers of commodity demand and ultimately higher prices are still in place. The recent underperformance of commodity prices relative to the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index® (S&P)4 may be a temporary phenomenon. Population growth is likely to remain unabated regardless of the economic environment in the US and Europe. A billion more people will probably be added to the world population over the next decade. The trend of wealth distribution to the developing world as those economies grow at rapid rates relative to the slow or negative growth occurring in the developed countries is contributing to ever increasing demand for raw materials and food. Incremental gains in disposable income in the developing nations have led to competition for the commodities needed for more complex and costly lifestyles. In a world with limited supplies of food, fuel, building materials, and other necessities of life, price may

 

 

15  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

become the ultimate allocator. Additionally, the aggressively accommodative central bank monetary policies recently announced coupled with measures already in place globally are likely to make commodities and other real assets more attractive over time as currencies, including the US Dollar, may decline in value.

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the fund(s) or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. CoreCommodity Management, LLC does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

 

1 

Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB Total Return Index – is comprised of a basket of 19 commodities, with 39% allocated to energy contracts; 41% to agriculture; 7% to precious metals and 13% to industrial metals. The index acts as a representative indicator or today’s global commodity markets. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

2 

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Natural Resources Total Return Index – is comprised of 90 of the largest publicly traded companies, based on capitalization, in global natural resources and commodities businesses that meet certain investability requirements, offering investors diversified, liquid and investable equity exposure across 3 primary commodity-related sectors: Agribusiness, Energy, and Metals & Mining. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

3 

Basis Points or bps is a unit that is equal to 1/100th of 1%, and is used to denote the change in a financial instrument.

4 

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500® Index – measures the performance of 500 large cap stocks, which together represent about 75% of the total U.S. equities market. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

    

 

 

16  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes maximum sales charges of 5.50%)

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Average Annual Total Returns (as of April 30, 2013)

 

     1 Year     Since Inception ^       Total Expense Ratio       What You Pay *  

Class A (NAV)1

     -6.44%   6.43%   1.66%   1.47%

Class A (MOP)2

    -11.58%   4.33%    

Class C (NAV)1

     -7.10%   5.85%   2.26%   2.07%

Class C (CDSC)2

     -8.02%   5.85%    

Class I

     -6.16%   6.75%   1.36%   1.17%

TR/J CRB Total Return Index3

     -5.74%   4.31%        

DJUBS Commodity TR3

     -5.34%   2.70%        

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. The Fund imposes a 2.00% redemption fee on shares held for less than 30 days. The Fund imposes a maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% to shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase, and on Class A shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase in excess of $1 million. Performance data does not reflect the redemption fee or the CDSC, which if reflected would reduce the performance quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-866-759-5679.

 

17  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

1 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

2 

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) includes sales charges. Class A returns include effects of the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%; Class C returns include the 1.00% CDSC.

3 

Thomson Reuters / Jefferies CRB Index and the Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index are unmanaged indices used as a measurement of change in commodity market conditions based on the performance of a basket of different commodities. The indices are not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

^

Fund inception date of June 29, 2010.

*

What You Pay reflects the Sub-Advisor’s decision to contractually limit expenses through August 31, 2013. Please see the prospectus for additional information.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the Fund’s top holdings is subject to change. Performance figures are historical and reflect the change in share price, reinvested distributions, changes in net asset value, sales charges and capital gains distributions, if any.

Mutual funds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

This Fund is not suitable for all investors, and is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

Investing in commodity-related securities involves risk and considerations not present when investing in more conventional securities. The Fund may be more susceptible to high volatility of commodity markets.

Derivatives generally are more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments; this could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s original investment.

 

Commodity Futures Related Investments: 50.79%

(as a % of Net Assets)*

 

WTI Crude Oil

    10.42

Gold**

    5.99

Coffee

    5.25

Brent Crude Oil

    5.06

Corn

    4.33

Soybeans

    4.08

Live Cattle

    4.08

Aluminum

    4.04

Copper

    3.87

Cocoa

    3.67

Commodity-Equities: 17.93%

(as a % of Net Assets)

 

Monsanto Co. (MON)

    3.16

Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM)

    2.94

Syngenta AG (SYNN)

    2.25

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc. (POT)

    2.13

Deere & Co. (DE)

    1.68

Chevron Corp. (CVX)

    1.66

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. (ADM)

    1.11

The Mosaic Co. (MOS)

    1.06

BP PLC (BP)

    1.01

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA)

    0.93
 

 

*

Participation in commodities is generally achieved through investments in over-the-counter commodity swap contracts.

**

Participation in Gold can be achieved through investments in ETFs that hold physical gold, and/or futures or other derivative contracts that are directly tied to the price performance of Gold.

As of April 30, 2013 the portfolio composition data presented above is an estimate and may not include, among other things, investment expenses, dividends or interest payments, advisory fees or other expenses incurred by the Fund.

 

18  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Consolidated Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

      Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

COMMON STOCKS (37.50%)

     

Australia (0.49%)

     

Fortescue Metals Group, Ltd.

     31,313       $ 113,618   

Iluka Resources, Ltd.

     7,779         72,177   

Incitec Pivot, Ltd.

     254,126         761,377   

Newcrest Mining, Ltd.

     11,624         202,570   

Woodside Petroleum, Ltd.

     9,366         364,697   
     

 

 

 
        1,514,439   
     

 

 

 

Brazil (0.44%)

     

Cia Siderurgica Nacional SA, ADR

     1,580         6,320   

Gerdau SA, ADR

     10,527         82,637   

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, ADR

     23,163         443,572   

Vale SA, ADR

     48,193         823,618   
     

 

 

 
        1,356,147   
     

 

 

 

Canada (4.87%)

     

Agnico-Eagle Mines, Ltd.

     8,452         272,915   

Agrium, Inc.

     24,076         2,207,047   

Barrick Gold Corp.

     14,607         287,904   

Cameco Corp.

     5,892         114,953   

Canadian Natural Resources, Ltd.

     5,377         157,761   

Eldorado Gold Corp.

     15,540         123,077   

Encana Corp.

     19,209         354,406   

First Quantum Minerals, Ltd.

     16,847         294,147   

Goldcorp, Inc.

     24,178         715,185   

IAMGOLD Corp.

     20,363         109,349   

Kinross Gold Corp.

     77,002         418,891   

New Gold, Inc.(a)

     18,238         145,539   

Osisko Mining Corp.(a)

     19         80   

Pan American Silver Corp.

     28,778         379,870   

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc.

     153,857         6,477,380   

Silver Wheaton Corp.

     23,234         569,930   

Suncor Energy, Inc.

     32,817         1,022,249   

Teck Resources, Ltd., Class B

     14,026         372,671   

TransCanada Corp.

     12,731         631,085   

Turquoise Hill Resources, Ltd.(a)

     20,919         147,061   

Yamana Gold, Inc.

     27,176         334,265   
     

 

 

 
        15,135,765   
     

 

 

 

Chile (0.17%)

     

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA, ADR

     10,655         527,316   
     

 

 

 

China (0.48%)

     

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class H

     245,224         268,287   

China Shenhua Energy Co., Ltd., Class H

     58,216         205,928   

CNOOC, Ltd.

     250,001         466,488   

Jiangxi Copper Co., Ltd., Class H

     27,185         52,687   

PetroChina Co., Ltd., Class H

     330,045         419,778   
      Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

China (continued)

     

Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd., Class H

     214,020       $ 63,157   
     

 

 

 
        1,476,325   
     

 

 

 

France (0.58%)

     

Total SA

     35,634         1,795,943   
     

 

 

 

Germany (0.51%)

     

K+S AG

     34,170         1,510,656   

ThyssenKrupp AG(a)

     3,937         71,214   
     

 

 

 
        1,581,870   
     

 

 

 

India (0.13%)

     

Reliance Industries, Ltd., GDR(b)

     13,626         401,558   

Sterlite Industries India, Ltd., ADR

     2,057         14,872   
     

 

 

 
        416,430   
     

 

 

 

Israel (0.33%)

     

Israel Chemicals, Ltd.

     55,718         662,710   

The Israel Corp., Ltd.

     574         369,057   
     

 

 

 
        1,031,767   
     

 

 

 

Italy (0.60%)

     

Eni SpA, ADR

     39,236         1,875,873   
     

 

 

 

Japan (0.15%)

     

Inpex Corp.

     85         409,807   

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp.

     20,342         54,045   
     

 

 

 
        463,852   
     

 

 

 

Jersey (0.07%)

     

Randgold Resources, Ltd., ADR

     2,744         224,404   
     

 

 

 

Luxembourg (0.14%)

     

ArcelorMittal

     19,466         243,130   

Tenaris SA, ADR

     4,150         184,634   
     

 

 

 
        427,764   
     

 

 

 

Mexico (0.26%)

     

Grupo Mexico SAB de CV, Series B

     54,387         195,245   

Industrias Penoles SAB de CV

     14,794         621,316   
     

 

 

 
        816,561   
     

 

 

 

Netherlands (1.21%)

     

CNH Global N.V.

     13,138         540,366   

Nutreco N.V.

     4,220         400,531   

Royal Dutch Shell PLC, ADR

     41,488         2,819,940   
     

 

 

 
        3,760,837   
     

 

 

 

Norway (0.57%)

     

Norsk Hydro ASA

     17,863         83,638   
 

 

19  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Consolidated Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

      Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Norway (continued)

     

Yara International ASA

     36,159       $ 1,693,043   
     

 

 

 
        1,776,681   
     

 

 

 

Peru (0.10%)

     

Cia de Minas Buenaventura SA, ADR

     15,310         306,506   
     

 

 

 

Russia (2.03%)

     

Gazprom OAO, ADR

     159,410         1,264,918   

LUKOIL OAO, ADR

     18,380         1,165,292   

Mechel Steel Group, ADR

     16,800         68,544   

MMC Norilsk Nickel OJSC, ADR(a)

     90,197         1,381,818   

NovaTek OAO, GDR(c)

     1,817         183,880   

Rosneft Oil Co. OAO, GDR(c)

     53,474         365,495   

Severstal OAO, GDR(c)

     7,314         61,840   

Uralkali OJSC, GDR(c)

     50,441         1,825,460   
     

 

 

 
        6,317,247   
     

 

 

 

Singapore (0.51%)

     

Golden Agri-Resources, Ltd.

     780,586         335,886   

Olam International, Ltd.

     258,948         352,146   

Wilmar International, Ltd.

     330,439         893,368   
     

 

 

 
        1,581,400   
     

 

 

 

South Africa (0.47%)

     

Anglo Platinum, Ltd.(a)

     435         16,501   

AngloGold Ashanti, Ltd., ADR

     16,970         330,915   

Gold Fields, Ltd., ADR

     33,120         247,075   

Harmony Gold Mining Co., Ltd., ADR

     34,631         177,657   

Impala Platinum Holdings, Ltd.

     17,765         242,436   

Kumba Iron Ore, Ltd.

     1,186         62,552   

Sasol, Ltd.

     7,880         340,570   

Sibanye Gold, Ltd., ADR(a)

     8,280         31,878   
     

 

 

 
        1,449,584   
     

 

 

 

South Korea (0.15%)

     

POSCO, ADR

     6,322         455,121   
     

 

 

 

Switzerland (2.64%)

     

Glencore International PLC

     53,696         264,364   

Syngenta AG

     15,982         6,830,767   

Transocean, Ltd.

     5,923         304,857   

Weatherford International, Ltd.(a)

     20,498         262,169   

Xstrata PLC

     36,382         544,512   
     

 

 

 
        8,206,669   
     

 

 

 

United Kingdom (2.28%)

     

Anglo American PLC

     27,213         661,546   

Antofagasta PLC

     7,696         107,292   

BG Group PLC

     55,192         929,769   

BHP Billiton PLC, ADR

     19,473         1,100,809   

BP PLC, ADR

     70,011         3,052,479   

Kazakhmys PLC

     4,437         23,868   

Lonmin PLC(a)

     5,780         24,152   
      Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

United Kingdom (continued)

     

Petropavlovsk PLC

     10,162       $ 22,888   

Rio Tinto PLC, ADR

     25,578         1,178,123   
     

 

 

 
        7,100,926   
     

 

 

 

United States (18.32%)

     

AGCO Corp.

     21,171         1,127,356   

Alcoa, Inc.

     15,849         134,717   

Allegheny Technologies, Inc.

     2,193         59,167   

Allied Nevada Gold Corp.(a)

     5,428         58,080   

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

     8,568         726,224   

Apache Corp.

     6,230         460,272   

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.

     99,128         3,364,404   

Baker Hughes, Inc.

     10,070         457,077   

Bunge, Ltd.

     13,968         1,008,629   

Cameron International Corp.(a)

     3,864         237,829   

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

     13,489         2,515,833   

Chevron Corp.

     41,377         5,048,408   

Cliffs Natural Resources, Inc.

     7,741         165,193   

Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp.(a)

     7,051         107,457   

ConocoPhillips

     17,965         1,085,984   

Deere & Co.

     57,208         5,108,674   

Detour Gold Corp.(a)

     299         3,597   

Devon Energy Corp.

     7,294         401,608   

Ensco PLC, Class A

     402         23,187   

EOG Resources, Inc.

     3,313         401,403   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

     100,178         8,914,840   

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.

     12,421         377,971   

Halliburton Co.

     17,195         735,430   

Hecla Mining Co.

     32,478         110,425   

Hess Corp.

     3,917         282,729   

Ingredion, Inc.

     17,065         1,228,851   

Intrepid Potash, Inc.

     15,406         283,625   

Kinder Morgan, Inc.

     8,702         340,248   

Marathon Oil Corp.

     29,459         962,426   

Marathon Petroleum Corp.

     5,700         446,652   

Monsanto Co.

     89,728         9,584,745   

The Mosaic Co.

     52,099         3,208,778   

National Oilwell Varco, Inc.

     6,952         453,410   

Newmont Mining Corp.

     19,590         634,716   

Noble Energy, Inc.

     4,608         522,040   

Nucor Corp.

     4,606         200,914   

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

     17,874         1,595,433   

Peabody Energy Corp.

     5,399         108,304   

Phillips 66

     7,700         469,315   

Pioneer Natural Resources Co.

     2,572         314,376   

Royal Gold, Inc.

     1,944         108,048   

Schlumberger, Ltd.

     24,045         1,789,669   

Southern Copper Corp.

     3,937         131,220   

Southwestern Energy Co.(a)

     7,208         269,723   

Spectra Energy Corp.

     697         21,976   

Valero Energy Corp.

     22,250         897,120   
 

 

 

20  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Consolidated Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

     Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

United States (continued)

   

The Williams Co., Inc.

    12,274      $ 468,008   
   

 

 

 
      56,956,091   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

  

 

(Cost $116,740,633)

      116,555,518   
   

 

 

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (1.82%)

  

 

iShares® Gold Trust(a)

    218,898        3,141,186   

SPDR® Gold Trust(a)

    17,688        2,525,316   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

  

 

(Cost $6,391,017)

      5,666,502   
   

 

 

 

WARRANTS (0.00%)(d)

   

Canada (0.00%)(d)

   

Kinross Gold Corp., Strike Price $21.30, Expires 9/17/14(a)

    19        3   
   

 

 

 

United States (0.00%)(d)

   

Magnum Hunter Resources Corp., Strike Price $10.50, Expires 10/14/13(a)

    629        88   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL WARRANTS

  

 

(Cost $69)

      91   
   

 

 

 
    

Principal

Amount

   

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

GOVERNMENT BONDS (55.08%)

 

 

U.S. Treasury Bonds (55.08%)

 

 

United States Treasury Inflation Indexed Bonds

  

 

1.875%, 7/15/13(e)(f)

  $ 5,800,521        5,830,428   

2.000%, 1/15/14(f)

    6,249,297        6,374,770   

1.250%, 4/15/14(e)

    8,718,924        8,895,343   

2.000%, 7/15/14

    11,389,895        11,884,649   

1.625%, 1/15/15(e)(f)

    13,644,549        14,340,639   

0.500%, 4/15/15(f)

    11,700,894        12,125,051   

1.875%, 7/15/15

    8,651,208        9,353,443   

2.000%, 1/15/16

    9,063,005        9,950,192   

0.125%, 4/15/16

    21,556,365        22,592,084   

2.500%, 7/15/16

    11,208,698        12,771,784   

2.375%, 1/15/17(f)

    10,070,725        11,582,119   

0.125%, 4/15/17(e)(f)

    14,817,405        15,781,692   

2.625%, 7/15/17(f)

    14,278,470        16,946,759   

1.625%, 1/15/18

    11,079,100        12,765,206   
   

 

 

 
      171,194,159   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL GOVERNMENT BONDS

   

(Cost $170,654,312)

      171,194,159   
   

 

 

 
   

7-Day

Yield

  Shares  

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (8.85%)

  

Money Market Fund (8.85%)

  

Dreyfus Treasury Prime Cash Management Fund, Institutional Shares

  0.00004%   27,503,104   $ 27,503,104   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

 

(Cost $27,503,104)

      27,503,104   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (103.25%)

 

(Cost $321,289,135)

  $ 320,919,374   

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets (-3.25%)

    (10,095,587

 

 

NET ASSETS - 100.00%

  $   310,823,787   

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-Income Producing Security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration under rule 144A of the securities act of 1933. This security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At period end, the market value of those securities was $401,558, representing 0.13% of the Fund’s net assets.

(c) 

These securities initially sold to other parties pursuant to Regulation S under the 1933 Act and subsequently resold to the Fund. At period end, the aggregate market value of those securities was $2,436,675, representing 0.78% of the Fund’s net assets.

(d) 

Less than 0.005%.

(e) 

Security, or portion of security, is being held as collateral for futures contracts.

(f) 

Security, or portion of security, is being held as collateral for total return swap contracts.

Common Abbreviations:

ADR - American Depositary Receipt.

AG - Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a

        corporation that is limited by shares, i.e., owned

        by shareholders.

ASA - Allmennaksjeselskap is the Norwegian term for public

        limited company.

GDR - Global Depositary Receipt.

Ltd. - Limited.

N.V. - Naamloze vennootschap is the Dutch term for a public

        limited liability corporation.

OAO - Russian open joint stock company.

OJSC - Open joint stock company.

PLC - Public Limited Co.

SA - Generally designated corporations in various countries,

        mostly those employing the civil law.

SAB de CV - A variable capital company.

SPDR - Standard & Poor’s Depository Receipt.

 

 

21  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Consolidated Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry and geographical classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries and regions are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

    

 

 

22  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Consolidated Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS

 

Description    Position    Contracts   

Expiration

Date

    

Value

(Note 2)

   

Unrealized

Appreciation

 

 

 

Silver Future

   Short    (1)      12/30/13       $ (121,510   $ 52,978   

WTI Crude Future

   Long    4      5/21/13         373,840        114   

WTI Crude Future

   Short    (4)      5/22/13         (373,840     19,552   

WTI Crude Future

   Short    (55)      7/22/13         (5,151,850     178,789   
           

 

 

 
            $ (5,273,360   $ 251,433   
           

 

 

 
Description    Position    Contracts   

Expiration

Date

    

Value

(Note 2)

   

Unrealized

Depreciation

 

 

 

Brent Crude Future

   Long    150      5/17/13       $ 15,355,500      $ (798,361

Gold 100 Oz. Future

   Long    48      6/27/13         7,066,080        (438,128

S&P 500® Mini Future

   Short    (190)      6/24/13         (15,125,900     (421,894

Silver Future

   Long    1      12/30/14         122,445        (51,122

WTI Crude Future

   Short    (185)      8/20/13         (17,280,850     (214,742

WTI Crude Future

   Long    70      11/20/13         6,447,700        (242,113
           

 

 

 
            $ (3,415,025   $ (2,166,360
           

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS(a)

 

Swap Counterparty   Reference Obligation   Notional Dollars     Rate Paid by
the Fund
 

Termination

Date

 

Unrealized

Appreciation

 

 

 
Bank of America - Merrill Lynch   ML Index Robusta   $ (5,800,000   0.10%   6/28/13   $ 0   
Bank of America - Merrill Lynch   MLCS Coffee J-F3     (3,847,086   0.10%   6/28/13     136,221   
Bank of America - Merrill Lynch   MLCS Copper J-F3     (5,777,117   0.10%   6/28/13     399,502   
Bank of America - Merrill Lynch   MLCS Silver J-F3     (925,492   0.10%   6/28/13     136,825   
Bank of America - Merrill Lynch   MLCX Aluminum J-F3     (5,224,011   0.10%   6/28/13     95,575   
Bank of America - Merrill Lynch   MLCX GoldT-F3     (6,234,777   0.10%   6/28/13     484,657   
         

 

 

 
          $ 1,252,780   
         

 

 

 
Swap Counterparty   Reference Obligation   Notional
Dollars
    Rate Paid
by the Fund
  Termination
Date
  Unrealized
Depreciation
 

 

 

Bank of America - Merrill Lynch

 

CRB 3 Month Forward Total Return Index

  $ 80,838,741      0.48%   6/28/13   $ (1,890,216

Bank of America - Merrill Lynch

 

ML Aluminum GA6

    5,183,044      0.10%   6/28/13     (73,781

Bank of America - Merrill Lynch

 

ML eXtra Coffee ER

    6,000,000      0.30%   6/28/13     (176,702

Bank of America - Merrill Lynch

 

ML eXtra Coffee GA6

    3,873,631      0.10%   6/28/13     (142,808

Bank of America - Merrill Lynch

 

ML eXtra Copper GA6

    5,824,597      0.10%   6/28/13     (402,865

Bank of America - Merrill Lynch

 

ML eXtra Silver GA6

    928,115      0.10%   6/28/13     (137,052

Bank of America - Merrill Lynch

 

Natural Gas Future

    (6,012,000   0.00%   6/30/13     (502,500

Societe Generale

 

CRB 3 Month Forward Total Return Index

    51,640,528      0.35%   11/29/13     (1,207,487

UBS

 

CRB 3 Month Forward Total Return Index

    74,277,193      0.40%   11/29/13     (1,736,791
         

 

 

 
          $ (6,270,202
         

 

 

 

 

(a) 

The Fund receives monthly payments based on any positive monthly return of the Reference Obligation. The Fund makes payments on any negative monthly return of such Reference Obligation.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

23  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities    April 30, 2013

 

ASSETS

  

Investments, at value

   $   320,919,374   

Cash

     979,637   

Foreign currency, at value (Cost $516,087)

     519,021   

Unrealized appreciation on total return swap contracts

     1,252,780   

Receivable for investments sold

     28,961,955   

Receivable for shares sold

     743,322   

Receivable due from broker for total return swap contracts

     84,812   

Deposit with broker for futures contracts

     3,426,676   

Dividends and interest receivable

     805,693   

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     17,052   

 

 

Total Assets

     357,710,322   

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for investments purchased

     37,972,151   

Payable for variation margin

     1,914,927   

Payable for shares redeemed

     199,198   

Unrealized depreciation on total return swap contracts

     6,270,202   

Investment advisory fees payable

     208,256   

Administration and transfer agency fees payable

     43,613   

Distribution and services fees payable

     155,465   

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

     3,845   

Legal fees payable

     1,562   

Audit and tax fees payable

     36,615   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     80,701   

 

 

Total Liabilities

     46,886,535   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 310,823,787   

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 323,667,411   

Accumulated net investment income

     1,091   

Accumulated net realized loss on investments, written options, futures contracts, total return swap contracts, securities sold short and foreign currency transactions

     (5,543,648)   

Net unrealized depreciation on investments, futures contracts, total return swap contracts, securities sold short and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     (7,301,067)   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 310,823,787   

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 321,289,135   

 

 

PRICING OF SHARES

  

Class A:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 10.40   

Net Assets

   $ 104,233,545   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     10,020,549   

Maximum offering price per share ((NAV/0.9450), based on maximum sales charge of 5.50% of the offering price)

   $ 11.01   

Class C:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 10.31   

Net Assets

   $ 19,444,247   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     1,885,780   

Class I:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 10.37   

Net Assets

   $ 187,145,995   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     18,050,739   

 

(a) 

Redemption price per share may be reduced for any applicable contingent deferred sales charge. For a description of a possible sales charge, please see the Fund’s Prospectus.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

24  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Consolidated Statement of Operations    For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

   $ 2,352,151   

Foreign taxes withheld on dividends

     (174,996)   

Interest and other income

     682,663   

 

 

Total Investment Income

     2,859,818   

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Investment advisory fees

     2,166,879   

Administrative and transfer agency fees

     430,140   

Distribution and service fees

  

Class A

     357,161   

Class C

     189,135   

Legal fees

     11,856   

Audit and tax fees

     38,006   

Networking fees

  

Class I

     30,183   

Reports to shareholders and printing fees

     79,858   

State registration fees

     55,160   

SEC registration fees

     22,085   

Insurance fees

     7,563   

Custody fees

     63,764   

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     20,077   

Miscellaneous expenses

     16,636   

 

 

Total Expense

     3,488,503   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor (Note 7)

  

Class A

     (91,338)   

Class C

     (17,117)   

Class I

     (21,636)   

 

 

Net Expenses

     3,358,412   

 

 

Net Investment Loss

     (498,594)   

 

 

Net realized loss on investments

     (360,838)   

Net realized gain on written options

     197,875   

Net realized loss on futures contracts

     (1,652,573)   

Net realized loss on total return swap contracts

     (7,488,628)   

Net realized loss on securities sold short

     (6,647)   

Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions

     (25,171)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     808,734   

Net change in unrealized depreciation on futures contracts

     (1,913,390)   

Net change in unrealized depreciation on total return swap contracts

     (3,555,096)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on securities sold short

     6,647   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     10,604   

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED LOSS ON INVESTMENTS

     (13,978,483)   

 

 

NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $ (14,477,077)   

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

25  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

     

For the

Year Ended
April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

OPERATIONS

     

Net investment income/(loss)

   $ (498,594)       $ 723,730   

Net realized loss on investments, written options, futures contracts, total return swap contracts, securities sold short and foreign currency transactions

     (9,335,982)         (16,419,885)   

Net change in unrealized depreciation on investments, futures contracts, total return swap contracts, securities sold short and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     (4,642,501)         (7,830,792)   

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

     (14,477,077)         (23,526,947)   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

     

Dividends to shareholders from net investment income

     

Class A

             (3,099,336)   

Class C

             (650,148)   

Class I

             (5,302,231)   

Dividends to shareholders from net realized gains

     

Class A

             (76,847)   

Class C

             (22,661)   

Class I

             (98,964)   

Dividends to shareholders from tax return of capital

     

Class A

     (532,988)           

Class C

     (84,918)           

Class I

     (699,604)           

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets from Distributions

     (1,317,510)         (9,250,187)   

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 6)

     

Shares sold

     

Class A

     90,054,418         82,119,588   

Class C

     8,548,230         14,395,546   

Class I

     157,098,320         66,432,636   

Dividends reinvested

     

Class A

     395,824         2,497,583   

Class C

     51,810         450,106   

Class I

     542,393         3,994,738   

Shares redeemed

     

Class A

     (66,182,451)         (24,121,608)   

Class C

     (5,831,034)         (1,620,551)   

Class I

     (45,457,181)         (42,014,869)   

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions

     139,220,329         102,133,169   

 

 

Net increase in net assets

     123,425,742         69,356,035   

NET ASSETS

     

Beginning of year

     187,398,045         118,042,010   

 

 

End of year *

   $ 310,823,787       $ 187,398,045   

 

 

*Including accumulated net investment income/(loss) of:

   $ 1,091       $ (130,632)   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

26  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund – Class A

Consolidated Financial Highlights

 

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

        For the Year Ended    
April 30, 2013(a)(b)
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
June 29, 2010
(Inception) to
    April 30, 2011(a)    

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $11.18   $14.28   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income/(loss)(c)

  (0.03)   0.04   0.12

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  (0.69)   (2.29)   4.87

 

Total from investment operations

  (0.72)   (2.25)   4.99

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net investment income

    (0.83)   (0.71)

From net realized gains

    (0.02)  

Tax return of capital

  (0.06)    

 

Total distributions

  (0.06)   (0.85)   (0.71)

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

  0.00(d)   0.00(d)   0.00(d)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  (0.78)   (3.10)   4.28

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $10.40   $11.18   $14.28

 

TOTAL RETURN(e)

  (6.44)%   (15.77)%   51.41%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $104,234   $85,805   $37,060

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.50%   1.64%   2.59%(f)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.40%(h)   1.45%   1.45%(f)

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

  (0.30)%   0.36%   1.08%(f)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

  117%   264%   59%

 

 

(a)

Per share amounts and ratios to average net assets include income and expenses of the Jefferies Asset Management Cayman Trust (wholly-owned subsidiary).

(b) 

Prior to April 30, 2013 the ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund was known as the Jefferies Asset Management Commodity Strategy Allocation Fund.

(c) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(d) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(e) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(f) 

Annualized.

(g) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

(h) 

According to the Fund’s shareholder services plan with respect to the Fund’s Class A shares, any amount of such payment not paid during the Fund’s fiscal year for such service activities shall be reimbursed to the Fund as soon as practicable after the end of the fiscal year. Fees were reimbursed to the Fund during the year ended April 30, 2013, for the prior fiscal year in the amount of 0.05% of average net assets of Class A shares.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

27  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund – Class C

Consolidated Financial Highlights   

 

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

        For the Year Ended    
April 30, 2013(a)(b)
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
June 29, 2010
(Inception) to
    April 30, 2011(a)    

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $11.15   $14.19   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income/(loss)(c)

  (0.10)   (0.05)   0.08

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  (0.69)   (2.26)   4.87

 

Total from investment operations

  (0.79)   (2.31)   4.95

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net investment income

    (0.71)   (0.76)

From net realized gains

    (0.02)  

Tax return of capital

  (0.05)    

 

Total distributions

  (0.05)   (0.73)   (0.76)

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

  0.00(d)   0.00(d)   0.00(d)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  (0.84)   (3.04)   4.19

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $10.31   $11.15   $14.19

 

TOTAL RETURN(e)

  (7.10)%   (16.26)%   50.90%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $19,444   $18,095   $7,352

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  2.14%   2.24%   4.00%(f)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  2.05%   2.05%   2.05%(f)

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

  (0.92)%   (0.42)%   0.72%(f)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

  117%   264%   59%

 

 

(a)

Per share amounts and ratios to average net assets include income and expenses of the Jefferies Asset Management Cayman Trust (wholly-owned subsidiary), exclusive of the subsidiary’s management fee.

(b) 

Prior to April 30, 2013 the ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund was known as the Jefferies Asset Management Commodity Strategy Allocation Fund.

(c) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(d) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(e) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(f) 

Annualized.

(g) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

28  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management

CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund – Class I

Consolidated Financial Highlights

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

        For the Year Ended    
April 30, 2013(a)(b)
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
June 29, 2010
(Inception) to
    April 30, 2011(a)    

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $11.12   $14.25   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income/(loss)(c)

  (0.00)(d)   0.10   0.13

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  (0.69)   (2.32)   4.89

 

Total from investment operations

  (0.69)   (2.22)   5.02

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net investment income

    (0.89)   (0.77)

From net realized gains

    (0.02)  

Tax return of capital

  (0.06)    

 

Total distributions

  (0.06)   (0.91)   (0.77)

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

  0.00(d)   0.00(d)   0.00(d)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  (0.75)   (3.13)   4.25

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $10.37   $11.12   $14.25

 

TOTAL RETURN(e)

  (6.16)%   (15.53)%   51.74%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $187,146   $83,497   $73,630

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.17%   1.33%   2.04%(f)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.15%   1.15%   1.15%(f)

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

  (0.02)%   0.82%   1.19%(f)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

  117%   264%   59%

 

 

(a)

Per share amounts and ratios to average net assets include income and expenses of the Jefferies Asset Management Cayman Trust (wholly-owned subsidiary).

(b) 

Prior to April 30, 2013 the ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund was known as the Jefferies Asset Management Commodity Strategy Allocation Fund.

(c) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(d) 

Less than $0.005 and ($0.005) per share.

(e) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(f) 

Annualized.

(g) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

29  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund     
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund (the “Fund”) was launched on February 14, 2011. During the 12-month period ended 04/30/2013 (hereinafter referred to as “the period”), the Fund’s Class A Shares, INDAX, delivered a net return of 15.21% at Net Asset Value (Class A delivered a net return of 8.85% at MOP, Class C, INFCX, was 13.60% with CDSC, Class I, INDIX, was 15.76%). The Fund’s performance was above that of the 10.90% gained by the CNX 500 Index (“CNX 500”)1, without taking into account sales charges for Class A and C Shares.

During the period, the Indian equity markets rallied along with the global markets with the broader market index CNX 500 returning 9.10% in the period, CNX Nifty Index (“Nifty”) 2 returning 10.97% and Midcap Index (“CNX Midcap”)3 returning 2.78% (all in United States Dollar (“USD”) terms). The investment environment during this period was impacted by the following, with May 2012 and September 2012 marking the worst and best monthly change respectively (CNX 500 returned
-12.49% in May 2012 and 14.53% in September 2012).

 

  »

Global equity markets rallied in the period with investor sentiment improving in Euro-area countries after the European Central Bank (ECB) established the European Stability Mechanism (ESM)4 and Outright Monetary Transaction (OMT)5 to eligible countries. In the US, improving macroeconomic data and the announcement of open ended stimulus to the tune of USD85 billion (“bn”)/month helped the US equities markets rally to a record high in April 2013, countering the uncertainty pertaining to fiscal cliff6 concerns at the end of 2012. In Japan, Bank of Japan (BoJ) also announced massive stimulus to reach 2% target inflation in 2 years. In India, the announcement of several key reforms activities, strong FII (Foreign Institutional Investor) flows to the tune of USD27bn during the period, several policy rate cuts, and falling inflation trend helped the performance of the Indian equity market and countered the weakness seen at the beginning of the period due to uncertainty on the GAAR7 (General Anti Avoidance Rule) issue.

  »

During the period, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut its policy rate by cumulative 50 basis points (“bps”)8 through its January 2013 (25bps) and March 2013 (25bps) policy meetings, bringing repo9 and reverse repo rate10 to 7.5% and 6.5% respectively. In addition, RBI also cut CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio) to 4% in the period. The move was in-line with the consensus expectation. In the policy statement, the language of the statement remained hawkish and sounded cautious in the wake of high headline inflation and persistence of a high current account deficit. Despite that, we expect the RBI to cut rates by another 50bps this year, bringing the repo rate to 7%.

  »

For the quarter ending December 2012 (Q3FY13), real Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”) growth came in at 4.5%, lower than previous quarter number of 5.3% and Bloomberg consensus expectation of 4.8%. This is also the lowest quarterly growth rate in a decade in India. Services slowed down to 6.1% Year over Year (“YoY”) (v/s 7.2% in

 

Q2FY13) and agriculture remained weak. On a positive note, industrial growth improved to 3.3% (v/s 2.7% in Q2FY13). The gross fixed capital formation (GFCF)11 grew at 4.2% YoY (v/s 4.1% in Q2FY13). It recovered to 6% Quarter over Quarter (“QoQ”) in Q3FY13 from a low -0.1% in Q2FY13. Government’s final consumption expenditure slowed to 1.9%, indicating a cut in planned expenditure to curb fiscal deficit. On the other hand, private final consumption expenditure recovered to 4.6% from a low of 2% in Q2FY13. The 9 month FY13 GDP growth has been at 5% (v/s 6.6% in 9 month FY12). The decline was across all the three major segments.

  »

After persistently staying at around 9% for most of 2011, the wholesale price inflation number (WPI)12 declined to average of 7% in 2012. The latest inflation data (March 2013) showed a further decline in the inflation number which stood at 5.96%, lowest in at least 4 years. All three broad components - primary articles, fuel and power, and manufactured product inflation - rose at slower pace than February’s. Core inflation also slowed further to 3.5%, lowest since February 2010, and within RBI comfort level of 4%. Food inflation also slowed significantly to 8.1%.

  »

The Finance Minister announced the Union Budget13 in at the end of February 2013, which seems to be progressive yet balanced. In the context of anticipated populism ahead of general elections in 2014, it has vowed a path of fiscal consolidation. The budget has assumed a nominal GDP growth of 13.5%. It has projected a fiscal deficit of 4.8% for FY14 and has estimated the current year fiscal deficit at 5.2%, much closer to its budget estimate of 5.1%.

  »

The government also announced several key reforms activities during the period. In May 2012, the Government finally hiked gas prices by Indian Rupee (“INR”) 7.5/liter or around 10% (highest ever) with a follow up on diesel price (INR5/liter hike or around 12%) in September 2012. Besides that, in September 2012, the government also announced a series of major reform activities, surprising the market on the upside. The government announced the opening of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)14 in multi brand retailing (up to 51%), aviation (up to 49%), broadcasting (49% to 74%), and power-trading exchanges (up to 49%). In October 2012, reforms activities continue with the announcement of FDI in insurance companies (up to 49%) and pension funds (up to 26%). In December 2012, the Cabinet approved the Land Acquisition Bill15 and set up a Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI)16, formally known as the National Investment Board (NIB), which will be chaired by the Prime Minister and will look at projects worth INR10bn or more. In January 2013, the government announced a decision authorizing OMCs (Oil marketing companies such as BPCL, HPCL and Indian Oil) to make small incremental increases in diesel prices periodically and fully deregulate diesel price for bulk customers.

  »

The period also saw changes in the Finance Ministry of the Government of India. Mr. P. Chidambaram came back as finance minister after replacing Mr. Pranab Mukherjee who left the post to become the 13th President of India in

 

 

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Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund     
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

July. This has raised expectations of the economic reforms process getting stepped up with some reforms that eventually materialized in September.

  »

On the political front, the Indian coalition Central Government’s stability was once again put to test when the largest coalition partner (Dravida Munnetra with 19 Madhya Pradesh’s) walked out of the coalition on the issue of India’s unclear stand on a United Nations (“UN”) resolution on Srilankan Tamils. We do not expect the government to lose majority to govern due to the external support it enjoys from two major regional parties (Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party). Nevertheless, any bickering with these external parties in future could usher in an early election by couple of months.

  »

The Q4FY13 results have started coming in. The Information Technology sector results were a mixed lot but clearly indicative of the fact that there are topline growth concerns as well as margin compression issues. The Banking sector numbers are clearly in favor of private sector banks which have shown Net Interest Margin (“NIM”) expansion lead by robust fee income. The Oil & Gas sector results are reflective of falling refining margins but the valuations already seem to reflect that. It remains to be seen how the recent oil de-regulation affects the earnings of oil marketing companies. In the Automobile sector the four wheeler segment seems to be doing better than the two wheeler segment. In the midcap space, early trends in the chemicals & pesticide sectors seem positive.

Portfolio Composition

The portfolio is constructed to potentially benefit from the strong macro-economic growth in the Indian economy across four broad themes in India – consumption lead by favourable demographics, financial services, infrastructure and outsourcing. The Fund has the flexibility to invest across market capitalizations – depending on market conditions, valuation differential, earnings growth, liquidity, etc.

For the 12-month period ending 30th April 2013, sectorally the key changes have been in Banking & Finance (added 320 bps), Auto & Auto Ancillary (added 220 bps), Fast Moving Consumer Goods (“FMCG”) (added 200 bps), Metal & Metal Products (reduced 150 bps), Media (reduced 150 bps), and Utilities (reduced 140 bps). Thematically, Consumption (at about 36%) and Financials (at about 28%) are the largest themes in the portfolio while infrastructure exposure is only around 10% due to poor policy initiatives by the government. Over the last 12 months, exposure to midcap and small-cap companies in the fund has moved from 26.25% in April 2012 to 25.69% in October 2012 and 22.38% in April 2013.

Sectorally, the portfolio is overweight Pharmaceutical, Infrastructure, and Real Estate while underweight Oil & Gas, FMCG, and Utilities as of 30th April 2013.

Outlook

The monetary policy announcement in the first week by the central bank is expected to result in higher volatility but also set the future direction for the market. Though we expect a 25 basis point cut in the policy rate, anything higher could be a positive surprise. The Q4 results of the midcap companies would keep trickling in during the next one month and may determine the respective stock price movement. Net FII flows would also have a bearing on the market. One of the key states (Karnataka) is going to polls in the first week. This election outcome may become a harbinger for electoral alliances ahead of the 2014 general elections and hence would be closely watched by the markets.

Post the Q4 results and the credit policy announcement, we expect money to flow out of the technology sector and get anchored to the interest rate sensitive sectors like Banking, Automobiles, and to a limited extent into infrastructure related sectors. The Unilever Plc. triggered partial buyback of its Indian subsidiary has raised expectation of investors for more Multinational Corporations (“MNC”) to follow suit. The rise in prices across the MNC pack and the consumer goods sector raises further concern on already rich valuations. Pharmaceuticals continue to demonstrate both domestic as well as global growth and hence may continue to offer potential upsides and yet remain defensive during times of volatility.

In the portfolios post the Q4 results we would undertake appropriate sector evaluation and re-calibrate our exposures to the Banking, Consumption, Offshoring and Infrastructure themes. We shall also on a bottom-up basis look for valuation differential and growth opportunities to populate the portfolios.

The CNX Nifty is trading at 15.53X FY13 & 13.53XFY14 Earnings Per Share (“EPS”), respectively. The CNX Midcap Index is trading at 13.48X FY13 & 10.92X FY14 EPS respectively. An improving macro-economic scenario could potentially see further participation by global players and liquidity could expand current Price-Earnings Ratio (“P/E”)17 multiples in the medium term. With the midcaps at current levels, trading at a discount of nearly 20% to the largecaps, it does provide an opportunity for investors to buy into a wider diaspora of growing sectors of the Indian economy.

 

1 

The CNX 500 is India’s first broad based benchmark of the Indian capital market. The CNX 500 companies are disaggregated into 72 industry indices. Industry weightages in the index reflect the industry weightages in the market. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

 
2 

CNX Nifty Index is a stock market index and benchmark  index for the Indian equity market. It is a free float market  capitalization weighted index. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

 
3 

The CNX Midcap Index is a free float capitalization-weighted index designed to represent the midcap segment of the market in India. The index was developed with a base value of 1000 as of January 1, 2003. This index replaces the old CNX Midcap 200 Index which was discontinued effective July 18, 2005. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

 
 

 

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Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund     
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

4 

The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is an international organisation located in Luxembourg which was established on 27 September 2012 as a permanent firewall for the eurozone to safeguard and provide instant access to financial assistance programs for member states of the eurozone in financial difficulty, with a maximum lending capacity of €500 billion.

 
5 

Outright Monetary Transactions (OMT) is a program of the European Central Bank under which the bank makes purchases (outright transactions) in secondary, sovereign bond markets, under certain conditions, of bonds issued by Eurozone member-states.

 
6 

Fiscal Cliff is a term used to describe the situation that the U.S. government will face at the end of 2012, when the terms of the Budget Control Act of 2011 are scheduled to go into effect. Fiscal cliff is an USD600bn automatic tax increase and spending cuts to reduce U.S. fiscal deficit that will take effect on 1st Jan 2013 should Congress not act. The U.S. Congressional Budget Office estimated that if no changes are made, there is a high probability that U.S. will fall into recession in 2013.

 
7 

Tax Avoidance is an area of concern across the world. The rules are framed in different countries to minimize such avoidance of tax. Such rules in simple terms are known as “General Anti Avoidance Rules” or GAAR. Thus GAAR is a set of general rules enacted so as to check the tax avoidance.

 
8 

Basis Points or bps is a unit that is equal to 1/100th of 1%, and is used to denote the change in a financial instrument.

 
9 

The rate at which the RBI lends money to commercial banks is called repo rate.

 
10 

The rate at which the RBI borrows money from commercial banks is called the Reverse Repo rate.

 
11 

Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) is a macroeconomic concept used in official national accounts. Statistically it measures the value of acquisitions of new or existing fixed assets by the business sector, governments and “pure” households (excluding their unincorporated enterprises) less disposals of fixed assets. GFCF is a component of the expenditure on GDP, and thus shows something about how much of the new value added in the economy is invested rather than consumed.

 
12 

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) is the price of a representative basket of wholesale goods. India uses WPI changes as a central measure of inflation.

 
13 

Union budget is the annual budget of the Republic of India, presented each year on the last working day of February by the Finance Minister of India in Parliament.

 
14 

Foreign direct investment is a direct investment into production or business in a country by a company in another country, either by buying a company in the target country or by expanding operations of an existing business in that country.

 
15 

Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill in India is a much awaited bill for Land acquisition reforms and rehabilitation for the development projects in India. The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in India on 7 September 2011. The bill will be central legislation in India for the rehabilitation and resettlement of families affected by land acquisitions.

 
16 

Cabinet committee on investment was formed by Government of India cabinet ministers to deliberate on Investments in India.

 
17 

Price-earnings ratio is a valuation ratio of a company’s current share price compared to its per-share earnings.

 

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the fund(s) or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. Kotak Mahindra (UK) Limited does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

 

 

32  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes maximum sales charges of 5.50%)

 

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Average Annual Total Returns (as of April 30, 2013)

 

     1 Year       Since Inception ^           Total Expense Ratio               What You Pay *    

  Class A (NAV)1

  15.21%   -2.41%   12.50%   2.00%

  Class A (MOP)2

    8.85%   -4.87%    

  Class C (NAV)1

  14.60%   -3.02%   13.10%   2.60%

  Class C (CDSC)2

  13.60%   -3.02%    

  Class I

  15.76%   -2.03%   12.10%   1.60%

  CNX 500 Index3

  10.90%   -3.15%        

  MSCI India Index Total Return4

  11.77%   -3.43%        

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. The Fund imposes a 2.00% redemption fee on shares held for less than 30 days. The Fund imposes a maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% to shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase, and on Class A shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase in excess of $1 million. Performance shown does not reflect the redemption fee or the CDSC, which if reflected would reduce the performance quoted. For the most current month-end performance data please call 1-866-759-5679.

Investing in the Fund is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. Derivatives generally are more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments; this could result in losses that significantly exceed the funds original investment.

 

1 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

2 

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) includes sales charges. Class A returns include effects of the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%; Class C returns include the 1.00% CDSC.

3 

CNX 500 - India’s first broad based benchmark of the Indian capital market. The CNX 500 companies are disaggregated into 72 industry indices. Industry weightages in the market. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

 

33  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

4 

MSCI India Index - a free float weighted equity index. It was developed with a base value of 100 as-of December 31, 1992. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

^

Fund inception date of February 14, 2011.

*

What You Pay reflects the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s decision to contractually limit expenses through August 31, 2013. Please see the prospectus for additional information.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

This Fund is not suitable for all investors and is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the Fund’s top holdings is subject to change. Performance figures are historical and reflect the change in share price, reinvested distributions, changes in net asset value, sales charges and capital gains distributions, if any.

Mutual funds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

Investing in India involves risk and considerations not present when investing in more established securities markets. The Fund may be more susceptible to economic, market, political and local risks of the region than a fund that is more geographically diversified. Investments in India are subject to a number of risks including, but not limited to, risk of losing some or all of the capital invested, high market volatility, variable market liquidity, geopolitical risks (including political instability), exchange rate fluctuations (between the currency of the fund’s share class and the Indian Rupee), changes in tax regime and restrictions on investment activities of foreign investors.

 

Top Ten Long Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)

 

  ITC, Ltd.

     7.16%   

  ICICI Bank, Ltd.

     6.32%   

  HDFC Bank, Ltd.

     5.27%   

  Infosys, Ltd.

     4.15%   

  Larsen & Toubro, Ltd.

     3.53%   

  Reliance Industries, Ltd.

     3.52%   

  Housing Development Finance Corp.

     3.50%   

  State Bank of India

     3.18%   

  Tata Motors, Ltd.

     2.85%   

  Tata Consultancy Services, Ltd.

     2.59%   

  Top Ten Holdings

     42.07%   

 

Holdings are subject to change. Table presents indicative values only.

Industry Sector Allocation

(as a % of Net Assets)

 

LOGO

 

 

 

34  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund     
Consolidated Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     Value
(Note 2)
 

 

 

COMMON STOCKS (97.44%)

  

 

Consumer Discretionary (11.12%)

  

 

Auto Components (1.08%)

 

 

Motherson Sumi Systems, Ltd.

    23,000      $ 83,409   
   

 

 

 

Automobiles (5.85%)

 

 

Bajaj Auto, Ltd.

    2,460        85,980   

Mahindra & Mahindra, Ltd.

    8,560        147,066   

Tata Motors, Ltd.

    40,025        220,836   
   

 

 

 
      453,882   
   

 

 

 

Hotels Restaurants &

    Leisure (1.01%)

  

 

 

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India, Ltd.

    16,260        78,092   
   

 

 

 

Media (1.12%)

 

 

Sun TV Network, Ltd.

    11,200        86,872   
   

 

 

 

Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods (2.06%)

  

 

Bata India, Ltd.

    6,480        89,806   

Raymond, Ltd.

    13,035        70,362   
   

 

 

 
      160,168   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY

  

    862,423   
   

 

 

 

Consumer Staples (10.91%)

 

 

Food Products (1.26%)

 

 

Britannia Industries, Ltd.

    7,459        80,384   

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Ltd.

    232        17,326   
   

 

 

 
      97,710   
   

 

 

 

Household Products (1.51%)

 

 

Hindustan Unilever, Ltd.

    10,805        117,190   
   

 

 

 

Personal Products (0.98%)

  

 

Emami, Ltd.

    6,400        76,212   
   

 

 

 

Tobacco (7.16%)

   

ITC, Ltd.

    90,812        554,904   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER STAPLES

  

    846,016   
   

 

 

 

Energy (7.72%)

   

Oil, Gas & Consumable
Fuels (7.72%)

  

 

Cairn India, Ltd.

    12,841        74,511   

Hindustan Petroleum Corp., Ltd.

    12,550        71,657   

Oil & Natural Gas Corp., Ltd.

    17,200        104,495   

Oil India, Ltd.

    7,344        75,046   
     Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels (continued)

   

 

Reliance Industries, Ltd.

    18,618      $ 272,745   
   

 

 

 
      598,454   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL ENERGY

  

    598,454   
   

 

 

 

Financials (30.93%)

 

 

Commercial Banks (22.35%)

 

 

Axis Bank, Ltd.

    4,454        123,656   

Federal Bank, Ltd.

    11,250        95,382   

HDFC Bank, Ltd.

    32,201        408,865   

ICICI Bank, Ltd.

    22,575        490,233   

IndusInd Bank, Ltd.

    16,700        145,074   

State Bank of India

    5,855        246,524   

Union Bank of India

    29,700        135,172   

Yes Bank, Ltd.

    9,475        88,351   
   

 

 

 
      1,733,257   
   

 

 

 

Consumer Finance (1.89%)

 

 

Bajaj Finance, Ltd.

    3,280        74,658   

Shriram Transport Finance Co., Ltd.

    5,200        71,997   
   

 

 

 
      146,655   
   

 

 

 

Diversified Financial Services (1.10%)

 

 

Bajaj Holdings and Investment, Ltd.

    5,154        85,225   
   

 

 

 

Real Estate Management &
Development (2.09%)

  

 

DLF, Ltd.

    16,580        73,580   

Prestige Estates Projects, Ltd.

    28,308        88,139   
   

 

 

 
      161,719   
   

 

 

 

Thrifts & Mortgage
Finance (3.50%)

  

 

Housing Development Finance Corp.

    17,245        271,650   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL FINANCIALS

  

    2,398,506   
   

 

 

 

Health Care (7.24%)

 

 

Pharmaceuticals (7.24%)

 

 

Cipla, Ltd.

    16,548        124,676   

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Ltd.

    2,453        92,530   

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.

    8,100        73,295   

Lupin, Ltd.

    9,135        119,307   

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd.

    8,600        151,910   
   

 

 

 
      561,718   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL HEALTH CARE

      561,718   
   

 

 

 

Industrials (9.34%)

 

 

Construction &
Engineering (4.43%)

  

 

GMR Infrastructure, Ltd.(a)

    183,750        69,573   
 

 

35  |  April 30, 2013


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ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund     
Consolidated Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     Value
(Note 2)
 

 

 

Construction & Engineering (continued)

  

 

Larsen & Toubro, Ltd.

    9,735      $   273,709   
   

 

 

 
      343,282   
   

 

 

 

Industrial
Conglomerates (1.08%)

  

 

Jaiprakash Associates, Ltd.

    59,600        83,459   
   

 

 

 

Machinery (2.82%)

   

SKF India, Ltd.

    10,760        110,766   

Thermax, Ltd.

    10,113        107,746   
   

 

 

 
      218,512   
   

 

 

 

Transportation
Infrastructure (1.01%)

  

 

IL&FS Transportation Networks, Ltd.

    24,087        78,764   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INDUSTRIALS

      724,017   
   

 

 

 

Information Technology (10.72%)

 

 

Electronic Equipment, Instruments &
Components (1.24%)

  

 

Redington India, Ltd.

    65,460        95,995   
   

 

 

 

Internet Software &
Services (0.93%)

   

 

Info Edge India, Ltd.

    11,000        72,003   
   

 

 

 

IT Services (8.55%)

 

 

Hexaware Technologies, Ltd.

    45,000        68,599   

Infosys, Ltd.

    7,768        321,757   

Tata Consultancy Services, Ltd.

    7,850        200,923   

Tech Mahindra, Ltd.

    4,025        71,526   
   

 

 

 
      662,805   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

  

    830,803   
   

 

 

 

Materials (5.42%)

   

Chemicals (0.96%)

   

Coromandel International, Ltd.

    20,446        73,871   
   

 

 

 

Construction
Materials (2.34%)

  

 

Century Textiles & Industries, Ltd.

    12,513        66,950   

Shree Cement, Ltd.

    1,370        114,647   
   

 

 

 
      181,597   
   

 

 

 

Metals & Mining (2.12%)

 

 

Hindalco Industries, Ltd.

    38,750        70,230   

Hindustan Zinc, Ltd.

    42,549        94,134   
   

 

 

 
      164,364   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL MATERIALS

      419,832   
   

 

 

 
     Shares     Value
(Note 2)
 

 

 

Telecommunication
Services (1.79%)

   

 

Wireless Telecommunication Services (1.79%)

  

 

Bharti Airtel, Ltd.

    23,450      $ 139,068   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES

  

    139,068   
   

 

 

 

Utilities (2.25%)

   

Independent Power Producers & Energy Traders (2.25%)

  

 

NTPC, Ltd.

    27,000        78,909   

PTC India, Ltd.

    85,948        95,809   
   

 

 

 
      174,718   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL UTILITIES

      174,718   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

(Cost $7,057,749)

      7,555,555   
   

 

 

 

 

    7-Day
Yield
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (0.16%)

  

 

Money Market Fund (0.16%)

  

 

Dreyfus Cash Advantage Fund, Institutional Class

    0.069     12,653        12,653   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $12,653)

  

  

    12,653   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (97.60%)

(Cost $7,070,402)

  

  

  $ 7,568,208   

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (2.40%)

  

    186,004   
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

 

  $   7,754,212   
     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

Ltd. - Limited.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

36  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund     
Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities    April 30, 2013

 

ASSETS

  

Investments, at value

   $         7,568,208   

Cash

     47,744   

Foreign currency, at value (Cost $151,153)

     151,731   

Foreign currency held at broker for futures contracts (Cost $60,050)

     60,410   

Receivable for investments sold

     48,703   

Receivable for shares sold

     999   

Dividends receivable

     2,634   

Receivable due from advisor

     34,855   

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     22,119   

 

 

Total Assets

     7,937,403   

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for investments purchased

     64,234   

Administration and transfer agency fees payable

     19,581   

Distribution and services fees payable

     7,367   

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

     1,203   

Legal fees payable

     470   

Audit and tax fees payable

     39,580   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     50,756   

 

 

Total Liabilities

     183,191   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 7,754,212   

 

 

NET ASSET CONSIST OF

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 7,695,620   

Accumulated net investment loss

     (45,369)   

Accumulated net realized loss on investments, futures contracts and foreign currency transactions

     (394,905)   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     498,866   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 7,754,212   

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 7,070,402   

 

 

PRICING OF SHARES

  

Class A:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 9.47   

Net Assets

   $ 4,681,119   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     494,070   

Maximum offering price per share ((NAV/0.9450), based on maximum sales charge of 5.50% of the offering price)

   $ 10.02   

Class C:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 9.34   

Net Assets

   $ 923,698   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     98,916   

Class I:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 9.55   

Net Assets

   $ 2,149,395   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     225,185   

 

(a) 

Redemption price per share may be reduced for any applicable contingent deferred sales charge. For a description of a possible sales charge, please see the Fund’s Prospectus.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

37  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund     
Consolidated Statement of Operations    For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

   $ 68,098   

 

 

Total Investment Income

     68,098   

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Investment advisory fees

     72,202   

Administrative and transfer agency fees

     143,790   

Distribution and service fees

  

Class A

     12,559   

Class C

     6,324   

Legal fees

     3,869   

Audit and tax fees

     43,421   

Reports to shareholders and printing fees

     1,965   

State registration fees

     39,873   

SEC registration fees

     462   

Insurance fees

     163   

Custody fees

     97,837   

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     6,278   

Miscellaneous expenses

     29,516   

 

 

Total Expense

     458,259   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor (Note 7)

  

Class A

     (188,194)   

Class C

     (37,562)   

Class I

     (121,202)   

 

 

Net Expenses

     111,301   

 

 

Net Investment Loss

     (43,203)   

 

 

Net realized gain on investments

     171,984   

Net realized gain on futures contracts

     5,567   

Net realized gain on foreign currency transactions

     4,096   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

         623,065   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     4,124   

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

     808,836   

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 765,633   

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

38  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund     
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

     For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013
     For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2012
 

 

 

OPERATIONS

     

Net investment loss

   $ (43,203)       $ (28,880)   

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments, futures contracts and foreign currency transactions

     181,647         (581,197)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments, futures contracts and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     627,189         (159,023)   

 

 

Net Increase/(Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

     765,633         (769,100)   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

     

Dividends to shareholders from net realized gains

     

Class A

             (1,040)   

Class C

             (511)   

Class I

             (1,048)   

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets from Distributions

             (2,599)   

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 6)

     

Shares sold

     

Class A

     3,239,533         2,225,793   

Class C

     532,616         604,159   

Class I

     744,593         1,530,305   

Dividends reinvested

     

Class A

             923   

Class C

             505   

Class I

             964   

Shares redeemed

     

Class A

     (1,327,483)         (455,302)   

Class C

     (118,894)         (439,459)   

Class I

     (530,127)         (216,102)   

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions

     2,540,238         3,251,786   

 

 

Net increase in net assets

     3,305,871         2,480,087   

NET ASSETS

     

Beginning of year

     4,448,341         1,968,254   

 

 

End of year *

   $ 7,754,212       $ 4,448,341   

 

 

*Including accumulated net investment loss of:

   $ (45,369)       $ (34,534)   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

39  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund – Class A

Consolidated Financial Highlights

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

     For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013(a)
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
February 14, 2011
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011(a)

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $8.22   $10.35   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

      

Net investment loss(b)

   (0.07)   (0.08)   (0.04)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

   1.32   (2.04)   0.39

 

Total from investment operations

   1.25   (2.12)   0.35

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

      

From net realized gains

     (0.01)  

 

Total distributions

     (0.01)  

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

   0.00(c)   0.00(c)   0.00(c)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

   1.25   (2.13)   0.35

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $9.47   $8.22   $10.35

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

   15.21%   (20.44)%   3.40%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

      

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $4,681   $2,404   $935

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

   7.99%   12.42%   69.96%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

   2.00%   2.00%   2.00%(e)

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets

   (0.82)%   (0.89)%   (1.82)%(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

   93%   114%   9%

 

 

(a) 

Per share amounts and ratios to average net assets include income and expenses of the Kotak Mauritius Portfolio (wholly-owned subsidiary).

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

40  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund – Class C

Consolidated Financial Highlights

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

     For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013(a)
   For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
February 14, 2011
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011(a)

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $8.15    $10.32   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment loss(b)

   (0.12)    (0.13)   (0.05)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

   1.31    (2.03)   0.37

 

Total from investment operations

   1.19    (2.16)   0.32

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

       

From net realized gains

      (0.01)  

 

Total distributions

      (0.01)  

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

      0.00(c)  

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

   1.19    (2.17)   0.32

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $9.34    $8.15   $10.32

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

   14.60%    (20.97)%   3.20%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

    

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $924    $435   $466

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

   8.54%    13.39%   69.64%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

   2.60%    2.60%   2.60%(e)

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets

   (1.42)%    (1.49)%   (2.42)%(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

   93%    114%   9%

 

 

(a) 

Per share amounts and ratios to average net assets include income and expenses of the Kotak Mauritius Portfolio (wholly-owned subsidiary).

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

41  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund – Class I

Consolidated Financial Highlights

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013(a)
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
 

For the Period

February 14, 2011
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011(a)

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $8.25   $10.34   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment loss(b)

  (0.04)   (0.04)   (0.03)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.34   (2.04)   0.37

 

Total from investment operations

  1.30   (2.08)   0.34

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net realized gains

    (0.01)  

 

Total distributions

    (0.01)  

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

  0.00(c)   0.00(c)  

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.30   (2.09)   0.34

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $9.55   $8.25   $10.34

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

  15.76%   (20.23)%   3.50%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

   

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $2,149   $1,609   $568

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  7.65%   12.05%   96.67%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.60%   1.60%   1.60%(e)

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets

  (0.42)%   (0.49)%   (1.36)%(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

  93%   114%   9%

 

 

(a) 

Per share amounts and ratios to average net assets include income and expenses of the Kotak Mauritius Portfolio (wholly-owned subsidiary).

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

42  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Overview

Last year we said that “stability on a global macro basis will do more to prove out the value of the private equity asset class and potentially create organic growth opportunities than most anything else that we can see.” That appears to have been an accurate observation. Now that the year is behind us, it’s clear that values in the private equity asset class benefited from a stable environment; even more so for Listed Private Equity.

So why has this happened? It wasn’t due to the fiscal situation getting fixed in the US; although there may be glimmers as I write this annual update - Washington DC may actually pass a budget for the first time in several years. It wasn’t due to the European Union (EU) solving their ongoing issues because several countries continue to struggle with banking/credit worthiness (Spain, Greece, Cyprus to name a few), taxation/business friendliness (France) plus a general lack of GDP growth (we believe with the exception of Germany, there is next to none). No, private equity values, and hence current returns, are moving upward for other reasons.

Some of the reasons are:

 

   

Deal activity is picking up, and the (M&A) market is open for business. I likened this to the much-needed grease that allows the financial gears of private equity to keep operating.

   

Exits are occurring at uplifts (higher prices) to most recent valuations.

   

Acquisitions are occurring - and at reasonable valuations. Private equity firms are putting capital to work. Mind you, not at a blistering pace - at a moderate pace; and at valuations that generally look rational. Investors like moderation and rationale.

   

The credit markets are open for business. Credit from almost all sources, with the exception of a certain number of banks, is available on reasonable terms and pricing. Private equity likes this.

   

And last, but certainly not least, investors are beginning to shift significant sums of their capital from the debt focused asset class to equity; private equity included.

Listed Private Equity (LPE) has benefited from all of the aforementioned. In addition, what has continued to enhance the return to LPE investors has been the steady contraction of discounts to their stated Net Asset Value (NAV): discounts that were once broad (most every LPE vehicle traded at a discount a year ago) and deep (most were trading at 25% -40% discounts), have contracted substantially over the past several quarters. We’re now seeing some LPE vehicles trading at single digit percentage discounts. Some are even trading at close to NAV. That’s a far cry from where we were just 15 months ago.

In summary, the last year has been a good one.

Portfolio Review

For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Fund’s Class A shares, LPEFX, returned 31.75%, (Class A delivered a net return of 24.55% at MOP), compared with 16.70% and 35.67% for the MSCI World Index and the S&P® Listed Private Equity Index, respectively.

During the year, we exited four securities, including 3I Group PLC, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP, Fosun International and GIMV N.V. We added seven securities, including Aker ASA, American Capital Ltd, Carlyle Group, Hosken Consolidated Investments Ltd, Investor AB, NB Private Equity Partners and Oaktree Capital Group to the Fund.

While this may be an obvious restatement, diversification continues to be the cornerstone of how we manage exposure and risk in the Fund. The Fund held approximately 40 holdings in what we believe are some of the top performing private equity firms/funds around the globe. Or put another way - the Fund offers investors fully diversified private equity exposure. We think that’s a good thing.

Net contributors to performance for the year included:

 

   

Apollo Global Management LLC

   

AP Alternative Assets LP

   

Blackstone Group, LP

Net detractors to performance for the year included:

 

   

Leucadia National Corporation

   

Aker ASA

   

Fosun International

Outlook

The outlook for private equity continues to be positive, assuming all the usual caveats; war in the Middle East, Korea, et al doesn’t break out, the EU and/or Euro doesn’t unravel, the US Treasury/Federal Reserve continues to have easy access to the credit markets as they add to their balance sheet. Private equity has adapted quite well to the current state of affairs around the globe. No easy feat. However, this is something they’re good at over the long run. Certainty is a good thing. Uncertainty, not so much. Let’s hope we see more of the former and less of the latter.

As always, we appreciate your continued support and interest in Red Rocks and the Listed Private Equity strategy.

Adam Goldman

Co-Portfolio Manager

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the fund(s) or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. Red Rocks Capital LLC does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

Diversification cannot guarantee gain or prevent losses.

 

 

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Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes maximum sales charges of 5.50%)

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Average Annual Total Returns (as of April 30, 2013)

 

     1 Year   3 Year   5 Year    Since Inception ^     Total Expense 
Ratio
   What You Pay *

Class A (NAV)1

  31.75%   12.13%   -2.84%   -3.65%   3.34%    3.28%

Class A (MOP)2

  24.55%   10.04%   -3.93%   -4.67%     

Class C (NAV)1

  30.55%   11.06%   -3.69%   -4.49%   4.00%    3.88%

Class C (CDSC)2

  29.55%   11.06%   -3.69%   -4.49%     

Class I (NAV)1

  31.99%   12.34%   -2.57%   -3.40%   3.04%    2.88%

Class R

  32.05%   11.89%   -3.16%   -3.97%   3.52%    3.38%

S&P® LPE Total Return Index3

  35.67%   12.23%   0.54%   -0.65%         

MSCI World Index4

  16.70%   9.59%   1.81%   0.87%         

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. The Fund imposes a 2.00% redemption fee on shares held for less than 90 days. The Fund imposes a maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% on Class C shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase, and on Class A shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase in excess of $1 million. Performance data does not reflect the redemption fee or the CDSC, which if reflected would reduce the performance quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-866-759-5679.

Performance shown for Class C shares prior to June 30, 2010 reflects the historical performance of the Fund’s Class A shares, calculated using the fees and expenses of Class C shares.

 

1 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges. The performance data shown does not reflect the decution of the sales charge or the redemption fee or CDSC, and that, if reflected, the charge or fee would reduce the performance quoted.

2 

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) for Class A shares includes the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%. CDSC performance for Class C shares includes a 1% contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) on C shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase. Performance shown at NAV does not include these sales charges and would have been lower had it been taken into account.

 

44  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

3 

S&P® Listed Private Equity Index: The S&P® Listed Private Equity Index is comprised of 30 leading listed private equity companies that meet size, liquidity, exposure, and activity requirements. The index is designed to provide tradable exposure to the leading publicly listed companies in the private equity space. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

4 

MSCI World Index: Morgan Stanley Capital International’s market capitalization weighted index is composed of companies representative of the market structure of 22 developed market countries in North America, Europe and the Asia/Pacific Region. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

^

Fund inception date of December 31, 2007.

*

What You Pay reflects the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s decision to contractually limit expenses through August 31, 2013. Please see the prospectus for additional information.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Listed Private Equity Companies are subject to various risks depending on their underlying investments, which could include, but are not limited to, additional liquidity risk, industry risk, non-U.S. security risk, currency risk, credit risk, managed portfolio risk and derivatives risk (derivatives risk is the risk that the value of the Listed Private Equity Companies’ derivative investments will fall because of pricing difficulties or lack of correlation with the underlying investment).

There are inherent risks in investing in private equity companies, which encompass financial institutions or vehicles whose principal business is to invest in and lend capital to privately held companies. Generally, little public information exists for private and thinly traded companies, and there is a risk that investors may not be able to make a fully informed investment decision.

Listed Private Equity Companies may have relatively concentrated investment portfolios, consisting of a relatively small number of holdings. A consequence of this limited number of investments is that the aggregate returns realized may be adversely impacted by the poor performance of a small number of investments, or even a single investment, particularly if a company experiences the need to write down the value of an investment.

Certain of the Fund’s investments may be exposed to liquidity risk due to low trading volume, lack of a market maker or legal restrictions limiting the ability of the Fund to sell particular securities at an advantageous price and/or time. As a result, these securities may be more difficult to value. Foreign investing involves special risks, such as currency fluctuations and political uncertainty. The Fund invests in derivatives and is subject to the risk that the value of those derivative investments will fall because of pricing difficulties or lack of correlation with the underlying investment.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the Fund’s top holdings is subject to change. Performance figures are historical and reflect the change in share price, reinvested distributions, changes in net asset value, sales charges and capital gains distributions, if any.

Mutual funds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

 

Top Ten Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)

 

  Electra Private Equity PLC

   5.28%

  KKR & Co. LP

   5.19%

  SVG Capital PLC

   4.88%

  Blackstone Group LP

   4.88%

  Apollo Global Management LLC, Class A

   4.66%

  Onex Corp.

   4.39%

  AP Alternative Assets LP

   4.31%

  American Capital, Ltd.

   3.96%

  Eurazeo

   3.89%

  Brookfield Asset Management, Inc., Class A

   3.70%

  Top Ten Holdings

   45.14% 

 

Holdings are subject to change. Table presents indicative values only.

Industry Sector Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)

 

LOGO

 

 

45  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

COMMON STOCKS (98.49%)

  

 

Communications (3.41%)

  

 

Internet (3.41%)

   

ICG Group, Inc.(a)

    363,900      $ 4,319,493   

Safeguard Scientifics,
Inc.
(a)

    256,000        4,131,840   
   

 

 

 
      8,451,333   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS

  

    8,451,333   
   

 

 

 

Diversified (12.14%)

 

 

Holding Companies-Diversified
Operations (12.14%)

  

 

Ackermans & van Haaren N.V.

    42,900        3,651,413   

Aker ASA, Class A

    152,100        4,695,014   

Leucadia National Corp.

    73,968        2,284,872   

Remgro, Ltd.

    185,000        3,730,924   

Schouw & Co.

    250,083        8,282,942   

Wendel Investissement

    68,856        7,459,332   
   

 

 

 
      30,104,497   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL DIVERSIFIED

  

    30,104,497   
   

 

 

 

Financial (82.94%)

 

 

Closed-End Funds (35.09%)

 

 

AP Alternative Assets LP(a)

    512,469        10,684,978   

Candover Investments PLC(a)

    212,000        1,251,378   

Castle Private Equity, Ltd.(a)

    276,000        4,259,626   

Conversus Capital LP

    465,370        451,409   

Electra Private Equity PLC(a)

    379,059        13,101,050   

Graphite Enterprise Trust PLC

    842,341        6,437,575   

HarbourVest Global Private

   

Equity, Ltd.(a)

    943,200        8,724,600   

HBM Healthcare Investments AG, Class A(a)

    65,500        3,522,263   

HgCapital Trust PLC

    398,385        7,116,559   

NB Private Equity Partners, Ltd.

    290,421        2,555,705   

Pantheon International Participations PLC, Ordinary Shares(a)

    311,516        5,017,974   

Pantheon International Participations PLC, Redeemable Shares(a)

    143,200        2,291,129   

Princess Private Equity Holding, Ltd.

    696,941        6,195,398   

Standard Life European Private Equity Trust PLC, Ordinary Shares

    1,150,275        3,287,674   

SVG Capital
PLC
(a)

    1,957,815        12,106,904   
   

 

 

 
      87,004,222   
   

 

 

 

Diversified Financial Services (16.53%)

 

 

Blackstone Group LP

    588,300        12,089,565   

Intermediate Capital Group PLC

    785,000        5,150,660   

KKR & Co. LP

    613,047        12,873,987   
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Diversified Financial Services (continued)

   

 

Onex Corp.

    218,150      $ 10,880,974   
   

 

 

 
      40,995,186   
   

 

 

 

Investment
Companies (5.20%)

  

 

Hosken Consolidated Investments, Ltd.

    273,000        3,434,747   

Investor AB, B Shares

    177,000        5,216,284   

Oaktree Capital Group LLC

    81,600        4,236,672   
   

 

 

 
      12,887,703   
   

 

 

 

Private Equity (22.42%)

 

 

Altamir Amboise(a)

    560,000        6,585,806   

American Capital,
Ltd.
(a)

    649,500        9,826,935   

Apollo Global Management LLC, Class A

    429,450        11,560,794   

Aurelius AG

    95,387        7,411,577   

Bure Equity AB

    102,718        359,772   

The Carlyle Group LP

    141,289        4,589,067   

Deutsche Beteiligungs AG

    25,207        611,975   

Eurazeo

    182,300        9,656,020   

IP Group PLC(a)

    1,130,116        2,720,972   

Ratos AB, B Shares

    237,000        2,272,710   
   

 

 

 
      55,595,628   
   

 

 

 

Real Estate (3.70%)

 

 

Brookfield Asset Management, Inc., Class A

    237,500        9,165,125   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL FINANCIAL

      205,647,864   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

(Cost $187,409,855)

      244,203,694   
   

 

 

 

 

   

7-Day

Yield

  Shares  

Value

(Note 2)

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (1.00%)

   

Money Market Fund (1.00%)

     

Dreyfus Treasury Prime Cash Manage-
ment Fund, Investor Shares

 

0.00004%

  2,485,362   2,485,362
     

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $2,485,362)

    2,485,362
     

 

 

 

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Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund     
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (99.49%)

(Cost $189,895,217)

   $ 246,689,056   

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (0.51%)

     1,263,702   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

   $   247,952,758   
  

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

AB - Aktiebolag is the Swedish equivalent of the term corporation.

AG - Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e., owned by shareholders.

ASA - Allmenn Aksjeselskap is a Swedish term for “joint stock company”.

LLC - Limited Liability Company.

LP - Limited Partnership.

Ltd. - Limited.

N.V. - Naamloze Vennootschap is the Dutch term for a public limited liability corporation.

PLC - Public Limited Company.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry subclassifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

    

 

 

47  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund     
Statement of Assets and Liabilities    April 30, 2013

 

ASSETS

  

Investments, at value

   $ 246,689,056   

Cash

     79,823   

Foreign currency, at value (Cost $1,130,976)

     1,140,694   

Receivable for investments sold

     925,349   

Receivable for shares sold

     293,069   

Dividends and interest receivable

     721,499   

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     26,433   

 

 

Total Assets

     249,875,923   

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for investments purchased

     1,459,531   

Payable for shares redeemed

     87,603   

Investment advisory fees payable

     155,766   

Administration and transfer agency fees payable

     44,984   

Distribution and services fees payable

     54,196   

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

     2,988   

Legal fees payable

     627   

Audit and tax fees payable

     24,703   

Custody fees payable

     40,276   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     52,491   

 

 

Total Liabilities

     1,923,165   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 247,952,758   

 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 221,366,945   

Accumulated net investment loss

     (8,376,470)   

Accumulated net realized loss on investments and foreign currency transactions

     (21,840,941)   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     56,803,224   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 247,952,758   

 

 

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 189,895,217   

 

 

PRICING OF SHARES

  

Class A:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 6.05   

Net Assets

   $   105,488,427   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     17,441,426   

Maximum offering price per share ((NAV/0.9450), based on maximum sales charge of 5.50% of the offering price)

   $ 6.40   

Class C:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 5.92   

Net Assets

   $ 4,417,067   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     745,774   

Class I:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 6.08   

Net Assets

   $ 137,856,038   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     22,679,246   

Class R:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 5.41   

Net Assets

   $ 191,226   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     35,338   

 

(a)

Redemption price per share may be reduced for any applicable contingent deferred sales charge. For a description of a possible sales charge, please see the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

48  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund     
Statement of Operations    For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

   $ 6,471,958   

Foreign taxes withheld on dividends

     (419,450)   

Interest and other income

     51,464   

 

 

Total Investment Income

     6,103,972   

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Investment advisory fees

     1,573,541   

Administrative and transfer agency fees

     334,660   

Distribution and service fees

  

Class A

     266,523   

Class C

     31,420   

Class R

     311   

Legal fees

     8,123   

Audit and tax fees

     24,782   

Networking fees

  

Class A

     29,777   

Class C

     1,700   

Class I

     93,788   

Class R

     104   

Reports to shareholders and printing fees

     60,526   

State registration fees

     64,417   

SEC registration fees

     4,691   

Insurance fees

     5,988   

Custody fees

     76,730   

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     13,232   

Repayment of previously waived fees

  

Class C

     648   

Miscellaneous expenses

     14,234   

 

 

Total Expense

     2,605,195   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor (Note 7)

  

Class A

     (11,372)   

Class C

     (143)   

Class I

     (23,023)   

Class R

     (60)   

 

 

Net Expenses

     2,570,597   

 

 

Net Investment Income

     3,533,375   

 

 

Net realized gain on investments

     4,983,177   

Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions

     (63,846)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     46,631,868   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     14,117   

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

     51,565,316   

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $   55,098,691   

 

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

49  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund     
Statements of Changes in Net Assets   

 

    

For the

Year Ended
April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended
April 30, 2012

 

 

 

OPERATIONS

     

Net investment income

   $ 3,533,375       $ 2,252,886   

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions

     4,919,331         (1,997,056)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     46,645,985         (40,079,612)   

 

 

Net Increase/(Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

     55,098,691         (39,823,782)   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

     

Dividends to shareholders from net investment income

     

Class A

     (1,393,693)         (7,773,831)   

Class C

     (36,855)         (232,203)   

Class I

     (1,868,287)         (5,228,944)   

Class R

     (1,190)         (9,179)   

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets from Distributions

     (3,300,025)         (13,244,157)   

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 6)

     

Shares sold

     

Class A

     29,478,167         55,043,701   

Class C

     1,238,806         1,787,116   

Class I

     60,979,444         50,688,416   

Class R

     148,586         41,342   

Dividends reinvested

     

Class A

     1,275,595         6,987,024   

Class C

     30,465         172,533   

Class I

     656,092         1,952,666   

Class R

     813         8,650   

Shares redeemed

     

Class A

     (33,853,264)         (67,995,564)   

Class C

     (541,528)         (718,469)   

Class I

     (29,674,718)         (22,792,481)   

Class R

     (25,800)         (85,079)   

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions

     29,712,658         25,089,855   

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets

     81,511,324         (27,978,084)   

NET ASSETS

     

Beginning of year

     166,441,434         194,419,518   

 

 

End of year *

   $   247,952,758       $   166,441,434   

 

 

 

 

*Includingaccumulated net investment loss of:

   $ (8,376,470)       $ (10,542,204)   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

50  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund – Class  A
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2012
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2011
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2010
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2009

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $4.67   $6.44   $5.17   $3.56   $9.47

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Net investment income

  0.08(a)   0.07(a)   0.04(a)   0.14   0.08(a)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.39   (1.41)   1.61   1.99   (5.97)

 

Total from investment operations

  1.47   (1.34)   1.65   2.13   (5.89)

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

         

From net investment income

  (0.09)   (0.43)   (0.38)   (0.52)   (0.03)

From net realized gains

          (0.00)(b)

 

Total distributions

  (0.09)   (0.43)   (0.38)   (0.52)   (0.03)

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO
PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

  0.00(b)   0.00(b)   0.00(b)   0.00(b)   0.01

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.38   (1.77)   1.27   1.61   (5.91)

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $6.05   $4.67   $6.44   $5.17   $3.56

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

  31.75%   (19.68)%   33.22%   61.68%   (62.01)%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

         

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $105,488   $85,807   $124,874   $67,192   $27,860

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements(d)

  1.53%   1.71%   1.70%   1.71%   2.08%

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements(d)

  1.51%(e)   1.50%   1.50%   1.44%(f)   1.25%

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets(d)

  1.54%   1.34%   0.67%   0.42%   2.16%

Portfolio turnover rate

  32%   72%   43%   54%   59%

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Less than $0.005 and ($0.005) per share.

(c) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(d) 

The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented in the Statement of Investments.

(e) 

Contractual expense limitation changed from 1.50% to 1.65% effective September 1, 2012.

(f) 

Contractual expense limitation changed from 1.25% to 1.50% effective September 1, 2009.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

51  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund – Class C
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012
  For the Period
July 2, 2010
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $4.59   $6.37   $4.39

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Net investment income/(loss)(a)

  0.04   0.03   (0.01)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.35   (1.39)   2.36

 

Total from investment operations

  1.39   (1.36)   2.35

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net investment income

  (0.06)   (0.42)   (0.37)

 

Total distributions

  (0.06)   (0.42)   (0.37)

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

  0.00(b)   0.00(b)   0.00(b)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.33   (1.78)   1.98

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $5.92   $4.59   $6.37

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

  30.55%   (20.33)%   55.32%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $4,417   $2,838   $2,566

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements(d)

  2.25%   2.37%   2.31%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements(d)

  2.25%   2.25%   2.25%(e)
 

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net
assets
(d)

  0.79%   0.59%   (0.19)%(e)
 

Portfolio turnover rate

  32%   72%   43%(f)

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(c) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(d) 

The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented in the Statement of Investments.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated at the Fund Level and represents the year ended April 30, 2011.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

52  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund – Class I
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2012
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2011
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2010
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2009

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $4.69   $6.47   $5.19   $3.57   $9.47

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Net investment income

  0.12(a)   0.08(a)   0.05(a)   0.28   0.10(a)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.36   (1.42)   1.62   1.87   (5.97)

 

Total from investment operations

  1.48   (1.34)   1.67   2.15   (5.87)

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

         

From net investment income

  (0.09)   (0.44)   (0.39)   (0.53)   (0.05)

From net realized gains

          (0.00)(b)

 

Total distributions

  (0.09)   (0.44)   (0.39)   (0.53)   (0.05)

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO
PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

  0.00(b)   0.00(b)   0.00(b)   0.00(b)   0.02

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.39   (1.78)   1.28   1.62   (5.90)

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $6.08   $4.69   $6.47   $5.19   $3.57

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

  31.99%   (19.52)%   33.47%   62.09%   (61.79)%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

         

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $137,856   $77,750   $66,854   $45,144   $12,938

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements(d)

  1.27%   1.41%   1.36%   1.47%      2.05%

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements(d)

  1.25%   1.25%   1.25%   1.19%(e)   1.00%

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets(d)

  2.27%   1.60%   0.91%   0.78%   2.56%

Portfolio turnover rate

  32%   72%   43%   54%   59%

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Less than $0.005 and ($0.005) per share.

(c) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(d) 

The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented in the Statement of Investments.

(e) 

Contractual expense limitation changed from 1.00% to 1.25% effective September 1, 2009.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

53  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund – Class R
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2012
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2011
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2010
  For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2009

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $4.17   $5.82   $4.73   $3.31   $9.46

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Net investment income/(loss)

  0.08(a)   0.05(a)   0.03(a)   (0.09)   0.15(a)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.24   (1.27)   1.43   2.02   (6.05)

 

Total from investment operations

  1.32   (1.22)   1.46   1.93   (5.90)

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

         

From net investment income

  (0.08)   (0.43)   (0.37)   (0.51)   (0.26)

From net realized gains

          (0.00)(b)

 

Total distributions

  (0.08)   (0.43)   (0.37)   (0.51)   (0.26)

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO
PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

          0.01

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.24   (1.65)   1.09   1.42   (6.15)

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $5.41   $4.17   $5.82   $4.73   $3.31

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

  32.05%   (19.93)%   32.47%   60.92%   (62.10)%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

         

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $191   $46   $125   $18   $ - (d)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements(e)

  1.85%   1.89%   1.87%   2.27%   6.08%

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements(e)

  1.75%   1.75%   1.75%   1.75%(f)   1.50%

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets(e)

  1.80%   1.10%   0.66%   (0.24)%   2.72%

Portfolio turnover rate

  32%   72%   43%   54%   59%

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Less than ($0.005) per share.

(c) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(d) 

Less than $500.

(e) 

The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented in the Statement of Investments.

(f) 

Contractual expense limitation changed from 1.50% to 1.75% effective September 1, 2009.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

54  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Market Comment

US equities finished the period at or near all-time highs. Investors bid up risk assets throughout the period amid further signs of a strengthening US housing market. Markets around the world were also aided by central bank interventions, including the announcement of a third round of quantitative easing by the US Federal Reserve in the third quarter of 2012. Despite ongoing concerns regarding a global economic slowdown, investors were emboldened by better-than-feared corporate earnings and a deal at the start of 2013 to avoid the fiscal cliff in the US.

Within the Russell 1000® Value Index1, results were strong as all ten sectors posted a positive return. Consumer discretionary, consumer staples, and health care performed best while materials, energy, and information technology lagged on a relative basis.

Fund Review

The Fund modestly underperformed its benchmark for the period. Security selection was positive overall, as strong selection in energy and health care was partially offset by weak selection in consumer staples and discretionary. However, negative relative results from sector allocation, a residual of our bottom-up stock selection process, offset positive stock selection.

Top detractors from relative performance included Lorillard (consumer staples), Newfield Exploration (energy), and Teradata (information technology). Shares of Lorillard, a US-based tobacco company, declined after the firm reported lackluster results and investors voiced concerns about potential new regulation of menthol cigarettes. Shares of Newfield Exploration, a diversified oil and gas exploration and production company, traded lower following lower-than-expected production guidance and plans to divest international assets. Shares of Teradata, a company engaged in analytic data solutions including data warehousing, big data analytics, and business applications, declined after the company posted weaker-than-expected revenue. Additionally, investors were disappointed as management guided to the low end of their previous full year revenue view.

Among the top contributors to relative performance were Gilead Sciences (health care), Hertz Global (industrials), and Marathon Petroleum (energy). Shares of Gilead Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company, rose due to positive news flows, including passing the first hurdle for the acceptance of the firm’s Hepatitis C single tablet regimen. Shares of Hertz Global, a US-based car and equipment rental company, gained after the company released strong earnings results with higher-than-expected revenue and profit margins. Shares of Marathon Petroleum, a US refiner and marketer of petroleum products, benefited from continued low feedstock costs relative to global oil prices. Marathon also recently announced an incremental share repurchase program.

Outlook

The medium-term growth prospects in the US are favorable. The consumer is expected to be resilient this year, helped by improving net worth from rising house and equity market prices as well as steady job gains. The key drivers of US growth are expected to be capital

spending and the housing and automotive sectors over the course of the next year. Capital investment spending should finally rise as capacity utilization levels normalize, while vehicle sales and new home constructions, despite their strong recent advance, still have a lot of pent-up demand behind them. An improving economy and healing labor market notwithstanding, the US Federal Reserve Bank is unlikely to abandon its quantitative easing program any time soon.

The Fund attempts to add value by combining Wellington Management’s proprietary fundamental and quantitative research in a disciplined framework to build a portfolio of the most attractive stocks. Within this framework, the Fund ended the period most overweight the health care and information technology sectors and most underweight the financials, telecommunication services, and utilities sectors.

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the portfolios or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. Wellington Management Company, LLP does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

 

1 

The Russell 1000® Value Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000® companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

 

 

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Table of Contents
ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes maximum sales charges of 5.50%)

 

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund for the last ten years. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Average Annual Total Returns (as of April 30, 2013)

 

     1 Year    5 Year    10 Year    Total
Expense Ratio
   What You Pay *

Class A (NAV)1

  20.17%    3.45%    7.95%    1.58%    1.40%

Class A (MOP)2

  13.56%    2.28%    7.34%      

Class C (NAV)1

  19.07%    2.67%    7.14%    2.33%    2.15%

Class C (CDSC)2

  18.07%    2.67%    7.14%      

Class I

  20.43%    3.69%    8.12%    1.33%    1.15%

Russell 1000® Value Index3

  21.80%    4.17%    8.42%          

S&P 500® Total Return Index4

  16.89%    5.21%    7.88%          

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. The Fund imposes a maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% on Class C shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase, and on Class A shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase in excess of $1 million. Performance data does not reflect the CDSC, which if reflected would reduce the performance quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-866-759-5679.

Performance shown for Class C shares prior to June 30, 2010 reflects the historical performance of the Fund’s Class A shares, calculated using the fees and expenses of Class C shares.

The performance shown for the ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund (the “Fund”) for periods prior to August 29, 2009, reflects the performance of the Activa Mutual Funds Trust – Activa Value Fund (as result of a prior reorganization of Activa Mutual Funds Trust – Activa Value Fund into the Fund).

 

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ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

2 

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) for Class A shares includes the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%. CDSC performance for Class C shares includes a 1% CDSC on C shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase. Performance shown at NAV does not include these sales charges and would have been lower had it been taken into account.

3 

The Russell 1000® Value Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000® companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

4

The S&P 500® Index is the Standard & Poor’s composite index of 500 stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

* What You Pay reflects the Advisor’s decision to contractually limit expenses through August 31, 2013. Please see the prospectus for additional information.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Mutual funds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the Fund’s top holdings is subject to change. Performance figures are historical and reflect the change in share price, reinvested distributions, changes in net asset value, sales charges and capital gains distributions, if any.

Investing in the Fund is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. Derivatives generally are more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments; this could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s original investment.

 

Top Ten Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)

 

Chevron Corp.

     4.08

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

     3.46

Wells Fargo & Co.

     3.24

Exxon Mobil Corp.

     2.72

Merck & Co., Inc.

     2.63

Citigroup, Inc.

     2.41

iShares® Russell 1000® Value Index Fund

     2.01

ACE, Ltd.

     2.00

AT&T, Inc.

     1.99

CVS Caremark Corp.

     1.95

Top Ten Holdings

     26.49 % 

 

Holdings are subject to change. Table presents indicative values only.

 

Industry Sector Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)

 

LOGO

 

 

 

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Table of Contents
ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

COMMON STOCKS (97.18%)

   

Consumer Discretionary (8.19%)

  

 

Automobiles & Components (1.18%)

 

 

TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.(a)

    17,600      $ 1,057,232   
   

 

 

 

Consumer Durables & Apparel (1.01%)

   

PVH Corp.

    7,820        902,506   
   

 

 

 

Media (2.38%)

   

News Corp., Class A

    44,245        1,370,268   

Viacom, Inc.,
Class B

    11,980        766,600   
   

 

 

 
      2,136,868   
   

 

 

 

Retailing (3.62%)

   

Dollar Tree,
Inc.
(a)

    19,190        912,676   

Lowe’s Cos., Inc.

    36,165        1,389,459   

TJX Cos., Inc.

    19,280        940,286   
   

 

 

 
      3,242,421   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY

      7,339,027   
   

 

 

 

Consumer Staples (6.65%)

   

Food & Staples Retailing (1.95%)

   

CVS Caremark Corp.

    30,015        1,746,273   
   

 

 

 

Food Beverage & Tobacco (4.70%)

   

Altria Group, Inc.

    31,470        1,148,970   

Hillshire Brands Co.

    15,010        539,009   

The JM Smucker Co.

    10,580        1,092,173   

Lorillard, Inc.

    10,730        460,209   

Philip Morris International, Inc.

    10,225        977,408   
   

 

 

 
      4,217,769   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER STAPLES

      5,964,042   
   

 

 

 

Energy (15.57%)

   

Energy (15.57%)

   

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

    17,780        1,507,033   

Chesapeake Energy Corp.

    26,640        520,546   

Chevron Corp.

    29,959        3,655,298   

ConocoPhillips

    8,560        517,452   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

    27,404        2,438,682   

Halliburton Co.

    15,465        661,438   

Marathon Oil Corp.

    26,430        863,468   

Marathon Petroleum Corp.

    8,800        689,568   

National Oilwell Varco, Inc.

    9,925        647,308   

Newfield Exploration Co.(a)

    16,000        348,640   

Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.

    26,500        558,885   

PBF Energy, Inc.

    15,870        483,241   

Phillips 66

    17,540        1,069,063   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL ENERGY

      13,960,622   
   

 

 

 
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Financials (25.69%)

   

Banks (5.00%)

   

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

    15,660      $ 1,063,001   

Wells Fargo & Co.

    76,530        2,906,609   

Zions Bancorporation

    20,890        514,312   
   

 

 

 
      4,483,922   
   

 

 

 

Diversified Financials (11.08%)

   

Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

    20,380        1,518,921   

BlackRock, Inc.

    4,360        1,161,940   

Citigroup, Inc.

    46,245        2,157,792   

Invesco, Ltd.

    37,370        1,186,124   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

    63,213        3,098,069   

Morgan Stanley

    36,620        811,133   
   

 

 

 
      9,933,979   
   

 

 

 

Insurance (6.66%)

   

ACE, Ltd.

    20,160        1,797,063   

American International Group, Inc.(a)

    30,720        1,272,422   

Aon PLC

    17,640        1,064,574   

Lincoln National Corp.

    27,320        929,153   

Prudential Financial, Inc.

    15,050        909,321   
   

 

 

 
      5,972,533   
   

 

 

 

Real Estate (2.95%)

   

Camden Property Trust

    11,435        827,208   

Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc.

    8,550        694,687   

Forest City Enterprises, Inc., Class A(a)

    60,050        1,121,134   
   

 

 

 
      2,643,029   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL FINANCIALS

      23,033,463   
   

 

 

 

Health Care (14.54%)

   

Health Care Equipment & Services (4.32%)

   

Aetna, Inc.

    10,650        611,736   

Covidien PLC

    12,880        822,259   

McKesson Corp.

    5,180        548,147   

UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

    20,420        1,223,771   

Zimmer Holdings, Inc.

    8,720        666,644   
   

 

 

 
      3,872,557   
   

 

 

 

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences (10.22%)

   

Actavis, Inc.(a)

    10,250        1,083,732   

Amgen, Inc.

    8,810        918,090   

Eli Lilly & Co.

    19,265        1,066,896   

Forest Laboratories,
Inc.
(a)

    27,453        1,027,017   

Gilead Sciences, Inc.(a)

    22,070        1,117,625   

Merck & Co., Inc.

    50,100        2,354,700   

Pfizer, Inc.

    31,470        914,833   
 

 

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Table of Contents
ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences (continued)

   

 

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

    8,430      $ 680,132   
   

 

 

 
      9,163,025   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL HEALTH CARE

      13,035,582   
   

 

 

 

Industrials (8.74%)

   

Capital Goods (4.50%)

   

The Boeing Co.

    7,660        700,201   

Dover Corp.

    10,860        749,123   

General Electric Co.

    47,475        1,058,218   

Parker Hannifin Corp.

    6,550        580,133   

United Technologies Corp.

    10,370        946,677   
   

 

 

 
      4,034,352   
   

 

 

 

Commercial & Professional Services (2.40%)

  

 

Equifax, Inc.

    14,110        863,532   

Towers Watson & Co., Class A

    12,030        877,228   

Verisk Analytics, Inc.,
Class A
(a)

    6,720        411,869   
   

 

 

 
      2,152,629   
   

 

 

 

Transportation (1.84%)

   

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.(a)

    45,455        1,094,556   

United Continental Holdings, Inc.(a)

    17,150        553,945   
   

 

 

 
      1,648,501   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INDUSTRIALS

      7,835,482   
   

 

 

 

Information Technology (7.67%)

   

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment (0.62%)

   

 

Xilinx, Inc.

    14,560        551,970   
   

 

 

 

Software & Services (5.21%)

   

Accenture PLC, Class A

    10,095        822,136   

eBay, Inc.(a)

    10,420        545,904   

Genpact, Ltd.

    41,345        769,017   

Oracle Corp.

    26,410        865,720   

Teradata Corp.(a)

    7,950        406,006   

VeriSign, Inc.(a)

    9,770        450,104   

Visa, Inc., A Shares

    4,830        813,662   
   

 

 

 
      4,672,549   
   

 

 

 

Technology Hardware & Equipment (1.84%)

  

 

Cisco Systems, Inc.

    79,090        1,654,563   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

  

    6,879,082   
   

 

 

 

Materials (2.43%)

   

Materials (2.43%)

   

Crown Holdings, Inc.(a)

    13,905        593,466   

The Dow Chemical Co.

    36,988        1,254,263   
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Materials (continued)

   

Newmont Mining Corp.

    10,311      $ 334,076   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL MATERIALS

      2,181,805   
   

 

 

 

Telecommunication Services (1.99%)

 

 

Telecommunication Services (1.99%)

  

 

AT&T, Inc.

    47,645        1,784,782   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES

      1,784,782   
   

 

 

 

Utilities (5.71%)

   

Utilities (5.71%)

   

American Electric Power Co., Inc

    21,940        1,128,374   

NextEra Energy, Inc.

    18,630        1,528,219   

PG&E Corp.

    24,700        1,196,468   

Xcel Energy, Inc.

    39,810        1,265,560   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL UTILITIES

      5,118,621   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

(Cost $64,644,718)

      87,132,508   
   

 

 

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (2.01%)

 

 

Equity Fund (2.01%)

   

iShares® Russell 1000® Value Index Fund

    21,890        1,803,517   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

(Cost $1,761,075)

      1,803,517   
   

 

 

 

 

    7-Day
Yield
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (1.25%)

     

Money Market Fund (1.25%)

  

   

Fidelity Institutional - Money Market Portfolio, Class I

    0.098     1,117,732        1,117,732   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $1,117,732)

   

  

      1,117,732   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (100.44%)

(Cost $67,523,525)

   

  

    $ 90,053,757   

Liabilities In Excess Of Other
Assets (-0.44%)

   

      (393,897
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

 

    $   89,659,860   
     

 

 

 
 

 

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ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund     
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

(a) 

Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

Ltd. - Limited.

PLC - Public Limited Company.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

    

 

 

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Table of Contents
ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund
Statement of Assets and Liabilities    April 30, 2013

 

ASSETS

  

Investments, at value

   $ 90,053,757   

Receivable for investments sold

     400,886   

Dividends receivable

     60,682   

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     13,321   

 

 

Total Assets

     90,528,646   

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for investments purchased

     502,786   

Payable for shares redeemed

     243,035   

Investment advisory fees payable

     63,187   

Administration and transfer agency fees payable

     19,828   

Distribution and services fees payable

     10,268   

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

     2,357   

Legal fees payable

     423   

Audit and tax fees payable

     15,506   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     11,396   

 

 

Total Liabilities

     868,786   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 89,659,860   

 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 73,238,324   

Accumulated net investment income

     240,154   

Accumulated net realized loss on investments

     (6,348,850

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     22,530,232   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 89,659,860   

 

 

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $   67,523,525   

 

 

PRICING OF SHARES

  

Class A:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 10.01   

Net Assets

   $ 50,142,342   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     5,011,629   

Maximum offering price per share ((NAV/0.9450), based on maximum sales charge of 5.50% of the offering price)

   $ 10.59   

Class C:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 9.93   

Net Assets

   $ 100,215   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     10,088   

Class I:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 10.10   

Net Assets

   $ 39,417,303   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     3,903,395   

 

(a)

Redemption price per share may be reduced for any applicable contingent deferred sales charge. For a description of a possible sales charge, please see the Fund’s Prospectus.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund
Statement of Operations    For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

   $ 1,854,933   

 

 

Total Investment Income

     1,854,933   

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Investment advisory fees

     749,684   

Administrative and transfer agency fees

     138,163   

Distribution and service fees

  

Class A

     113,632   

Class C

     824   

Legal fees

     3,306   

Audit and tax fees

     16,691   

Reports to shareholders and printing fees

     26,090   

State registration fees

     32,452   

SEC registration fees

     87   

Insurance fees

     2,777   

Custody fees

     10,391   

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     5,664   

Miscellaneous expenses

     9,214   

 

 

Total Expense

     1,108,975   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor (Note 7)

  

Class A

     (50,013

Class C

     (90

Class I

     (36,903

 

 

Net Expenses

     1,021,969   

 

 

Net Investment Income

     832,964   

 

 

Net realized gain on investments

     3,959,551   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     10,023,480   

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

     13,983,031   

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $   14,815,995   

 

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund
Statements of Changes in Net Assets   

 

     For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2012
 

 

 

OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 832,964      $ 662,413   

Net realized gain on investments

     3,959,551        2,407,417   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments

     10,023,480        (4,114,283

 

 

Net Increase/(Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

     14,815,995        (1,044,453

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

    

Dividends to shareholders from net investment income

    

Class A

     (495,861     (293,376

Class C

     (501     (25

Class I

     (393,650     (241,602

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets from Distributions

     (890,012     (535,003

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 6)

    

Shares sold

    

Class A

     2,079,629        2,056,325   

Class C

     6,300        65,000   

Class I

     5,541,680        8,493,521   

Dividends reinvested

    

Class A

     472,006        281,298   

Class C

     501        25   

Class I

     393,650        241,601   

Shares redeemed

    

Class A

     (5,504,904     (4,947,805

Class I

     (6,958,371     (3,071,135

 

 

Net Increase/(Decrease) in Net Assets Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions

     (3,969,509     3,118,830   

 

 

Net increase in net assets

     9,956,474        1,539,374   

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of year

     79,703,386        78,164,012   

 

 

End of year *

   $   89,659,860      $ 79,703,386   

 

 

 

 
*Including accumulated net investment income of:    $ 240,154      $ 294,844   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund – Class A
Financial Highlights   

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout  the

periods indicated:

 

   

For the Year
Ended
April 30,

2013(a)

 

For the Year
Ended
April 30,

2012

 

For the Year
Ended
April 30,

2011(b)

 

For the Period
January 1, 2010 to
April 30,

2010(c)

  For the Year
Ended
December 31,
2009
  For the Year
Ended
December 31,
2008

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $8.42   $8.64   $7.43   $6.92   $5.86   $9.35

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

 

Net investment income

  0.08(d)   0.06(d)   0.06(d)   0.03   0.07   0.08

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.61   (0.23)   1.22   0.48   1.06   (3.49)

 

Total from investment operations

  1.69   (0.17)   1.28   0.51   1.13   (3.41)

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

 

From net investment income

  (0.10)   (0.05)   (0.07)     (0.07)   (0.08)

 

Total distributions

  (0.10)   (0.05)   (0.07)     (0.07)   (0.08)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.59   (0.22)   1.21   0.51   1.06   (3.49)

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $10.01   $8.42   $8.64   $7.43   $6.92   $5.86

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(e)

  20.17%   (1.81)%   17.34%   7.22%   19.24%   (36.45)%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

 

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $50,142   $44,989   $48,899   $45,300   $62,264   $53,841

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.51%   1.58%   1.71%   1.70%(f)   N/A   N/A

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.40%   1.40%   1.40%   1.40%(f)   1.62%   1.50%

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

  0.95%   0.83%   0.77%   0.60%(f)   1.12%   1.10%

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

  34%   46%   44%   11%   56%   83%

 

 

(a) 

Prior to August 31, 2012, the ALPS | WMC Value Disciplined Fund was known as the ALPS | WMC Value Intersection Fund.

(b) 

Prior to August 31, 2010, the ALPS | WMC Value Intersection Fund was known as the Activa Value Fund (as a result of the reorganization of Activa Mutual Funds Trust - Activa Value Fund into the Fund).

(c) 

Effective March 9, 2010, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(d)

Calculated using the average shares method.

(e) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(f) 

Annualized.

(g) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund – Class C
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013(a)
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012
  For the Period
July 2, 2010
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011(b)

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $8.39   $8.62   $6.40

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income/(loss)(c)

  0.02   (0.01)   (0.01)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.57   (0.20)   2.27

 

Total from investment operations

  1.59   (0.21)   2.26

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net investment income

  (0.05)   (0.02)   (0.04)

 

Total distributions

  (0.05)   (0.02)   (0.04)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.54   (0.23)   2.22

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $9.93   $8.39   $8.62

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

  19.07%   (2.45)%   35.44%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $100   $79   $14

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  2.26%   2.38%   2.49%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  2.15%   2.15%   2.15%(e)
 

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

  0.19%   (0.16)%   (0.09)%(e)
 

Portfolio turnover rate

  34%   46%   44%(f)

 

 

(a)

Prior to August 31, 2012, the ALPS | WMC Value Disciplined Fund was known as the ALPS | WMC Value Intersection Fund.

(b)

Prior to August 31, 2010, the ALPS | WMC Value Intersection Fund was known as the Activa Value Fund (as a result of the reorganization of Activa Mutual Funds Trust - Activa Value Fund into the Fund).

(c)

Calculated using the average shares method.

(d)

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(e)

Annualized.

(f)

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated at the Fund Level and represents the year ended April 30, 2011.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

65  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund – Class I
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

   

For the Year
Ended
April 30,

2013(a)

 

For the Year
Ended
April 30,

2012

 

For the Year
Ended
April 30,

2011(b)

  For the Period
January 1, 2010 to
April 30, 2010(c)
 

For the Year
Ended
December 31,

2009

 

For the Year
Ended
December 31,

2008

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $8.49   $8.71   $7.48   $6.96   $5.89   $9.41

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

 

Net investment income

  0.11(d)   0.09(d)   0.07(d)   0.02   0.07   0.09

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.61   (0.24)   1.24   0.50   1.08   (3.52)

 

Total from investment operations

  1.72   (0.15)   1.31   0.52   1.15   (3.43)

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

 

From net investment income

  (0.11)   (0.07)   (0.08)     (0.08)   (0.09)

 

Total distributions

  (0.11)   (0.07)   (0.08)     (0.08)   (0.09)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.61   (0.22)   1.23   0.52   1.07   (3.52)

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $10.10   $8.49   $8.71   $7.48   $6.96   $5.89

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(e)

  20.43%   (1.62)%   17.67%   7.47%   19.59%   (36.38)%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

 

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $39,417   $34,636   $29,251   $16,814   $16,465   $3,658

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.26%   1.33%   1.46%   1.49%(f)   N/A   N/A

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.15%   1.15%   1.15%   1.15%(f)   1.46%   1.40%

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

  1.20%   1.08%   0.95%   0.77%(f)   1.17%   1.30%

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

  34%   46%   44%   11%   56%   83%

 

 

(a) 

Prior to August 31, 2012, the ALPS | WMC Value Disciplined Fund was known as the ALPS | WMC Value Intersection Fund.

(b) 

Prior to August 31, 2010, the ALPS | WMC Value Intersection Fund was known as the Activa Value Fund (as a result of the reorganization of Activa Mutual Funds Trust - Activa Value Fund into the Fund).

(c) 

Effective March 9, 2010, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(d) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(e) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(f) 

Annualized.

(g) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
Clough China Fund     
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2013, the Clough China Fund rose 16.54%, outperforming the MSCI China Index1, which increased 4.12% over the same period. The market went through two different phases during these twelve months. May to the beginning of September 2012 was a period of weakness and range trading when Chinese corporate earnings deteriorated and fell steadily while economic growth stabilized at a relatively lower level than usual. Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”) growth averaged 7.5% over the second and third quarters2. Equities then began a rally in September, mainly boosted by a recovery in earnings growth. Industrial companies’ profits rose in September for the first time in six months and with the pickup in activity, GDP growth accelerated to 7.9% in the fourth quarter2. From September onwards, the Fund widened the performance gap vs. the MSCI China by gaining over 25% compared to the 16.1% gain for benchmark index. The Fund’s outperformance was primarily due to two factors. First, the Fund’s composition is markedly different than the benchmark as we focus on the new market leaders benefiting from China’s new “private sector driven” growth model. Indeed, the Fund has approximately 50% of its exposure to privately-owned listed companies, as opposed to State-owned Enterprises (SOEs). SOES on the other hand represent more than 70% of the benchmark index weighting. The second factor is more stock specific and relates to the increased exposure of the Fund to mid-sized stocks involved in unconventional oil & gas and alternative energy sectors. Our exposure to this theme increased from 0.4% in September to 5% by the end of December. These stocks generated much higher returns than the benchmark index and we expect this trend to continue in the current year.

Portfolio Composition

Our holdings in the consumer discretionary, energy and consumer staples sectors had a positive influence on the Fund’s relative performance whereas the financial and telecoms sectors contributed negatively. Looking at individual positions, the three major positive contributors were:

 

  »

Great Wall Motors is the largest SUV (sports utility vehicle) manufacturer in China. Great Wall saw growth accelerate as SUV demand surges in China. Revenue increased 43% in 2012 on the back of a 90% jump in SUV shipments. This mix shift and operating leverage also boosted profit margins and contributed to net profit growth of 66%. The success of the Haval model as the nation’s top selling SUV is continuing in 2013. Year-to-date sales through April 2013 increased 45%; again driven by the SUV segment which grew revenues more than 90% over the period. The company’s return on equity (ROE) is high at 33% and the company remains modestly valued in our opinion at just 11.2x expected earnings for the next fiscal year3.

 

  »

China State Construction International (CSCI) is one of the largest commercial construction firms in Hong Kong and Macau. CSCI now generates about half of its revenue from Mainland China, where they began expansion in 2008 and where they are now the largest builder of affordable housing. This is a well managed, fast growing group in our opinion. Revenue grew 21% and net profit 41% in 2012. The company reported that their new contract backlog

   

rose 90% in the first four months of 2013; bringing them to more than half of their bookings target for the year4. In our view this growth momentum is not fully reflected in the company’s valuation of just 14.4x expected earnings for next year.

  »

Shenzhou International Group is a leading independent garment maker for well known global and domestic sportswear brands such as Adidas (approximately 22% of sales), Nike (19%) and Puma (10%), as well as casual wear retailers such as the Japanese Uniqlo brand (24%). A capacity increase of 10 – 15% in China and Cambodia will drive earnings growth this year and we believe a special dividend payment is possible if cotton prices remain stable. The company’s balance sheet continues to be comfortable with a net cash position and valuation remains inexpensive in our view at just 12x expected earnings for the next fiscal year.

The major detractors did not have a significant influence on the Fund’s overall performance. They were:

 

  »

China Shenhua Energy is China’s largest coal producer was dragged down by falling coal prices and questions on the future of this industry as China chooses to limit pollution and to focus more on renewable and alternative energies. China Shenhua has made significant investments in its distribution network, which should help shield it from some of the pressures created by weak coal prices and help help future profitability.

  »

PetroChina Co. Ltd is involved in upstream and downstream oil and gas sectors. The Company had a disappointing year in 2012 when net profit fell 11%. First quarter 2013 operating performance were not much better with earnings declining 8% and the oil refining and chemical divisions still suffering operating losses5. This stock is no longer in the portfolio.

  »

China Resources Cement is one of the largest cement and clinker producers in Southern China. The company was hurt by weakening demand and selling prices while several regions maintained overcapacity. Profit margins deteriorated and net profit for last year declined -44% on sales which actually grew 9%. The lack of visibility in this cyclical business led us to eliminate this holding from the Fund.

Outlook

The Chinese economy has entered a transition phase. It is not specifically and only related to the speed of its development and expansion. It implies a change in growth engines as well as an increased qualitative focus. GDP growth has decelerated from 9 – 10% per year in the last 5 years and to a more reasonable pace of 7% – 8% this year2. It may slow down even more over the next few years. A shift in growth engines from investment to consumption is already under way starting in 2011. In line with a policy trend already announced by the previous leadership in Beijing, President Xi Jin Ping recently said that the country will not sacrifice the environment to ensure temporary economic growth. This confirms

 

 

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Table of Contents
Clough China Fund     
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

how the priorities of China’s economic policy are changing from “breakneck” growth at all cost to what appears to be a more sustainable, albeit slower growth pattern.

Global investors have grown frustrated by the lack of policy stimulus in China, especially in light of the unprecedented central bank activity in the G-7 economies6. We do not share their frustration however. First, we see the current growth of 7.7% in the recent first quarter as quite fast enough and reasonable, especially given that Chinese economy is now very large at $8.3 Trillion (nearly half the size of the United States economy)2. Second, we expect the new government to announce reforms that will bring stronger structural support to consumer spending such as gradually relaxing the urban residency permit system (known as Hukou). Third, growth engines such as the vibrant private sector are huge long-term opportunities in China, and are underestimated by international investors. Keep in mind the private sector in China has been the primary job creator for many years now. It represents 82% of urban employment today vs. 40% in 1994. Further, private enterprises now account for a larger proportion of industrial profits than SOEs and those profits are rising at a significantly faster rate7. As the Prime Minister Li Keqiang intends to make more room for market forces and reduce the direct role of the State in the economy, we expect the private sector and entrepreneurs to benefit in the future. Finally, given the dramatic deterioration of water and air quality in recent years and months the reaction has been to place a higher priority to environmental protection creating new and attractive investment opportunities for active managers.

We are happy with the Fund’s performance, especially in light of challenging market conditions. We benefit by not constraining ourselves by “benchmark considerations” when structuring our portfolio. This is an advantage over many of our peers. We believe many investors in China are overly focused on macro data and do not place enough focus on indentifying leading investment themes and individual companies.

Sources: Bloomberg, NBS, CLSA Sinology – Profits of Reforms, May 27, 2013.

 

1 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) China Index is designed to measure the performance of the top 85% of equity securities by market capitalization in the Chinese equity markets. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index. Source: MSCI. Neither MSCI nor any other party involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating the MSCI data makes any express or implied warranties or representations with respect to such data (or the result to be obtained by the use thereof), and all such parties hereby expressly disclaim all warranties of originality, accuracy, completeness, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to any of such data. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall MSCI, any of its affiliates or any third party involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating the data have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages. No further distribution or

 

dissemination of the MSCI data is permitted without MSCI’s express written consent.

2 

National Bureau of Statics (NBS), January 12, 2013

3 

Great Wall Motors company report, March 21, 2013, May 21, 2013

4 

China State Construction International company report, May 13, 2013

5 

PetroChina Co. Ltd company report, April 25, 2013

6 

G-7 economies – A forum of the world’s seven most industrialized economies: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Canada.

7 

CLSA, May 15, 2013

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the fund(s) or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. Clough Capital Partners, LP does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

 

 

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Clough China Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes maximum sales charges of 5.50%)

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Average Annual Total Returns (as of April 30, 2013)

 

     1 Year   3 Year   5 Year   Since Inception ^     Total Expense  
Ratio
    What You Pay *  

Class A (NAV)1

  16.54%   5.83%   3.28%   14.84%   2.09%   1.96%

Class A (MOP)2

  10.15%   3.85%   2.12%   13.96%    

Class C (NAV)1

  15.70%   5.03%   2.47%   13.99%   2.89%   2.71%

Class C (CDSC)2

  14.63%   5.03%   2.47%   13.99%    

Class I 3

  16.95%   6.16%   3.68%   15.36%   1.86%   1.71%

MSCI China Index4

    4.12%   1.04%   -1.76%    13.03%        

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. The Fund imposes a 2.00% redemption fee on shares held for less than 30 days. The Fund imposes a maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% on Class C shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase, and on Class A shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase in excess of $1 million. Performance data does not reflect the redemption fee or the CDSC, which if reflected would reduce the performance quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-877-256-8445.

The performance shown for the Clough China Fund for periods prior to January 15, 2010, reflects the performance of the Old Mutual China Fund, a series of Old Mutual Funds I (as a result of a prior reorganization of the Old Mutual China Fund into the Clough China Fund).

 

1 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

2 

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) includes sales charges. Class A returns include effects of the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%; Class C returns include the 1.00% CDSC.

3 

Prior to close of business on January 15, 2010, Class I was known as Institutional Class of the Old Mutual China Fund.

4 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) China Index is constructed according to the MSCI Global Investable Market Index (GIMI) family. The MSCI China Index is part of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

^

Fund Inception date of December 30, 2005.

 

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Clough China Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

* What You Pay reflects the Advisor’s decision to contractually limit expenses through August 31, 2013. Please see the prospectus for additional information.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the Fund’s top holdings is subject to change. Performance figures are historical and reflect the change in share price, reinvested distributions, changes in net asset value, sales charges and capital gains distributions, if any.

Mutual funds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

Investing in the Fund is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

Investing in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan involves risk and considerations not present when investing in more established securities markets. The Fund may be more susceptible to the economic, market, political and local risks of these regions than a fund that is more geographically diversified.

This Fund is not suitable for all investors.

 

Top Ten Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)

 

  Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, Ltd., Class H

   5.96%

  China Construction Bank Corp., Class H

   5.17%

  China State Construction International Holdings, Ltd.

   4.68%

  Shenzhou International Group Holdings, Ltd.

   4.39%

  Great Wall Motor Co., Ltd., Class H

   4.06%

  Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

   3.52%

  Techtronic Industries Co.

   3.13%

  China Petroleum & Chemical Corp.,
Class H

   2.92%

  China Gas Holdings, Ltd.

   2.87%

  VTech Holdings, Ltd.

   2.49%

  Top Ten Holdings

   39.19%  

 

Holdings are subject to change. Table presents indicative values only.

Industry Sector Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)

 

LOGO

 

 

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Table of Contents
Clough China Fund     
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

COMMON STOCKS (93.95%)

  

 

Basic Materials (0.74%)

  

 

Iron/Steel (0.74%)

  

 

Angang Steel Co., Ltd., Class H(a)

    884,000      $ 522,748   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL BASIC MATERIALS

  

    522,748   
   

 

 

 

Communications (8.74%)

 

 

Internet (3.52%)

 

 

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

    72,400        2,497,674   
   

 

 

 

Telecommunications (5.22%)

 

 

China Communications Services Corp., Ltd., Class H

    826,000        605,110   

China Telecom Corp., Ltd., Class H

    2,592,000        1,328,029   

VTech Holdings, Ltd.

    138,400        1,766,063   
   

 

 

 
      3,699,202   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS

  

    6,196,876   
   

 

 

 

Consumer, Cyclical (22.61%)

 

 

Airlines (1.78%)

 

 

Air China, Ltd., Class H

    1,560,000        1,264,620   
   

 

 

 

Apparel (4.40%)

 

 

Shenzhou International Group Holdings, Ltd.

    1,075,000        3,116,673   
   

 

 

 

Auto Manufacturers (5.08%)

 

 

Geely Automobile Holdings, Ltd.

    1,430,000        720,842   

Great Wall Motor Co., Ltd., Class H

    663,500        2,882,893   
   

 

 

 
      3,603,735   
   

 

 

 

Home Furnishings (2.23%)

 

 

Skyworth Digital Holdings, Ltd.

    1,916,477        1,583,077   
   

 

 

 

Lodging (1.89%)

 

 

Sands China, Ltd.

    254,400        1,337,625   
   

 

 

 

Retail (6.42%)

 

 

Belle International Holdings, Ltd.

    206,000        336,776   

Giordano International, Ltd.

    836,000        836,911   

Man Wah Holdings, Ltd.

    1,248,000        1,215,601   

SA SA International Holdings, Ltd.

    1,192,000        1,242,835   

Stelux Holdings International, Ltd.

    2,713,600        920,977   
   

 

 

 
      4,553,100   
   

 

 

 
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Textiles (0.81%)

  

 

Pacific Textile Holdings, Ltd.

    467,000      $ 577,013   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, CYCLICAL

  

    16,035,843   
   

 

 

 

Consumer, Non-Cyclical (6.97%)

 

 

Cosmetics/Personal Care (0.78%)

  

 

Prince Frog International Holdings, Ltd.

    889,000        556,542   
   

 

 

 

Food (1.06%)

 

 

Want Want China Holdings, Ltd.

    472,000        749,822   
   

 

 

 

Healthcare-Products (1.89%)

 

 

China Medical System Holdings, Ltd.

    723,000        710,996   

Hengan International Group Co., Ltd.

    60,500        626,286   
   

 

 

 
      1,337,282   
   

 

 

 

Household Products/Wares (3.24%)

 

 

Biostime International Holdings, Ltd.

    301,000        1,736,828   

Samsonite International SA

    227,400        560,821   
   

 

 

 
      2,297,649   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, NON-CYCLICAL

  

    4,941,295   
   

 

 

 

Energy (15.08%)

 

 

Coal (1.20%)

 

 

China Shenhua Energy Co., Ltd., Class H

    240,000        851,007   
   

 

 

 

Energy-Alternate Sources (1.53%)

 

 

China Suntien Green Energy Corp., Ltd., Class H

    3,739,000        1,085,239   
   

 

 

 

Oil & Gas (4.90%)

 

 

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class H

    1,877,000        2,071,391   

PetroChina Co., Ltd., Class H

    1,102,000        1,404,641   
   

 

 

 
      3,476,032   
   

 

 

 

Oil & Gas Services (4.58%)

 

 

Anton Oilfield Services Group

    2,204,000        1,764,222   

CIMC Enric Holdings, Ltd.

    428,000        464,233   

Hilong Holding, Ltd.

    1,413,000        578,980   

SPT Energy Group, Inc.

    902,000        440,924   
   

 

 

 
      3,248,359   
   

 

 

 
 

 

71  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
Clough China Fund     
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Pipelines (2.87%)

 

 

China Gas Holdings, Ltd.

    2,066,000      $ 2,038,745   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL ENERGY

  

    10,699,382   
   

 

 

 

Financial (24.15%)

 

 

Banks (13.33%)

 

 

Bank of China, Ltd., Class H

    3,316,300        1,553,800   

China Construction Bank Corp., Class H

    4,373,080        3,670,372   

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, Ltd., Class H

    5,998,967        4,228,704   
   

 

 

 
      9,452,876   
   

 

 

 

Insurance (4.78%)

 

 

AIA Group, Ltd.

    156,800        697,518   

China Life Insurance Co., Ltd., Class H

    605,000        1,673,420   

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China, Ltd., Class H

    129,000        1,023,859   
   

 

 

 
      3,394,797   
   

 

 

 

Real Estate (6.04%)

 

 

CapitaMalls Asia, Ltd.

    647,000        1,106,248   

China Merchants Property Development Co., Ltd.

    151,700        469,777   

China Overseas Grand Oceans Group, Ltd.

    202,000        318,420   

China Overseas Land & Investment, Ltd.

    234,000        714,463   

Kaisa Group Holdings,
Ltd.
(a)

    1,381,000        432,955   

Shimao Property Holdings, Ltd.

    260,500        562,203   

Sun Hung Kai Properties, Ltd.

    47,000        679,624   
   

 

 

 
      4,283,690   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL FINANCIAL

  

    17,131,363   
   

 

 

 

Industrial (15.17%)

 

 

Building Materials (3.38%)

 

 

Anhui Conch Cement Co., Ltd., Class H

    204,500        742,449   

Far East Global Group, Ltd.(a)

    5,048,000        1,653,960   
   

 

 

 
      2,396,409   
   

 

 

 

Engineering & Construction (4.68%)

 

 

China State Construction International Holdings, Ltd.

    2,276,000        3,320,558   
   

 

 

 

Environmental Control (0.68%)

  

 

China Everbright International, Ltd.

    618,000        478,418   
   

 

 

 
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Hand/Machine Tools (3.13%)

 

 

Techtronic Industries Co.

    927,500      $ 2,222,674   
   

 

 

 

Machinery-Diversified (1.85%)

 

 

Honghua Group, Ltd.

    2,685,000        1,312,426   
   

 

 

 

Miscellaneous Manufacturing (0.92%)

  

 

Sunny Optical Technology Group Co., Ltd.

    490,000        650,211   
   

 

 

 

Packaging & Containers (0.53%)

  

 

CPMC Holdings, Ltd.

    481,000        378,661   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INDUSTRIAL

  

    10,759,357   
   

 

 

 

Technology (0.49%)

  

 

Software (0.49%)

  

 

Kingsoft Corp., Ltd.

    305,000        351,540   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL TECHNOLOGY

  

    351,540   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

(Cost $52,781,558)

  

  

    66,638,404   
   

 

 

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (0.91%)

  

 

Equity Fund (0.91%)

   

iShares® FTSE A50 China Index ETF

    485,100        642,620   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

(Cost $652,440)

  

  

    642,620   
   

 

 

 

 

   

7-Day

Yield

    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (3.80%)

  

 

Money Market Fund (3.80%)

  

 

Dreyfus Cash Management Fund, Institutional Class

    0.050     2,697,470        2,697,470   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $2,697,470)

  

  

    2,697,470   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (98.66%)

(Cost $56,131,468)

 

  

  $ 69,978,494   

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (1.34%)

  

    952,625   
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

 

  $   70,931,119   
     

 

 

 
 

 

72  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
Clough China Fund     
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

(a) 

Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund.

FTSE - Financial Times Stock Exchange.

Ltd. - Limited.

SA - Generally designated corporations in various countries,

    mostly those employing civil law.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

    

 

 

73  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
Clough China Fund     
Statement of Assets and Liabilities    April 30, 2013

 

ASSETS

  

Investments, at value

   $   69,978,494   

Foreign currency, at value (Cost $1,076,753)

     1,077,443   

Receivable for investments sold

     851,756   

Receivable for shares sold

     115,270   

Dividends receivable

     13,583   

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     17,251   

 

 

Total Assets

     72,053,797   

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for investments purchased

     921,892   

Payable for shares redeemed

     25,511   

Payable due to custodian - overdraft

     75   

Investment advisory fees payable

     45,215   

Administration and transfer agency fees payable

     15,890   

Distribution and services fees payable

     16,071   

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

     2,034   

Legal fees payable

     350   

Audit and tax fees payable

     23,775   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     71,865   

 

 

Total Liabilities

     1,122,678   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 70,931,119   

 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 60,861,468   

Accumulated net investment income

     336,688   

Accumulated net realized loss on investments and foreign currency transactions

     (4,114,691)   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     13,847,654   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 70,931,119   

 

 

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 56,131,468   

 

 

PRICING OF SHARES

  

Class A:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 21.45   

Net Assets

   $ 32,708,735   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     1,524,997   

Maximum offering price per share ((NAV/0.9450), based on maximum sales charge of 5.50% of the offering price)

   $ 22.70   

Class C:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 20.71   

Net Assets

   $ 12,250,535   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     591,554   

Class I:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 21.82   

Net Assets

   $ 25,971,849   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     1,190,070   

 

(a) 

Redemption price per share may be reduced for any applicable contingent deferred sales charge. For a description of a possible sales charge, please see the Fund’s Prospectus.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

74  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
Clough China Fund     
Statement of Operations    For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

   $   1,745,803   

Foreign taxes withheld on dividends

     (79,762)   

 

 

Total Investment Income

     1,666,041   

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Investment advisory fees

     863,550   

Administrative and transfer agency fees

     117,986   

Distribution and service fees

  

Class A

     72,241   

Class C

     104,805   

Legal fees

     3,249   

Audit and tax fees

     21,130   

Networking fees

  

Class A

     11,356   

Class C

     8,772   

Class I

     26,642   

Reports to shareholders and printing fees

     17,852   

State registration fees

     39,675   

Insurance fees

     3,017   

Custody fees

     93,451   

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     4,322   

Miscellaneous expenses

     15,938   

 

 

Total Expense

     1,403,986   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor (Note 7)

  

Class A

     (56,397)   

Class C

     (25,059)   

Class I

     (58,050)   

 

 

Net Expenses

     1,264,480   

 

 

Net Investment Income

     401,561   

 

 

Net realized gain on investments

     1,143,130   

Net realized gain on foreign currency transactions

     8,308   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     5,526,441   

Net change in unrealized depreciation on translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     (4,927)   

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

     6,672,952   

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 7,074,513   

 

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

75  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
Clough China Fund     
Statements of Changes in Net Assets   

 

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

OPERATIONS

     

Net investment income

   $ 401,561       $ 71,792   

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions

     1,151,438         (4,673,323)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     5,521,514         (8,731,689)   

 

 

Net Increase/(Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

     7,074,513         (13,333,220)   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

     

Dividends to shareholders from net investment income

     

Class A

     (38,487)           

Class I

     (61,529)           

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets from Distributions

     (100,016)           

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 6)

     

Shares sold

     

Class A

     8,119,247         3,954,505   

Class C

     2,575,377         2,225,325   

Class I

         41,213,968             3,554,515   

Dividends reinvested

     

Class A

     25,075           

Class I

     18,451           

Shares redeemed

     

Class A

     (10,136,711)         (12,417,845)   

Class C

     (3,351,866)         (5,066,931)   

Class I

     (45,590,967)         (10,349,896)   

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions

     (7,127,426)         (18,100,327)   

 

 

Net decrease in net assets

     (152,929)         (31,433,547)   

NET ASSETS

     

Beginning of year

     71,084,048         102,517,595   

 

 

End of year *

   $ 70,931,119       $ 71,084,048   

 

 

 

 

*Including accumulated net investment income/(loss) of:

   $ 336,688       $ (40,554)   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

76  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
Clough China Fund – Class A
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

 

   

For the Year

Ended
April 30,

2013

 

For the Year
Ended
April 30,

2012

 

For the Year
Ended
April 30,

2011

 

For the Period
August 1, 2009

to April 30,

2010(a)(b)

 

For the Year
Ended
July 31,

2009

 

For the Year
Ended
July 31,

2008

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $18.43   $21.02   $18.21   $16.32   $15.81   $22.46

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income/(loss)

  0.15(c)   0.02(c)   (0.04)(c)   0.10   0.09(c)   (0.01)(c)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  2.90   (2.61)   2.94   1.85   0.62(d)   (1.73)

 

Total from investment operations

  3.05   (2.59)   2.90   1.95   0.71   (1.74)

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

           

From net investment income

  (0.03)     (0.09)   (0.07)   (0.20)   (0.03)

From net realized gains

            (4.88)

 

Total distributions

  (0.03)     (0.09)   (0.07)   (0.20)   (4.91)

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

  0.00(e)   0.00(e)   0.00(c)(e)   0.01   0.00(c)(e)  

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  3.02   (2.59)   2.81   1.89   0.51   (6.65)

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $21.45   $18.43   $21.02   $18.21   $16.32   $15.81

 

TOTAL RETURN(f)

  16.54%   (12.32)%   16.00%   12.07%   5.00%(d)   (13.91)%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

           

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $32,709   $30,542   $44,616   $28,695   $15,069   $17,927

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  2.14%   2.08%   2.07%   2.24%(g)   2.62%   2.34%

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.95%   1.95%   1.89%(h)   1.87%(g)(i)   1.95%   2.02%

Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets

  0.78%   0.13%   (0.22)%   (0.53)%(g)   0.70%   (0.06)%

Portfolio turnover rate(j)

  221%   174%   170%   110%   120%   178%

 

 

(a) Effective March 9, 2010, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from July 31 to April 30.
(b) Prior to its reorganization on January 15, 2010, the Clough China Fund, the Fund was known as the Old Mutual China Fund.
(c) Calculated using the average shares method.
(d) Impact of payment by affiliate was less than $0.01 per share and 0.01%, respectively.
(e) Less than $0.005 per share.
(f) Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.
(g) Annualized.
(h) Contractual expense limitation changed from 1.85% to 1.95% effective January 1, 2011.
(i) Contractual expense limitation changed from 1.95% to 1.85% effective January 1, 2010.
(j) Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

77  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
Clough China Fund – Class C
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the Year
Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year
Ended
April 30, 2012
  For the Year
Ended
April 30, 2011
  For the Period
August 1, 2009 to
April 30, 2010(a)(b)
  For the Year
Ended
July 31, 2009
  For the Year
Ended
July 31, 2008

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $17.90   $20.58   $17.89   $16.08   $15.48   $22.26

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income/(loss)

  0.01(c)   (0.11)(c)   (0.21)(c)   (0.17)   (0.01)(c)   (0.17)(c)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  2.80   (2.57)   2.90   1.98   0.65(d)   (1.64)

 

Total from investment operations

  2.81   (2.68)   2.69   1.81   0.64   (1.81)

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

           

From net investment income

      (0.00)(e)     (0.04)   (0.09)

From net realized gains

            (4.88)

 

Total distributions

          (0.04)   (4.97)

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

  0.00(e)   0.00(e)   0.00(e)      

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  2.81   (2.68)   2.69   1.81   0.60   (6.78)

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $20.71   $17.90   $20.58   $17.89   $16.08   $15.48

 

TOTAL RETURN(f)

  15.70%   (13.02)%   15.13%   11.26%   4.21%(d)   (14.49)%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

         

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $12,251   $11,674   $16,848   $7,594   $8,267   $9,991

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  2.94%   2.88%   2.86%   3.18%(g)   3.43%   3.15%

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  2.70%   2.70%   2.70%   2.70%(g)   2.70%   2.77%

Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets

  0.07%   (0.62)%   (1.10)%   (1.26)%(g)   (0.05)%   (0.85)%

Portfolio turnover
rate
(h)

  221%   174%   170%   110%   120%   178%

 

 

(a) 

Effective March 9, 2010, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from July 31 to April 30.

 

(b) 

Prior to its reorganization on January 15, 2010, the Clough China Fund, the Fund was known as the Old Mutual China Fund.

 

(c) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

 

(d) 

Impact of payment by affiliate was less than $0.01 per share and 0.01%, respectively.

 

(e) 

Less than $0.005 and ($0.005) per share.

 

(f) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

 

(g) 

Annualized.

 

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

78  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
Clough China Fund – Class I
Financial Highlights   

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the

periods indicated:

 

    For the Year
Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year
Ended
April 30, 2012
  For the Year
Ended
April 30, 2011
  For the Period
August 1, 2009 to
April 30, 2010(a)(b)
  For the Year
Ended
July 31, 2009
  For the Year
Ended
July 31, 2008

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $18.71   $21.30   $18.41   $16.52   $16.10   $22.65

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income/(loss)

  0.13(c)   0.06(c)   (0.01)(c)   0.01   0.15(c)   0.13(c)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  3.02   (2.65)   3.03   2.03   0.60(d)   (1.80)

 

Total from investment operations

  3.15   (2.59)   3.02   2.04   0.75   (1.67)

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

           

From net investment income

  (0.06)     (0.13)   (0.15)   (0.33)  

From net realized gains

            (4.88)

 

Total distributions

  (0.06)     (0.13)   (0.15)   (0.33)   (4.88)

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL (NOTE 6)

  0.02   0.00(e)   0.00(e)      

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  3.11   (2.59)   2.89   1.89   0.42   (6.55)

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $21.82   $18.71   $21.30   $18.41   $16.52   $16.10

 

TOTAL RETURN(f)

  16.95%   (12.16)%   16.45%   12.36%   5.51%(d)   (13.41)%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

         

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $25,972   $28,868   $41,054   $15,071   $9,744   $9,231

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.94%   1.85%   1.85%   1.86%(g)   1.97%   1.76%

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.70%   1.70%   1.53%(h)   1.40%(g)   1.40%   1.47%

Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets

  0.69%   0.33%   (0.03)%   0.08%(g)   1.20%   0.62%

Portfolio turnover
rate
(i)

  221%   174%   170%   110%   120%   178%

 

 

(a) 

Effective March 9, 2010, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from July 31 to April 30.

(b) 

Prior to its reorganization on January 15, 2010, the Clough China Fund, the Fund was known as the Old Mutual China Fund and Class I was known as the Institutional Class.

(c) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(d) 

Impact of payment by affiliate was less than $0.01 per share and 0.01%, respectively.

(e) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(f) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h) 

Contractual expense limitation changed from 1.40% to 1.70% effective January 1, 2011.

(i) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Series
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Year in Review

When charged with the task of summarizing twelve months of global market activity, the natural tendency is to try to seize on one theme that ties everything together in a neat package. In looking back through the regular RiverFront commentaries, recurring topics included “policy purgatory,” quantitative easing, fiscal cliff, loss of purchasing power, improving economic growth, risk on/risk off – and all those were just in reference to what investors needed to consider when analyzing US markets. Consider those same types of issues duplicated across global economies and markets, often in greater magnitude, and it is no wonder investors may feel as though it has been one big blur. Mercifully, some of the anxiety of that blur has been lessened by the reality of the market’s rise to new highs. Resolutions for many of the issues facing governments, corporations and consumers may not have been as positive as forecasters hoped. However, history has shown that “less bad,” as it relates to economic growth and corporate profits, coupled with attractive valuations can be enough. Fears of the markets dropping have been replaced by anxiety about the next correction – when will it come and how much will the market drop?

Monetary support from virtually every major central bank helped fuel powerful rallies in global equity and credit markets over the past twelve months, but we believe there is no reason for investors to panic at this juncture and that we will likely see what is considered a “normal” pullback. The S&P 500® climbed almost without interruption from a low of 1353 last November to 1593 on April 11, 2013. Since that peak, economic data has softened, and markets have dropped slightly, prompting fears of market declines similar to the volatile summers of 2010 and 2011.

After rising at a 40% annualized pace for nearly six months, we think equity markets are due for a pullback and/or period of consolidation. We believe that the deep and protracted market declines of 2010 and 2011 are extremely unlikely. Rather, we expect any pullback will be short and relatively shallow, with a worst-case scenario resembling the brief 10% decline seen in 2012 (see chart below). Since that 2012 market correction, the Federal Reserve has committed to printing $85 billion per month; the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has committed to twice that level of Quantitative Easing (QE) as a percentage of its economy; and the European Central Bank (ECB) has pledged unlimited support for Italy and Spain. All this liquidity flooding into financial markets should limit the depth and duration of any pullback, in our view. Thus referring back to the S&P®, investors may experience only a minimal correction to about 1530 (which was almost hit on April 18th). The next level of strong support is at 1500, and we would expect a worst-case correction to find support at about 1470.

 

LOGO

Source: RiverFront Investment Group; Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

We believe that the “Optimistic Scenario” from our 2013 Outlook is playing out in the US (see circled scenario in table below), although the political maneuvering leading to that outcome is different than we expected. As a result, we think the S&P 500® is likely to finish the year well above 1600 and could approach our fair value level of about 1700. Overseas, Japan is also executing an Optimistic Scenario set of policies that should allow it to continue posting the best returns of all the major global equity markets. Europe has thus far embraced “Muddling Through” policies, with the initial bailout proposal for Cyprus raising concerns that it could make the kind of policy mistakes outlined in our “Pessimistic Scenario.” Despite this start to the year, more recent policy developments in Europe are encouraging, and we expect these policies plus a more aggressive ECB to help European markets catch up to the US by the end of 2013. Finally, emerging markets rise and fall based upon China, in our view, and the new Chinese leadership team has thus far embraced the policy options in our Pessimistic Scenario. With investor sentiment for emerging markets now overwhelmingly negative, any positive policy developments should prompt a market recovery. Unless new Chinese policies diverge sharply from existing trends, we will likely use any rebound in emerging markets as an opportunity to further underweight our strategic targets.

 

 

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RiverFront Global Allocation Series
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

LOGO

Source: RiverFront Investment Group; This table links our pessimistic, baseline, and optimistic scenarios with the major political issues faced by the US, Europe and China that will have the greatest impact on the global economy in 2013, in our view. Our assessment of each scenario’s probability is also shown. Each scenario includes our expectations for GDP, stocks and interest rates. We assume that China’s policy decisions will drive outcomes across all the emerging markets. RiverFront’s opinions are subject to change and actual events may reflect some combination of the scenarios referenced in the table.

 

We continue to be less optimistic on fixed income. In September 1981, at the end of a 30-year bear market for bonds, 10-year Treasury yields were 15.3% and the S&P 500® was at 118 with a 5.5% dividend yield. The chart shows relative total return – stocks are outperforming when the line is rising. Despite a positive environment for bonds since their bear market trough, during which 10-year Treasury yields fell below 2%, the S&P 500® has delivered roughly 70% more total return, but volatility has been significant. Indeed, the two stock bear markets of 2000 to 2003 and 2007 to 2009 wiped out all of the significant relative gains from the 1990s by the bottom in early 2009. We believe stocks have begun a sustainable trend of outperformance supported by low bond yields and reasonable stock valuations.

Performance Discussion

Any discussion of the performance of the RiverFront funds over the past year must include a snapshot of the variance in performance of the various asset classes that constitute the investable universe for each. All of the funds, regardless of investment time horizon, are globally allocated. Our Price Matters® framework prescribes the parameters for the various asset classes – domestic equity, developed international and emerging markets – as we work through the RiverFront Capital Market Assumptions annually. In addition to being globally allocated, four of the funds have a fixed income component. Bond investors are well aware that there was a significant disparity between performance in the equity and fixed income markets over the past twelve months.

As of April 30, 2013, the performance results for the indices representing RiverFront’s investable asset classes were as follows:

 

Benchmark Indexes2

  1-YR Return

S&P 500® Total Return1

  16.89%

S&P 1000® Total Return3

  18.38%

MSCI EAFE Index (Net)4

  19.39%

MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net)5

  3.97%

MSCI All Country World Index (Net)6

  15.02%

Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index7

  3.68%

Barclays U.S. Treasury Index8

  2.56%

Barclays U.S. Short Treasury Index
(1-3M)
9

  0.09%

Data as of 4/30/2013

The managers are charged with constructing the strategies based on the following mandates:

RiverFront Growth Funds – investment time horizons range from 7-10 years.

Using RiverFront’s proprietary portfolio optimization process, these funds are built using longer time horizons and thus investors should be willing to expect more volatility.

 

  »

The RiverFront Global Growth strategy is invested based on a 100% allocation to the MSCI All Country World Index Net.

 

 

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RiverFront Global Allocation Series
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

  »

The RiverFront Global Allocation strategy is invested according to a blend of 80% MSCI All Country World Index Net/20% Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.

  »

The RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income strategy is invested according to a blend of 70% MSCI All Country World Index Net/30% Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.

RiverFront Balanced Funds – investment time horizons range from 3-7 years.

 

  »

The RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income strategy is invested according to a blend of 50% S&P 500®/50% Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.

  »

The RiverFront Conservative Income Builder strategy is invested according to a blend of 30% S&P 500®/70% Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.

Performance Contributors:

Across all funds, our decision to add exposure to Japan proved positive. We initiated our original positions late in 2012 and continued to add throughout early 2013, going overweight in the RiverFront Growth funds. We have been increasing exposure to Japan since the fourth quarter of last year based on our expectations for a concerted effort on the part of government/central bank leaders to boost the country’s longstanding economic malaise. With a new governor in place at the Bank of Japan, we have now begun to see announcements of actual purchases of bonds and increases to the monetary base – both of which exceeded expectations.

Another positive contributor to performance, within equities, was our increased weighting to more cyclical, higher beta10 equities in sectors such as industrials, materials and other sectors that are more economically sensitive. This higher beta positioning was a shift away from the quality bias we had previously.

Our preference for Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) in the Balanced funds was a positive contributor. MLPs had a period of underperformance for part of 2012 given investors’ worries about changes in the tax laws potentially being disadvantageous. So far, the tax status for MLPs is unchanged and relative performance has improved. Additionally, we believe valuations and yields are still attractive.

Negative Factors:

Our Balanced funds underperformed when compared to a simple equity benchmark given their fixed income positioning. Despite being underweight traditional fixed income, this exposure created a drag. We continue to prefer stocks to bonds given our belief that bond investors will suffer continued erosion of purchasing power and considerable opportunity cost.

Exposure to emerging markets had a negative impact during the twelve month period as it was the worst performing equity asset class as illustrated by the table above. The thesis on emerging markets hinges on China and the moves there to re-stimulate that economy. There have been some concerns (i.e. weakening in

Chinese bank stocks) that there actually could be tightening in China which would be “hawkish” for emerging markets. We continue to monitor our positions here with a risk management plan in place.

There was some negative impact due to individual security selection within domestic equity.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Dividends are not guaranteed and are subject to change or elimination. Investments in international and emerging markets securities include exposure to risks such as currency fluctuations, foreign taxes and regulations, and the potential for illiquid markets and political instability.

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the fund(s) or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. RiverFront Investment Group, LLC does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

 

1 

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500® Index – measures the performance of 500 large cap stocks, which together represent about 75% of the total U.S. equities market. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

2 

Benchmark Indexes – The primary objective of a benchmark is to provide investors/portfolio managers with a framework in which to establish return objectives and risk tolerance levels. Indexes are not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

3 

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 1000® Total Return – measures the performance of widely available and highly liquid stocks, which makes it an appropriate mid-small cap index for investors seeking to replicate the performance of the U.S. equity market. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

4 

MSCI EAFE Index (Net) – is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the US & Canada. The MSCI EAFE Index consists of the following 22 developed market country indices: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

 

 

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RiverFront Global Allocation Series
Management Commentary    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

5 

MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) – is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of the emerging market countries of Europe, the Middle East & Africa. The MSCI EM EMEA Index consists of the following 8 emerging market country indices: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

6 

MSCI All Country World Index (Net) – is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets. The MSCI World Index consists of the following 24 developed market country indices: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

7 

Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index – measures the performance of U.S. denominated, investment-grade, fixed-income instruments. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

8 

Barclays U.S. Treasury Index – measures the performance of government bonds issued by the US Treasury. The Term Index methodology is a unique concept in bond indexing developed by Barclays Capital. The Term indices only include bonds near to their original term, rather than selecting all bonds in a maturity range, and use the standard market capitalization weighting methodology to weight the bonds. Term Indices have a very similar yield; duration and risk/return characteristics to standard maturity based indices but are more compact and tend to be more liquid than their maturity band equivalent. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

9 

Barclays U.S. Short Treasury Index – measures the performance of short-term government bonds issued by the US Treasury. The Term Index methodology is a unique concept in bond indexing developed by Barclays Capital. The Term indices only include bonds near to their original term, rather than selecting all bonds in a maturity range, and use the standard market capitalization weighting methodology to weight the bonds. Term Indices have a very similar yield; duration and risk/return characteristics to standard maturity based indices but are more compact and tend to be more liquid than their maturity band equivalent. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

10 

Beta – Is the measure of volatility, or systematic risk, of a security or a portfolio in comparison to the market as a whole. Beta is used in the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), a model that calculates the expected return of an asset based on its beta and expected market returns.

    

 

 

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Table of Contents
RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes maximum sales charges of 5.50%)

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Average Annual Total Returns (as of April 30, 2013)

 

     3 Month   Since Inception ^   Total Expense Ratio     What You Pay *

Class A (NAV)1

  2.44%   5.72%   1.89%   1.38%

Class A (MOP)2

  -3.23%    -0.07%     

Class C (NAV)1

  2.32%   5.29%   2.64%   2.13%

Class C (CDSC)2

  1.32%   4.29%    

Class I

  2.59%   5.95%   1.64%   1.13%

Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index3

  1.60%   1.24%        

30% S&P 500® and 70% Barclays US Aggregate4

  3.26%   5.31%        

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. The Fund imposes a maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% on Class C shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase, and on Class A shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase in excess of $1 million. Performance data does not reflect the CDSC, which if reflected would reduce the performance quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-866-759-5679.

 

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Table of Contents
RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

2 

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) includes sales charges. Class A returns include effects of the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%; Class C returns include the 1.00% CDSC.

3 

The Barclay’s U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, MBS (agency fixed-rate and hybrid ARM passthroughs), ABS, and CMBS. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

4 

S&P 500® Index - S&P 500® Index is the Standard & Poor’s composite index of 500 stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices.

Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index - An unmanaged index composed of securities from the Barclays Capital Government/Corporate Bond Index, Mortgage-Backed Securities Index and the Asset-Backed Securities Index. Total return comprises price appreciation/depreciation and income as a percentage of the original investment. Indices are rebalanced monthly by market capitalization. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

^

Fund inception date of August 31, 2012. The Fund commenced operations September 4, 2012.

*

What You Pay reflects the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s decision to contractually limit expenses through August 31, 2013. Please see the prospectus for additional information.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

This Fund is not suitable for all investors. Subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the Fund’s top holdings is subject to change. Performance figures are historical and reflect the change in share price, reinvested distributions, changes in net asset value, sales charges and capital gains distributions, if any.

Mutual funds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

 

Top Ten Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)

 

Vanguard® Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

     18.19

iShares® Barclays 1-3 Year Credit Bond Fund

     17.25

WisdomTree® LargeCap Dividend Fund

     6.61

iShares® iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond Fund

     5.82

SPDR® Barclays Capital High Yield Bond ETF

     5.81

WisdomTree® Japan Hedged Equity Fund

     3.78

PowerShares® Senior Loan Portfolio

     3.70

PowerShares® S&P 500® Low Volatility Portfolio

     3.15

Vanguard® Dividend Appreciation ETF

     3.13

WisdomTree® Europe Hedged Equity Fund

     2.84

Top Ten Holdings

     70.28

 

Holdings are subject to change. Table presents indicative values only.

Portfolio Composition (as a % of Net Assets)

 

 

LOGO

 

 

 

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Table of Contents
RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes maximum sales charges of 5.50%)

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

The MSCI ACWI replaced the S&P 500® Index as the Fund’s primary index because it better reflects the Fund’s portfolio. The MSCI ACWI is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets.

The MSCI ACWI consists of 45 country indices comprising 24 developed and 21 emerging market country indices. The index includes reinvestment of dividends, net of foreign withholding taxes.

Average Annual Total Returns (as of April 30, 2013)

 

     1 Year   Since Inception ^   Total Expense Ratio     What You Pay *

Class A (NAV)1

  11.22%     9.28%   1.94%   1.40%

Class A (MOP)2

    5.14%     7.06%    

Class C (NAV)1

  10.41%     8.44%   2.69%   2.15%

Class C (CDSC)2

    9.41%     8.44%    

Class I

  11.47%     9.53%   1.69%   1.15%

MSCI All Country World Index3

  15.02%   10.75%        

70% ACWI and 30% Barclays US Aggregate3,4

  11.71%     9.26%        

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. The Fund imposes a maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% on Class C shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase, and on Class A shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase in excess of $1 million. Performance data does not reflect the CDSC, which if reflected would reduce the performance quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-866-759-5679.

 

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Table of Contents
RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

2 

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) includes sales charges. Class A returns include effects of the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%; Class C returns include the 1.00% CDSC.

3 

The MSCI ACWI is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets. The MSCI ACWI consists of 45 country indices comprising 24 developed and 21 emerging market country indices. The index includes reinvestment of dividends, net of foreign withholding taxes. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

4 

An unmanaged index composed of securities from the Barclays Capital Government/Corporate Bond Index, Mortgage-Backed Securities Index and the Asset-Backed Securities Index. Total return comprises price appreciation/depreciation and income as a percentage of the original investment. Indices are rebalanced monthly by market capitalization. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

^

Fund inception date of August 2, 2010.

*

What You Pay reflects the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s decision to contractually limit expenses through August 31, 2013. Please see the prospectus for additional information.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

This Fund is not suitable for all investors. Subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the Fund’s top holdings is subject to change. Performance figures are historical and reflect the change in share price, reinvested distributions, changes in net asset value, sales charges and capital gains distributions, if any.

Mutual funds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

 

Top Ten Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)

 

WisdomTree® LargeCap Dividend Fund

     18.91

PowerShares® S&P 500® High Beta Port ETF

     7.36

iShares® MSCI EAFE Index Fund

     6.52

SPDR® Barclays Capital High Yield Bond ETF

     6.39

WisdomTree® Japan Hedged Equity Fund

     6.26

Vanguard® FTSE® Europe ETF

     5.54

iShares® iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond Fund

     3.95

Vanguard® FTSE® Emerging Markets ETF

     3.45

PowerShares® Senior Loan Portfolio

     3.35

WisdomTree® Europe Hedged Equity Fund

     2.92

Top Ten Holdings

     64.65

 

Holdings are subject to change. Table presents indicative values only.

Portfolio Composition (as a % of Net Assets)

 

LOGO

 

 

 

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Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes maximum sales charges of 5.50%)

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

The MSCI ACWI replaced the S&P 500® Index as the Fund’s primary index because it better reflects the Fund’s portfolio. The MSCI ACWI is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets.

The MSCI ACWI consists of 45 country indices comprising 24 developed and 21 emerging market country indices. The index includes reinvestment of dividends, net of foreign withholding taxes.

Average Annual Total Returns (as of April 30, 2013)

 

     1 Year   Since Inception ^   Total Expense Ratio     What You Pay *

Class A (NAV)1

  11.47%     7.67%   2.02%   1.40%

Class A (MOP)2

    5.35%     5.48%    

Class C (NAV)1

  10.59%     6.88%   2.77%   2.15%

Class C (CDSC) 2

    9.59%     6.88%    

Class I (NAV)1

  11.73%     7.93%   1.77%   1.15%

MSCI All Country World Index3

  15.02%   10.75%        

80% ACWI and 20% Barclays US Aggregate3,4

  12.83%     9.79%        

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. The Fund imposes a maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% on Class C shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase, and on Class A shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase in excess of $1 million. Performance data does not reflect the CDSC, which if reflected would reduce the performance quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-866-759-5679.

 

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Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

2 

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) includes sales charges. Class A returns include effects of the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%; Class C returns include the 1.00% CDSC.

3 

The MSCI ACWI is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets. The MSCI ACWI consists of 45 country indices comprising 24 developed and 21 emerging market country indices. The index includes reinvestment of dividends, net of foreign withholding taxes. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

4 

An unmanaged index composed of securities from the Barclays Capital Government/Corporate Bond Index, Mortgage-Backed Securities Index and the Asset-Backed Securities Index. Total return comprises price appreciation/depreciation and income as a percentage of the original investment. Indices are rebalanced monthly by market capitalization. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

^

Fund inception date of August 2, 2010.

*

What You Pay reflects the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s decision to contractually limit expenses through August 31, 2013. Please see the prospectus for additional information.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

This Fund is not suitable for all investors. Subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the Fund’s top holdings is subject to change. Performance figures are historical and reflect the change in share price, reinvested distributions, changes in net asset value, sales charges and capital gains distributions, if any.

Mutual funds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

 

Top Ten Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)

 

PowerShares® S&P 500® High Beta Port ETF

     7.82

iShares® MSCI EAFE Index Fund

     7.32

Vanguard® Large-Cap ETF

     7.29

WisdomTree® Japan Hedged Equity Fund

     6.41

Vanguard® FTSE® Emerging Markets ETF

     5.49

Vanguard® MSCI EAFE ETF

     4.16

Vanguard® FTSE® Europe ETF

     3.96

PowerShares® Senior Loan Portfolio

     3.92

WisdomTree® Europe Hedged Equity Fund

     2.91

iShares® S&P SmallCap 600® Index Fund

     2.56

Top Ten Holdings

     51.84

 

Holdings are subject to change. Table presents indicative values only.

Portfolio Composition (as a % of Net Assets)

 

LOGO

 

 

 

89  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Growth Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes maximum sales charges of 5.50%)

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

The MSCI ACWI replaced the S&P 500® Index as the Fund’s primary index because it better reflects the Fund’s portfolio. The MSCI ACWI is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets.

The MSCI ACWI consists of 45 country indices comprising 24 developed and 21 emerging market country indices. The index includes reinvestment of dividends, net of foreign withholding taxes.

Average Annual Total Returns (as of April 30, 2013)

 

      1 Year    3 Year    Since Inception ^      Total Expense Ratio      What You Pay *

Class A (NAV)1

   13.14%      6.25%    12.31%    1.69%    1.36%

Class A (MOP)2

     6.90%      4.27%    10.91%      

Class C (NAV)1

   12.31%      5.47%    11.48%    2.44%    2.11%

Class C (CDSC) 2

   11.31%      5.47%    11.48%      

Class I (NAV)1

   13.36%      6.52%    12.59%    1.44%    1.11%

Class L (NAV)1, 3

   13.43%      6.48%    12.56%    1.11%    1.44%

Investor (NAV)2

   13.07%      6.23%    12.26%    1.69%    1.36%

S&P 500® Total Return Index4

   16.89%    12.80%    15.02%          

MSCI All Country World Index5

   15.02%    8.73%    14.95%          

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. The Fund imposes a maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% on Class C shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase, and on Class A shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase in excess of $1 million. Performance data does not reflect the CDSC, which if reflected would reduce the performance quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-866-759-5679.

 

90  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Growth Fund     
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

1 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

2 

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) includes sales charges. Class A returns include effects of the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%; Class C returns include the 1.00% CDSC.

3 

Prior to close of business on September 24, 2010, Class L was known as Institutional Class of the Baird Funds, Inc. - RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund.

4 

S&P 500® Total Return Index is the Standard & Poor’s composite index of 500 stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

5 

The MSCI ACWI is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets. The MSCI ACWI consists of 45 country indices comprising 24 developed and 21 emerging market country indices. The index includes reinvestment of dividends, net of foreign withholding taxes. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

^ 

Fund inception date of October 28, 2008.

* 

What You Pay reflects the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s decision to contractually limit expenses through August 31, 2013. Please see the prospectus for additional information.

The Class A, C, I and L shares performance shown for periods prior to September 27, 2010 reflects the performance of the Baird Funds, Inc. – RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund’s Institutional Class shares (as result of the reorganization of the Baird Funds, Inc. – RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund into the Fund).

The Investor Class performance shown for periods prior to September 27, 2010 reflects the performance of the Baird Funds, Inc. – RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund’s Investor Class shares (as result of the reorganization of the Baird Funds, Inc. – RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund into the Fund).

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

This Fund is not suitable for all investors. Subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the Fund’s top holdings is subject to change. Performance figures are historical and reflect the change in share price, reinvested distributions, changes in net asset value, sales charges and capital gains distributions, if any.

Mutual funds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

 

Top Ten Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)

 

PowerShares® S&P 500® High Beta Port ETF

    8.87%   

WisdomTree® Japan Total Dividend Fund

    7.61%   

Vanguard® FTSE® Europe ETF

    7.35%   

Vanguard® FTSE® Emerging Markets ETF

    6.03%   

iShares® MSCI EAFE Index Fund

    4.75%   

Vanguard® MSCI EAFE ETF

    4.49%   

WisdomTree® LargeCap Dividend Fund

    3.66%   

Vanguard® Large-Cap ETF

    3.63%   

WisdomTree® Europe Hedged Equity Fund

    2.94%   

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund

    2.84%   

Top Ten Holdings

    52.17%   

 

Holdings are subject to change. Table presents indicative values only.

Portfolio Composition (as a % of Net Assets)

 

LOGO

 

 

 

91  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes maximum sales charges of 5.50%)

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Average Annual Total Returns (as of April 30, 2013)

 

     1 Year   Since Inception ^   Total Expense Ratio   What You Pay *
Class A (NAV)1   8.59%   7.51%   1.71%   1.41%
Class A (MOP)2   2.59%   5.32%    
Class C (NAV)1   7.83%   6.72%   2.46%   2.16%
Class C (CDSC)2   6.83%   6.72%    
Class I (NAV)1   8.94%   7.78%   1.46%   1.16%

S&P 500® Total Return Index3

  16.89%   16.08%      

50% S&P 500® and 50% Barclays US Aggregate3,4

  10.26%   10.61%        

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. The Fund imposes a maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% on Class C shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase, and on Class A shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase in excess of $1 million. Performance data does not reflect the CDSC, which if reflected would reduce the performance quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-866-759-5679.

 

1 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

2 

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) includes sales charges. Class A returns include effects of the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%; Class C returns include the 1.00% CDSC.

3 

S&P 500® Total Return Index is the Standard & Poor’s composite index of 500 stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

4 

An unmanaged index composed of securities from the Barclays Capital Government/Corporate Bond Index, Mortgage-Backed Securities Index and the Asset-Backed Securities Index. Total return comprises price appreciation/depreciation and income as a percentage of the original investment. Indices are rebalanced monthly by market capitalization. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

 

92  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund
Performance Update    April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

^ Fund inception date of August 2, 2010.
* What You Pay reflects the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s decision to contractually limit expenses through August 31, 2013. Please see the prospectus for additional information.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

This Fund is not suitable for all investors. Subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the Fund’s top holdings is subject to change. Performance figures are historical and reflect the change in share price, reinvested distributions, changes in net asset value, sales charges and capital gains distributions, if any.

Mutual funds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

 

Top Ten Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)     

 

WisdomTree® LargeCap Dividend Fund

    12.24%   

Vanguard® Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

    11.32%   

iShares® Barclays 1-3 Year Credit Bond Fund

    7.35%   

Vanguard® FTSE® Emerging Markets ETF

    7.14%   

SPDR® Barclays Capital High Yield Bond ETF

    5.40%   

iShares® iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond Fund

    4.82%   

WisdomTree® Japan Hedged Equity Fund

    4.74%   

Vanguard® Dividend Appreciation ETF

    4.63%   

PowerShares® S&P 500® High Beta Port ETF

    4.55%   

PowerShares® Senior Loan Portfolio

    3.72%   

Top Ten Holdings

    65.91%   

 

Holdings are subject to change. Table presents indicative values only.

Portfolio Composition (as a % of Net Assets)

 

LOGO

 

 

 

93  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

 

    Shares     Value
(Note 2)
 

 

 

COMMON STOCKS (3.69%)

  

Basic Materials (0.74%)

  

 

Forest Products & Paper (0.74%)

  

MeadWestvaco Corp.

    767      $ 26,446   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL BASIC MATERIALS

  

    26,446   
   

 

 

 

Communications (0.46%)

  

Media (0.46%)

   

Time Warner, Inc.

    275        16,440   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS

  

    16,440   
   

 

 

 

Consumer, Cyclical (1.09%)

 

Retail (1.09%)

   

Dollar Tree, Inc.(a)

    365        17,359   

McDonald’s Corp.

    214        21,858   
   

 

 

 
      39,217   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, CYCLICAL

  

    39,217   
   

 

 

 

Consumer, Non-Cyclical (0.68%)

  

Pharmaceuticals (0.68%)

  

 

Johnson & Johnson

    287        24,461   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, NON-CYCLICAL

  

    24,461   
   

 

 

 

Industrial (0.48%)

   

Electronics (0.48%)

   

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

    413        17,115   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INDUSTRIAL

      17,115   
   

 

 

 

Technology (0.24%)

   

Computers (0.24%)

   

Apple, Inc.

    19        8,412   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL TECHNOLOGY

  

    8,412   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

  

 

(Cost $121,919)

      132,091   
   

 

 

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (87.24%)

 

Debt (52.69%)

   

iShares® Barclays 1-3 Year Credit Bond Fund

    5,860        618,757   

iShares® iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond Fund

    2,179        208,857   

PIMCO 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond Index ETF

    326        34,474   

PowerShares® Senior Loan Portfolio

    5,272        132,802   

SPDR® Barclays Capital High Yield Bond ETF

    4,990        208,333   
    Shares     Value
(Note 2)
 

 

 

Debt (continued)

   

SPDR® Barclays Short Term High Yield Bond ETF

    1,103      $ 34,347   

Vanguard® Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

    8,094        652,215   
   

 

 

 
      1,889,785   
   

 

 

 

Equity (34.55%)

   

Guggenheim S&P 500® Equal Weight Healthcare ETF

    312        28,368   

iShares® MSCI Canada Index Fund

    926        25,947   

iShares® MSCI EAFE Index Fund

    1,161        71,912   

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund

    2,313        100,130   

iShares® MSCI Pacific ex-Japan Index Fund

    362        18,679   

PowerShares® Buyback Achievers Portfolio

    521        18,042   

PowerShares® FTSE® RAFI Developed Markets ex-U.S. Portfolio

    901        35,238   

PowerShares® S&P 500® High Beta Port ETF

    3,084        73,492   

PowerShares® S&P 500® Low Volatility Portfolio

    3,516        113,145   

SPDR® S&P® Insurance ETF

    1,220        64,684   

Vanguard® Dividend Appreciation ETF

    1,682        112,358   

Vanguard® FTSE® Emerging Markets ETF

    752        32,908   

Vanguard® FTSE® Europe ETF

    538        27,632   

Vanguard® Industrials ETF

    215        16,964   

Vanguard® Information Technology ETF

    343        25,138   

WisdomTree® Europe Hedged Equity Fund

    2,014        101,908   

WisdomTree® Japan Hedged Equity Fund

    2,849        135,498   

WisdomTree® LargeCap Dividend Fund

    3,930        237,018   
   

 

 

 
      1,239,061   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

  

(Cost $3,039,100)

      3,128,846   
   

 

 

 

EXCHANGE TRADED NOTES (2.94%)

 

Equity (2.94%)

   

Credit Suisse Cushing® 30 MLP Index ETN

    1,931        56,211   
 

 

94  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

     Shares      Value
(Note 2)
 

 

 

Equity (continued)

     

ETRACS Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index ETN

     1,295       $ 49,314   
     

 

 

 
        105,525   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED NOTES

  

  

(Cost $96,359)

        105,525   
     

 

 

 

 

     7-Day
Yield
     Shares      Value
(Note 2)
 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (1.68%)

  

Money Market Fund (1.68%)

  

Dreyfus Cash Management Fund, Institutional Class

     0.050%         60,242         60,242   
        

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

  

  

(Cost $60,242)

           60,242   
        

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (95.55%)

 

  

(Cost $3,317,620)

         $ 3,426,704   

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (4.45%)

  

     159,658   
        

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

 

   $ 3,586,362   
        

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

EAFE - Europe, Australia, and Far East.

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund.

ETN - Exchange Traded Note.

ETRACS - UBS AG Exchange Traded Access Securities.

FTSE - Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange.

MLP - Master Limited Partnership.

MSCI - Morgan Stanley Capital International.

RAFI - Research Affiliates Fundamental Index.

S&P - Standard and Poor’s.

SPDR - Standard and Poor’s Depositary Receipt.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

    

 

 

95  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund     
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

COMMON STOCKS (6.62%)

  

Basic Materials (1.12%)

  

Forest Products & Paper (1.12%)

 

 

MeadWestvaco Corp.

    11,223      $ 386,969   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL BASIC MATERIALS

  

    386,969   
   

 

 

 

Communications (0.86%)

  

 

Media (0.86%)

   

Time Warner, Inc.

    4,984        297,944   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS

  

    297,944   
   

 

 

 

Consumer, Cyclical (2.02%)

 

 

Retail (2.02%)

   

Dollar Tree, Inc.(a)

    5,015        238,514   

McDonald’s Corp.

    4,509        460,549   
   

 

 

 
      699,063   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, CYCLICAL

  

    699,063   
   

 

 

 

Consumer, Non-Cyclical (1.41%)

 

 

Pharmaceuticals (1.41%)

 

 

Johnson & Johnson

    5,728        488,197   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, NON-CYCLICAL

  

    488,197   
   

 

 

 

Industrial (0.67%)

   

Electronics (0.67%)

  

 

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

    5,625        233,100   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INDUSTRIAL

  

    233,100   
   

 

 

 

Technology (0.54%)

  

Computers (0.54%)

  

 

Apple, Inc.

    419        185,512   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL TECHNOLOGY

  

    185,512   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

(Cost $1,907,694)

  

  

    2,290,785   
   

 

 

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (87.18%)

 

Debt (17.00%)

   

iShares® iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond Fund

    14,278        1,368,546   

PIMCO 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond Index ETF

    3,220        340,515   

PowerShares® Senior Loan Portfolio

    46,050        1,159,999   

SPDR® Barclays Capital High Yield Bond ETF

    52,953        2,210,788   
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Debt (continued)

   

SPDR® Barclays Short Term High Yield Bond ETF

    10,889      $ 339,083   

Vanguard® Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

    5,763        464,383   
   

 

 

 
      5,883,314   
   

 

 

 

Equity (70.18%)

   

Global X FTSE® ASEAN 40 ETF

    18,341        337,869   

Guggenheim S&P 500® Equal Weight Healthcare ETF

    2,270        206,393   

iShares® MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index Fund

    5,585        337,446   

iShares® MSCI Australia Index Fund

    7,494        210,581   

iShares® MSCI Canada Index Fund

    11,419        319,960   

iShares® MSCI EAFE Index Fund

    36,436        2,256,846   

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund

    11,308        489,523   

iShares® MSCI EMU Index Fund

    8,151        281,454   

iShares® MSCI Japan Index Fund

    20,265        237,101   

iShares® MSCI Pacific ex-Japan Index Fund

    12,110        624,876   

PowerShares® Buyback Achievers Portfolio

    10,183        352,637   

PowerShares® FTSE® RAFI Developed Markets ex-U.S. Portfolio

    19,302        754,901   

PowerShares® S&P 500® High Beta Port ETF

    106,903        2,547,499   

SPDR® S&P® Insurance ETF

    10,386        550,666   

Vanguard® Dividend Appreciation ETF

    10,500        701,400   

Vanguard® FTSE® Emerging Markets ETF

    27,295        1,194,429   

Vanguard® FTSE® Europe ETF

    37,365        1,919,066   

Vanguard® Industrials ETF

    4,279        337,613   

Vanguard® Information Technology ETF

    4,813        352,745   

WisdomTree® Emerging Markets Small-Cap Dividend Fund

    10,646        560,725   

WisdomTree® Europe Hedged Equity Fund

    19,959        1,009,925   

WisdomTree® Japan Hedged Equity Fund

    45,539        2,165,835   
 

 

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Table of Contents
RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund     
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Equity (continued)

  

 

WisdomTree® LargeCap Dividend Fund

    108,551      $ 6,546,711   
   

 

 

 
      24,296,201   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

(Cost $28,015,624)

  

  

    30,179,515   
   

 

 

 

EXCHANGE TRADED NOTES (2.87%)

 

Equity (2.87%)

   

Credit Suisse Cushing® 30 MLP Index ETN

    19,471        566,801   

ETRACS Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index ETN

    11,238        427,943   
   

 

 

 
      994,744   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED NOTES

(Cost $839,111)

  

  

    994,744   
   

 

 

 

 

    7-Day
Yield
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (3.30%)

  

Money Market Fund (3.30%)

  

Dreyfus Cash Management Fund, Institutional Class

    0.050     1,141,671        1,141,671   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $1,141,671)

  

  

    1,141,671   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (99.97%)

(Cost $31,904,100)

 

  

  $ 34,606,715   

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (0.03%)

   

    10,495   
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

 

  $ 34,617,210   
     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

EAFE - Europe, Australia, and Far East.

EMU - European Monetary Union.

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund.

ETN - Exchange Traded Note.

ETRACS - UBS AG Exchange Traded Access Securities.

FTSE - Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange.

MLP - Master Limited Partnership.

MSCI - Morgan Stanley Capital International.

RAFI - Research Affiliates Fundamental Index.

S&P - Standard and Poor’s.

SPDR - Standard and Poor’s Depositary Receipt.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

97  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Fund     
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

 

    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

COMMON STOCKS (5.67%)

Basic Materials (0.63%)

Forest Products & Paper (0.63%)

MeadWestvaco Corp.

    4,465      $      153,953
   

 

TOTAL BASIC MATERIALS

  

  153,953
   

 

Communications (0.81%)

   

Media (0.81%)

  

 

Time Warner, Inc.

    3,340      199,665
   

 

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS

  

  199,665
   

 

Consumer, Cyclical (1.35%)

 

 

Retail (1.35%)

   

Dollar Tree, Inc.(a)

    3,553      168,981

McDonald’s Corp.

    1,591      162,505
   

 

    331,486
   

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, CYCLICAL

  

  331,486
   

 

Consumer, Non-Cyclical (1.25%)

Pharmaceuticals (1.25%)

Johnson & Johnson

    1,847      157,420

Omnicare, Inc.

    3,452      151,094
   

 

    308,514
   

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, NON-CYCLICAL

  

  308,514
   

 

Industrial (1.08%)

   

Electronics (0.48%)

   

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

    2,842      117,772
   

 

Miscellaneous Manufacturing (0.60%)

Danaher Corp.

    2,418      147,353
   

 

TOTAL INDUSTRIAL

    265,125
   

 

Technology (0.55%)

   

Computers (0.55%)

  

 

Apple, Inc.

    307      135,924
   

 

TOTAL TECHNOLOGY

    135,924
   

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

(Cost $1,196,636)

  

  

  1,394,667
   

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (90.76%)

Debt (9.85%)

   

iShares® Barclays 1-3 Year Credit Bond Fund

    4,252      448,969

PIMCO 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond Index ETF

    2,277      240,793
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

Debt (continued)

   

PowerShares® Senior Loan Portfolio

    38,250      $          963,517

SPDR® Barclays Short Term High Yield Bond ETF

    7,730      240,712

Vanguard® Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

    6,565      529,008
   

 

    2,422,999
   

 

Equity (80.91%)

   

First Trust Dow Jones® Internet Index Fund(a)

    3,003      130,150

First Trust Dow Jones® Select Micro-Cap Index Fund

    22,199      550,091

Global X FTSE® ASEAN 40 ETF

    13,296      244,932

Guggenheim S&P 500® Equal Weight Healthcare ETF

    1,696      154,204

iShares® MSCI ACWI ex US Index Fund

    10,042      445,363

iShares® MSCI Australia Index Fund

    7,076      198,836

iShares® MSCI Canada Index Fund

    14,227      398,641

iShares® MSCI EAFE Index Fund

    29,060      1,799,976

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund

    11,606      502,424

iShares® MSCI EMU Index Fund

    7,614      262,911

iShares® MSCI Germany Index Fund

    18,634      474,608

iShares® MSCI Japan Index Fund

    32,473      379,934

iShares® MSCI Pacific ex-Japan Index Fund

    10,255      529,158

iShares® MSCI Switzerland Index Fund

    8,742      266,631

iShares® MSCI United Kingdom Index Fund

    10,971      206,145

iShares® S&P SmallCap 600® Index Fund

    7,233      628,692

Market Vectors® Oil Service ETF

    2,757      117,917

PowerShares® Buyback Achievers Portfolio

    7,256      251,275

Powershares® DWA Technical Leaders Portfolio

    16,142      512,509

PowerShares® FTSE® RAFI Developed Markets ex-U.S. Portfolio

    9,356      365,913

PowerShares® S&P 500® High Beta Port ETF

    80,738      1,923,987

SPDR® S&P® Insurance ETF

    6,890      365,308

SPDR® S&P® Semiconductor ETF

    2,436      120,511

Vanguard® FTSE® Emerging Markets ETF

    30,885      1,351,528

Vanguard® FTSE® Europe ETF

    18,985      975,070

Vanguard® Large-Cap ETF

    24,529      1,794,787

Vanguard® MSCI EAFE ETF

    26,728      1,024,484
 

 

98  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Fund     
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Equity (continued)

     

Wilshire Micro-Cap ETF

     26,788       $ 571,120   

WisdomTree® Emerging Markets Small-Cap Dividend Fund

     10,435         549,611   

WisdomTree® Europe Hedged Equity Fund

     14,150         715,990   

WisdomTree® Japan Hedged Equity Fund

     33,163         1,577,232   

WisdomTree® LargeCap Dividend Fund

     8,602         518,787   
     

 

 

 
        19,908,725   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

(Cost $20,468,197)

  

  

     22,331,724   
     

 

 

 

 

    7-Day
Yield
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (3.23%)

  

Money Market Fund (3.23%)

  

 

Dreyfus Cash Management Fund, Institutional Class

    0.050     794,854        794,854   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $794,854)

  

  

    794,854   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (99.66%)

(Cost $22,459,687)

 

  

  $ 24,521,245   

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (0.34%)

   

    83,318   
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

 

  $   24,604,563   
     

 

 

 

 

(a)

Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

ACWI - All Country World Index.

ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

DWA - Dorsey Wright & Associates.

EAFE - Europe, Australia, and Far East.

EMU - European Monetary Union.

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund.

FTSE - Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange.

MSCI - Morgan Stanley Capital International.

RAFI - Research Affiliates Fundamental Index.

S&P - Standard and Poor’s.

SPDR - Standard and Poor’s Depositary Receipt.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

99  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Growth Fund     
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

 

     Shares        

 

Value

(Note 2)

  

  

 

 

COMMON STOCKS (6.57%)

  

  

Basic Materials (0.60%)

     

Forest Products & Paper (0.60%)

  

MeadWestvaco Corp.

     9,695       $ 334,284   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL BASIC MATERIALS

  

     334,284   
     

 

 

 

Communications (1.05%)

 

Media (1.05%)

     

Time Warner, Inc.

     9,873         590,208   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS

  

     590,208   
     

 

 

 

Consumer, Cyclical (1.42%)

 

  

Retail (1.42%)

     

Dollar Tree, Inc.(a)

     8,070         383,809   

McDonald’s Corp.

     4,033         411,931   
     

 

 

 
        795,740   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, CYCLICAL

  

     795,740   
     

 

 

 

Consumer, Non-Cyclical (1.57%)

  

  

Pharmaceuticals (1.57%)

 

  

Johnson & Johnson

     5,641         480,782   

Omnicare, Inc.

     9,209         403,078   
     

 

 

 
        883,860   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, NON-CYCLICAL

  

     883,860   
     

 

 

 

Industrial (1.37%)

     

Electronics (0.67%)

     

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

     9,101         377,145   
     

 

 

 

Miscellaneous Manufacturing (0.70%)

   

  

Danaher Corp.

     6,383         388,980   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INDUSTRIAL

        766,125   
     

 

 

 

Technology (0.56%)

  

  

Computers (0.56%)

  

  

Apple, Inc.

     710         314,353   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL TECHNOLOGY

  

     314,353   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

(Cost $2,979,381)

  

  

     3,684,570   
     

 

 

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (91.59%)

 

Equity (91.59%)

     

First Trust Dow Jones®
Internet Index Fund
(a)

     9,429         408,653   

First Trust Dow Jones®
Select Micro-Cap Index Fund

     56,397         1,397,518   
     Shares        

 

Value

(Note 2)

  

  

 

 

Equity (continued)

     

Global X FTSE® ASEAN 40 ETF

     30,574       $ 563,219   

Guggenheim S&P 500® Equal Weight Healthcare ETF

     4,449         404,512   

iShares® MSCI ACWI ex US Index Fund

     22,913         1,016,192   

iShares® MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index Fund

     14,388         869,323   

iShares® MSCI Australia Index Fund

     16,025         450,303   

iShares® MSCI Canada Index Fund

     38,123         1,068,206   

iShares® MSCI EAFE Index Fund

     43,012         2,664,163   

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund

     36,786         1,592,466   

iShares® MSCI EMU Index Fund

     27,398         946,053   

iShares® MSCI Germany Index Fund

     55,334         1,409,357   

iShares® MSCI Japan Index Fund

     91,999         1,076,388   

iShares® MSCI Pacific ex-Japan Index Fund

     30,199         1,558,268   

iShares® MSCI Switzerland Index Fund

     19,968         609,024   

iShares® MSCI United Kingdom Index Fund

     23,774         446,713   

iShares® S&P SmallCap 600® Index Fund

     17,926         1,558,128   

Market Vectors® Oil Service ETF

     9,461         404,647   

PowerShares® Buyback Achievers Portfolio

     16,527         572,330   

Powershares® DWA Technical Leaders Portfolio

     36,958         1,173,417   

PowerShares® FTSE® RAFI Developed Markets ex-U.S. Portfolio

     28,399         1,110,685   

PowerShares® S&P 500® High Beta Port ETF

     208,833         4,976,490   

SPDR® S&P® Insurance ETF

     24,069         1,276,138   

SPDR® S&P® Semiconductor ETF

     5,425         268,380   

Vanguard® FTSE® Emerging Markets ETF

     77,364         3,385,449   

Vanguard® FTSE® Europe ETF

     80,304         4,124,413   

Vanguard® Industrials ETF

     3,541         279,385   

Vanguard® Information Technology ETF

     7,787         570,709   

Vanguard® Large-Cap ETF

     27,807         2,034,638   

Vanguard® MSCI EAFE ETF

     65,692         2,517,974   

Wilshire Micro-Cap ETF

     67,562         1,440,422   

WisdomTree® Emerging Markets Small-Cap Dividend Fund

     23,659         1,246,120   

WisdomTree® Europe Hedged Equity Fund

     32,568         1,647,941   
 

 

100  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Growth Fund     
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Equity (continued)

     

WisdomTree® Japan Hedged
Equity Fund

     89,759       $ 4,268,938   

WisdomTree® LargeCap
Dividend Fund

     34,005         2,050,842   
     

 

 

 
        51,387,404   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

(Cost $44,571,776)

  

  

     51,387,404   
     

 

 

 
     7-Day
Yield
    Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (2.02%)

  

  

Money Market Fund (2.02%)

  

  

Dreyfus Cash
Management
Fund, Institutional
Class

     0.050     1,131,271         1,131,271   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $1,131,271)

  

  

     1,131,271   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (100.18%)

(Cost $48,682,428)

  

  

   $ 56,203,245   
       

 

 

 

Liabilities In Excess Of Other Assets
(-0.18%)

   

     (99,675
       

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

 

   $ 56,103,570   
       

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

ACWI - All Country World Index.

ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

DWA - Dorsey Wright & Associates.

EAFE - Europe, Australia, and Far East.

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund.

EMU - European Monetary Union
FTSE - Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange. MSCI - Morgan Stanley Capital International.

RAFI - Research Affiliates Fundamental Index.

S&P - Standard and Poor’s.

SPDR - Standard and Poor’s Depositary Receipt.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

101  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

COMMON STOCKS (5.49%)

  

 

Basic Materials (0.95%)

  

 

Forest Products & Paper (0.95%)

MeadWestvaco Corp.

    29,524      $    1,017,987
   

 

TOTAL BASIC MATERIALS

  

  1,017,987
   

 

Communications (0.68%)

  

 

Media (0.68%)

   

Time Warner, Inc.

    12,250      732,305
   

 

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS

  

  732,305
   

 

Consumer, Cyclical (1.69%)

 

 

Retail (1.69%)

   

Dollar Tree, Inc.(a)

    15,429      733,803

McDonald’s Corp.

    10,675      1,090,345
   

 

    1,824,148
   

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, CYCLICAL

  

  1,824,148
   

 

Consumer, Non-Cyclical (1.11%)

Pharmaceuticals (1.11%)

 

 

Johnson & Johnson

    14,026      1,195,436
   

 

TOTAL CONSUMER, NON-CYCLICAL

  

  1,195,436
   

 

Industrial (0.58%)

  

 

Electronics (0.58%)

  

 

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

    15,056      623,921
   

 

TOTAL INDUSTRIAL

  

  623,921
   

 

Technology (0.48%)

  

 

Computers (0.48%)

  

 

Apple, Inc.

    1,166      516,246
   

 

TOTAL TECHNOLOGY

  

  516,246
   

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

(Cost $4,943,534)

  

  

  5,910,043
   

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (87.56%)

Debt (34.56%)

   

iShares® Barclays

1-3 Year Credit Bond Fund

    74,842      7,902,567

iShares® iBoxx $

High Yield Corporate Bond Fund

    54,055      5,181,172

PIMCO 0-5 Year High Yield
Corporate Bond Index ETF

    9,898      1,046,713

PowerShares® Senior Loan Portfolio

    158,719      3,998,132
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Debt (continued)

   

SPDR® Barclays Capital High Yield Bond ETF

    139,124      $ 5,808,427   

SPDR® Barclays Short Term High Yield Bond ETF

    33,742        1,050,726   

Vanguard® Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

    151,118        12,177,088   
   

 

 

 
      37,164,825   
   

 

 

 

Equity (53.00%)

   

Guggenheim S&P 500® Equal Weight Healthcare ETF

    12,560        1,141,980   

iShares® MSCI Canada Index Fund

    28,207        790,360   

iShares® MSCI EAFE Index Fund

    38,492        2,384,195   

iShares® MSCI Pacific ex-Japan Index Fund

    21,843        1,127,099   

PowerShares® Buyback Achievers Portfolio

    31,421        1,088,109   

PowerShares® FTSE® RAFI Developed Markets ex-U.S. Portfolio

    40,883        1,598,934   

PowerShares® S&P 500® High Beta Port ETF

    205,431        4,895,421   

PowerShares® S&P 500® Low Volatility Portfolio

    115,347        3,711,867   

SPDR® S&P® Insurance ETF

    38,165        2,023,508   

Vanguard® Dividend Appreciation ETF

    74,605        4,983,614   

Vanguard® FTSE® Emerging Markets ETF

    175,589        7,683,775   

Vanguard® FTSE® Europe ETF

    46,334        2,379,714   

Vanguard® Industrials ETF

    9,176        723,986   

Vanguard® Information Technology ETF

    15,030        1,101,549   

WisdomTree® Europe Hedged Equity Fund

    61,519        3,112,861   

WisdomTree® Japan Hedged Equity Fund

    107,136        5,095,388   

WisdomTree® LargeCap Dividend Fund

    218,195        13,159,341   
   

 

 

 
      57,001,701   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

(Cost $88,296,011)

  

  

    94,166,526   
   

 

 

 

EXCHANGE TRADED NOTES (3.05%)

 

 

Equity (3.05%)

   

Credit Suisse Cushing® 30 MLP Index ETN

    69,289        2,017,003   
 

 

102  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund
Statement of Investments    April 30, 2013

 

    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Equity (continued)

   

ETRACS Alerian MLP
Infrastructure Index ETN

    33,045      $ 1,258,353   
   

 

 

 
      3,275,356   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED NOTES

(Cost $2,841,872)

      3,275,356   
   

 

 

 

 

.   7-Day
Yield
    Shares    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (3.84%)

  

 

Money Market Fund (3.84%)

  

 

Dreyfus Cash Management Fund,Institutional Class

    0.050     4,127,174        4,127,174   
     

 

 

 
     

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $4,127,174)

  

  

    4,127,174   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (99.94%)

(Cost $100,208,591)

  

  

 
    $ 107,479,099   
     

 

 

 

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (0.06%)

   

    64,629   
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

 

    $ 107,543,728   
     

 

 

 

 

(a)

Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

EAFE - Europe, Australia, and Far East.

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund.

ETN - Exchange Traded Note.

ETRACS - UBS AG Exchange Traded Access Securities.

FTSE - Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange.

MLP - Master Limited Partnership.

MSCI - Morgan Stanley Capital International.

RAFI - Research Affiliates Fundamental Index.

S&P - Standard and Poor’s.

SPDR - Standard and Poor’s Depositary Receipt.

 

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

103  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Series
Statements of Assets and Liabilities    April 30, 2013

 

    

RiverFront

Conservative

Income Builder

Fund

    

RiverFront

Dynamic Equity

Income

Fund

    

RiverFront
Global Allocation

Fund

    RiverFront
Global Growth
Fund
   

RiverFront
Moderate Growth
& Income

Fund

 

 

 

ASSETS

            

Investments, at value

   $ 3,426,704       $ 34,606,715       $ 24,521,245      $ 56,203,245      $ 107,479,099   

Receivable for investments sold

     51,533                                 

Receivable for shares sold

     100,000         53,794         114,128        11,186        199,419   

Dividends and interest receivable

     1,243         4,650         2,712        2,491        28,412   

Receivable due from adviser

     277                                 

Prepaid offering costs

     19,356                                 

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     10,427         10,724         10,345        19,079        11,326   

 

 

Total Assets

     3,609,540         34,675,883         24,648,430        56,236,001        107,718,256   

 

 

LIABILITIES

            

Payable for shares redeemed

             3,060                63,021        27,971   

Investment advisory fees payable

             12,138         7,981        26,647        48,440   

Administration and transfer agency fees payable

     490         4,083         3,006        6,221        12,148   

Distribution and services fees payable

     1,837         14,390         9,299        9,286        47,950   

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

     41         415         296        695        1,324   

Legal fees payable

     31         292         226        488        1,011   

Audit and tax fees payable

     15,395         15,427         15,414        15,461        15,510   

Custody fees payable

     4,682         4,140         4,430        4,304        4,706   

Printing fees payable

     196         3,207         2,326        5,022        9,227   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     506         1,521         889        1,286        6,241   

 

 

Total Liabilities

     23,178         58,673         43,867        132,431        174,528   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 3,586,362       $ 34,617,210       $ 24,604,563      $ 56,103,570      $ 107,543,728   

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

            

Paid-in capital

   $ 3,452,106       $ 31,311,028       $ 22,475,377      $ 45,634,757      $ 98,373,090   

Accumulated net investment income/(loss)

     8,505         21,202         (19,166     (47,361     83,800   

Accumulated net realized gain on investments

     16,667         582,365         86,794        2,995,357        1,816,330   

Net unrealized appreciation in value on investments

     109,084         2,702,615         2,061,558        7,520,817        7,270,508   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 3,586,362       $ 34,617,210       $ 24,604,563      $ 56,103,570      $ 107,543,728   

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 3,317,620       $ 31,904,100       $ 22,459,687      $ 48,682,428      $ 100,208,591   

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

104  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Series
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (continued)    April 30, 2013

 

    RiverFront
Conservative
Income Builder
Fund
   

RiverFront
Dynamic Equity
Income

Fund

    RiverFront
Global Allocation
Fund
    RiverFront
Global Growth
Fund
   

RiverFront
Moderate Growth
& Income

Fund

 

 

 

PRICING OF SHARES

         

Class A:

         

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

  $ 10.48      $ 12.24      $ 11.93      $ 14.89      $ 11.66   

Net Assets

  $ 606,650      $ 8,087,275      $ 8,243,778      $ 8,524,630      $ 29,066,102   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

    57,883        660,933        691,049        572,644        2,492,793   

Maximum offering price per share ((NAV/0.9450), based on maximum sales charge of 5.50% of the offering price)

  $ 11.09      $ 12.95      $ 12.62      $ 15.76      $ 12.34   

Class C:

         

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

  $ 10.51      $ 12.13      $ 11.84      $ 14.76      $ 11.62   

Net Assets

  $ 2,264,461      $ 16,069,703      $ 9,686,120      $ 7,181,590      $ 52,579,411   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

    215,502        1,324,887        818,008        486,498        4,524,214   

Class I:

         

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

  $ 10.29      $ 12.16      $ 11.72      $ 14.92      $ 11.65   

Net Assets

  $ 715,251      $ 10,460,232      $ 6,674,665      $ 7,769,234      $ 25,898,215   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

    69,517        860,436        569,626        520,554        2,222,965   

Class L:

         

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

    N/A        N/A        N/A      $ 14.90        N/A   

Net Assets

    N/A        N/A        N/A      $ 23,453,997        N/A   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

    N/A        N/A        N/A        1,573,943        N/A   

Investor Class:

         

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

    N/A        N/A        N/A      $ 14.82        N/A   

Net Assets

    N/A        N/A        N/A      $ 9,174,119        N/A   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

    N/A        N/A        N/A        618,889        N/A   

 

(a) Redemption price per share may be reduced for any applicable contingent deferred sales charge. For a description of a possible sales charge, please see the Fund’s Prospectus.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

105  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Series
Statements of Operations    For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

 

    RiverFront
Conservative
Income Builder
Fund(a)
   

RiverFront
Dynamic Equity
Income

Fund

    RiverFront
Global Allocation
Fund
   

RiverFront
Global Growth

Fund

   

RiverFront
Moderate Growth
& Income

Fund

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

         

Dividends

  $ 35,587      $ 961,507      $ 509,882      $ 1,152,632      $ 2,918,872   

Foreign taxes withheld on dividends

    (11)        (1,479)        (427)        (1,261)        (3,943)   

Other income

           160        70        202        339   

 

 

Total Investment Income

    35,576        960,188        509,525        1,151,573        2,915,268   

 

 

EXPENSES

         

Investment advisory fees

    10,979        247,219        173,240        435,643        748,999   

Administrative and transfer agency fees

    2,369        36,127        26,584        63,990        104,343   

Distribution and service fees

         

Class A

    345        16,721        16,789        16,687        59,648   

Class C

    8,379        141,954        90,128        66,817        447,430   

Investor Class

                         22,758          

Legal fees

    554        2,718        1,915        4,192        8,073   

Audit and tax fees

    16,547        15,934        14,618        14,712        20,153   

Reports to shareholders and printing fees

    313        8,582        6,017        14,717        22,038   

State registration fees

    785        42,291        40,984        60,076        48,140   

Insurance fees

    6        995        786        2,270        2,589   

Custody fees

    9,493        13,139        13,603        13,817        13,625   

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    87        2,029        1,390        3,544        6,284   

Offering costs

    33,600                               

Miscellaneous expenses

    3,463        10,299        8,431        13,776        23,473   

 

 

Total Expense

    86,920        538,008        394,485        732,999        1,504,795   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor (Note 7)

         

Class A

    (6,224)        (25,434)        (32,881)        (33,985)        (49,603)   

Class C

    (38,763)        (54,152)        (44,218)        (34,650)        (92,197)   

Class I

    (21,584)        (29,280)        (21,009)        (27,901)        (38,570)   

Class L

                         (116,964)          

Investor Class

                         (47,518)          

 

 

Net Expenses

    20,349        429,142        296,377        471,981        1,324,425   

 

 

Net Investment Income

    15,227        531,046        213,148        679,592        1,590,843   

 

 

Net realized gain on investments

    16,667        1,802,700        1,215,328        4,550,863        3,679,508   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

    109,084        764,280        803,271        1,032,501        2,504,601   

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

    125,751        2,566,980        2,018,599        5,583,364        6,184,109   

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 140,978      $ 3,098,026      $ 2,231,747      $ 6,262,956      $ 7,774,952   

 

 

 

(a) The Fund commenced operations on September 4, 2012.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund
Statements of Changes in Net Assets   

 

     For the Period
September 4, 2012
(Commencement) to
April 30, 2013
 

 

 

OPERATIONS

  

Net investment income

   $ 15,227   

Net realized gain on investments

     16,667   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     109,084   

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

     140,978   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

  

Dividends to shareholders from net investment income

  

Class A

     (895)   

Class C

     (3,477)   

Class I

     (12,108)   

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets from Distributions

     (16,480)   

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 6)

  

Shares sold

  

Class A

     590,998   

Class C

     2,176,853   

Class I

     745,479   

Dividends reinvested

  

Class A

     475   

Class C

     2,582   

Class I

     12,108   

Shares redeemed

  

Class C

     (6,853)   

Class I

     (59,778)   

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions

     3,461,864   

 

 

Net increase in net assets

     3,586,362   

NET ASSETS

  

Beginning of period

       

 

 

End of year *

   $ 3,586,362   

 

 

*Including accumulated net investment income of:

   $ 8,505   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

107  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund
Statements of Changes in Net Assets   

 

    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012
 

 

 

OPERATIONS

   

Net investment income

  $ 531,046      $ 288,918   

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments

    1,802,700        (1,202,441)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

    764,280        646,260   

 

 

Net Increase/(Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

    3,098,026        (267,263)   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

   

Dividends to shareholders from net investment income

   

Class A

    (140,732)        (87,846)   

Class C

    (192,727)        (114,982)   

Class I

    (177,578)        (86,665)   

Dividends to shareholders from tax return of capital

   

Class A

           (4,982)   

Class C

           (6,644)   

Class I

           (5,785)   

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets from Distributions

    (511,037)        (306,904)   

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 6)

   

Shares sold

   

Class A

    3,202,766        5,884,180   

Class C

    4,609,418        6,381,158   

Class I

    5,250,086        5,159,764   

Dividends reinvested

   

Class A

    129,832        89,572   

Class C

    180,549        114,439   

Class I

    159,280        88,904   

Shares redeemed

   

Class A

    (2,936,263)        (4,149,403)   

Class C

    (3,724,460)        (1,768,723)   

Class I

    (2,581,492)        (1,732,169)   

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions

    4,289,716        10,067,722   

 

 

Net increase in net assets

    6,876,705        9,493,555   

NET ASSETS

   

Beginning of year

    27,740,505        18,246,950   

 

 

End of year *

  $ 34,617,210      $ 27,740,505   

 

 

*Including accumulated net investment income of:

  $ 21,202      $   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

108  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Fund
Statements of Changes in Net Assets   

 

    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012
 

 

 

OPERATIONS

   

Net investment income

  $ 213,148      $ 134,141   

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments

    1,215,328        (1,124,310)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

    803,271        342,565   

 

 

Net Increase/(Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

    2,231,747        (647,604)   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

   

Dividends to shareholders from net investment income

   

Class A

    (97,608)        (60,313)   

Class C

    (82,166)        (22,209)   

Class I

    (70,616)        (32,904)   

Dividends to shareholders from net realized gains

   

Class A

           (5,804)   

Class C

           (6,150)   

Class I

           (2,718)   

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets from Distributions

    (250,390)        (130,098)   

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 6)

   

Shares sold

   

Class A

    3,042,104        6,877,768   

Class C

    2,492,791        4,698,847   

Class I

    4,368,510        4,167,358   

Dividends reinvested

   

Class A

    89,657        62,009   

Class C

    76,038        26,544   

Class I

    68,350        35,623   

Shares redeemed

   

Class A

    (1,396,094)        (5,737,887)   

Class C

    (3,584,254)        (3,041,562)   

Class I

    (1,712,016)        (2,650,489)   

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions

    3,445,086        4,438,211   

 

 

Net increase in net assets

    5,426,443        3,660,509   

NET ASSETS

   

Beginning of year

    19,178,120        15,517,611   

 

 

End of year *

  $ 24,604,563      $ 19,178,120   

 

 

*Including accumulated net investment income/(loss) of:

  $ (19,166)      $ 18,154   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

109  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Growth Fund
Statements of Changes in Net Assets   

 

    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012
 

 

 

OPERATIONS

   

Net investment income

  $ 679,592      $ 657,945   

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments

    4,550,863        (1,463,487)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments

    1,032,501        (6,929,668)   

 

 

Net Increase/(Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

    6,262,956        (7,735,210)   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

   

Dividends to shareholders from net investment income

   

Class A

    (116,274)        (68,584)   

Class C

    (75,361)        (36,657)   

Class I

    (79,598)        (67,523)   

Class L

    (390,061)        (306,995)   

Investor Class

    (141,444)        (115,639)   

Dividends to shareholders from net realized gains

   

Class A

           (420,162)   

Class C

           (428,017)   

Class I

           (367,485)   

Class L

           (1,570,587)   

Investor Class

           (705,783)   

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets from Distributions

    (802,738)        (4,087,432)   

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 6)

   

Shares sold

   

Class A

    6,220,932        2,906,251   

Class C

    2,331,909        3,379,153   

Class I

    3,837,874        3,272,520   

Class L

    2,863,936        7,116,023   

Investor Class

    228,451        335,689   

Dividends reinvested

   

Class A

    110,123        475,706   

Class C

    73,619        455,331   

Class I

    76,336        426,249   

Class L

    375,201        1,789,306   

Investor Class

    120,142        755,405   

Shares redeemed

   

Class A

    (3,873,219)        (8,714,023)   

Class C

    (2,747,755)        (2,177,829)   

Class I

    (2,778,845)        (1,484,244)   

Class L

    (6,924,206)        (21,589,251)   

Investor Class

    (2,240,520)        (9,371,913)   

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions

    (2,326,022)        (22,425,627)   

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets

    3,134,196        (34,248,269)   

NET ASSETS

   

Beginning of year

    52,969,374        87,217,643   

 

 

End of year *

  $ 56,103,570      $ 52,969,374   

 

 

*Including accumulated net investment income/(loss) of:

  $ (47,361)      $ 76,006   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

110  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund
Statements of Changes in Net Assets   

 

    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012
 

 

 

OPERATIONS

   

Net investment income

  $ 1,590,843      $ 733,268   

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments

    3,679,508        (1,821,063)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

    2,504,601        2,293,075   

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

    7,774,952        1,205,280   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

   

Dividends to shareholders from net investment income

   

Class A

    (490,109)        (264,650)   

Class C

    (586,750)        (296,849)   

Class I

    (434,898)        (197,488)   

Dividends to shareholders from tax return of capital

   

Class A

           (8,956)   

Class C

           (11,913)   

Class I

           (6,512)   

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets from Distributions

    (1,511,757)        (786,368)   

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 6)

   

Shares sold

   

Class A

    11,313,240        14,528,189   

Class C

    18,703,383        21,335,610   

Class I

    20,012,679        11,507,426   

Dividends reinvested

   

Class A

    440,510        247,545   

Class C

    482,949        249,701   

Class I

    392,082        183,575   

Shares redeemed

   

Class A

    (5,157,175)        (6,318,830)   

Class C

    (8,693,372)        (6,776,170)   

Class I

    (8,863,522)        (6,470,194)   

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions

    28,630,774        28,486,852   

 

 

Net increase in net assets

    34,893,969        28,905,764   

NET ASSETS

   

Beginning of year

    72,649,759        43,743,995   

 

 

End of year *

  $ 107,543,728      $ 72,649,759   

 

 

*Including accumulated net investment income of:

  $ 83,800      $   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

111  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund – Class A
Financial Highlights                   Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the period indicated:

 

 

     For the Period
September 4, 2012
(Commencement) to
April 30, 2013

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $10.00

INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment income(a)

   0.09

Net realized and unrealized gain

   0.48

 

Total from investment operations

   0.57

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

  

From net investment income

   (0.09)

 

Total distributions

   (0.09)

 

Net increase in net asset value

   0.48

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $10.48

 

TOTAL RETURN(b)

   5.72%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

  

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $607

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

   5.65%(c)(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

   1.15%(c)(e)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

   1.37%(c)(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(d)

   73%

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(c) 

Annualized.

(d) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

(e) 

Expense ratios before reductions for startup periods may not be representative of longer term operating periods.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

112  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund – Class C
Financial Highlights                   Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the period indicated:

 

     For the Period
September 4, 2012
(Commencement) to
April 30, 2013

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $10.00

INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment income(a)

   0.06

Net realized and unrealized gain

   0.47

 

Total from investment operations

   0.53

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

  

From net investment income

   (0.02)

 

Total distributions

   (0.02)

 

Net increase in net asset value

   0.51

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $10.51

 

TOTAL RETURN(b)

   5.29%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

  

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $2,264

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

   6.53%(c)(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

   1.90%(c)(e)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

   0.90%(c)(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(d)

   73%

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(c) 

Annualized.

(d) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

(e) 

Expense ratios before reductions for startup periods may not be representative of longer term operating periods.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

113  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund – Class I
Financial Highlights                   Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the period indicated:

 

     For the Period
September 4, 2012
(Commencement) to
April 30, 2013

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $10.00

INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment income(a)

   0.12

Net realized and unrealized gain

   0.46

 

Total from investment operations

   0.58

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

  

From net investment income

   (0.29)

 

Total distributions

   (0.29)

 

Net increase in net asset value

   0.29

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $10.29

 

TOTAL RETURN(b)

   5.95%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

  

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $715

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

   7.74%(c)(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

   0.90%(c)(e)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

   1.84%(c)(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(d)

   73%

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(c) 

Annualized.

(d) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

(e) 

Expense ratios before reductions for startup periods may not be representative of longer term operating periods.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

114  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund – Class A
Financial Highlights                  Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

      For the Year Ended  
April 30, 2013
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
  August 2, 2010  
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $11.24   $11.73   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income(b)

  0.25   0.16   0.12

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  0.99   (0.49)   1.67

 

Total from investment operations

  1.24   (0.33)   1.79

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net investment income

  (0.24)   (0.15)   (0.06)

From net realized gains

      (0.00)(c)

Tax return of capital

    (0.01)   (0.00)(c)

 

Total distributions

  (0.24)   (0.16)   (0.06)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.00   (0.49)   1.73

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $12.24   $11.24   $11.73

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

  11.22%   (2.80)%   17.99%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $8,087   $7,114   $5,723

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.58%   1.73%   2.17%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.20%(f)   1.30%   1.30%(e)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

  2.17%   1.50%   1.48%(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

  136%   133%   66%

 

 

(a) 

Prior to January 1, 2012, the RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund was known as the RiverFront Long-Term Growth & Income Fund.

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Less than ($0.005) per share.

(d) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Contractual expense limitation change from 1.30% to 1.15% effective September 1, 2012.

(g) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

115  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund – Class C

Financial Highlights                 Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

 

     For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
August 2, 2010
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $11.14   $11.67   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Net investment income(b)

   0.16   0.09   0.05

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

   0.98   (0.51)   1.67

 

Total from investment operations

   1.14   (0.42)   1.72

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

      

From net investment income

   (0.15)   (0.10)   (0.05)

From net realized gains

       (0.00)(c)

Tax return of capital

     (0.01)   (0.00)(c)

 

Total distributions

   (0.15)   (0.11)   (0.05)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

   0.99   (0.53)   1.67

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $12.13   $11.14   $11.67

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

   10.41%   (3.60)%   17.32%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $16,070   $13,729   $9,223

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

   2.33%   2.49%   3.10%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

   1.95%(f)   2.05%   2.05%(e)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

   1.44%   0.84%   0.65%(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

   136%   133%   66%

 

 

(a)

Prior to January 1, 2012, the RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund was known as the RiverFront Long-Term Growth & Income Fund.

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c)

Less than ($0.005) per share.

(d)

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(e)

Annualized.

(f) 

Contractual expense limitation change from 2.05% to 1.90% effective September 1, 2012.

(g) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

116  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund – Class I

Financial Highlights                 Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

      For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
August 2, 2010
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $11.17   $11.64   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Net investment income(b)

   0.27   0.20   0.12

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

   0.99   (0.50)   1.68

 

Total from investment operations

   1.26   (0.30)   1.80

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

      

From net investment income

   (0.27)   (0.16)   (0.15)

From net realized gains

       (0.00)(c)

Tax return of capital

     (0.01)   (0.01)

 

Total distributions

   (0.27)   (0.17)   (0.16)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

   0.99   (0.47)   1.64

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $12.16   $11.17   $11.64

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

   11.47%   (2.58)%   18.21%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

      

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $10,460   $6,897   $3,301

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

   1.33%   1.49%   2.44%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

   0.95%(f)   1.05%   1.05%(e)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

   2.36%   1.88%   1.49%(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

   136%   133%   66%

 

 

(a)

Prior to January 1, 2012, the RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund was known as the RiverFront Long-Term Growth & Income Fund.

(b)

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c)

Less than ($0.005) per share.

(d)

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(e)

Annualized.

(f)

Contractual expense limitation change from 1.05% to 0.90% effective September 1, 2012.

(g)

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

117  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Fund – Class A

Financial Highlights                 Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

 

    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
August 2, 2010
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $10.86   $11.66   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Net investment income(b)

  0.15   0.12   0.10

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.08   (0.84)   1.61

 

Total from investment operations

  1.23   (0.72)   1.71

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net investment income

  (0.16)   (0.07)   (0.05)

From net realized gains

    (0.01)  

 

Total distributions

  (0.16)   (0.08)   (0.05)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.07   (0.80)   1.66

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $11.93   $10.86   $11.66

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

  11.47%   (6.18)%   17.12%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $8,244   $5,791   $4,686

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.68%   1.80%   3.00%(d)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.19%(e)   1.30%   1.30%(d)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

  1.32%   1.10%   1.16%(d)

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

  113%   163%   77%

 

 

(a) 

Prior to January 1, 2012, the RiverFront Global Allocation Fund was known as the RiverFront Moderate Growth Fund.

(b)

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(d)

Annualized.

(e)

Contractual expense limitation change from 1.30% to 1.15% effective September 1, 2012.

(f)

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

118  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Fund – Class C

Financial Highlights                 Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

 

     For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
August 2, 2010
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $10.81   $11.64   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Net investment income(b)

   0.07   0.02   0.00(c)

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

   1.07   (0.82)   1.65

 

Total from investment operations

   1.14   (0.80)   1.65

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

      

From net investment income

   (0.11)   (0.02)   (0.01)

From net realized gains

     (0.01)  

 

Total distributions

   (0.11)   (0.03)   (0.01)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

   1.03   (0.83)   1.64

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $11.84   $10.81   $11.64

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

   10.59%   (6.86)%   16.52%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

      

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $9,686   $9,891   $8,926

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

   2.44%   2.58%   3.21%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

   1.95%(f)   2.05%   2.05%(e)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

   0.66%   0.17%   0.04%(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

   113%   163%   77%

 

 

(a)

Prior to January 1, 2012, the RiverFront Global Allocation Fund was known as the RiverFront Moderate Growth Fund.

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c)

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Contractual expense limitation change from 2.05% to 1.90% effective September 1, 2012.

(g) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

119  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Allocation Fund – Class I

Financial Highlights                 Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

     For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
August 2, 2010
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $10.66   $11.42   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Net investment income(b)

   0.17   0.13   0.08

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

   1.07   (0.80)   1.62

 

Total from investment operations

   1.24   (0.67)   1.70

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

      

From net investment income

   (0.18)   (0.08)   (0.28)

From net realized gains

     (0.01)  

 

Total distributions

   (0.18)   (0.09)   (0.28)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

   1.06   (0.76)   1.42

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $11.72   $10.66   $11.42

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

   11.73%   (5.86)%   17.20%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $6,675   $3,496   $1,905

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

   1.43%   1.55%   4.68%(d)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

   0.94%(e)   1.05%   1.05%(d)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

   1.52%   1.28%   0.98%(d)

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

   113%   163%   77%

 

 

(a)

Prior to January 1, 2012, the RiverFront Global Allocation Fund was known as the RiverFront Moderate Growth Fund.

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(d)

Annualized.

(e) 

Contractual expense limitation change from 1.05% to 0.90% effective September 1, 2012.

(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

120  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Growth Fund – Class A

Financial Highlights                 Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

     For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
   For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
   For the Period
January 1, 2011 to
April 30, 2011(b)
   For the Period
September 27, 2010
(Inception) to
December 31, 2010

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $13.37    $15.65    $14.66    $13.68

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Net investment income after reimbursements(c)

   0.17    0.14    0.00(d)    0.23

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

   1.57    (1.41)    0.99    1.03

 

Total from investment operations

   1.74    (1.27)    0.99    1.26

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

           

From net investment income

   (0.22)    (0.14)       (0.14)

From net realized gains

      (0.87)       (0.14)

 

Total distributions

   (0.22)    (1.01)       (0.28)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

   1.52    (2.28)    0.99    0.98

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $14.89    $13.37    $15.65    $14.66

 

TOTAL RETURN(e)

   13.14%    (7.51)%    6.75%    9.22%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $8,525    $5,241    $12,307    $1,934

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

   1.49%    1.52%    1.58%(f)    2.15%(f)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements (includes acquired fund fee reimbursements)

   0.98%(g)    0.92%    0.81%(f)    0.91%(f)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements (excludes acquired fund fee reimbursements)

   1.15%    1.15%    1.15%(f)    1.15%(f)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

   1.23%    0.99%    0.06%(f)    6.20%(f)

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

   113%    119%    34%    99%

 

 

(a) 

Prior to January 1, 2012, the RiverFront Global Growth Fund was known as the RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund.

(b)

Effective March 8, 2011, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(d) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(e)

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(f)

Annualized.

(g)

Prior to January 1, 2013, all acquired fund fees were reimbursed.

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

121  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Growth Fund – Class C

Financial Highlights                 Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

     For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
   For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
   For the Period
January 1, 2011 to
April 30, 2011(b)
   For the Period
September 27, 2010
(Inception) to
December 31, 2010

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

   $13.29    $15.60    $14.63    $13.68

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Net investment income/(loss) after reimbursements(c)

   0.08    0.05    (0.04)    0.20

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

   1.54    (1.42)    1.01    1.02

 

Total from investment operations

   1.62    (1.37)    0.97    1.22

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

           

From net investment income

   (0.15)    (0.07)       (0.13)

From net realized gains

      (0.87)       (0.14)

 

Total distributions

   (0.15)    (0.94)       (0.27)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

   1.47    (2.31)    0.97    0.95

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $14.76    $13.29    $15.60    $14.63

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

   12.31%    (8.22)%    6.63%    8.91%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

Net assets, end of year (000s)

   $7,182    $6,808    $6,156    $2,050

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

   2.25%    2.29%    2.33%(e)    2.89%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements (includes acquired fund fee reimbursements)

   1.73%(f)    1.67%    1.55%(e)    1.66%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements (excludes acquired fund fee reimbursements)

   1.90%    1.90%    1.90%(e)    1.90%(e)

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

   0.57%    0.34%    (0.72)%(e)    5.36%(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

   113%    119%    34%    99%

 

 

(a)

Prior to January 1, 2012, the RiverFront Global Growth Fund was known as the RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund.

(b) 

Effective March 8, 2011, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(d) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Prior to January 1, 2013, all acquired fund fees were reimbursed.

(g)

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

122  |  April 30, 2013


Table of Contents
RiverFront Global Growth Fund – Class I
Financial Highlights   Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
January 1, 2011 to
April 30, 2011(b)
 

For the Period

September 27, 2010

(Inception) to
December 31, 2010

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $13.40   $15.67   $14.65   $13.68

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income after reimbursements(c)

  0.20   0.19   0.01   0.17

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.57   (1.43)   1.01   1.09

 

Total from investment operations

  1.77   (1.24)   1.02   1.26

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

       

From net investment income

  (0.25)   (0.16)     (0.15)

From net realized gains

    (0.87)     (0.14)

 

Total distributions

  (0.25)   (1.03)     (0.29)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.52   (2.27)   1.02   0.97

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $14.92   $13.40   $15.67   $14.65

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

  13.36%   (7.31)%   7.04%   9.12%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $7,769   $6,022   $4,508   $2,280

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.25%   1.30%   1.30%(e)   1.74%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements (includes acquired fund fee reimbursements)

  0.73%(f)   0.67%   0.61%(e)   0.66%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements (excludes acquired fund fee reimbursements)

  0.90%   0.90%   0.90%(e)   0.90%(e)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

  1.45%   1.40%   0.23%(e)   4.70%(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

  113%   119%   34%   99%

 

 

(a) 

Prior to January 1, 2012, the RiverFront Global Growth Fund was known as the RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund.

(b) 

Effective March 8, 2011, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(d) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Prior to January 1, 2013, all acquired fund fees were reimbursed.

(g) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

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RiverFront Global Growth Fund – Class L
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the Year
Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year
Ended
April 30, 2012(a)
  For the Period
January 1, 2011 to
April 30, 2011(b)
 

For the Year

Ended

December 31,

2010

 

For the Year

Ended

December 31,

2009

 

For the Period
October 28, 2008
(Inception) to
December 31,

2008

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $13.37   $15.65   $14.63   $13.22   $10.49   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income after reimbursements(c)

  0.22   0.17   0.01   0.18   0.16   0.12

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.56   (1.41)   1.01   1.52   2.66   0.46

 

Total from investment operations

  1.78   (1.24)   1.02   1.70   2.82   0.58

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

           

From net investment income

  (0.25)   (0.17)     (0.15)   (0.09)   (0.09)

From net realized gains

    (0.87)     (0.14)    

 

Total distributions

  (0.25)   (1.04)     (0.29)   (0.09)   (0.09)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.53   (2.28)   1.02   1.41   2.73   0.49

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $14.90   $13.37   $15.65   $14.63   $13.22   $10.49

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

  13.43%   (7.31)%   6.97%   12.87%   26.86%   5.81%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

         

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $23,454   $24,765   $42,977   $43,240   $27,763   $7,439

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.25%   1.08%   1.28%(e)   1.22%   1.53%   4.97%(e)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements (includes acquired fund fee reimbursements)

  0.73%(f)   0.67%   0.64%(e)   0.66%   N/A   N/A

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements (excludes acquired fund fee reimbursements)

  0.90%   0.90%   0.90%(e)   0.90%   0.90%   0.90%(e)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

  1.59%   1.26%   0.19%(e)   1.33%   1.34%   7.55%(e)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

  113%   119%   34%   99%   67%   13%

 

 

(a) 

Prior to January 1, 2012, the RiverFront Global Growth Fund was known as the RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund.

(b) 

Effective March 8, 2011, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(d) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f)

Prior to January 1, 2013, all acquired fund fees were reimbursed.

(g)

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

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RiverFront Global Growth Fund – Investor Class
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the Year
Ended
April 30, 2013
 

For the Year

Ended

April 30, 2012(a)

 

For the Period
January 1, 2011 to

April 30, 2011(b)

 

For the Year

Ended

December 31,

2010

 

For the Year

Ended

December 31,

2009

 

For the Period
October 28, 2008

(Inception) to

December 31,

2008

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $13.32   $15.59   $14.59   $13.19   $10.49   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income after reimbursements(c)

  0.18   0.13   0.00(d)   0.12   0.13   0.12

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  1.54   (1.39)   1.00   1.54   2.65   0.46

 

Total from investment operations

  1.72   (1.26)   1.00   1.66   2.78   0.58

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

           

From net investment income

  (0.22)   (0.14)     (0.12)   (0.08)   (0.09)

From net realized gains

    (0.87)     (0.14)    

 

Total distributions

  (0.22)   (1.01)     (0.26)   (0.08)   (0.09)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  1.50   (2.27)   1.00   1.40   2.70   0.49

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $14.82   $13.32   $15.59   $14.59   $13.19   $10.49

 

TOTAL RETURN(e)

  13.07%   (7.47)%   6.79%   12.58%   26.58%   5.68%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

         

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $9,174   $10,133   $21,270   $23,556   $13,882   $426

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.50%   1.93%   1.53%(f)   1.47%   1.78%   5.22%(f)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements (includes acquired fund fee reimbursements)

  0.98%(g)   0.92%   0.89%(f)   0.91%   N/A   N/A

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements (excludes acquired fund fee reimbursements)

  1.15%   1.15%   1.15%(f)   1.15%   1.15%   1.15%(f)

Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets

  1.36%   0.97%   (0.08)%(f)   0.93%   1.09%   7.30%(f)

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

  113%   119%   34%   99%   67%   13%

 

 

(a) 

Prior to January 1, 2012, the RiverFront Global Growth Fund was known as the RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund.

(b) 

Effective March 8, 2011, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(d) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(e) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(f) 

Annualized.

(g) 

Prior to January 1, 2013, all acquired fund fees were reimbursed.

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

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RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund – Class A
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012
  For the Period
August 2, 2010
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $10.96   $11.08   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

   

Net investment income(a)

  0.24   0.17   0.15

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  0.69   (0.12)   1.01

 

Total from investment operations

  0.93   0.05   1.16

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net investment income

  (0.23)   (0.17)   (0.08)

From net realized gains

      (0.00)(b)

Tax return of capital

    (0.00)(b)  

 

Total distributions

  (0.23)   (0.17)   (0.08)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  0.70   (0.12)   1.08

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $11.66   $10.96   $11.08

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

  8.59%   0.55%   11.70%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $29,066   $20,754   $12,148

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.40%   1.50%   1.64%(d)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.19%(e)   1.30%   1.30%(d)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

  2.17%   1.65%   1.89%(d)

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

  108%   128%   69%

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Less than ($0.005) per share.

(c) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(d) 

Annualized.

(e) 

Contractual expense limitation change from 1.30% to 1.15% effective September 1, 2012.

(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

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RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund – Class C
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
  For the Year Ended
April 30, 2012
  For the Period
August 2, 2010
(Inception) to
April 30, 2011

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $10.92   $11.06   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

   

Net investment income(a)

  0.16   0.09   0.10

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  0.68   (0.13)   1.02

 

Total from investment operations

  0.84   (0.04)   1.12

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net investment income

  (0.14)   (0.10)   (0.06)

From net realized gains

      (0.00)(b)

Tax return of capital

    (0.00)(b)  

 

Total distributions

  (0.14)   (0.10)   (0.06)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  0.70   (0.14)   1.06

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $11.62   $10.92   $11.06

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

  7.83%   (0.37)%   11.24%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $52,579   $39,015   $24,061

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  2.15%   2.25%   2.54%(d)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.95%(e)   2.05%   2.05%(d)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

  1.43%   0.88%   1.22%(d)

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

  108%   128%   69%

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Less than ($0.005) per share.

(c) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns shown exclude any applicable sales charges.

(d) 

Annualized.

(e) 

Contractual expense limitation change from 2.05% to 1.90% effective September 1, 2012.

(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

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RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund – Class I
Financial Highlights    Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated:

 

    For the Year Ended   For the Year Ended   For the Period
August 2, 2010
(Inception) to
    April 30, 2013   April 30, 2012   April 30, 2011

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $10.94   $11.07   $10.00

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

   

Net investment income(a)

  0.26   0.20   0.17

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

  0.70   (0.13)   1.01

 

Total from investment operations

  0.96   0.07   1.18

 

DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net investment income

  (0.25)   (0.19)   (0.11)

From net realized gains

      (0.00)(b)

Tax return of capital

    (0.01)  

 

Total distributions

  (0.25)   (0.20)   (0.11)

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net asset value

  0.71   (0.13)   1.07

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $11.65   $10.94   $11.07

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

  8.94%   0.71%   11.92%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of year (000s)

  $25,898   $12,880   $7,535

Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding fee waivers and reimbursements

  1.15%   1.26%   1.55%(d)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers and reimbursements

  0.94%(e)   1.05%   1.05%(d)

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

  2.39%   1.91%   2.16%(d)

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

  108%   128%   69%

 

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Less than ($0.005) per share.

(c) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(d) 

Annualized.

(e) 

Contractual expense limitation change from 1.05% to 0.90% effective September 1, 2012.

(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

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Notes to Financial Statements     
   April 30, 2013

 

1. ORGANIZATION

 

Financial Investors Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). As of April 30, 2013, the Trust had 26 registered funds. This annual report describes the following funds; ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund (which commenced operations on January 2, 2013), ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund (prior to April 30, 2013, known as the Jefferies Asset Management Commodity Strategy Allocation Fund), ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund, ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund, ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund (prior to August 31, 2012, known as the ALPS | WMC Value Intersection Fund), Clough China Fund, RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund (which commenced operations on September 4, 2012), RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund, RiverFront Global Allocation Fund, RiverFront Global Growth Fund and RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”).

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund seeks investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) generally to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, the Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index. The ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund seeks to maximize real returns, consistent with prudent investment management. ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation. ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund seeks to maximize total return, which consists of appreciation on its investments and a variable income stream. ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. Dividend income may be a factor in portfolio selection but is secondary to the Fund’s principal objective. The Clough China Fund seeks to provide investors with long-term capital appreciation. The RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund seeks to provide current income and potential for that income to grow over time, primarily through investments in fixed-income securities, including high- and low-grade corporate debt, with the balance of the Fund (typically 20%-50%) invested in a diversified basket of dividend-paying stocks, including small-and mid-cap domestic and foreign securities. The RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund seeks to achieve long-term growth and income through a combination of capital appreciation and rising dividend payments that exceeds the average yield on global stocks generally. The RiverFront Global Allocation Fund seeks to provide high total investment return through a fully managed investment policy utilizing United States and foreign equity securities, debt and money market securities, the combination of which will be varied from time to time both with respect to types of securities and markets in response to changing market and economic trends. Total investment return means the combination of capital appreciation and investment income. The RiverFront Global Growth Fund seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation through a fully managed investment policy utilizing United States and foreign equity securities, debt and money market securities, the combination of which will be varied from time to time both with respect to types of securities and markets in response to changing market and economic trends. The RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund has two primary investment objectives. It seeks (1) to provide a level of current income that exceeds the average yield on U.S. stocks in general and (2) to provide a growing stream of income over the years. The Fund’s secondary objective is to provide growth of capital.

The classes of each fund differ principally in the applicable distribution and shareholder service fees. Shareholders of each class also bear certain expenses that pertain to that particular class. All shareholders bear the common expenses of the Fund and earn income and realized gains/losses from the Fund pro rata based on the average daily net assets of each class, without distinction between share classes. Dividends to shareholders are determined separately for each class based on income and expenses allocable to each class. Realized gain distributions to shareholders are allocated to each class pro rata based on the shares outstanding of each class on the date of distribution. Differences in per share dividend rates generally result from differences in separate class expenses, including distribution and shareholder service fees, if applicable.

Basis of Consolidation for the ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund, (the “Kotak Fund”) invests in the equity securities of Indian companies through its wholly owned, collective investment vehicle, the India Premier Equity Portfolio (the “Portfolio”). The Portfolio is registered with and regulated by the Mauritius Financial Services Commission. The Portfolio was formed for the purpose of facilitating the Kotak Fund’s purchase of securities of a wide selection of Indian companies, consistent with the Kotak Fund’s investment strategies. The Portfolio is a private company limited by shares incorporated under the Mauritius Companies Act 2001. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Kotak Fund, financial statements of the Portfolio are included in the consolidated financial statements and financial highlights of the Kotak Fund. All investments held by the Portfolio are disclosed in the accounts of the Kotak Fund.

The Portfolio established residency in Mauritius allowing the Fund to receive the beneficial tax treatment under the Treaty between India and Mauritius. If the benefits of the Treaty are denied or if the Portfolio is held to have a permanent establishment in India, gains derived by the Portfolio due to the sale of securities, may be subject to taxation in India. Currently, India has introduced legislation on General Anti-Avoidance Rules (“GAAR”) which contain treaty override provisions. The GAAR may be used by the Indian tax authorities to declare any arrangement whose main purpose or one of the main purposes is to obtain a tax benefit, as an “impermissible avoidance arrangement”. Originally, GAAR was to be effective from April 1, 2012; however GAAR has been deferred until April 1, 2015.

Basis of Consolidation for the ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

Jefferies Asset Management Cayman Commodity Fund Ltd. (the “Subsidiary”), a Cayman Islands exempted company, was incorporated on April 23, 2010 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund (the “CoreCommodity Fund”). The Subsidiary acts as an investment vehicle for the CoreCommodity Fund in order to effect certain commodity-related investments on

 

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Notes to Financial Statements     
   April 30, 2013

 

behalf of the CoreCommodity Fund. CoreCommodity Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary pursuant to a subscription agreement dated as of June 14, 2010, and it is intended that the CoreCommodity Fund will remain the sole shareholder and will continue to wholly own and control the Subsidiary. Under the Articles of Association of the Subsidiary, shares issued by the Subsidiary confer upon a shareholder the right to vote at general meetings of the Subsidiary and certain rights in connection with any winding-up or repayment of capital, as well as the right to participate in the profits or assets of the Subsidiary. The CoreCommodity Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in shares of the Subsidiary. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the CoreCommodity Fund, the financial statements of the Subsidiary are included in the consolidated financial statements and financial highlights of the CoreCommodity Fund. All investments held by the Subsidiary are disclosed in the accounts of the CoreCommodity Fund. As of April 30 2013, net assets of the CoreCommodity Fund were $310,823,787, of which $63,702,888, or 20.49%, represented the CoreCommodity Fund’s ownership of all issued shares and voting rights of the Subsidiary.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Funds and subsidiaries, as applicable, in preparation of their financial statements.

Investment Valuation: The Funds generally value their securities based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading.

For equity securities and mutual funds that are traded on an exchange, the market price is usually the closing sale or official closing price on that exchange. In the case of equity securities not traded on an exchange, or if such closing prices are not otherwise available, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices on such day.

The market price for debt obligations is generally the price supplied by an independent third-party pricing service approved by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”), which may use a matrix, formula or other objective method that takes into consideration quotations from dealers, market transactions in comparable investments, market indices and yield curves. If vendors are unable to supply a price, or if the price supplied is deemed to be unreliable, the market price may be determined using quotations received from one or more brokers–dealers that make a market in the security. Short–term debt obligations that will mature in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost; unless it is determined that using this method would not reflect an investment’s fair value. Investments in non-exchange traded funds are fair valued at their respective net asset values.

Futures contracts that are listed or traded on a national securities exchange, commodities exchange, contract market or comparable over the counter market, and that are freely transferable, are valued at their closing settlement price on the exchange on which they are primarily traded or based upon the current settlement price for a like instrument acquired on the day on which the instrument is being valued. A settlement price may not be used if the market makes a limit move with respect to a particular commodity. Over-the-counter swap contracts for which market quotations are readily available are valued based on quotes received from independent pricing services or one or more dealers that make markets in such securities.

Equity securities that are primarily traded on foreign securities exchanges are valued at the closing values of such securities on their respective foreign exchanges, except when an event occurs subsequent to the close of the foreign exchange and the close of the NYSE that was likely to have changed such value. In such an event, the fair value of those securities are determined in good faith through consideration of other factors in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Board. The Funds will use a fair valuation model provided by an independent pricing service, which is intended to reflect fair value when a security’s value or a meaningful portion of the Fund’s portfolio is believed to have been materially affected by an valuation event that has occurred between the close of the exchange or market on which the security is traded and the close of the regular trading day on the NYSE. The Funds’ valuation procedures set forth certain triggers which instruct when to use the fair valuation model.

 

Forward currency exchange contracts have a market value determined by the prevailing foreign currency exchange daily rates and current foreign currency exchange forward rates. The foreign currency exchange forward rates are calculated using an automated system that estimates rates on the basis of the current day foreign currency exchange rates and forward foreign currency exchange rates supplied by a pricing service. Foreign exchange rates and forward foreign currency exchange rates may generally be obtained at the close of the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

When such prices or quotations are not available, or when the Fair Value Committee appointed by the Board believes that they are unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board.

Fair Value Measurements: The Funds disclose the classification of their fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability,

 

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   April 30, 2013

 

including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of each Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1 –

  

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that a Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2 –

  

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

Level 3 –

  

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following is a summary of each Fund’s investments/financial instruments in the fair value hierarchy as of April 30, 2013:

 

Investments in Securities at Value  

Level 1 - Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

    Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable Inputs
    Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
    Total  

 

 

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund

  

Master Limited Partnerships Shares(a)

  $ 3,959,651      $      $      $ 3,959,651   

Short Term Investments

    15,384                      15,384   

 

 

Total

  $ 3,975,035      $      $      $ 3,975,035   

 

 
Investments in Securities at Value   Level 1 - Unadjusted
Quoted Prices
    Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable Inputs
    Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
    Total  

 

 

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

  

Common Stocks(a)

  $ 116,555,518      $      $      $ 116,555,518   

Exchange Traded Funds

    5,666,502                      5,666,502   

Warrants

    91                      91   

Government Bonds

           171,194,159               171,194,159   

Short Term Investments

    27,503,104                      27,503,104   

 

 

Total

  $ 149,725,215      $ 171,194,159      $      $   320,919,374   

 

 

Other Financial Instruments

  

   

 

 

Assets

       

Futures Contracts

  $ 251,433      $      $      $ 251,433   

Total Return Swap Contracts

           1,252,780               1,252,780   

Liabilities

       

Futures Contracts

    (2,166,360                   (2,166,360

Total Return Swap Contracts

           (6,270,202            (6,270,202

 

 

Total

  $ (1,914,927   $ (5,017,422   $      $ (6,932,349

 

 

 

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Investments in Securities at Value

  

Level 1 - Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

     Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable Inputs
     Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
     Total  

 

 

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

  

Common Stocks

           

Consumer Discretionary

   $       $ 862,423       $       $ 862,423   

Consumer Staples

             846,016                 846,016   

Energy

             598,454                 598,454   

Financials

             2,398,506                 2,398,506   

Health Care

             561,718                 561,718   

Industrials

     110,766         613,251                 724,017   

Information Technology

     72,003         758,800                 830,803   

Materials

     73,871         345,961                 419,832   

Telecommunication Services

             139,068                 139,068   

Utilities

             174,718                 174,718   

Short Term Investments

     12,653                         12,653   

 

 

Total

   $ 269,293       $ 7,298,915       $       $ 7,568,208   

 

 
Investments in Securities at Value   

Level 1 - Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

     Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable Inputs
     Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
     Total  

 

 

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

  

Common Stocks(a)

   $ 244,203,694       $       $       $ 244,203,694   

Short Term Investments

     2,485,362                         2,485,362   

 

 

Total

   $ 246,689,056       $       $       $ 246,689,056   

 

 

Investments in Securities at Value

  

Level 1 - Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

     Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable Inputs
     Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
     Total  

 

 

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

  

Common Stocks(a)

   $ 87,132,508       $       $       $ 87,132,508   

Exchange Traded Funds

     1,803,517                         1,803,517   

Short Term Investments

     1,117,732                         1,117,732   

 

 

Total

   $ 90,053,757       $       $       $ 90,053,757   

 

 

Investments in Securities at Value

  

Level 1 - Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

     Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable Inputs
     Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
     Total  

 

 

Clough China Fund

           

Common Stocks(a)

   $       $ 66,638,404       $       $ 66,638,404   

Exchange Traded Funds

     642,620                         642,620   

Short Term Investments

     2,697,470                         2,697,470   

 

 

Total

   $ 3,340,090       $ 66,638,404       $       $ 69,978,494   

 

 

Investments in Securities at Value

  

Level 1 - Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

     Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable Inputs
     Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
     Total  

 

 

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

  

  

Common Stocks(a)

   $ 132,091       $       $       $ 132,091   

Exchange Traded Funds(a)

     3,128,846                         3,128,846   

Exchange Traded Notes(a)

     105,525                         105,525   

Short Term Investments

     60,242                         60,242   

 

 

Total

   $ 3,426,704       $       $       $ 3,426,704   

 

 

 

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Investments in Securities at Value   

Level 1 - Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

     Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable Inputs
     Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
     Total  

 

 

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

  

Common Stocks(a)

   $ 2,290,785       $       $       $ 2,290,785   

Exchange Traded Funds(a)

     30,179,515                         30,179,515   

Exchange Traded Notes(a)

     994,744                         994,744   

Short Term Investments

     1,141,671                         1,141,671   

 

 

Total

   $ 34,606,715       $       $       $ 34,606,715   

 

 
Investments in Securities at Value   

Level 1 - Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

     Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable Inputs
     Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
     Total  

 

 

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

  

Common Stocks(a)

   $ 1,394,667       $       $       $ 1,394,667   

Exchange Traded Funds(a)

     22,331,724                         22,331,724   

Short Term Investments

     794,854                         794,854   

 

 

Total

   $ 24,521,245       $       $       $ 24,521,245   

 

 
Investments in Securities at Value   

Level 1 - Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

     Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable Inputs
     Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
     Total  

 

 

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

  

  

Common Stocks(a)

   $ 3,684,570       $       $       $ 3,684,570   

Exchange Traded Funds(a)

     51,387,404                         51,387,404   

Short Term Investments

     1,131,271                         1,131,271   

 

 

Total

   $ 56,203,245       $       $       $ 56,203,245   

 

 
Investments in Securities at Value   

Level 1 - Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

     Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable Inputs
     Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
     Total  

 

 

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

  

Common Stocks(a)

   $ 5,910,043       $       $       $ 5,910,043   

Exchange Traded Funds(a)

     94,166,526                         94,166,526   

Exchange Traded Notes(a)

     3,275,356                         3,275,356   

Short Term Investments

     4,127,174                         4,127,174   

 

 

Total

   $ 107,479,099       $       $       $ 107,479,099   

 

 

 

(a) 

For detailed descriptions of country, sector and/or industry, see the accompanying Statement of Investments.

The Funds recognize transfers between levels as of the end of the period. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities, except ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund, which had a security with a market value of $186,304, transfer from Level 1 to Level 2 due to the Fund’s utilization of a fair value evaluation service with respect to international securities with an earlier market closing than the Fund’s net asset value computation cutoff. The Funds did not have any securities that used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

Offering Costs: The ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund and RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund incurred offering costs during the year ended April 30, 2013. These offering costs, including fees for printing initial prospectuses, legal, and registration fees, are being amortized over the first twelve months from the inception date of each Fund. Amounts amortized through April 30, 2013 are shown on each Fund’s Statement of Operations and amounts that remain to be amortized are shown on each Fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

Fund and Class Expenses: Some expenses of the Trust can be directly attributed to a Fund or a specific share class of a Fund. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed are apportioned among all Funds in the Trust based on average net assets of each share class within a Fund.

Federal Income Taxes: The Funds, except for ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund, comply with the

requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 applicable to regulated investment companies and intend to distribute substantially all of their net taxable income and net capital gains, if any, each year. Those Funds are not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made.

 

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   April 30, 2013

 

The ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund is taxed as a regular corporation (or so-called subchapter “C” corporation) for federal income tax purposes, and will be subject to tax on its taxable income at rates applicable to corporations. Currently, the maximum marginal regular federal income tax rate for a corporation is 35 percent. The ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund may be subject to a 20 percent federal alternative minimum tax on its federal alternative taxable income to the extent that its alternative minimum tax exceeds its regular federal income tax. This differs from most investment companies, which elect to be treated as “regulated investment companies” under the Code in order to avoid paying entity level income taxes. Under current law, the ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund is not eligible to elect treatment as a regulated investment company due to its investments, primarily in Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”) invested in energy assets. As a result, the ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund will be obligated to pay applicable federal and state corporate income taxes on its taxable income as opposed to most other investment companies which are not so obligated. As discussed below, the ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund expects that a portion of the distributions it receives from MLPs may be treated as a tax-deferred return of capital, thus reducing the Fund’s current tax liability. However, the amount of taxes currently paid by the ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund will vary depending on the amount of income and gains derived from investments and/or sales of MLP interests and such taxes will reduce the return from an investment in the Fund. See further disclosure regarding MLPs below.

As of and during the period ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Funds file U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The Funds’ tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return, but may extend to four years in certain jurisdictions. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Distributions to Shareholders: Each Fund, except the ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund, RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund, RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund, and RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund normally pays dividends and distributes capital gains, if any, on an annual basis. The ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund, RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund, RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund, and RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund pay dividends, if any, on a quarterly basis and distribute capital gains annually. Income dividend distributions are derived from interest and other income the Fund receives from its investments, including distributions of short-term capital gains. Capital gain distributions are derived from gains realized when the Fund sells a security it has owned for more than a year. Each Fund may make additional distributions and dividends at other times if its portfolio manager or managers believe doing so may be necessary for the Fund to avoid or reduce taxes.

Distributions received from the ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund’s investments in MLPs generally are comprised of income and return of capital. The Fund records investment income and return of capital based on estimates made at the time such distributions are received. Such estimates are based on historical information available from each MLP and other industry sources. These estimates may subsequently be revised based on information received from MLPs after their tax reporting periods are concluded. Return of capital distributions are not taxable income to the shareholder, but reduce the investor’s tax basis in the investor’s Fund shares. Such a reduction in tax basis will result in larger taxable gains and/or lower tax losses on a subsequent sale of Fund shares. Shareholders who periodically receive the payment of dividends or other distributions consisting of a return of capital may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits from the Fund when, in fact, they are not. Shareholders should not assume that the source of the distributions is from the net profits of the Fund.

Cash distributions from MLPs to the ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund that exceed such Fund’s allocable share of such MLP’s net taxable income are considered a tax-deferred return of capital that will reduce the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the equity securities of the MLP. These reductions in such Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the MLP equity securities will increase the amount of gain (or decrease the amount of loss) recognized by the Fund on a subsequent sale of the securities. The Fund will accrue deferred income taxes for any future tax liability associated with (i) that portion of MLP distributions considered to be a tax-deferred return of capital as well as (ii) capital appreciation of its investments. Upon the sale of an MLP security, the Fund may be liable for previously deferred taxes. The Fund will rely to some extent on information provided by the MLPs, which is not necessarily timely, to estimate deferred tax liability for purposes of financial statement reporting and determining the NAV. From time to time, ALPS Advisors, Inc. will modify the estimates or assumptions related to the Fund’s deferred tax liability as new information becomes available. The Fund will generally compute deferred income taxes based on the marginal regular federal income tax rate applicable to corporations and an assumed rate attributable to state taxes.

Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the investments are purchased or sold (trade date basis). Net realized gains and losses from investment transactions are reported on an identified cost basis. Interest income, which includes accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums, is accrued and recorded as earned. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date or for certain foreign securities, as soon as information is available to each Fund.

Foreign Securities: Each Fund may directly purchase securities of foreign issuers. Investing in securities of foreign issuers involves special risks not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers. The risks include possible reevaluation of currencies, the inability to repatriate foreign currency, less complete financial information about companies and possible future adverse political and economic developments.

 

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Moreover, securities of many foreign issuers and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of securities of comparable U.S. issuers.

Foreign Currency Translation: The books and records of the Funds are maintained in U.S. dollars. Investment valuations and other assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies are converted each business day into U.S. dollars based upon current exchange rates. The portion of realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments due to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed and is included in realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments, when applicable.

Foreign Currency Spot Contracts: The Funds may enter into foreign currency spot contracts to facilitate transactions in foreign securities or to convert foreign currency receipts into U.S. dollars. A foreign currency spot contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell currencies at the current market rate, for settlement generally within two business days. The U.S. dollar value of the contracts is determined using current currency exchange rates supplied by a pricing service. The contract is marked-to-market daily for settlements beyond one day and any change in market value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. When the contract is closed, the Fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value on the open and close date. Losses may arise from changes in the value of the foreign currency, or if the counterparties do not perform under the contract’s terms. The maximum potential loss from such contracts is the aggregate face value in U.S. dollars at the time the contract was opened.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”): The Funds may invest a portion of their assets in REITs and are subject to certain risks associated with direct investment in REITs. REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties and by defaults by borrowers or tenants. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareowners, and certain REITs have self-liquidation provisions by which mortgages held may be paid in full and distributions of capital returns may be made at any time. In addition, the performance of a REIT may be affected by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or its failure to maintain exemption from registration under the 1940 Act.

Treasury Inflation Protected-Securities: The Funds may invest in treasury inflation protected securities (“TIPS”), including structured bonds in which the principal amount is adjusted daily to keep pace with inflation, as measured by the U.S. Consumer Pricing Index for Urban Consumers. The adjustments to principal due to inflation/deflation are reflected as increases/decreases to interest income with a corresponding adjustment to cost. Such adjustments may have a significant impact on a Fund’s distributions and may result in a return of capital to shareholders. The repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

Master Limited Partnerships: MLPs are publicly traded partnerships engaged in the transportation, storage and processing of minerals and natural resources. By confining their operations to these specific activities, their interests, or units, are able to trade on public securities exchanges exactly like the shares of a corporation, without entity level taxation. Of the seventy MLPs eligible for inclusion in the Index, approximately two-thirds trade on the NYSE and the rest trade on the NASDAQ. To qualify as a MLP and to not be taxed as a corporation, a partnership must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). These qualifying sources include natural resource based activities such as the processing, transportation and storage of mineral or natural resources. MLPs generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners. The general partner of an MLP is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP, or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an up to 2% equity interest in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. Limited partners typically own the remainder of the partnership, through ownership of common units, and have a limited role in the partnership’s operations and management. MLPs are typically structured such that common units and general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount (“minimum quarterly distributions” or “MQD”). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in distributions to the extent the MQD is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the MQD; however, subordinated units do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the MQD is paid to both common and subordinated units and is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. The general partner is also eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the limited partners, the general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions.

Short Sales: Each Fund may make short sales of securities consistent with its strategies. A short sale is a transaction in which a Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline. During the year, ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund engaged in short sales; but as of April 30, 2013 there were no outstanding positions.

 

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   April 30, 2013

 

When a Fund makes a short sale, it must borrow the security sold short and deliver it to the broker dealer through which it made the short sale as collateral for its obligation to deliver the security upon conclusion of the sale. The Fund may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and is often obligated to pay over any accrued interest and dividends on such borrowed securities.

If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time that a Fund replaces the borrowed security, the Fund will incur a loss; conversely, if the price declines, the Fund will realize a capital gain. Any gain will be decreased, and any loss increased, by the transaction costs described above. The successful use of short selling may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the security sold short and the securities being hedged.

To the extent that a Fund engages in short sales, it will provide collateral to the broker-dealer and (except in the case of short sales “against the box”) will maintain additional asset coverage in the form of segregated or “earmarked” assets determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures established by the Board and that is equal to the current market value of the securities sold short, or will ensure that such positions are covered by “offsetting” positions, until the Fund replaces the borrowed security. A short sale is “against the box” to the extent that the Fund contemporaneously owns, or has the right to obtain at no added cost, securities identical to those sold short. Each Fund may engage in short selling to the extent permitted by the federal securities laws and rules and interpretations thereunder. To the extent a Fund engages in short selling in foreign (non-U.S.) jurisdictions, the Fund will do so to the extent permitted by the laws and regulations of such jurisdiction.

3. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

 

As a part of their principal investment strategy, ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund and ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund permits the Funds to purchase investment securities, they also allow the Funds to enter in various types of derivatives contracts. The other funds including ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund, ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund, ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund, Clough China Fund, RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund, RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund, RiverFront Global Allocation Fund, RiverFront Global Growth Fund and RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund may invest to a lesser extent in derivatives contracts. In doing so, the Funds will employ strategies in differing combinations to permit them to increase, decrease, or change the level or types of exposure to market factors. Central to those strategies are features inherent in derivatives that make them more attractive for this purpose than equity or debt securities; they require little or no initial cash investment, they can focus exposure on only certain selected risk factors, and they may not require the ultimate receipt or delivery of the underlying security (or securities) to the contract. This may allow the Funds to pursue their objectives more quickly and efficiently than if they were to make direct purchases or sales of securities capable of affecting a similar response to market factors.

Risk of Investing in Derivatives: The Funds’ use of derivatives can result in losses due to unanticipated changes in the market risk factors and the overall market. In instances where the Funds are using derivatives to decrease, or hedge, exposures to market risk factors for securities held by the Funds, there are also risks that those derivatives may not perform as expected resulting in losses for the combined or hedged positions.

Derivatives may have little or no initial cash investment relative to their market value exposure and therefore can produce significant gains or losses in excess of their cost. This use of embedded leverage allows the Fund to increase its market value exposure relative to it net assets and can substantially increase the volatility of the Funds’ performance.

Additional associated risks from investing in derivatives also exist and potentially could have significant effects on the valuation of the derivative and the Funds. Typically, the associated risks are not the risks that the Funds are attempting to increase or decrease exposure to, per their investment objectives, but are the additional risks from investing in derivatives.

Examples of these associated risks are liquidity risk, which is the risk that the Funds will not be able to sell or close out the derivative in a timely manner, and counterparty credit risk, which is the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Funds. In addition, use of derivatives may increase or decrease exposure to the following risk factors:

Equity Risk: Equity risk relates to the change in value of equity securities as they relate to increases or decreases in the general market. Associated risks can be different for each type of derivative and are discussed by each derivative type in the notes that follow.

Commodity Risk: Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Prices of various commodities may also be affected by factors, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and other regulatory developments, which are unpredictable. The prices of commodities can also fluctuate widely due to supply and demand disruptions in major producing or consuming regions.

Foreign Currency Risk: Currency trading involves significant risks, including market risk, interest rate risk, country risk, counterparty credit risk and short sale risk. Market risk results from the price movement of foreign currency values in response to shifting market supply and demand.

 

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   April 30, 2013

 

Interest rate risk arises whenever a country changes its stated interest rate target associated with its currency. Country risk arises because virtually every country has interfered with international transactions in its currency.

Interest Rate Risk: Interest rate risk is the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of changes in interest rates. As nominal interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities held by the Fund are likely to decrease. Securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, and are usually more volatile than securities.

Swap Contracts: The CoreCommodity Fund may enter into swap transactions for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return. At the present time, the CoreCommodity Fund primarily enters into swap transactions for the purpose of increasing total return. Risks may arise as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the swap contract to comply with the terms of the swap contract. The loss incurred by the failure of a counterparty is generally limited to the net payment to be received by the CoreCommodity Fund and/or the termination value at the end of the contract.

Therefore, the CoreCommodity Fund considers the creditworthiness of each counterparty to a contract in evaluating potential credit risk. Additionally, risks may arise from unanticipated movements in interest rates or in the value of the underlying reference asset or index. Entering into these agreements involves, to varying degrees, market risk, liquidity risk and elements of credit, legal and documentation risk that are not directly reflected in the amounts recognized in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

The CoreCommodity Fund may pay or receive cash as collateral on these contracts which may be recorded as an asset and/or liability. The CoreCommodity Fund must set aside liquid assets, or engage in other appropriate measures, to cover its obligations under these contracts. Swaps are marked to market daily using either pricing vendor quotations, counterparty prices or model prices and the change in value, if any, is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Upfront payments made and/or received by the CoreCommodity Fund are recorded as an asset and/or liability and realized gains or losses are recognized ratably over the contract’s term/event, with the exception of forward starting interest rate swaps, whose realized gains or losses are recognized ratably from the effective start date. Periodic payments received or made on swap contracts are recorded as realized gains or losses. Gains or losses are realized upon termination of a swap contract and are recorded on the Statement of Operations.

The CoreCommodity Fund invests in total return swaps to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning such security or investing directly in that market or to transfer the risk/return of one market (e.g., fixed income) to another market (e.g., equity) (equity risk and/or interest rate risk). Total return swaps are agreements in which there is an exchange of cash flows whereby one party commits to make payments based on the total return (coupons plus capital gains/losses) of an underlying instrument in exchange for fixed or floating rate interest payments. To the extent the total return of the instrument or index underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest rate obligation, the Fund will receive a payment from or make a payment to the counterparty. Swap agreements held at April 30, 2013 are disclosed after the Statement of Investments.

The number of swap contracts held at April 30, 2013 is representative of swap contract activity for the year ended April 30, 2013.

Futures: Certain Funds may invest in futures contracts in accordance with their investment objectives. Each Fund does so for a variety of reasons including for cash management, hedging or non-hedging purposes in an attempt to achieve investment returns consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified quantity of the security or other financial instrument at a specified price and time. A futures contract on an index is an agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the index contract was originally written. Futures transactions may result in losses in excess of the amount invested in the futures contract. There can be no guarantee that there will be a correlation between price movements in the hedging vehicle and in the portfolio securities being hedged. An incorrect correlation could result in a loss on both the hedged securities in a Fund and the hedging vehicle so that the portfolio return might have been greater had hedging not been attempted. There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when a Fund seeks to close out a futures contract or a futures option position. Lack of a liquid market for any reason may prevent a Fund from liquidating an unfavorable position, and the Fund would remain obligated to meet margin requirements until the position is closed. In addition, a Fund could be exposed to risk if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts. With exchange traded futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the Funds since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default.

When a purchase or sale of a futures contract is made by a Fund, the Fund is required to deposit with its custodian (or broker, if legally permitted) a specified amount of liquid assets (“initial margin”). The margin required for a futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may be modified during the term of the contract. The initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the futures contract that is returned to a Fund upon termination of the contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Each day a Fund may pay or receive cash, called “variation margin,” equal to the daily change in value of the futures contract. Such payments or receipts are recorded for financial statement purposes as unrealized gains or losses by a Fund. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a Fund but is instead a settlement between a Fund and the broker of the amount one would owe the other if the futures contract expired. When the contract is closed, a Fund

 

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records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed. As of April 30, 2013, the CoreCommodity Fund had futures contracts outstanding with a net unrealized depreciation of $1,914,927. The number of futures contracts held at April 30, 2013 is representative of futures contracts activity during the year ended April 30, 2013.

Option Contracts: Each Fund may enter into options transactions for hedging purposes and for non-hedging purposes such as seeking to enhance return. Each Fund may write covered put and call options on any stocks or stock indices, currencies traded on domestic and foreign securities exchanges, or futures contracts on stock indices, interest rates and currencies traded on domestic and, to the extent permitted by the CFTC, foreign exchanges. A call option on an asset written by a Fund obligates the Fund to sell the specified asset to the holder (purchaser) at a stated price (the exercise price) if the option is exercised before a specified date (the expiration date). A put option on an asset written by a Fund obligates the Fund to buy the specified asset from the purchaser at the exercise price if the option is exercised before the expiration date. Premiums received when writing options are recorded as liabilities and are subsequently adjusted to the current value of the options written. Premiums received from writing options that expire are treated as realized gains. Premiums received from writing options, which are either exercised or closed, are offset against the proceeds received or amount paid on the transaction to determine realized gains or losses which are recorded on the Statement of Operations.

The CoreCommodity Fund had the following transactions in written covered call/put options during the year ended April 30, 2013:

 

    Number of Contracts      Premiums      

 

Options Outstanding, Beginning of Year

    –                    $     

Options written

    (160)                     (247,865  

Options closed

    95                      134,000     

Options exercised

    10                      19,500     

Options expired

    55                      94,365     

 

Options Outstanding, End of Year

    –                    $     

 

Derivatives Instruments: The following tables disclose the amounts related to each Fund’s use of derivative instruments.

The effect of derivatives instruments on the Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of April 30, 2013:

 

Risk Exposure  

Statement of Assets

and Liabilities

Location

  Fair Value    

Statement of Assets

and Liabilities

Location

  Fair Value  

 

 

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

  

Futures Contracts*

 

Receivable for variation margin

  $     

Payable for variation margin

  $ 1,914,927   

Commodity Contracts
(total return swap contracts)

 

Unrealized appreciation on total return swap contracts

    1,432,480     

Unrealized depreciation on total return swap contracts

    6,270,202   

 

 

Total

    $ 1,432,480        $ 8,185,129   

 

 
 

    * Risk Exposure to Fund

  

   
 

        Commodity Contracts

  $        $ 1,493,033   
 

        Equity Contracts

             421,894   
   

 

 

 
    $        $ 1,914,927   
   

 

 

 

 

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The effect of derivatives instruments on the Consolidated Statement of Operations for the year ended April 30, 2013:

 

Risk Exposure   Statement of Operations Location   

Realized

Gain/(Loss)
on Derivatives

Recognized

in Income

   

Change in

Unrealized

Gain/(Loss)

on Derivatives

Recognized

in Income

 

 

 

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

  

 

Equity Contracts
(written options)

 

Net realized gain on written options/Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on written options

   $ 197,875      $   

Futures Contracts*

 

Net realized loss on futures contracts/Net change in unrealized depreciation on futures contracts

     (1,652,573     (1,913,390

Commodity Contracts
(total return swap contracts)

 

Net realized loss on total return swap contracts/Net change in unrealized depreciation on total return swap contracts

     (7,668,328     (3,375,396

 

 

Total

     $ (9,123,026   $ (5,288,786

 

 
          *Risk Exposure to Fund     
              Commodity Contracts    $ 506,161      $ (1,491,496
              Equity Contracts      (2,158,845     (421,894
              Interest Rate Contracts      597          
              Foreign Currency Contracts      (486       
    

 

 

 
     $ (1,652,573   $ (1,913,390
    

 

 

 
ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund     

Equity Contracts
(futures contracts)

 

Net realized gain on futures contracts/Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on futures contracts

   $ 5,567      $   

 

 

Total

     $ 5,567      $   

 

 

4. TAX BASIS INFORMATION

 

Tax Basis of Distributions to Shareholders: The character of distributions made during the year from net investment income or net realized gains may differ from its ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Also, due to the timing of dividend distributions, the fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the fiscal year in which the income or realized gain were recorded by a Fund. The amounts and characteristics of tax basis distributions and composition of distributable earnings/(accumulated losses) are shown below.

The tax character of distributions paid by the Funds for the fiscal year or period ended April 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Fund   Ordinary Income     Long-Term Capital Gain     Return of Capital  

 

 

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund

  $      $      $ 49,338   

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management
CompleteCommodities
SM Strategy Fund

                  1,317,510   

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

                    

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

    3,300,025                 

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

    890,012                 

Clough China Fund

    100,016                 

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

    16,480                 

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

    511,037                 

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

    250,390                 

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

    802,738                 

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

    1,511,757                 

 

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The tax character of distributions paid by the Funds for the fiscal year or period ended April 30, 2012 is as follows:

 

Fund   Ordinary Income     Long-Term Capital Gain     Return of Capital  

 

 

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund

  $      $      $   

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management
CompleteCommodities
SM Strategy Fund

    8,501,893        639,478          

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

    2,599                 

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

    13,244,157                 

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

    535,003                 

Clough China Fund

                    

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

                    

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

    289,493               17,411   

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

    123,429        6,669          

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

    2,586,518        1,500,914          

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

    758,987               27,381   

Components of Distributable Earnings on a Tax Basis: At April 30, 2013, permanent differences in book and tax accounting were reclassified. These differences had no effect on net assets and were primarily attributed to differences in the treatment of commodity related exchange-traded funds, the differing tax treatment of foreign currency, investments in partnerships Passive Foreign Investment Companies (“PFICs”) and certain other investments.

For the year ended April 30, 2013, the following reclassifications, which had no impact on results of operations or net assets, were recorded to reflect tax character:

 

Fund   Paid-in Capital     Accumulated Net
Investment Income/(Loss)
    Accumulated Net Realized
Gain/(Loss) on Investments
 

 

 

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management
CompleteCommodities
SM Strategy Fund

  $ (11,074,086)      $ 630,317      $ 10,443,769   

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

    610        32,368        (32,978)   

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

    17,697        1,932,384        (1,950,081)   

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

           2,358        (2,358)   

Clough China Fund

           75,697        (75,697)   

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

    (9,758)        9,758          

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

    (1,713)        1,193        520   

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

           (78)        78   

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

           (221)        221   

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

    (5,342)        4,714        628   

Included in the amounts reclassified was a net operating loss offset to Paid-in-Capital as follows:

 

Fund            Amount          

 

 

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

   $ 388,650   

As of April 30, 2013, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Fund  

Undistributed net

investment income

   

Accumulated net
realized gain/(loss)

on investments

   

Other cumulative

effect of timing

differences

   

Net unrealized

appreciation/

(depreciation)

on investments

    Total  

 

 

ALPS | CoreCommodity Mgmt CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

  $      $ (3,658,680)      $ 1,166      $ (9,186,110)      $ (12,843,624)   

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

    9,597        (81,560)               130,555        58,592   

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

    15,753,927        (16,759,740)        3,352        27,588,274        26,585,813   

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

    386,627        (6,342,039)               22,376,948        16,421,536   

Clough China Fund

    447,861        (2,201,190)               11,822,980        10,069,651   

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

    26,631        369               107,256        134,256   

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

    21,202        640,781               2,644,199        3,306,182   

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

    18,054        214,324        (37,220)        1,934,028        2,129,186   

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

    28,039        3,014,797        (75,400)        7,501,377        10,468,813   

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

    83,800        1,884,385               7,202,453        9,170,638   

 

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The Fund elects to defer to the year ended April 30, 2014, late year ordinary losses in the amount of:

 

Fund            Amount          

 

 

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

   $ 37,220   

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

     75,400   

Capital Losses: As of April 30, 2013 the following Funds had capital loss carryforwards which may reduce the Funds’ taxable income arising from future net realized gains on investments, if any, to the extent permitted by the Code and thus may reduce the amount of the distributions to shareholders which would otherwise be necessary to relieve the Funds of any liability for federal tax. Pursuant to the Code, such capital loss carryforwards will expire as follows:

Pre-Enactment Capital Losses:

 

Fund   Expiring in 2016     Expiring in 2017     Expiring in 2018  

 

 

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

  $      $      $ 8,281,739   

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

    3,561,757        2,780,282          

Under the recently enacted Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, capital losses incurred by each fund in tax years beginning after December 22, 2010 will not be subject to expiration. In addition, such losses must be utilized prior to the losses incurred in the years preceding enactment.

Capital loss carryovers utilized during the period ended April 30, 2013, were:

 

Fund            Amount          

 

 

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

   $ 3,584,375   

Post-Enactment Capital Losses*:

Capital losses deferred to next tax year were as follows:

 

Fund   Short-Term     Long-Term  

 

 

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

  $ 3,658,680      $   

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

    57,984        23,576   

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

    6,448,167        1,995,842   

Clough China Fund

    2,201,190          

Capital loss carryovers utilized during the period ended April 30, 2013, were:

   
Fund   Short-Term     Long-Term  

 

 

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

  $ 73,317      $   

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

    702,912          

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

    763,613        2,317   

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

    1,279,511          

The Fund elects to defer to the year ended April 30, 2014, capital losses recognized during the period November 1, 2011 to April 30, 2013 in the amount of:

 

Fund            Amount          

 

 

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

   $ 33,992   

 

*

Post-Enactment Capital Losses arise in fiscal years beginning after December 22, 2010, and exclude any election for late year capital loss (during the period November 1st to December 31st) deferred for the current fiscal year. As a result of the enactment of the Regulated Investment Company Act of 2010, pre-enactment capital loss carryforwards may be more likely to expire unused. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

 

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Unrealized Appreciation and Depreciation on Investments: As of April 30, 2013, the costs of investments for federal income tax purposes and accumulated net unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments were as follows:

 

    Gross     Gross     Net Appreciation/              
    Appreciation     Depreciation     (Depreciation) of     Net Unrealized     Cost of Investments  
    (excess of value     (excess of tax     Foreign Currency     Appreciation/     for Income Tax  
Fund   over tax cost)     cost over value)     and Derivatives     (Depreciation)     Purposes  

 

 

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund

  $ 636,448      $ (2,919   $      $ 633,529      $ 3,341,506   

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management
CompleteCommodities
SM Strategy Fund

    15,054,056        (17,308,860     (6,931,306     (9,186,110     323,174,178   

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

    1,190,039        (1,060,544     1,060        130,555        7,438,713   

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

    31,199,210        (3,620,321     9,385        27,588,274        219,110,167   

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

    23,169,045        (792,097            22,376,948        67,676,809   

Clough China Fund

    12,558,474        (736,122     628        11,822,980        58,156,142   

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

    112,400        (5,144            107,256        3,319,448   

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

    2,669,230        (25,031            2,644,199        31,962,516   

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

    1,967,053        (33,025            1,934,028        22,587,217   

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

    7,560,597        (59,220            7,501,377        48,701,868   

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

    7,270,759        (68,306            7,202,453        100,276,646   

Deferred Tax Liability for ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund

Since the ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund will be subject to taxation on its taxable income, the NAV of Fund shares will also be reduced by the accrual of any deferred tax liabilities. The Index however is calculated without any adjustments for taxes. As a result, the Fund’s after tax performance could differ significantly from the Index even if the pretax performance of the Fund and the performance of the Index are closely correlated.

The Fund’s income tax expense/(benefit) consists of the following:

 

April 30, 2013            Current                    Deferred                      Total          

 

 

Federal

          $ 211,650               $ 211,650       

State

        14,297                 14,297       
  

 

 

Total tax expense

          $ 225,947               $ 225,947       
  

 

 

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting and tax purposes.

Components of the Fund’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:

 

         As of April 30, 2013      

 

 

Non-current Deferred tax assets:

  

Net Operating Loss Carryforward

   $ 3,710   

Capital Loss Carryforward

     293   

Other

       

Less Non-current Deferred tax liabilities:

  

Net unrealized gain on investment securities

   $ (229,950
  

 

 

 

Net Deferred tax liability

   $ (225,947
  

 

 

 

Although the Fund currently has a net deferred tax liability, it reviews the recoverability of its deferred tax assets based upon the weight of available evidence. When assessing the recoverability of its deferred tax assets, significant weight was given to the effects of potential future realized and unrealized gains on investments and the period over which these deferred tax assets can be realized. Currently, any capital losses that may be generated by the Fund in the future are eligible to be carried back up to three years and can be carried forward for five years to offset capital gains recognized by the fund in those years. Net operating losses that may be generated by the Fund in the future are eligible to be carried back up to two years and can be carried forward for 20 years to offset income generated by the Fund in those years.

Based upon the Fund’s assessment, it has determined that it is more likely than not that its deferred tax assets will be realized through future taxable income of the appropriate character. Accordingly, no valuation allowance has been established for the Fund’s deferred tax assets. The Fund will continue to assess the need for a valuation allowance in the future. Significant declines in the fair value of its portfolio of investments may

 

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change the Fund’s assessment of the recoverability of these assets and may result in the recording of a valuation allowance against all or a portion of the Fund’s gross deferred tax assets.

Total income tax benefit (current and deferred) differs from the amount computed by applying the federal statutory income tax rate of 35% to net investment and realized and unrealized gain/(losses) on investment before taxes as follows:

 

     For the Period January 2, 2013  
       (Commencement) to April 30, 2013    

 

 

Income tax expense at statutory rate

   $ 211,650   

State income taxes (net of federal benefit)

     14,297   
  

 

 

 

Net income tax expense

   $ 225,947   
  

 

 

 

5. SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

Purchases and sales of securities, excluding short-term securities and U.S. Government Obligations during the year or period ended April 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

          Proceeds from Sales of  
Fund   Purchases of Securities     Securities  

 

 

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund

  $ 3,503,833      $ 107,511   

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund(a)

    230,366,499        177,597,642   

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund(b)

    7,706,036        5,189,652   

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

    97,158,017        59,234,470   

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

    27,005,136        31,114,047   

Clough China Fund

    133,354,046        138,560,719   

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

    4,560,423        1,319,318   

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

    41,512,080        37,257,589   

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

    24,997,404        21,651,930   

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

    55,135,015        56,912,726   

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

    116,481,393        87,294,344   

Purchases and sales of U.S. Government Obligations during the year or period ended April 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

          Proceeds from Sales of  
Fund   Purchases of Securities     Securities  

 

 

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

  $ 156,128,410      $ 106,128,119   

 

(a) 

Purchases and Sales for ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund are consolidated and include the balances of Jeffereies Asset Management Cayman Trust (wholly owned subsidiary).

(b) 

Purchases and Sales for ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund are consolidated and include the balances of Kotak Mauritius Portfolio (wholly owned subsidiary).

6. BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS

 

Shares redeemed within 90 days of purchase for ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund and 30 days of purchase for ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund, ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund, and Clough China Fund, may incur a 2% short-term redemption fee deducted from the redemption amount, with the exception of ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund, ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund, RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund, RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund, RiverFront Global Allocation Fund, RiverFront Global Growth Fund, and RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund shares. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the amounts listed below were retained by the Funds. These amounts are reflected in “Shares redeemed” in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets.

 

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     Redemption Fee Retained  
Fund   

For the

Year Ended
April 30, 2013

     For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2012
 

 

 

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund - Class A

   $ 17,040       $ 13,838   

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund - Class C

     186         444   

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund - Class I

     10,053         21,699   

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund - Class A

     393         642   

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund - Class C

             275   

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund - Class I

     196         91   

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund - Class A

     15,999         51,757   

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund - Class C

     228         1,796   

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund - Class I

     9,757         8,016   

Clough China Fund - Class A

     564         437   

Clough China Fund - Class C

     2         139   

Clough China Fund - Class I

     22,029         478   

Transactions in shares of capital stock were as follows:

 

      ALPS | Alerian MLP
    Infrastructure Index Fund     
 
     

For the Period

January 2, 2013
(Commencement)

to April 30, 2013

 

 

 

Class A

  

Shares sold

     82,771   

Dividends reinvested

     806   

Shares redeemed

     (1)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     83,576   

 

 

Class C

  

Shares sold

     50,001   

Dividends reinvested

     758   

Shares redeemed

     (1)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     50,758   

 

 

Class I

  

Shares sold

     200,001   

Dividends reinvested

     3,031   

Shares redeemed

     (1)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     203,031   

 

 

 

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      ALPS | CoreCommodity Management
    CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund    
 
     

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

Class A

     

Shares sold

     8,530,181         6,933,626   

Dividends reinvested

     38,287         218,828   

Shares redeemed

     (6,220,651)         (2,074,763)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     2,347,817         5,077,691   

 

 

Class C

     

Shares sold

     806,811         1,202,707   

Dividends reinvested

     4,974         39,730   

Shares redeemed

     (549,258)         (137,380)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     262,527         1,105,057   

 

 

Class I

     

Shares sold

     14,771,425         5,629,924   

Dividends reinvested

     52,410         353,517   

Shares redeemed

     (4,279,108)         (3,645,315)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     10,544,727         2,338,126   

 

 
      ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund  
     

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

Class A

     

Shares sold

     358,458         260,500   

Dividends reinvested

             131   

Shares redeemed

     (156,778)         (58,587)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     201,680         202,044   

 

 

Class C

     

Shares sold

     58,597         70,152   

Dividends reinvested

             72   

Shares redeemed

     (13,079)         (61,930)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     45,518         8,294   

 

 

Class I

     

Shares sold

     86,660         166,157   

Dividends reinvested

             137   

Shares redeemed

     (56,376)         (26,308)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     30,284         139,986   

 

 

 

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     ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund  
    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

Class A

     

Shares sold

     5,739,840         11,295,795   

Dividends reinvested

     248,170         1,751,134   

Shares redeemed

     (6,914,956)         (14,073,795)   

 

 

Net decrease in shares outstanding

     (926,946)         (1,026,866)   

 

 

Class C

     

Shares sold

     237,926         326,458   

Dividends reinvested

     6,033         43,901   

Shares redeemed

     (116,850)         (154,304)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     127,109         216,055   

 

 

Class I

     

Shares sold

     11,839,555         10,460,936   

Dividends reinvested

     127,149         488,167   

Shares redeemed

     (5,867,506)         (4,705,661)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     6,099,198         6,243,442   

 

 

Class R

     

Shares sold

     29,401         8,748   

Dividends reinvested

     178         2,430   

Shares redeemed

     (5,330)         (21,597)   

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in shares outstanding

     24,249         (10,419)   

 

 
     ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund  
    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

Class A

     

Shares sold

     237,314         264,467   

Dividends reinvested

     53,334         39,233   

Shares redeemed

     (620,571)         (620,273)   

 

 

Net decrease in shares outstanding

     (329,923)         (316,573)   

 

 

Class C

     

Shares sold

     653         7,803   

Dividends reinvested

     57         4   

Shares redeemed

               

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     710         7,807   

 

 

Class I

     

Shares sold

     596,565         1,067,103   

Dividends reinvested

     44,131         33,463   

Shares redeemed

     (815,605)         (381,661)   

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in shares outstanding

     (174,909)         718,905   

 

 

 

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      Clough China Fund  
      For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2012
 

 

 

Class A

    

Shares sold

     403,248        209,926   

Dividends reinvested

     1,259          

Shares redeemed

     (537,081     (674,790

 

 

Net decrease in shares outstanding

     (132,574     (464,864

 

 

Class C

    

Shares sold

     129,593        122,497   

Dividends reinvested

              

Shares redeemed

     (190,104     (289,141

 

 

Net decrease in shares outstanding

     (60,511     (166,644

 

 

Class I

    

Shares sold

     1,926,116        188,409   

Dividends reinvested

     912          

Shares redeemed

     (2,279,485     (573,633

 

 

Net decrease in shares outstanding

     (352,457     (385,224

 

 

 

          RiverFront Conservative    
Income Builder Fund
 
     

For the Period

September 4, 2012
(Commencement)

to April 30, 2013

 

 

 

Class A

  

Shares sold

     57,836   

Dividends reinvested

     47   

Shares redeemed

       

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     57,883   

 

 

Class C

  

Shares sold

     215,910   

Dividends reinvested

     250   

Shares redeemed

     (658

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     215,502   

 

 

Class I

  

Shares sold

     74,254   

Dividends reinvested

     1,217   

Shares redeemed

     (5,954

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     69,517   

 

 

 

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          RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund      
     

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

Class A

     

Shares sold

     281,177         530,316   

Dividends reinvested

     11,503         8,166   

Shares redeemed

     (264,787)         (393,279)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     27,893         145,203   

 

 

Class C

     

Shares sold

     407,618         593,935   

Dividends reinvested

     16,294         10,526   

Shares redeemed

     (331,282)         (162,608)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     92,630         441,853   

 

 

Class I

     

Shares sold

     459,512         484,688   

Dividends reinvested

     14,180         8,154   

Shares redeemed

     (230,931)         (158,669)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     242,761         334,173   

 

 
      RiverFront Global Allocation Fund  
     

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

Class A

     

Shares sold

     276,072         663,389   

Dividends reinvested

     8,077         6,128   

Shares redeemed

     (126,146)         (538,507)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     158,003         131,010   

 

 

Class C

     

Shares sold

     224,493         437,383   

Dividends reinvested

     6,887         2,628   

Shares redeemed

     (328,407)         (291,982)   

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in shares outstanding

     (97,027)         148,029   

 

 

Class I

     

Shares sold

     394,681         411,287   

Dividends reinvested

     6,276         3,591   

Shares redeemed

     (159,373)         (253,648)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     241,584         161,230   

 

 

 

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         RiverFront Global Growth Fund      
    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

Class A

     

Shares sold

     449,097         209,866   

Dividends reinvested

     8,021         38,770   

Shares redeemed

     (276,448)         (642,942)   

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in shares outstanding

     180,670         (394,306)   

 

 

Class C

     

Shares sold

     171,120         246,379   

Dividends reinvested

     5,393         37,231   

Shares redeemed

     (202,053)         (166,212)   

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in shares outstanding

     (25,540)         117,398   

 

 

Class I

     

Shares sold

     272,611         239,739   

Dividends reinvested

     5,552         34,683   

Shares redeemed

     (207,050)         (112,688)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     71,113         161,734   

 

 

Class L

     

Shares sold

     206,678         525,916   

Dividends reinvested

     27,327         145,946   

Shares redeemed

     (511,817)         (1,566,052)   

 

 

Net decrease in shares outstanding

     (277,812)         (894,190)   

 

 

Investor Class

     

Shares sold

     16,623         24,645   

Dividends reinvested

     8,789         61,817   

Shares redeemed

     (167,484)         (689,522)   

 

 

Net decrease in shares outstanding

     (142,072)         (603,060)   

 

 
     RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund  
    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

Class A

     

Shares sold

     1,025,931         1,379,834   

Dividends reinvested

     40,069         23,351   

Shares redeemed

     (467,697)         (604,739)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     598,303         798,446   

 

 

Class C

     

Shares sold

     1,700,686         2,019,096   

Dividends reinvested

     44,339         23,356   

Shares redeemed

     (792,564)         (646,996)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     952,461         1,395,456   

 

 

Class I

     

Shares sold

     1,805,781         1,088,980   

Dividends reinvested

     35,557         17,351   

Shares redeemed

     (795,302)         (609,818)   

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     1,046,036         496,513   

 

 

7. MANAGEMENT AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI” or “Advisor”), subject to the authority of the Board, is responsible for the overall management and administration of each Fund’s business affairs. AAI has delegated daily management of the Funds listed below to the corresponding Sub-Advisor listed in the table below. Each Sub-Advisor manages the investments of the Fund in accordance with its investment objective, policies and limitations and investment guidelines established jointly by the Advisor and the Board.

 

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Fund   Sub-Advisor

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

 

CoreCommodity Management, LLC (formerly CoreCommodity Asset Management, LLC)

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

 

Kotak Mahindra (UK) Limited

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

 

Red Rocks Capital LLC

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

 

Wellington Management Company, LLP

Clough China Fund

 

Clough Capital Partners, LP

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

 

RiverFront Investment Group, LLC

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

 

RiverFront Investment Group, LLC

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

 

RiverFront Investment Group, LLC

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

 

RiverFront Investment Group, LLC

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

 

RiverFront Investment Group, LLC

Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”), each Fund pays the Advisor an annual management fee which is based on the Fund’s average daily net assets. The management fee is paid on a monthly basis. The following table reflects the Funds’ contractual management fee rates (expressed as an annual rate).

 

Fund    Contractual Management Fee

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund

    0.70%

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

    0.85%

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

    1.25%

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

    0.85%

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

       0.95%(a)

Clough China Fund

    1.35%

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

    0.85%

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

       0.85%(b)

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

       0.85%(b)

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

       0.85%(b)

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

       0.85%(b)

 

(a) 

The contractual management fee is 0.95% for the first $250 million of net assets, 0.85% for the next $250 million of net assets, and 0.75% for net assets in excess of $500 million.

(b) 

Prior to August 31, 2012, the contractual management fee was 0.90%.

Pursuant to an Investment Sub-advisory Agreement, the Advisor pays each sub-advisor an annual sub-advisory management fee which is based on each Fund’s average daily assets. The Advisor is required to pay all fees due to each sub-advisor out of the management fee the Advisor receives from each Fund. The following table reflects the Funds’ contractual sub-advisory fee rates.

 

Fund   Average Daily Net Assets
of the Fund
   Contractual Sub-Advisory Fee

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

  All Asset Levels    0.75%

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

  First $50 Million    1.15%
  Over $50 Million    1.05%

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

  All Asset Levels    0.57%

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

  First $250 Million    0.50%
  $250 Million - $500 Million    0.40%
  Over $500 Million    0.30%

Clough China Fund

  All Asset Levels    0.90%

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

  All Asset Levels    0.60%

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

  All Asset Levels    0.60%

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

  All Asset Levels    0.60%

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

  All Asset Levels    0.60%

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

  All Asset Levels    0.60%

 

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The Advisor and the Sub-Advisor have contractually agreed to limit the amount of each Fund’s total annual expenses, exclusive of distribution and service (12b-1) fees (except Clough China Class A, Class C and Class I shares), shareholder service fees (except ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Class A shares, ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Class A shares, and Clough China Class C shares), acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expense, short sale dividend expense, taxes and extraordinary expenses, that exceed the following annual rates below. These agreements are reevaluated on an annual basis based on the terms disclosed below.

 

Fund   Class A   Class C   Class I   Class Inv   Class L   Class R   Term of Expense
Limit Agreement

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund

      0.85 %       0.85 %       0.85 %       N/A         N/A         N/A     12/31/12 - 8/31/14

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

      1.05 %       1.05 %       1.15 %       N/A         N/A         N/A     9/1/12 - 8/31/13

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

      1.60 %       1.60 %       1.60 %       N/A         N/A         N/A     9/1/12 - 8/31/13

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

      1.25 %       1.25 %       1.25 %       N/A         N/A         1.25%      9/1/12 - 8/31/13

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

      1.15 %       1.15 %       1.15 %       N/A         N/A         N/A     9/1/12 - 8/31/13

Clough China Fund

      1.95 %       2.70 %       1.70 %       N/A         N/A         N/A     9/1/12 - 8/31/13

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

      0.90 %       0.90 %       0.90 %       N/A         N/A         N/A     9/1/12 - 8/31/13

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

      0.90 %(a)       0.90 %(a)       0.90 %(a)       N/A         N/A         N/A     9/1/12 - 8/31/13

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

      0.90 %(a)       0.90 %(a)       0.90 %(a)       N/A         N/A         N/A     9/1/12 - 8/31/13

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

      0.90 %       0.90 %       0.90 %       0.90%          0.90%          N/A     9/1/12 - 8/31/13

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

      0.90 %(a)       0.90 %(a)       0.90 %(a)       N/A         N/A         N/A     9/1/12 - 8/31/13

 

(a) 

Prior to September 1, 2012, the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor had contractually agreed to limit the amount of each Fund’s total annual expenses, to 1.05% for Class A, Class C and Class I, respectively.

Prior to January 1, 2013, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser had contractually agreed to reimburse Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of the RiverFront Global Growth Fund.

The Advisor and each Sub-Advisor are permitted to recover expenses they have waived or reimbursed, on a class-by-class basis, through the agreements described above to the extent that expenses in later periods fall below the annual limits set forth in these agreements. Clough China Fund is not obligated to pay any such waived or reimbursed fees and expenses more than one year after the end of the fiscal year in which the fees or expenses were waived or reimbursed. The ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund is not obligated to pay any such waived or reimbursed fees and expenses more than two years after the end of the fiscal year in which the fees or expenses were waived or reimbursed. The ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund, ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund, ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund, ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund, RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund, RiverFront Global Growth Fund, RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund, RiverFront Global Allocation Fund and RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund are not obligated to pay any such waived or reimbursed fees and expenses more than three years after the end of the fiscal year in which the fees or expenses were waived or reimbursed. At April 30, 2013, the Advisor and Sub-Advisor may seek reimbursement of previously waived and reimbursed fees as follows:

 

Fund    Expires 2014      Expires 2015      Expires 2016      Total  

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund

   $ N/A       $ N/A       $ 54,740       $ 54,740   

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

     248,300         130,091         N/A         378,391   

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

     110,597         376,235         346,958         833,790   

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

     210,227         296,218         34,598         541,043   

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

     189,671         127,336         87,006         404,013   

Clough China Fund

     139,506         N/A         N/A         139,506   

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

     N/A         N/A         66,571         66,571   

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

     54,560         100,877         108,866         264,303   

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

     69,932         103,414         98,108         271,454   

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

     171,374         369,241         261,018         801,633   

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

     69,535         117,687         180,370         367,592   

ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (the “Distributor”) acts as the distributor of the Funds’ shares pursuant to a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. Prior to April 30, 2013, the Distributor was ALPS Distributors, Inc. Shares are sold on a continuous basis by the Distributor, as agent for

 

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the Funds, and the Distributor has agreed to use its best efforts to solicit orders for the sale of Funds’ shares, although it is not obliged to sell any particular amount of shares. The Distributor is not entitled to any compensation for its services. The Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Funds’ Distributor is also the distributor of the Select Sector SPDR exchange traded funds (the “Underlying Sector ETFs”). As required by exemptive relief obtained by the Underlying Sector ETFs, the Advisor will reimburse any applicable Fund an amount equal to the distribution fee received by the Distributor from the Underlying Sector ETFs attributable to such Fund’s investment in the Underlying Sector ETFs, for so long as the Distributor acts as distributor to such Fund and the Underlying Sector ETFs.

Each Fund has adopted a Distribution and Services Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act for the Class A, Class C, Class R (ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund only), and Investor Class (RiverFront Global Growth Fund only) shares. The Plan allows a Fund to use Class A, Class C, Class R and Investor Class assets to pay fees in connection with the distribution and marketing of Class A, Class C, Class R and Investor Class shares and/or the provision of shareholder services to Class A, Class C, Class R and Investor Class shareholders. The Plan permits payment for services in connection with the administration of plans or programs that use Class A, Class C, Class R and Investor Class shares of a Fund, if any, as their funding medium and for related expenses. The Plan permits a Fund to make total payments at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of a Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to its Class A and Investor Class shares, 0.75% of a Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to its Class C shares and 0.50% of the ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to its Class R shares. Because these fees are paid out of a Fund’s Class A, Class C, Class R and Investor Class assets, if any, on an ongoing basis, over time they will increase the cost of an investment in Class A, Class C, Class R and Investor Class shares, if any, and Plan fees may cost an investor more than other types of sales charges.

The ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund Class A and Class C shares, ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund Class A and Class C shares, ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund Class A and Class C shares, ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund Class C shares, Clough China Fund Class C shares, ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund Class A and Class C shares, RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund Class C shares, RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund Class C shares, RiverFront Global Allocation Fund Class C shares, RiverFront Global Growth Fund Class C Shares, and the RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund Class C shares have adopted a shareholder services plan (“Shareholder Services Plan”). Under the Shareholder Services Plan for each Fund, the Funds are authorized to pay banks and their affiliates and other institutions, including broker-dealers and Fund affiliates (“Participating Organizations”), an aggregate fee in an amount not to exceed on an annual basis 0.15% for ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund Class A shares, ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund Class A shares, ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund Class A shares, and ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund Class A shares, and not to exceed 0.25% for the ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund Class C shares, ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund Class C shares, ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund Class C shares, ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund Class C shares, Clough China Fund Class C shares, ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund Class C shares, RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund Class C shares, RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund Class C shares, RiverFront Global Allocation Fund Class C shares, RiverFront Global Growth Fund Class C Shares, and the RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund Class C shares of the average daily net asset value of the Class A shares and Class C shares, respectively, attributable to or held in the name of a Participating Organization for its clients as compensation for providing shareholder service activities, which do not include distribution services, pursuant to an agreement with a Participating Organization. Shareholder Services plan fees are included with distribution and service fees on the Statements of Operations.

Certain intermediaries may charge networking, omnibus account or other administrative fees with respect to transactions in shares of each Fund. Transactions may be processed through the National Securities Clearing Corporation or similar systems or processed on a manual basis. These fees are paid by the Fund to the Distributor, which uses such fees to reimburse intermediaries. In the event an intermediary receiving payments from the Distributor on behalf of the Fund converts from a networking structure to an omnibus account structure or otherwise experiences increased costs, fees borne by the Fund may increase. Networking fees are shown in the Statements of Operations, if applicable to the Fund.

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) serves as administrator to the Funds and the Funds have agreed to pay expenses incurred in connection with their administrative activities. Pursuant to an Administrative Agreement, ALPS provides operational services to the Funds including, but not limited to fund accounting and fund administration and generally assists in the Funds’ operations.

ALPS Price MeadowsSM (“APM”), a division of ALPS, provides administration services to the Jefferies Asset Management Cayman Commodity Fund Ltd. and receives an annual fee of $50,000 for such services.

 

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Notes to Financial Statements     
   April 30, 2013

 

The Annual Administrative Fee is based on each Fund’s average daily net assets and will be billed monthly, at the following:

 

Fund   Average Daily Net Assets
of the Fund
   Annual Administrative Fee

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund

  All Asset Levels        0.10 %

ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommoditiesSM Strategy Fund

  All Asset Levels        0.10 %*

ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund

  All Asset Levels        0.15 %**

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

  First $500 Million        0.08 %
  $500 Million - $1 Billion        0.06 %
  Over $1 Billion        0.04 %

ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund

  All Asset Levels        0.15 %

Clough China Fund

  All Asset Levels        0.15 %

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

  All Asset Levels        0.10 %

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

  All Asset Levels        0.10 %

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

  All Asset Levels        0.10 %

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

  All Asset Levels        0.10 %

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

  All Asset Levels        0.10 %

 

* Subject to a minimum annual fee of $57,140.
** Subject to a minimum annual fee of $100,000.

8. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

 

In December 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-11 “Related Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities”. The amendments in this ASU require an entity to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of its financial statements to understand the effect of those arrangements on its financial position. The ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. The guidance requires retrospective application for all comparative periods presented. Management is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2011-11 may have on the financial statement disclosures.

9. INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that may contain general indemnification clauses which may permit indemnification to the extent permissible under applicable law. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

 

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
  

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of Financial Investors Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the statements of investments, of ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund, ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund (formerly known as “ALPS | WMC Value Intersection Fund”), Clough China Fund, ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund, RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund, RiverFront Global Growth Fund, RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund, RiverFront Global Allocation Fund, RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund, nine of the funds of Financial Investors Trust (the “Trust”), as of April 30, 2013, and the related statements of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for the periods presented (as to the ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund and the RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund, the related statements of operations, statements of changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for the period from January 2, 2013 (Commencement) to April 30, 2013, and the period from September 4, 2012 (Commencement) to April 30, 2013, respectively) (as to the ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund, the financial highlights for each of the three years in the period ended April 30, 2013, the period January 1, 2010 to April 30, 2010, and for the year ended December 31, 2009) (as to the Clough China Fund, the financial highlights for each of the three years in the period ended April 30, 2013, and the period August 1, 2009 to April 30, 2010) (as to the RiverFront Global Growth Fund, the financial highlights for each of the two years in the period ended April 30, 2013, the period January 1, 2011 to April 30, 2011, and the year ended December 31, 2010). We have also audited the accompanying consolidated statements of assets and liabilities, including the consolidated statements of investments, of ALPS | Kotak India Growth Fund and ALPS | CoreCommodity Management CompleteCommodities Strategy Fund (formerly known as “Jefferies Asset Management Commodity Strategy Allocation Fund”), two of the funds of the Trust, as of April 30, 2013, and the related consolidated statements of operations for the year then ended, the consolidated statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the consolidated financial highlights for each of the periods presented. These financial statements and financial highlights for these eleven funds are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. The financial highlights of the ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund for the year ended December 31, 2008, were audited by other auditors whose report, dated February 17, 2009, expressed an unqualified opinion on such financial highlights. The financial highlights of the Clough China Fund for each of the two years in the period ended July 31, 2009, were audited by other auditors whose report, dated September 21, 2009, expressed an unqualified opinion on such financial highlights. The financial highlights for RiverFront Global Growth Fund, for the year ended December 31, 2009 and the period October 28, 2008 (Inception) through December 31, 2008, were audited by other auditors whose report, dated February 26, 2010, expressed an unqualified opinion on such financial highlights.

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 Trust is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its 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 Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of April 30, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers, where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of each of the eleven funds constituting Financial Investors Trust as of April 30, 2013, the results of their operations for the year then ended, the changes in their net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for the periods presented, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (as to the ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund and the RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund, the related statements of operations, statements of changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for the period from January 2, 2013 (Commencement) to April 30, 2013, and the period from September 4, 2012 (Commencement) to April 30, 2013, respectively) (as to the ALPS | WMC Disciplined Value Fund, the financial highlights for each of the three years in the period ended April 30, 2013, the period January 1, 2010 to April 30, 2010, and for the year ended December 31, 2009) (as to the Clough China Fund, the financial highlights for each of the three years in the period ended April 30, 2013, and the period August 1, 2009 to April 30, 2010) (as to the RiverFront Global Growth Fund, the financial highlights for each of the two years in the period ended April 30, 2013, the period January 1, 2011 to April 30, 2011, and the year ended December 31, 2010).

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

June 27, 2013

 

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Additional Information     
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1. FUND HOLDINGS

 

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the period. Copies of the Funds’ Form N-Q are available without charge on the SEC website at http:// www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy the Form N-Q at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. For more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room, please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

2. FUND PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SUMMARIES

 

Fund policies and procedures used in determining how to vote proxies and information regarding how each of the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent prior 12-month period ending June 30 are available without charge, (1) upon request, by calling (toll-free) (866) 759-5679 and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

3. TAX DESIGNATIONS

 

The Funds designate the following as a percentage of taxable ordinary income distributions, or up to the maximum amount allowable, for the calendar year ended December 31, 2012:

 

     

Qualified Dividend

Income

 

Dividend Received

Deduction

ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund

       23.16 %       0.05 %

ALPS | WMC Value Intersection Fund

       100.00 %       100.00 %

Clough China Fund

       100.00 %       24.06 %

RiverFront Conservative Income Builder Fund

       6.24 %       9.59 %

RiverFront Dynamic Equity Income Fund

       41.26 %       38.96 %

RiverFront Global Allocation Fund

       46.76 %       45.16 %

RiverFront Global Growth Fund

       42.96 %       41.54 %

RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund

       34.24 %       32.13 %

Pursuant to Section 853 (c) of the Internal Revenue Code, the Clough China Fund, designates $72,711, as foreign taxes paid, and $1,731,755, as foreign source income earned between May 1, 2012 and April 30, 2013.

4. DISCLOSURE REGARDING APPROVAL OF FUND ADVISORY AGREEMENTS

 

ALPS | Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index Fund (the “MLP Fund”)

On September 11, 2012, the Trustees met in person to discuss, among other things, the approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“ALPS Advisors”) (the “MLP Fund Advisory Agreement”) in accordance with Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act. The Independent Trustees met with independent legal counsel during executive session and discussed the MLP Fund Advisory Agreement and other related materials.

In approving the MLP Fund Advisory Agreement with ALPS Advisors, the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, considered the following factors with respect to the MLP Fund:

Investment Advisory Fee Rate: The Trustees reviewed and considered the contractual annual advisory fee to be paid by the Trust, on behalf of the MLP Fund, to ALPS Advisors of 0.70% of the Fund’s daily net assets, in light of the extent and quality of the advisory services to be provided by ALPS Advisors to the MLP Fund.

The Trustees considered the information they received comparing the MLP Fund’s contractual annual advisory fee and overall expenses with those of funds in both the relevant expense group and universe of funds provided by an independent provider of investment company data.

The Trustees also considered information regarding compensation to be paid to affiliates of ALPS Advisors under other agreements, such as the proposed amended Fund Accounting and Administration Agreement with ALPS.

Based on such information, the Trustees further determined that the contractual annual advisory fee of 0.70% of the MLP Fund and the total expense ratio of 1.25% for MLP Fund, taking into account the contractual fee waiver in place, is comparable to others within the MLP Fund’s anticipated peer universe.

Nature, Extent and Quality of the Services under the Investment Advisory Agreement: The Trustees received and considered information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services to be provided to the MLP Fund under the MLP Fund Advisory Agreement. The Trustees reviewed certain background materials supplied by ALPS Advisors in its presentation, including its Form ADV.

 

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Additional Information     
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

The Trustees reviewed and considered ALPS Advisors’ investment advisory personnel, its history as an asset manager and its performance and the amount of assets currently under management by ALPS Advisors and its affiliated entities. The Trustees also reviewed the research and decision-making processes utilized by ALPS Advisors, including the methods adopted to seek to achieve compliance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the MLP Fund.

The Trustees considered the background and experience of ALPS Advisors’ management in connection with the MLP Fund, including reviewing the qualifications, backgrounds and responsibilities of the management team primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the MLP Fund and the extent of the resources devoted to research and analysis of actual and potential investments.

The Trustees also reviewed, among other things, ALPS Advisors’ Code of Ethics.

Performance: The Trustees noted that since the MLP Fund has not yet begun operations, there is no fund performance to be reviewed or analyzed at this time. The Trustees considered ALPS Advisors’ reputation generally and its investment techniques, risk management controls and decision-making processes.

The Adviser’s Profitability: The Trustees received and considered a projected profitability analysis prepared by ALPS Advisors based on the fees payable under the MLP Fund Advisory Agreement. The Trustees considered the profits, if any, anticipated to be realized by ALPS Advisors in connection with the operation of the MLP Fund.

Economies of Scale: The Trustees considered whether economies of scale in the provision of services to the MLP Fund would be passed along to the shareholders.

Other Benefits to the Adviser: The Trustees reviewed and considered any other incidental benefits derived or to be derived by ALPS Advisors from its relationship with the MLP Fund, including soft dollar arrangements.

In selecting ALPS Advisors as the MLP Fund’s investment adviser and approving the MLP Fund Advisory Agreement and the fees charged under the MLP Fund Advisory Agreement, the Trustees concluded that no single factor reviewed by the Trustees was identified by the Trustees to be determinative as the principal factor in whether to approve the MLP Fund Advisory Agreement. Further, the Independent Trustees were advised by independent legal counsel throughout the process. The Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees, concluded that:

 

   

the investment advisory fees to be received by ALPS Advisors with respect to the MLP Fund were comparable to others within the MLP Fund’s peer universe;

   

the nature, extent and quality of services to be rendered by ALPS Advisors under the MLP Fund Advisory Agreement were adequate;

   

there was no performance history for the MLP Fund for the Board to consider;

   

the terms of the proposed fee waiver and expense limitation agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the MLP Fund, and ALPS Advisors, were not unreasonable;

   

the profit, if any, anticipated to be realized by ALPS Advisors in connection with the operation of the MLP Fund is not unreasonable to the MLP Fund; and

   

there were no material economies of scale or other incidental benefits accruing to ALPS Advisors in connection with its relationship with the MLP Fund.

Based on the Trustees’ deliberations and their evaluation of the information described above, the Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees, concluded that ALPS Advisors’ compensation for investment advisory services is consistent with the best interests of the MLP Fund and its shareholders.

 

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Trustees and Officers     
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

  INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

    

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustee****

  

Other Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5 Years

Mary K. Anstine,

age 72

   Trustee    Ms. Anstine was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.      Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/Director of AV Hunter Trust and Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.    46    Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund); and Westcore Trust (12 funds).
John R. Moran, Jr., age 82    Trustee    Mr. Moran was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.      Mr. Moran is formerly President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, a private foundation serving the health and hospital community in the state of Colorado. An attorney, Mr. Moran was formerly a partner with the firm of Kutak Rock & Campbell in Denver, Colorado and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. Currently, Mr. Moran is a member of the Treasurer’s Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Colorado.    26    None.

Jeremy W. Deems,

age 36

   Trustee    Mr. Deems was appointed as a Trustee at the March 11, 2008 meeting of the Board of Trustees and elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.      Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, an investment management company, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, a liquidity resourcing company, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company (from 2004 to June 2007). Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.    46    Mr. Deems is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds) and Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund).

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee or Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust, currently 26, and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Red Rocks, Wellington Management, Clough Capital, RiverFront or Kotak provides investment advisory services (currently 33 funds, 0 funds, 0 funds, 3 funds, 0 funds and 0 funds, respectively).

 

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Trustees and Officers     
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

  INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

    

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

    

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5
Years***

  

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustee****

  

Other Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5 Years

Jerry G. Rutledge,

age 68

   Trustee      Mr. Rutledge was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.      Mr. Rutledge is the President and owner of Rutledge’s Inc., a retail clothing business. Mr. Rutledge is currently Director of the American National Bank. He was from 1994 to 2007 a Regent of the University of Colorado.    29    Mr. Rutledge is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund), Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund) and Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund).

Michael “Ross” Shell,

age 42

   Trustee      Mr. Shell was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.      Mr. Shell is Founder and CEO* of Red Idea, LLC, a strategic consulting/early stage venture firm (since June 2008). From 1999 to 2009, he was a part- owner and Director of Tesser, Inc., a brand agency. From December 2005 to May 2008, he was Director, Marketing and Investor Relations, of Woodbourne, a REIT/real estate hedge fund and private equity firm. Prior to this, from May 2004 to November 2005, he worked as a business strategy consultant; from June 2003 to April 2004, he was on the Global Client Services team of IDEO, a product design/innovation firm; and from 1999 to 2003, he was President of Tesser, Inc. Mr. Shell graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science.    26    None.

 

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee or Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust, currently 26, and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Red Rocks, Wellington Management, Clough Capital, RiverFront or Kotak provides investment advisory services (currently 33 funds, 0 funds, 0 funds, 3 funds, 0 funds and 0 funds, respectively).

 

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Trustees and Officers     
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

  INTERESTED TRUSTEE

 

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

    

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

    

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustee****

  

Other Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5 Years

Edmund J. Burke,

age 52

   Trustee, Chairman and President      Mr. Burke was elected as Chairman at the August 28, 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Burke was elected as Trustee at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009. Mr. Burke was elected President of the Trust at the December 17, 2002 meeting of the Board of Trustees.      Mr. Burke is President and a Director of ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”) (since 2005) and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”), ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and from 2001-2008, was President of AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD. Because of his positions with AHI, AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD, Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Burke is Trustee and President of the Clough Global Allocation Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2004); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Equity Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2005); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (since 2006); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund; and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.    32    Mr. Burke is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (1 fund); and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (1 fund).

 

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee or Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust, currently 26, and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Red Rocks, Wellington Management, Clough Capital, RiverFront or Kotak provides investment advisory services (currently 33 funds, 0 funds, 0 funds, 3 funds, 0 funds and 0 funds, respectively).

 

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Trustees and Officers     
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

  OFFICERS

 

 

Name, Address* & Age   

Position(s) Held

with Fund

    

Term of Office and

Length of Time Served**

    

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

Kimberly R. Storms,

age 40

   Treasurer      Ms. Storms was elected Treasurer of the Trust at the March 12, 2013 meeting of the Board of Trustees.      Ms. Storms is Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration of ALPS. Ms. Storms joined ALPS in 1998 as Assistant Controller. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Storms is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Storms is also Treasurer of BPV Family of Funds and ALPS Series Trust; Assistant Treasurer of Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of Tilson Funds; and Chief Financial Officer of The Arbitrage Funds.

David T. Buhler,

age 41

   Secretary      Mr. Buhler was elected Secretary of the Trust at the September 11, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees.      Mr. Buhler joined ALPS in June 2010, and is currently Vice President and Associate Counsel of ALPS, AAI, ADI and APSD. Prior to joining ALPS, Mr. Buhler served as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Founders Asset Management LLC from 2006 to 2009. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Buhler is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Buhler is also the Secretary of ALPS Variable Investment Trust and Westcore Trust.

Ted Uhl,

age 37

   Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)      Mr. Uhl was appointed CCO of the Trust at the June 8, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees.      Mr. Uhl joined ALPS in October 2006, and is currently Deputy Compliance Officer of ALPS. Prior to his current role, Mr. Uhl served as Senior Risk Manager for ALPS from October 2006 until June 2010. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Uhl served a Sr. Analyst with Enenbach and Associates (RIA), and a Sr. Financial Analyst at Sprint. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Uhl is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Uhl is also CCO of the Clough Global Funds, Reaves Utility Income Fund, Drexel Hamilton Funds and Transparent Value Trust.

 

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

 

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LOGO    Annual Report | April 30, 2013

The Management Commentaries included in this shareholder report contain certain forward-looking statements about the factors that may affect the performance of the Funds in the future. These statements are based on Fund management’s predictions and expectations concerning certain future events and their expected impact on the Funds, such as performance of the economy as a whole and of specific industry sectors, changes in the levels of interest rates, the impact of developing world events, and other factors that may influence the future performance of the Funds. Management believes these forward-looking statements to be reasonable, although they are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Actual events may cause adjustments in portfolio management strategies from those currently expected to be employed.

Must be accompanied or preceded by a prospectus. Investors are reminded to read the prospectus carefully before investing.

ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc., distributor.      ALP000592   


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

 


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  

 

     PAGE  

Manager Commentary

     1   

Consolidated Disclosure of Fund Expenses

     6   

Consolidated Schedule of Investments

     7   

Consolidated Statement of Assets & Liabilities

     9   

Consolidated Statement of Operations

     10   

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     11   

Consolidated Financial Highlights

     12   

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

     14   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     21   

Additional Information

     22   

Trustees & Officers

     24   


Table of Contents
Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Market Conditions

Stocks enjoyed mid-teen gains over the last twelve month period ending April 30, 2013. The period has been punctuated by what didn’t happen. The failure of Congress to come to a budget agreement didn’t torpedo the rally in U.S. stocks; the European economy didn’t collapse due to Cyprus and other problematic members of the EU; and the slowdown in the once red-hot Chinese property markets failed to incite market panic. Once again, risk assets climbed a wall of worry, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average posting an all-new closing high. Fixed income market returns were flat to slightly negative, reflecting the preference of investors to own risk assets.

Performance Results

For the twelve-month period ending April 30, 2013, the Class I shares of the Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund posted a total return of 4.23%. Per its mandate, the Fund maintained very tight correlation to the Aspen Managed Futures Beta Index1. The index used a combination of trend and countertrend algorithms to determine exposures to 23 futures markets. In following the index, the Fund can take long or short exposures to each of the eligible markets. A long position in a futures market will profit if the price of the futures contract rises, and a short position will profit if the price of the futures contract falls.

The Newedge CTA Index2, a managed futures benchmark, returned 1.7% in the same timeframe. Another benchmark, the Barclay BTOP50 Index3, returned 1.9%. It is important to note that there are substantive differences between the Fund and these indices in terms of construction. These differences include portfolio construction methodology, markets traded, and timing of market entries and exits. There were no significant changes to the Fund strategy during this period.

Explanation of Fund Performance

A downturn in risk assets (e.g., stocks and commodities) and the accompanying “flight to quality” in May 2012 proved beneficial to positions in the Fund’s trend model (particularly long positions in sovereign fixed income futures), propelling the Fund to a 3.45% gain for the month.

The bulk of those gains were given back with the advent of a risk rally in the first two weeks of June 2012. Thereafter, the summer months were characterized by low volatility, with little opportunity for the formation of trends. The trend model’s positions in most currencies, equity indices, and commodities changed positions multiple times over the summer, while fixed income positions remained long throughout the period. The Fund’s counter-trend positions posted positive attribution throughout the summer months, almost precisely canceling the small losses from the trend model (which always constitutes the bulk of the Fund’s overall positions), such that the Fund’s NAVs on June 20 and September 27 were the same. Following the Fund’s returns in June (-2.69%), July (+2.43%), August (-0.97%), and September (-1.74%), the Fund was up just 0.33% for the five months ending September 30, 2012.

With fierce whipsaws in the prices of all major asset classes, the month of October 2012 proved to be one of the worst months in years for many stalwarts of the managed futures industry. Trend-following models performed particularly badly. The Newedge CTA Index return was -3.07%, and the Newedge CTA Trend Sub-Index return was -4.87% for the month. Although the Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund posted losses for the month as well, the model’s dynamic risk indicator proved its mettle in October, reducing exposures across the portfolio early in the month, and increasing allocations to the counter-trend model in a timely fashion later in the month. As a result, the Fund was down only 1.00% in October, significantly outperforming most of its peers.

By the end of October, the lack of sustained trends had resulted in mixed portfolios (i.e., some long and some short positions) in the currency, equity, and commodity asset classes. Although all fixed income markets remained long, the trends in those markets were substantially weakened, such that the portfolio could not be said to be meaningfully “risk-on“4 or “risk off“4 heading into November.

Over the entire May-to-October period, ten markets contributed positively to Fund performance, and twelve markets contributed negatively. Cash equivalents in the portfolio contributed an almost negligible positive amount to performance, due to the low interest rate environment. The markets with the largest gains were Corn (which sustained a very large uptrend in prices due to drought conditions in the Midwest), UK Gilt, Australian Dollar, Soybeans, and US 10-Year Treasuries. The markets with the largest losses were Euro Stoxx 50, Nikkei (USD)5, Copper, FTSE 1006, and Crude Oil.

Annualized volatility of daily returns for the Fund was about 6.76% for the May 1, 2012 through October 31, 2012 period. By comparison, the volatility of the S&P 500 Index7 was approximately 13.49% for the same period. The correlation of daily returns between the Fund and the S&P 500 Index was -0.43 (where 1.00 represents perfect positive correlation and -1.00 represents perfect negative correlation), indicating that the Fund remained strongly diversified relative to traditional risk assets.

In both November and December 2012, the inability of commodity markets to establish lasting trends caused the commodity asset class to contribute negatively to Fund performance. In November, small gains in currencies and flat performance in equity and fixed income positions were insufficient to overcome the commodity losses, resulting in Fund returns of -0.34% for the month. In December, gains in financial sectors were sufficient to overcome commodity losses, and the Fund returned 0.90%.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    1


Table of Contents
Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

A nearly straight-line rally in equities and a strong negative trend in the Japanese Yen (the latter brought on by the election of a new government with a strict inflation mandate) caused substantial gains beginning in late December and continuing through early February. The Fund returned 3.79% in January 2013.

Throughout January, the “risk-on” upward trend in equities was matched by a “risk-on” downward trend in sovereign fixed income. However, in February, while equity indices mostly continued to post small gains, fixed income trends reversed as sovereign rates contracted. Losses in fixed income positions were the primary contributor to a -1.29% return in the Fund in February. By early March 2013, short fixed income trends had weakened or flipped long and fixed income became a smaller, but positive contributor to Fund performance; combined with gains in other financial trends, as well as solid gains from the Fund’s counter-trend positions, the Fund reversed the February losses with a gain of 1.31% in March.

Trend gains continued in April 2013, but the counter-trend strategy lost steam toward the end of the month, resulting in Fund gains of just 0.54% for the month.

Over the entire November-to-April period, twelve markets contributed positively to Fund performance, and ten markets contributed negatively. Cash equivalents in the portfolio contributed an almost negligible positive amount to performance, due to the low interest rate environment. The markets with the largest gains were Japanese Yen, Nikkei (USD), New Zealand Dollar, S&P 500 (E-Mini)8, and FTSE 100. The markets with the largest losses were Euro, Corn, Crude Oil, US 10-Year Treasuries, and Soybeans.

Annualized volatility of daily returns for the Fund was about 5.95% for the November 1, 2012 through April 30, 2013 period. By comparison, the volatility of the S&P 500 Total Return Index was approximately 12.05% for the same period. The correlation of daily returns between the Fund and the S&P 500 Total Return Index was 0.44 (where 1.00 represents perfect positive correlation and -1.00 represents perfect negative correlation); although that correlation represents an explanatory power (“R-squared”)9 of only about 20%, the meaningfully positive correlation is nonetheless indicative of the strong “risk-on” trends that drove much of fund performance over this period.

Market Outlook

Stocks may be climbing the wall of worry, but investors seem more earthbound. The reasons for this vary, of course, but consider the following:

 

   

Psychology Today10 recently reported that negative news stories outnumber positive ones by a staggering 17:1 ratio.

   

According to media expert Owen Spencer-Thomas, bad news is more likely to be prominently reported than good news because it is perceived to have higher value by newspapers, television, and other outlets.

   

Economic Correspondent Paul Solman reported on Jim Lehrer’s NewsHour that people watching continual bad news stories are more likely to make questionable decisions, including becoming overly pessimistic or selling all their investments at a huge loss to avoid an “impending” economic collapse.

There is little doubt that we live in a culture swimming in negativity. John Q. Public is well aware of troubles in Cyprus and recent sabre rattling by North Korea, but not as likely to know that the total interest paid on the U.S. national debt is less now than in 1998 (Source: TreasuryDirect.gov). Nor does he realize that, contrary to popular belief, the U.S. is far from drowning in a sea of debt. Current net external liabilities are about 30% of GDP, well below the levels that triggered problems in other countries. According to Capital Economics11, there is very little risk of either a collapse in the dollar or a spike in long-term interest rates based on our current borrowing.

The popularity of bad news has significant repercussions for the investing public. Boston-based consultant DALBAR Inc.12 has collected transaction data from brokerage firms for years, in an attempt to discern the investment performance achieved by individual investors. In nearly all cases, the general public is apt to invest only after a significant run-up in asset prices, and to exit during a bad period – putting the “buy low, high“13 mantra on its head.

We are not suggesting that we have suddenly found ourselves in a perfect economic environment, but it does appear that things are better than most people realize. Corporate profits are robust, interest rates are low, and there are indications that the economy is getting back on track. With more money to spend, consumers are snapping up big-ticket items, as evidenced by the spike in car sales. And domestic housing inventories have continued to drop, which has propped up real estate prices and contributed to the so-called wealth effect.

But advertisers simply aren’t interested in such benign statistics. Bad news brings eyeballs, and in the media culture in which we live, perception trumps reality. This partially explains why, as stock prices continue to rise, equity ownership remains pitifully low.

A review of the current economic landscape helps to explain our encouraging stance toward risk assets. The current price/earnings ratio of the market is 15, which is about average from a historical standpoint. However, the current low interest rate (and low inflation) environment must be taken into account. According to Wells Fargo, during similar periods the P/E ratio14 is typically between 18 and 20. When one includes profit growth and increased capacity utilization, as well as improvements in the labor market, the case for continued market upside has clear merit.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

We believe there is a behavioral case to be made for stocks as well. With so many investors sitting on the sidelines, the recovery in equity prices has been especially frustrating. According to money flow data from EPFR15, retail investors are finally starting to re-enter the market, especially in the small cap sector. The first quarter of 2013 showed bigger flows to equity funds than to fixed income funds for the first time since 2007, and we expect that trend to continue.

Bonds are a different matter. The risks of rising rates brought about by increased economic activity should be taken into consideration. Although we do not see rates suddenly shooting higher, the total returns from fixed income seem likely to be less robust as the last few decades. This reality, in our view, makes investing in managed futures increasingly an increasingly relevant strategy.

Sincerely,

Bryan R. Fisher

Kenneth E. Banwart

William Ware Bush

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data please call 1-855-845-9444.

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writers’ current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the Fund or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. The Fund does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

 

1 

Aspen Managed Futures Beta Index - The Managed Futures Beta Index is constructed using a quantitative, rules-based model designed to replicate the trend-following and counter-trend exposure of futures markets by allocating assets to liquid futures contracts of certain financial and commodities futures markets. The Index therefore seeks to reflect the performance of strategies and exposures common to a broad universe of futures markets, i.e., managed futures beta. You cannot invest directly in the index.

2 

The Newedge CTA Index provides the market with a reliable daily performance benchmark of major commodity trading advisors (CTAs). The Newedge CTA Index calculates the daily rate of return for a pool of CTAs selected from the larger managers that are open to new investment. Selection of the pool of qualified CTAs used in construction of the Index will be conducted annually, with re-balancing on January 1st of each year. A committee of industry professionals has been established to monitor the methodology of the index on a regular basis. You cannot invest directly in the index.

3 

Barclay BTOP50 Index is an index of the largest investable CTA programs as measured by assets under management. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. You cannot invest directly in the index.

4 

During a market sentiment of ‘Risk on,’ the market is optimistic and more willing to take risk in exchange for possibly better returns. At this time there will be a greater interest in shares or stocks and commodities. When the market sentiment is ‘Risk off,’ there is pessimism in the market and it will favor perceived lower risk investments such as U.S. Treasuries or U.S. dollars. http://en.wikipedia.org.

5 

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average is a price-weighted index comprised of Japan’s top 225 blue-chip companies traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Nikkei (USD) is a futures contract traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange which tracks the Nikkei 225 Stock Average and is priced in US Dollars. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. You cannot invest directly in the index.

6 

The FTSE 100 is an index of the largest 100 blue-chip stocks traded on the London Stock Exchange. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. You cannot invest directly in the index.

7 

The S&P 500® Total Return Index is an unmanaged index of 500 common stocks chosen for marketsize, liquidity and industry group representation. It is a market-value weighted index. The Index is not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. You cannot invest directly in the index.

8 

S&P 500 (E-Mini) is an electronically traded futures contract on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange that represents a portion of the normal futures contracts, and is one-fifth the size of the standard S&P 500 futures contract.

9 

R-squared is a statistical measure that represents the percentage of a fund or security’s movements that can be explained by movements in a benchmark index.

 

10 

Psychology Today is a magazine published every two months in the United States. It is a psychology-based magazine covering a wide range of topics - such as neuroscience, relationships, health, work, the psychological aspects of current affairs - written for a mass audience of non-psychologists.

11 

Capital Economics is one of the leading independent macro-economic research companies in the world, providing research on the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia, Latin America, the Middle East and the UK, as well as analysis of financial markets, commodities and the consumer and property sectors.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    3


Table of Contents
Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

12 

DALBAR, Inc. is a financial services market research firm and performs a variety of ratings and evaluations of practices and communications in the financial services and healthcare industries.

13 

Buy Low, Sell High is the practice of buying a security when its price is (or is perceived to be) low and selling it when its price is high. The ability to buy low and sell high requires one to be able to determine roughly when the low and high prices for a security occur. There are a number of technical indicators analysts use to find these, but critics of the practice contend it is impossible or at least excessively risky.

14 

P/E ratio is the valuation ratio of a company’s current share price compared to its per-share earnings.

15 

EPFR is the acronym for Emerging Portfolio Fund Research Inc, a company that provides fund flows and asset allocation data to financial institutions around the world. Its market moving data services include daily, weekly, and monthly equity and fixed income fund flows and monthly fund allocations by country, sector, and security.

 

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Table of Contents
Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Cumulative Total Return Performance as of April 30, 2013

 

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Calendar
Year-to-Date
  1 Year   Since
Inception*
     

Portfolio Composition as of April 30, 2013

As a percentage of Net Assets

 

LOGO

 

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund - Class A (NAV) 1

   4.15%   3.80%   -4.13%    

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund - Class A (MOP)2

   -1.59%   -1.90%   -7.18%    

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund - Class I

   4.35%   4.23%   -3.72%    

Newedge CTA Index3

   4.36%   0.79%   -1.95%    

Aspen Managed Futures Beta Index4

   4.83%   3.99%   -3.71%    

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data please call 1-855-845-9444.

 

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

*         Fund Inception date of August 2, 2011.

1         Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

2         Maximum Offering Price (MOP) includes sales charges. Class A returns include effects of the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%.

3         The Newedge CTA Index provides the market with a reliable daily performance benchmark of major commodity trading advisors (CTAs). The Newedge CTA Index calculates the daily rate of return for a pool of CTAs selected from the larger managers that are open to new investment. Selection of the pool of qualified CTAs used in construction of the Index will be conducted annually, with re-balancing on January 1st of each year. A committee of industry professionals has been established to monitor the methodology of the index on a regular basis. You cannot invest directly in the index.

4         Aspen Managed Futures Beta Index - The Managed Futures Beta Index is constructed using a quantitative, rules-based model designed to replicate the trend-following and counter-trend exposure of futures markets by allocating assets to liquid futures contracts of certain financial and commodities futures markets. The Index therefore seeks to reflect the performance of strategies and exposures common to a broad universe of futures markets, i.e., managed futures beta.

   

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (as of April 30, 2013)

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes applicable sales loads)

 

LOGO

The chart represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

The Aspen Managed Futures Beta Index and the Newedge CTA Index are not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    5


Table of Contents
Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Consolidated Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of a Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including applicable sales charges (loads), redemption fees, wire fees and low balance fees; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, shareholder services fees and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your indirect costs, also referred to as “ongoing costs” (in dollars), of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

This example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire six-month period of November 1, 2012 through April 30, 2013.

Actual Expenses The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested at the beginning of the period, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio 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 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 other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as applicable sales charges (loads), redemption fees, wire fees and low balance fees. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transaction costs were included, your costs would be higher.

 

    Beginning
Account Value
11/1/12
  Ending
Account Value
4/30/13
  Expense Ratio(a)   Expenses Paid
During period
11/1/12 - 4/30/13(b)

 

Class A

       

Actual

  $1,000.00   $1,046.20   1.80%   $9.13

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $1,000.00   $1,015.87   1.80%   $9.00

Class I

       

Actual

  $1,000.00   $1,049.30   1.12%   $5.69

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

  $1,000.00   $1,019.24   1.12%   $5.61

 

(a)

The Fund’s expense ratios have been based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half-year expenses.

(b)

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year (181)/365.

 

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Table of Contents
Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund   

Consolidated Schedule of

Investments

   April 30, 2013

 

     Principal Amount/      Value  
     Shares      (Note 2)  

 

 

GOVERNMENT BONDS (5.24%)

     

U.S. TREASURY NOTES (5.24%)

     

0.250%, 04/30/2014

   $ 6,495,000       $ 6,502,865   

TOTAL GOVERNMENT BONDS

     
     

 

 

 

(Cost $6,502,449)

        6,502,865   
     

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (35.74%)

     

MONEY MARKET FUND (8.76%)

     

Dreyfus Treasury & Agency Cash Management Fund - Institutional Shares, 7-day yield, 0.010%

     10,867,814         10,867,814   
     

 

 

 

U.S. TREASURY BILLS (26.98%)

     

0.024%, 07/11/2013(a)

   $ 6,750,000         6,749,737   

0.036%, 08/01/2013(a)

     6,750,000         6,749,183   

0.073%, 10/10/2013(a)

     6,750,000         6,747,725   

0.076%, 10/17/2013(a)

     6,750,000         6,747,543   

0.100%, 04/03/2014(a)

     6,500,000         6,493,923   
     

 

 

 
        33,488,111   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $44,356,139)

        44,355,925   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (40.98%)

(Cost $50,858,588)

      $ 50,858,790   
     

 

 

 

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (59.02%)

        73,261,014 (b) 
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

      $ 124,119,804   
     

 

 

 

 

(a) Rate shown represents the bond equivalent yield to maturity at date of purchase.
(b) Includes cash which is being held as collateral for futures contracts.

FUTURES CONTRACTS

At April 30, 2013, the Fund had outstanding futures contracts:

 

Description    Position    Contracts    Expiration
Date
   Underlying Face
Amount at Value
    Unrealized
Appreciation
 

 

 

Commodity Contracts

             

Gold 100 Oz Future

   Short    28    06/28/2013    $ (4,121,880   $ 140,792   

Equity Contracts

             

Euro STOXX 50® Index Future

   Long    147    06/24/2013      5,166,963        107,018   

Nikkei 225 Index Future

   Long    109    06/14/2013      7,580,950        886,750   

S&P 500® E-Mini Future

   Long    96    06/24/2013      7,642,560        207,322   

Fixed Income Contracts

             

Canadian 10 Year Bond Future

   Long    185    06/20/2013      25,109,832        120,509   

Euro-Bund Future

   Long    130    06/07/2013      25,095,018        336,741   

Long Gilt Future

   Long    134    06/27/2013      24,979,946        286,585   

U.S. 10 Year Treasury Note Future

   Long    122    06/20/2013      16,269,847        37,372   

Foreign Currency Contracts

             

New Zealand Dollar Currency Future

   Long    337    06/18/2013      28,783,170        679,807   
           

 

 

 
            $ 136,506,406      $ 2,802,896   
           

 

 

 

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    7


Table of Contents
Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Consolidated Schedule of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

Description    Position    Contracts    Expiration
Date
   Underlying Face
Amount at Value
    Unrealized
Depreciation
 

 

 

Commodity Contracts

             

Copper Future

   Short    53    07/30/13    $ (4,223,438   $ (26,836

Corn Future

   Short    89    07/15/13      (2,892,500     (144,582

Heating Oil Future

   Short    34    06/03/13      (4,054,949     (17,137

Silver Future

   Short    36    07/30/13      (4,353,300     (228,702

Soybean Future

   Short    40    07/15/13      (2,798,000     (91,396

Sugar No. 11 (World) Future

   Short    205    07/01/13      (4,040,960     (54,581

WTI Crude Future

   Short    45    05/22/13      (4,205,700     (220,880

Equity Contracts

             

FTSE® 100 Index Future

   Long    77    06/24/13      7,635,172        (12,823

Foreign Currency Contracts

             

Australian Dollar Currency Future

   Long    124    06/18/13      12,803,000        (135,342

Canadian Dollar Currency Future

   Short    239    06/19/13      (23,694,460     (454,810

Euro FX Currency Future

   Short    220    06/18/13      (36,206,500     (394,780

Japanese Yen Currency Future

   Short    187    06/18/13      (23,978,075     (1,917

Swiss Franc Currency Future

   Short    213    06/18/13      (28,661,812     (280,243
           

 

 

 
            $ (118,671,522   $ (2,064,029
           

 

 

 

Common Abbreviations:

FTSE - Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange

FX - Foreign

No. - Number

Oz - Ounce

S&P - Standard and Poor’s

Holdings are subject to change.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Consolidated Statement of Assets & Liabilities
   April 30, 2013

 

ASSETS:

  

Investments, at value

   $ 50,858,790   

Cash

     33,294   

Foreign currency, at value (Cost $649,099)

     649,036   

Deposit with broker for futures contracts

     71,937,345   

Receivable for shares sold

     101,723   

Variation margin receivable

     738,867   

Interest receivable

     348   

Prepaid and other assets

     9,301   

 

 

Total assets

     124,328,704   

 

 

LIABILITIES:

  

Payable to advisor

     76,594   

Payable for shares redeemed

     35,746   

Payable for administration fees

     18,643   

Payable for distribution and service fees

  

Class A

     688   

Payable for transfer agency fees

     8,135   

Payable for trustee fees and expenses

     3,552   

Payable for audit fees

     31,249   

Payable for legal fees

     9,240   

Payable for chief compliance officer fees

     7,750   

Payable for principal financial officer fees

     1,250   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     16,053   

 

 

Total liabilities

     208,900   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 124,119,804   

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF:

  

Paid-in capital (Note 5)

   $ 123,313,981   

Accumulated net investment loss

     (1,112,263

Accumulated net realized gain on futures contracts and foreign currency transactions

     1,179,080   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments, futures contracts and foreign currency translations

     739,006   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 124,119,804   

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 50,858,588   

PRICING OF SHARES:

  

Class A:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 9.29   

Net Assets

   $ 3,350,477   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

     360,700   

Maximum offering price per share (NAV/0.9450), based on maximum sales charge of 5.50% of the offering price

   $ 9.83   

Class I:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 9.36   

Net Assets

   $ 120,769,327   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

     12,900,036   

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Consolidated Statement of Operations
   For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

  

Interest

   $ 57,629   

Dividends

     1,074   

 

 

Total Investment Income

     58,703   

 

 

EXPENSES:

  

Investment advisory fees

     821,853   

Recoupment of previously waived fees

  

Class A

     8,419   

Class I

     74,999   

Administrative fees

     212,938   

Distribution and service fees

  

Class A

     5,486   

Transfer agency fees

     47,092   

Legal and audit fees

     48,257   

Offering costs

     38,212   

Custodian fees

     10,562   

Trustee fees and expenses

     20,330   

Principal financial officer fees

     5,000   

Chief compliance officer fees

     30,250   

Other

     59,905   

 

 

Total Net Expenses

     1,383,303   

 

 

NET INVESTMENT LOSS

     (1,324,600

 

 

Net realized gain on futures contracts

     5,078,145   

Net realized gain on foreign currency transactions

     15,705   

Net change in unrealized appreciation of investments

     202   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on futures contracts

     1,008,392   

Net change in unrealized depreciation on translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currency transactions

     (269

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

     6,102,175   

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 4,777,575   

 

 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund   

Consolidated Statements

of Changes in Net Assets

  

 

    

For the

Year Ended
April 30, 2013

    For the Period
August 2, 2011
(Inception) to
April 30, 2012
 

 

 

OPERATIONS:

    

Net investment loss

   $ (1,324,600   $ (637,508

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments, futures contracts and foreign currency transactions

     5,093,850        (5,063,338

Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments, futures contracts and foreign currency translations

     1,008,325        (269,319

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

     4,777,575        (5,970,165

 

 

SHARE TRANSACTIONS (Note 5):

    

Class A

    

Proceeds from sales of shares

     2,819,184        11,355,891   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (830,242     (9,450,244

Redemption fees

     455          

Class I

    

Proceeds from sales of shares

     55,964,668        120,133,964   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (30,316,921     (24,374,693

Redemption fees

     1,069        9,263   

 

 

Net increase from share transactions

     27,638,213        97,674,181   

 

 

Net increase in net assets

     32,415,788        91,704,016   

 

 

NET ASSETS:

    

Beginning of period

     91,704,016          

 

 

End of period*

   $ 124,119,804      $ 91,704,016   

 

 

*Includes accumulated net investment loss of:

   $ (1,112,263   $ (677,175

Other Information:

    

SHARE TRANSACTIONS:

    

Class A

    

Sold

     311,862        1,141,658   

Redeemed

     (91,293     (1,001,527

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     220,569        140,131   

 

 

Class I

    

Sold

     6,129,373        12,696,132   

Redeemed

     (3,306,806     (2,618,663

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     2,822,567        10,077,469   

 

 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund – Class A    Consolidated Financial Highlights
For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented.

 

 

    

For the

Year Ended
April 30, 2013 (a)

    For the Period
August 2, 2011
(Inception) to
April 30, 2012 (a)
 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 8.95      $ 10.00   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS:

    

Net investment loss(b)

     (0.16)        (0.13)   

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

     0.50        (0.92)   

 

 

Total from investment operations

     0.34        (1.05)   

 

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID IN CAPITAL

     0.00 (c)        

 

 

INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSET VALUE

     0.34        (1.05)   

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 9.29      $ 8.95   

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

     3.80%        (10.50%) (e) 

RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

    

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

   $ 3,350      $ 1,254   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

    

Operating expenses excluding fee waivers/reimbursements

     1.80%        2.53% (f) 

Operating expenses including fee waivers/reimbursements

     1.80%        1.80% (f) 

Net investment loss including fee waivers/reimbursements

     (1.75%)        (1.79%) (f) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     0%        0% (e)  

 

(a) 

Per share amounts and ratios to average net assets include income and expenses of the Aspen Futures Fund Ltd. (subsidiary), exclusive of the subsidiary’s management fee.

(b) 

Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d) 

Total return does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f) 

Annualized.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund – Class I    Consolidated Financial Highlights
For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented.

 

     For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013 (a)
    For the Period
August 2, 2011
(Inception) to
April 30, 2012 (a)
 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 8.98      $ 10.00   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS:

    

Net investment loss(b)

     (0.11)        (0.11)   

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

     0.49        (0.91)   

 

 

Total from investment operations

     0.38        (1.02)   

 

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID IN CAPITAL

     0.00 (c)       0.00 (c)  

 

 

INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSET VALUE

     0.38        (1.02)   

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 9.36      $ 8.98   

 

 

TOTAL RETURN

     4.23%        (10.20%) (d) 

RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

    

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

   $ 120,769      $ 90,450   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

    

Operating expenses excluding fee waivers/reimbursements

     1.25%        1.75% (e) 

Operating expenses including fee waivers/reimbursements

     1.25%        1.55% (e) 

Net investment loss including fee waivers/reimbursements

     (1.20%)        (1.54%) (e) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     0%        0% (d)  

 

(a) 

Per share amounts and ratios to average net assets include income and expenses of the Aspen Futures Fund Ltd. (subsidiary), exclusive of the subsidiary’s management fee.

(b) 

Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d) 

Not annualized.

(e) 

Annualized.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund   

Notes to Consolidated

Financial Statements

   April 30, 2013

 

1. ORGANIZATION

 

Financial Investors Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). As of April 30, 2013, the Trust had 26 registered funds. This annual report describes the Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund (the “Fund”). The Fund seeks investment results that replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Aspen Managed Futures Beta Index (the “MFBI” or “Index”). The Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund offers Class A and Class I shares. All classes of shares have identical rights to earnings, assets and voting privileges, except for class specific expenses and exclusive rights to vote on matters affecting only individual classes.

Basis of Consolidation for the Aspen Futures Fund, Ltd.

Aspen Futures Fund, Ltd. (the “Subsidiary”), a Cayman Islands exempted company, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fund. The Subsidiary’s investment objective is designed to enhance the ability of the Fund to obtain exposure to equities, financial, currency and commodities markets consistent with the limits of the U.S. federal tax law requirements applicable to registered investment companies. The Subsidiary is subject to substantially the same investment policies and investment restrictions as the Fund. The Subsidiary acts as an investment vehicle for the Fund in order to effect certain commodity-related investments on behalf of the Fund. Investments in the Subsidiary are expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and recent IRS revenue rulings, as discussed below under “Federal Income Taxes”. The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary pursuant to a subscription agreement dated as of August 2, 2011, and it is intended that the Fund will remain the sole shareholder and will continue to control the Subsidiary. Under the Articles of Association of the Subsidiary, shares issued by the Subsidiary confer upon a shareholder the right to wholly own and vote at general meetings of the Subsidiary and certain rights in connection with any winding-up or repayment of capital, as well as the right to participate in the profits or assets of the Subsidiary. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in shares of the Subsidiary. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fund, all assets and liabilities, income and expenses of the Subsidiary are consolidated in the financial statements and financial highlights of the Fund. All investments held by the Subsidiary are disclosed in the accounts of the Fund. As of April 30, 2013, net assets of the Fund were $124,119,804, of which $22,485,968 or 18.12%, represented the Fund’s ownership of all issued shares and voting rights of the Subsidiary.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund and subsidiary in preparation of the financial statements.

Investment Valuation: The Fund generally values its securities based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading.

For equity securities and mutual funds that are traded on an exchange, the market price is usually the closing sale or official closing price on that exchange. In the case of equity securities not traded on an exchange, or if such closing prices are not otherwise available, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices on such day. Redeemable securities issued by open-end registered investment companies are valued at the investment company’s applicable net asset value, with the exception of exchange-traded open-end investment companies, which are priced as equity securities.

The market price for debt obligations is generally the price supplied by an independent third-party pricing service approved by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”), which may use a matrix, formula or other objective method that takes into consideration quotations from dealers, market transactions in comparable investments, market indices and yield curves. If vendors are unable to supply a price, or if the price supplied is deemed to be unreliable, the market price may be determined using quotations received from one or more brokers–dealers that make a market in the security. Short–term debt obligations that will mature in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, unless it is determined that using this method would not reflect an investment’s fair value.

Futures contracts that are listed or traded on a national securities exchange, commodities exchange, contract market or comparable over-the-counter market, and that are freely transferable, are valued at their closing settlement price on the exchange on which they are primarily traded or based upon the current settlement price for a like instrument acquired on the day on which the instrument is being valued. A settlement price may not be used if the market makes a limit move with respect to a particular commodity.

Forward currency exchange contracts have a market value determined by the prevailing foreign currency exchange daily rates and current foreign currency exchange forward rates. The foreign currency exchange forward rates are calculated using an automated system that estimates rates on the basis of the current day foreign currency exchange rates and forward foreign currency exchange rates supplied by a pricing service.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund   

Notes to Consolidated

Financial Statements

   April 30, 2013

 

Investment securities that are primarily traded on foreign securities exchanges are valued at the preceding closing values of such securities on their respective exchanges, except when an occurrence subsequent to the time a value was so established is likely to have changed such value. In such an event, the fair value of those securities are determined in good faith through consideration of other factors in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Board.

When such prices or quotations are not available, or when the Fair Value Committee appointed by the Board believes that they are unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board.

Fair Value Measurements: The Fund discloses the classification of its fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1     

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2     

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

Level 3     

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following is a summary of each input used to value the Fund as of April 30, 2013:

 

Investments in Securities at Value    Level 1 -
Quoted Prices
     Level 2 -
Other Significant
Observable Inputs
     Level 3 -
Significant Unobservable
Inputs
     Total  

 

 

Government Bonds

   $       $ 6,502,865       $       $ 6,502,865   

Short Term Investments

     10,867,814         33,488,111                 44,355,925   

 

 

TOTAL

   $ 10,867,814       $ 39,990,976       $       $ 50,858,790   

 

 

Other Financial Instruments

           

Assets:

           

Futures Contracts

           

Commodity Contracts

   $ 140,792       $       $       $ 140,792   

Equity Contracts

     1,201,090                         1,201,090   

Fixed Income Contracts

     781,207                         781,207   

Foreign Currency Contracts

     679,807                         679,807   

Liabilities:

           

Futures Contracts

           

Commodity Contracts

     (784,114)                         (784,114)   

Equity Contracts

     (12,823)                         (12,823)   

Foreign Currency Contracts

     (1,267,092)                                 (1,267,092)   

 

 

TOTAL

   $ 738,867       $       $       $ 738,867   

 

 

The Fund recognizes transfers between levels as of the end of the period. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Fund did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Fund did not have any securities that used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the investments are purchased or sold (trade date). Realized gains and losses from investment transactions are reported on an identified cost basis. Interest income, which includes accretion of discounts, is accrued and recorded as earned. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date or for certain foreign securities,

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund   

Notes to Consolidated

Financial Statements

   April 30, 2013

 

as soon as information is available to the Fund. All of the realized and unrealized gains and losses and net investment income, are allocated daily to each class in proportion to its average daily net assets.

Foreign Securities: The Fund may directly purchase securities of foreign issuers. Investing in securities of foreign issuers involves special risks not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers. The risks include possible reevaluation of currencies, the inability to repatriate foreign currency, less complete financial information about companies and possible future adverse political and economic developments. Moreover, securities of many foreign issuers and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of securities of comparable U.S. issuers.

Foreign Currency Translation: The books and records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Investment valuations and other assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies are converted each business day into U.S. dollars based upon current exchange rates. Prevailing foreign exchange rates may generally be obtained at the close of the NYSE (normally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). The portion of realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments due to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed and is included in realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments, when applicable.

Foreign Currency Spot Contracts: The Fund may enter into foreign currency spot contracts to facilitate transactions in foreign securities or to convert foreign currency receipts into U.S. dollars. A foreign currency spot contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell currencies at the current market rate, for settlement generally within two business days. The U.S. dollar value of the contracts is determined using current currency exchange rates supplied by a pricing service. The contract is marked-to-market daily for settlements beyond one day and any change in market value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. When the contract is closed, the Fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value on the open and close date. Losses may arise from changes in the value of the foreign currency, or if the counterparties do not perform under the contract’s terms. The maximum potential loss from such contracts is the aggregate face value in U.S. dollars at the time the contract was opened.

Trust Expenses: Some expenses of the Trust can be directly attributed to the Fund. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed to the Fund are apportioned among all funds in the Trust based on average net assets of each fund.

Fund and Class Expenses: Expenses that are specific to a class of shares of the Fund are charged directly to that share class. All expenses of the Fund, other than class specific expenses, are allocated daily to each class in proportion to its average daily net assets. Fees provided under the distribution (Rule 12b-1) for a particular class of the Fund are charged to the operations of such class.

Offering Costs: Offering costs, including costs of printing initial prospectuses, legal and registration fees, are being amortized over twelve months from the inception date of the Fund. As of April 30, 2013, all offering costs have been amortized by the Fund.

Federal Income Taxes: The Fund complies with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies and intends to distribute substantially all of their net taxable income and net capital gains, if any, each year so that it will not be subject to excise tax on distributed income and gains. The Fund is not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made.

As of and during the year ended April 30, 2013, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund files U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The Fund’s tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return for federal purposes and four years for most state returns. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Distributions to Shareholders: The Fund normally pays dividends and distributes capital gains, if any, on an annual basis. Income dividend distributions are derived from interest and other income the Fund receives from its investments, including short term capital gains. Long term capital gains distributions are derived from gains realized when the Fund sells a security it has owned for more than a year. The Fund may make additional distributions and dividends at other times if the portfolio manager believes doing so may be necessary for the Fund to avoid or reduce taxes.

3. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

 

The Fund uses derivatives (including futures) to pursue its investment objective. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks may include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations, (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation, and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. These risks could cause the Fund to lose more than the principal amount invested. In addition, investments in derivatives involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately large impact on the Fund.

The Fund’s use of derivatives can result in losses due to unanticipated changes in the market risk factors and the overall market. In instances where the Fund is using derivatives to decrease, or hedge, exposures to market risk factors for securities held by the Fund, there are also risks that those derivatives may not perform as expected resulting in losses for the combined or hedged positions. Derivatives may have little or no initial cash investment relative to their market value exposure and therefore can produce significant gains or losses in excess of their cost. This use of

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund   

Notes to Consolidated

Financial Statements

   April 30, 2013

 

embedded leverage allows the Fund to increase its market value exposure relative to its net assets and can substantially increase the volatility of the Fund’s performance.

In addition, use of derivatives may increase or decrease exposure to the following risk factors:

 

   

Equity Risk: Equity risk relates to the change in value of equity securities as they relate to increases or decreases in the general market.

 

   

Fixed Income Risk: When the Fund invests in fixed-income securities or derivatives, the value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed-income securities or derivatives owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default) and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments).

 

   

Foreign Currency Risk: Currency trading involves significant risks, including market risk, interest rate risk, country risk, counterparty credit risk and short sale risk. Market risk results from the price movement of foreign currency values in response to shifting market supply and demand. Interest rate risk arises whenever a country changes its stated interest rate target associated with its currency. Country risk arises because virtually every country has interfered with international transactions in its currency. Counterparty credit risk arises when the counterparty will not fulfill its obligations to the Fund. Short sale risk arises from the sale of a security that is not owned, or any sale that is completed by the delivery of a security borrowed.

 

   

Commodity Risk: Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Commodity prices are influenced by unfavorable weather, animal and plant disease, geologic and environmental factors, as well as changes in government regulation such as tariffs, embargoes or burdensome production rules and restrictions.

Futures: The Fund and the Subsidiary may enter into futures contracts. Futures contracts are agreements between two parties to buy and sell a particular commodity, instrument or index for a specified price on a specified future date. When the Fund or the Subsidiary enters into a futures contract, it is required to deposit with (or for the benefit of) its broker an amount of cash or short-term high-quality securities as “initial margin”. The margin requirements are set by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may be modified during the term of the contract. The initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the futures contract that is returned to the Fund upon termination of the contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. As the value of the contract changes, the value of the futures contract position increases or declines. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin”, are made or received by the Fund or the Subsidiary, depending on the price fluctuations in the fair value of the contract and the value of cash or securities on deposit with the broker. The aggregate principal amounts of the contracts are not recorded in the financial statements. Fluctuations in the value of the contracts are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as an asset (liability) and in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) until the contracts are closed, when they are recorded as realized gains (losses). Realized gain or loss on a futures position is equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed, minus brokerage commissions. When the Fund or the Subsidiary enters into a futures contract certain risks may arise, such as illiquidity in the futures market, which may limit the Fund’s or the Subsidiary’s ability to close out a futures contract prior to settlement date, and unanticipated movements in the value of securities, commodities or interest rates. Futures contracts are exchange-traded. Exchange-traded futures are standardized contracts and are settled through a clearing house with fulfillment supported by the credit of the exchange. Therefore, counterparty credit risk to the Fund and the Subsidiary is reduced. In addition, the Fund could be exposed to risk if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts. With exchange traded futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the Funds since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as a counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default.

Balance Sheet – Fair Value of Derivative Instruments as of April 30, 2013(a):

 

Derivatives Instruments   

Asset Derivatives Balance

Sheet Location

   Fair Value     Liabilities Derivatives
Balance Sheet Location
   Fair Value  

 

 

Futures Contracts*

   Variation Margin Receivable    $ 738,867      Variation Margin Payable      $            –   
     

 

 

      

 

 

 
      $ 738,867           $            –   
     

 

 

      

 

 

 
   *Risk Exposure to Fund        
  

Commodity Contracts

   $ (643,322     
  

Equity Contracts

     1,188,267        
  

Fixed Income Contracts

     781,207        
  

Foreign Currency Contracts

     (587,285     
     

 

 

      
      $ 738,867        
     

 

 

      

 

(a)

For open derivative instruments as of April 30, 2013, see the Consolidated Schedule of Investments, which is also indicative of the activity for the year ended April 30, 2013.

 

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Table of Contents
Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund   

Notes to Consolidated

Financial Statements

   April 30, 2013

 

Consolidated Statement of Operations – The effect of Derivative Instruments for the year ended April 30, 2013:

 

Derivatives Instruments   Location of Gain/(Loss) on Derivatives
Recognized in Income
 

Realized Gain/(Loss) on

Derivatives Recognized in Income

   

Change in Unrealized Gain/
(Loss) on

Derivatives Recognized in Income

 

 

 

Futures Contracts*

  Net realized gain on futures contracts/Net change in unrealized appreciation on futures contracts   $ 5,078,145      $ 1,008,392   
   

 

 

 
    $ 5,078,145      $ 1,008,392   
   

 

 

 
  *Risk Exposure to Fund    
 

Commodity Contracts

  $ 162,600      $ (613,847)   
 

Equity Contracts

    1,779,493        1,172,611   
 

Fixed Income Contracts

    (140,814)        543,298   
 

Foreign Currency Contracts

    3,276,866        (93,670)   
   

 

 

 
    $ 5,078,145      $ 1,008,392   
   

 

 

 

4. TAX BASIS INFORMATION

 

Reclassifications: Reclassifications to paid-in capital relate primarily to differing book/tax treatment of ordinary net investment losses. Investment in subsidiary and foreign currency also impact the book/tax treatment differences. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the following reclassifications, which had no impact on results of operations or net assets, were recorded to reflect tax character:

 

Fund    Paid-in Capital     Accumulated Net
Investment Income
     Accumulated Net
Realized Loss on
Futures Contracts
 

 

 

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund

   $ (593,957     889,512         (295,555

Included in the amounts reclassified was a net operating loss offset to Paid-in-capital of $666,326.

Tax Basis of Investments: As of April 30, 2013, the aggregate cost of investments, gross unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) and net unrealized appreciation for Federal tax purposes was as follows:

 

    Cost of Investments     Gross Appreciation
(excess of value
over tax cost)
    Gross Depreciation
(excess of tax cost
over value)
    Net Appreciation/
(Depreciation) of
Investments, Futures
Contracts and
Foreign Currency
 

 

 

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund

  $ 50,866,618      $ 267,264      $ (275,092   $ 738,804   

Components of Distributable Earnings: At April 30, 2013, components of distributable earnings were on a tax basis as follows:

 

      Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund  

Accumulated net capital gains

   $ 2,117,510   

Net unrealized appreciation on futures contracts

     730,976   

Other cumulative effect of timing differences

     (2,042,663)   

 

 

Total distributable earnings

   $ 805,823   

 

 

As of April 30, 2013, the Fund elects to defer to the period ending April 30, 2014 late year ordinary losses in the amount of $1,104,233.

Capital Losses: As of April 30, 2013, the Fund has no accumulated capital loss carryforwards.

During the year ended April 30, 2013, the Fund utilized capital losses in the amounts of $627,443 for short-term and $ 704,192 for long-term.

Tax Basis of Distributions to Shareholders: Distributions are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which differ from GAAP, and, therefore, may differ significantly in amount or character from net investment income and realized gains for financial reporting purposes. Financial reporting records are adjusted for permanent book/tax differences to reflect tax character but are not adjusted for temporary differences. During the year ended April 30, 2013 and the period ended April 30, 2012, the Fund did not make any distributions.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund   

Notes to Consolidated

Financial Statements

   April 30, 2013

 

5. SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST

 

The capitalization of the Trust consists of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value per share. Holders of the shares of the Fund of the Trust have one vote for each share held and a proportionate fraction of a vote for each fractional share. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and are non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive rights.

Fund shares redeemed within 30 days of purchase may incur a 2% short-term redemption fee deducted from the redemption amount. The amount of redemption fees received during the period are presented in the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Net Assets.

6. MANAGEMENT AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Aspen Partners Ltd. (the “Adviser” or “Aspen”), subject to the authority of the Board, is responsible for the overall management and administration of the Fund’s business affairs. The Adviser manages the investments of the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, policies and limitations and investment guidelines established jointly by the Adviser and the Board. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Fund will pay the Adviser an annual management fee of 0.75%, based on the Fund’s average daily net assets. The management fee is paid on a monthly basis.

The Subsidiary has entered into a separate advisory agreement (the “Subsidiary Advisory Agreement”) with Aspen, the Subsidiary’s investment adviser and the Fund’s investment adviser, for the management of the Subsidiary’s portfolio pursuant to which the Subsidiary is obligated to pay the Adviser a management fee at the same rate that the Fund pays the Adviser for investment advisory services provided to the Fund. The Adviser has agreed to waive the advisory fee it receives from the Fund in an amount equal to the management fee paid by the Subsidiary. This waiver may not be terminated or modified without the consent of the Board.

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver/expense reimbursements (excluding distribution and service (12b-1) fees, shareholder services fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses) to 1.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. This agreement is in effect through August 31, 2013. This agreement may not be terminated or modified prior to this date except with the approval of the Board.

Pursuant to this agreement, the Fund will reimburse the Adviser for any fee waivers and expense reimbursements made by the Adviser, provided that any such reimbursements made by the Fund to the Adviser will not cause the Fund’s expense limitation to exceed expense limitations in existence at the time the expense was incurred, or at the time of the reimbursement, whichever is lower, and the reimbursement is made within three years after the expenses were incurred.

For the year ended April 30, 2013, the fee waivers and/or reimbursements were as follows:

 

    Fees Waived/ Reimbursed     Recoupment of Previously  
Fund   By Adviser     Waived Fees By Adviser  

 

 

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund - Class A

      $ –                  $ 8,419           

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund - Class I

      $ –                  $ 74,999           

As of April 30, 2013, the balances of recoupable expenses for the Fund were as follows:

 

Fund            2015                      2016                      TOTAL          

 

 

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund - Class A

       $ 13,354                 $ –               $ 13,354           

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund - Class I

     –               –             –           

Fund Accounting Fees and Expenses

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS” and the “Administrator”) (an affiliate of ALPS Distributors, Inc.) serves as administrator to the Fund and Subsidiary. The Fund has agreed to pay expenses incurred in connection with its administrative activities. Pursuant to the Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement (the “Agreement”), ALPS will provide operational services to the Fund including, but not limited to fund accounting and fund administration and generally assist in the Fund’s operations.

The Fund’s administration fee is accrued on a daily basis, and paid on a monthly basis following the end of the month, based on the greater of (a) an annual total fee of $165,000, subject to a 5% increase per annum, from the first to the last, or projected last, day of the then current year of service under the Administration Agreement; or (b) the following basis point fee schedule:

 

Average Total Net Assets    Contractual Fee      

 

Between $0-$500M

     0.05  

$500M-$1B

     0.03  

Above $1B

     0.02  

The Subsidiary’s administration fee is based on an annual rate of $37,500 through July 2012 and $45,000 thereafter.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund   

Notes to Consolidated

Financial Statements

   April 30, 2013

 

The Administrator is also reimbursed by the Fund for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Transfer Agent

ALPS serves as transfer, dividend paying and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund. ALPS is compensated based upon a $20,000 annual base fee, subject to a 5% increase per annum for the Fund, and annually $9 per direct open account and $7 per open account through the National Securities Clearing Corporation. ALPS is also reimbursed by the Fund for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Compliance Services

ALPS provides services as the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer to assist the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer in monitoring and testing the policies and procedures of the Trust in conjunction with requirements under Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and receives an annual base fee of $30,000, subject to a 5% increase per annum.

Principal Financial Officer

ALPS receives an annual fee of $5,000 for providing Principal Financial Officer services to the Fund.

Distributor

ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI” or the “Distributor”) (an affiliate of ALPS) acts as the distributor of the Fund’s shares pursuant to a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. Shares are sold on a continuous basis by ADI as agent for the Fund, and ADI has agreed to use its best efforts to solicit orders for the sale of the Fund’s shares, although it is not obliged to sell any particular amount of shares. ADI is not entitled to any compensation for its services as Distributor. ADI is registered as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Fund has adopted a plan of distribution for Class A shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Plan”). The Plan allows the Fund to use Class A assets to pay fees in connection with the distribution and marketing of Class A shares and/or the provision of shareholder services to Class A shareholders. The Plan permits payment for services in connection with the administration of plans or programs that use Class A shares as their funding medium and for related expenses. The Plan permits the Fund to use its Class A assets to make total payments at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to its Class A shares. The expenses of the plan are reflected as distribution and service fees in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.

7. SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of U.S. Government securities (excluding short-term securities) during the year ended April 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund       

 

 

Cost of Investments Purchased

   $ 6,502,613   

Proceeds from Investments Sold

   $   

8. INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that may contain general indemnification clauses, which may permit indemnification to the extent permissible under applicable law. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

9. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

 

In December 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-11 “Related Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities.” The amendments in this ASU require an entity to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of its financial statements to understand the effect of those arrangements on its financial position. The ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. The guidance requires retrospective application for all comparative periods presented. Management is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2011-11 may have on the financial statement disclosures.

10. SUBSEQUENT EVENT

 

The Fund has entered into an Index Licensing Agreement with Quantitative Equity Strategies, LLC (“QES”) and the Adviser, joint owners of the Index, pursuant to which the Fund pays QES a licensing fee for the right to use the Index in connection with the Fund. This agreement will take effect on July 1, 2013. In addition, the Adviser has contractually agreed that the fee waiver and reimbursement agreement for the Fund, effective during the year ended April 30, 2013, shall continue through August 31, 2016.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund   

Report of Independent Registered

Public Accounting Firm

  

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of Financial Investors Trust:

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statement of assets and liabilities, including the consolidated schedule of investments, of Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund and subsidiary (the “Fund”), one of the funds constituting Financial Investors Trust, as of April 30, 2013, the related consolidated statement of operations for the year then ended, and the consolidated statements of changes in net assets and the consolidated financial highlights for the year then ended and for the period from August 2, 2011 (inception) to April 30, 2012. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audit.

We conducted our audit 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 Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit 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 Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of April 30, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and broker. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund and subsidiary of the Financial Investors Trust, as of April 30, 2013, the results of their operations for the year then ended, and the changes in their net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended and for the period from August 2, 2011 (inception) to April 30, 2012, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

June 27, 2013

 

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Table of Contents
Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1. FUND HOLDINGS

 

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the period. Copies of the Fund’s Form N-Q are available without charge on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy the Form N-Q at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. For more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room, please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

2. FUND PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SUMMARIES

 

The Fund’s policies and procedures used in determining how to vote proxies and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent prior 12-month period ending June 30 are available without charge, (1) upon request, by calling (toll-free) 1-855-845-9444 and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

3. DISCLOSURE REGARDING APPROVAL OF FUND ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund (the “Aspen Fund”)

On March 12, 2013, the Trustees met in person to discuss, among other things, the approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Aspen Partners, Ltd. (“Aspen”) (the “Aspen Fund Advisory Agreement”) in accordance with Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act. The Independent Trustees met with independent legal counsel during executive session and discussed the Aspen Fund Advisory Agreement and other related materials.

In renewing and approving the Aspen Fund Advisory Agreement with Aspen, the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, considered the following factors with respect to the Aspen Fund:

Investment Advisory Fee Rate: The Trustees reviewed and considered the contractual annual advisory fee to be paid by the Trust, on behalf of the Aspen Fund, to Aspen of 0.75% of the Aspen Fund’s daily average net assets, in light of the extent and quality of the advisory services provided by Aspen to the Aspen Fund.

The Trustees considered the information they received comparing the Aspen Fund’s contractual advisory fees and overall expenses with those of funds in both the relevant expense group and universe of funds provided by an independent provider of investment company data.

Based on such information, the Trustees further determined that the contractual annual advisory fees set forth above and the total expense ratio of 1.55% for each share class the Aspen Fund, taking into account the contractual fee waivers in place (subject to certain exclusions), is comparable to others within the Fund’s anticipated peer universe.

Nature, Extent and Quality of the Services under the Aspen Fund Advisory Agreement: The Trustees received and considered information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Aspen Fund under the Aspen Fund Advisory Agreement. The Trustees reviewed certain background materials supplied by Aspen in its presentation, including its Form ADV.

The Trustees reviewed and considered Aspen’s investment advisory personnel, its history as an asset manager, its performance and the amount of assets currently under management by Aspen. The Trustees also reviewed the research and decision-making processes utilized by Aspen, including the methods adopted to seek to achieve compliance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Aspen Fund.

The Trustees considered the background and experience of Aspen’s management in connection with the Aspen Fund, including reviewing the qualifications, backgrounds and responsibilities of the management team primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Aspen Fund and the extent of the resources devoted to research and analysis of actual and potential investments.

The Trustees also reviewed the accompanying compliance-related materials and further noted that they have received reports on these services and compliance issues at each regular Board meeting throughout the year related to the services rendered by Aspen with respect to the Aspen Fund.

Performance: The Trustees reviewed performance information for the Aspen Fund for the three-month and 1-year periods ended December 31, 2012. That review included a comparison of the Aspen Fund’s performance to the performance of a group of comparable funds selected by FUSE. The Trustees noted the favorable performance of the Aspen Fund over the three-month and 1-year periods ended December 31, 2012 compared against funds identified by FUSE. The Trustees also considered Aspen’s discussion of the Aspen Fund’s underlying portfolio diversification categories, its top contributors and top detractors, as well as Aspen’s performance and reputation generally and its investment techniques, risk management controls and decision-making processes.

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

The Adviser’s Profitability: The Trustees received and considered a projected profitability analysis prepared by Aspen based on the fees payable under the Aspen Fund Advisory Agreement. The Trustees considered the profits, if any, anticipated to be realized by Aspen in connection with the operation of the Aspen Fund. The Board then reviewed Aspen’s financial statements in order to analyze the financial condition and stability and profitability of the adviser.

Economies of Scale: The Trustees considered whether economies of scale in the provision of services to the Aspen Fund will be passed along to the shareholders under the proposed agreements.

Other Benefits to the Adviser: The Trustees reviewed and considered any other benefits derived or to be derived by Aspen from its relationship with the Aspen Fund, including soft dollar arrangements.

The Board summarized its deliberations with respect to the Aspen Fund Advisory Agreement with Aspen. In selecting Aspen and approving the Aspen Fund Advisory Agreement and fees under such agreement, the Trustees concluded that no single factor reviewed by the Trustees was identified by the Trustees to be determinative as the principal factor in whether to approve the investment advisory agreement. Further, the Independent Trustees were advised by separate independent legal counsel throughout the process. The Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees, concluded that:

 

   

the investment advisory fees to be received by Aspen with respect to the Aspen Fund were comparable to others with in the Fund’s peer universe;

 

   

the nature, extent and quality of services rendered by Aspen under the Aspen Fund Advisory Agreement were adequate;

 

   

the performance of the Aspen Fund was generally comparable, and to some extent, favorable, to the performance of the funds in its FUSE Research Network, LLC peer group;

 

   

the profit, if any, anticipated to be realized by Aspen in connection with the operation of the Aspen Fund is fair to the Trust, especially in light of the fee waiver agreement between the Trust and Aspen; and

 

   

there were no material economies of scale or other benefits accruing to Aspen in connection with its relationship with the Aspen Fund.

Based on the Trustees’ deliberations and their evaluation of the information described above, the Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees, concluded that Aspen’s compensation for investment advisory services is consistent with the best interests of the Aspen Fund and its shareholders.

 

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Table of Contents
Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s) During

Past 5 Years***

 

Number of
Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustee****

 

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee During

Past 5 Years

 

Mary K. Anstine,

age 72

  Trustee   Ms. Anstine was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/Director of AV Hunter Trust and Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.   26   Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund); and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

 

John R. Moran, Jr.,

age 82

  Trustee   Mr. Moran was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Moran is formerly President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, a private foundation serving the health and hospital community in the state of Colorado. An attorney, Mr. Moran was formerly a partner with the firm of Kutak Rock & Campbell in Denver, Colorado and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. Currently, Mr. Moran is a member of the Treasurer’s Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Colorado.   26   None.

 

Jeremy W. Deems,

age 36

  Trustee  

Mr. Deems was appointed

as a Trustee at the March 11, 2008 meeting of the Board of Trustees and elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.

  Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, an investment management company, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, a liquidity resourcing company, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company (from 2004 to June 2007). Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.   26   Mr. Deems is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds) and Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund).

 

Jerry G. Rutledge, age 68   Trustee   Mr. Rutledge was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Rutledge is the President and owner of Rutledge’s Inc., a retail clothing business. Mr. Rutledge is currently Director of the American National Bank. He was from 1994 to 2007 a Regent of the University of Colorado.   26   Mr. Rutledge is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund), Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund) and Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund).

 

Michael “Ross” Shell,

age 42

  Trustee   Mr. Shell was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Shell is Founder and CEO* of Red Idea, LLC, a strategic consulting/early stage venture firm (since June 2008). From 1999 to 2009, he was a part-owner and Director of Tesser, Inc., a brand agency. From December 2005 to May 2008, he was Director, Marketing and Investor Relations, of Woodbourne, a REIT/real estate hedge fund and private equity firm. Prior to this, from May 2004 to November 2005, he worked as a business strategy consultant; from June 2003 to April 2004, he was on the Global Client Services team of IDEO, a product design/innovation firm; and from 1999 to 2003, he was President of Tesser, Inc. Mr. Shell graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science.   26   None.

 

 

 

 

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Aspen Managed Futures Strategy Fund    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE

 

 

Name,
Address*
& Age
 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s) During

Past 5 Years***

 

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by
Trustee****

 

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee During

Past 5 Years

 

Edmund J. Burke,

age 52

  Trustee, Chairman and President   Mr. Burke was elected as Chairman at the August 28, 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Burke was elected as Trustee at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009. Mr. Burke was elected President of the Trust at the December 17, 2002 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Mr. Burke is President and a Director of ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”) (since 2005) and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”), ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and from 2001-2008, was President of AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD. Because of his positions with AHI, AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD, Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Burke is Trustee and President of the Clough Global Allocation Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2004); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Equity Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2005); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (since 2006); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund; and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.   26   Mr. Burke is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (1 fund); and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (1 fund).

 

OFFICERS

 

 

Name,
Address*
& Age
 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years***

 

Kimberly R. Storms,

age 40

  Treasurer   Ms. Storms was elected Treasurer of the Trust at the March 12, 2013 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Ms. Storms is Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration of ALPS. Ms. Storms joined ALPS in 1998 as Assistant Controller. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Storms is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Storms is also Treasurer of BPV Family of Funds and ALPS Series Trust; Assistant Treasurer of Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of Tilson Funds; and Chief Financial Officer of The Arbitrage Funds.

 

David T. Buhler,

age 41

  Secretary   Mr. Buhler was elected Secretary of the Trust at the September 11, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Mr. Buhler joined ALPS in June 2010, and is currently Vice President and Associate Counsel of ALPS, AAI, ADI and APSD. Prior to joining ALPS, Mr. Buhler served as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Founders Asset Management LLC from 2006 to 2009. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Buhler is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Buhler is also the Secretary of ALPS Variable Investment Trust and Westcore Trust.

 

Ted Uhl, age 37   Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)   Mr. Uhl was appointed CCO of the Trust at the June 8, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Mr. Uhl joined ALPS in October 2006, and is currently Deputy Compliance Officer of ALPS. Prior to his current role, Mr. Uhl served as Senior Risk Manager for ALPS from October 2006 until June 2010. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Uhl served a Sr. Analyst with Enenbach and Associates (RIA), and a Sr. Financial Analyst at Sprint. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Uhl is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Uhl is also CCO of the Clough Global Funds, Reaves Utility Income Fund, Drexel Hamilton Funds and Transparent Value Trust.

 

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Aspen Partners, Ltd. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    25


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

 


Table of Contents

LOGO


Table of Contents

 

  Table of Contents

 

 

     

Shareholder Letter

   1   

Performance Update

   3   

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

   5   

Portfolio of Investments

   6   

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

   15   

Statement of Operations

   16   

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

   17   

Financial Highlights

   18   

Notes to Financial Statements

   19   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   25   

Additional Information

   26   

Trustees and Officers

   27   


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Total return for the year ending 4/30/2013 was an increase of 9.93%. This performance lagged the Fund’s stated benchmark, Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, by 6.96%. Returns from the bond portfolio were 5.75%, which we consider adequate given prevailing bond yields. However, these bond returns did create a performance drag compared against the all-equity benchmark. We are pleased with the equity portion of the portfolio’s 11.93% return for the last twelve months, despite the fact that it trailed the S&P 500 return. This underperformance can be attributed to the both the relative underperformance of mid caps stocks vis-à-vis large cap stocks and the lack luster performance of three holdings. Edwards Lifesciences, Plexus Corp, and Select Comfort Corp all experienced setbacks that we believe to be temporary, but did hurt performance over the last 12 months.

The Disciplined Growth Investors mutual fund is a balanced fund, invested with a significant exposure to both stocks and bonds. Because our research shows the expected return from our portfolio of stocks over the next seven years is considerably higher than the expected return from our bond portfolios, we are presently maintaining the stock exposure in the fund at the high end of the target range; about 70%. We are maintaining tight maturity and credit control over the bonds in the fund.

In our estimation, the largest issue facing the capital markets is the high and rising level of U.S. Treasury debt. We discuss this issue at length in a recent white paper we published, “U.S. Treasury Debt: Virtuous Circles, Vicious Circles, and Mathematical Intersections”. In the article, we assert that U.S. Treasury debt is overvalued and that market is very large. We also assert that the U.S. Treasury has been in a virtuous circle since 1981. We also forecast that the U.S. Treasury debt will likely enter a vicious circle, one that is likely to last a long time, perhaps a decade or longer.

We believe the Treasury debt problems plus the problems with the European economies and currency and the re-emergence of terror attacks are likely to keep investors on edge for the foreseeable future.

The Silver lining in a dark cloud

Lest our mutual fund shareholders assume we are filled with doom and gloom because of our concerns over the U.S. Treasury debt market, we see a terrific story emerging in corporate America.

The story arguably begins in the middle 1990’s. At that time public corporations were being sued by law firms whenever the company missed quarterly earnings forecasts. In return for litigation relief the companies agreed to provide much more information in their SEC filings. The Safe Harbor act became law in 1995.

The second stimulus to improved corporate performance came after the Enron and Worldcom debacles. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was a response to fraudulent corporate reporting and was passed into law in 2002. One of the key provisions of the law was the requirement that the CEO and CFO each sign financial statements, attesting to their accuracy.

These two laws dramatically improved the promptness and accuracy of financial statements. They also forced massive improvements in the internal record-keeping of corporations.

The third recent development in corporate America was the proliferation of the web. The increased availability of network computing has enabled a quiet and far-reaching renovation of corporate America. Businesses now have far more timely and accurate internal reporting and

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    1


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

management efficiency has skyrocketed. Twenty years ago employees spent much of their day storing, finding and retrieving information. Today employees spend a minimum of time handling information. Of equal importance the web has enabled quantum leaps in the ability of large organizations to coordinate their efforts.

These factors have led to surprisingly good profitability for corporate America. This profitability has not been achieved at the expenses of investments in the future, such as new product development.

The generally grim macroeconomic picture and excellent corporate profitability have kept stock valuations generally reasonable. To us, this seems to be a very good environment for the long-term investor in stocks.

Buy-and-Hold no longer works- NOT!

It seems like the prevailing wisdom on how to invest in stocks changes after severe bear markets. This time is no exception. Since 2000 the U.S. has endured two of the five worst bear markets of the last century. Naturally many stock market “investors” now declare that the new key to success in the stock market is to be a nimble trader. This is nonsense. We believe prudently buying excellent companies when their stocks are at favorable prices and carefully holding those positions for years has always been and will always be the key to long-term success in the stock market.

Thanks to the DGI Shareholders

We are grateful that you have chosen to entrust your assets to our care.

Fred Martin,

Chief Investment Officer

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the Fund or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. The Fund does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

Fred Martin is a registered representative of ALPS Distributors, Inc.

 

2    1-855-DGI-FUND (344-3863) | www.DGIfund.com


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Cumulative Total Return Performance (for the period ended April 30, 2013)

 

     1 month    3 month    2013 YTD    1 Year    Since Inception*

 

Disciplined Growth Investors Fund

   0.84%    2.49%    6.38%    9.93%    18.44%

S&P 500® Total Return Index(1)

   1.93%    7.18%    12.74%    16.89%    22.03%

 

*

Fund Inception date of August 12, 2011

 

(1) 

The S&P 500® Total Return Index is an unmanaged index of 500 common stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation. It is a market-value weighted index. The S&P 500® Total Return Index is not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

The returns shown above do not reflect the deductions of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or redemptions of Fund shares.

Returns less than one year are cumulative.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data please call 855-DGI-FUND.

Growth of $10,000 Investment in the Fund (for the period ended April 30, 2013)

 

 

LOGO

The chart represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Investing in the Fund is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    3


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Industry Sector Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)*

 

  Technology

     23.13

  Consumer Discretionary

     21.82

  Producer Durables

     10.60

  Utilities

     1.26

  Health Care

     5.84

  Energy

     2.00

  Financial Services

     3.57

  Industrials

     0.73

  Asset/Mortgage Backed Securities

     0.30

  Corporate Bond

     26.42

  Foreign Government Bonds

     1.23

  Government & Agency Obligations

     0.32

  Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities

     2.78

Top Ten Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)*

 

  TJX Cos., Inc.

     4.62

  Intuit, Inc.

     3.39

  Cabela’s, Inc.

     2.91

  Eaton Corp. PLC

     2.77

  Seagate Technology PLC

     2.53

  Limited Brands, Inc.

     2.44

  Edwards Lifesciences Corp.

     2.43

  Trimble Navigation Ltd.

     2.27

  Open Text Corp.

     2.26

  Middleby Corp.

     2.22

  Top Ten Holdings

     27.84 % 

 

* Holdings are subject to change. Tables present indicative values only.

    

 

 

4    1-855-DGI-FUND (344-3863) | www.DGIfund.com


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of a Fund, you incur two types of costs: direct costs, such as short-term redemption fees and wire fees, balance fees, and indirect costs, including management fees, and other fund operating expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your indirect costs, also referred to as “ongoing costs” (in dollars), of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

This example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire six-month period of November 1, 2012 through April 30, 2013.

Actual Expenses The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested at the beginning of the period, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio 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 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 other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any direct costs, such as wire fees or low balance fees. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these direct costs were included, your costs would be higher.

 

    

Beginning Account
Value

11/1/2012

  

Ending Account
Value

4/30/13

   Expense
Ratio(a)
  Expenses Paid
During period
11/1/2012 -4/30/13(b)

 

Actual

   $1,000.00    $1,086.90    0.78%   $4.04

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $1,000.00    $1,020.93    0.78%   $3.91

 

(a)

The Fund’s expense ratios have been annualized based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half-year expenses.

(b) 

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year 181/365.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    5


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

COMMON STOCKS (68.95%)

     

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY (21.82%)

     

Auto & Auto Parts (1.34%)

     

Gentex Corp.

     39,975       $ 899,438   
     

 

 

 

Commercial Services (1.33%)

     

The Corporate Executive Board Co.

     15,775         889,079   
     

 

 

 

Consumer Products (6.35%)

     

Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc.

     37,819         1,107,340   

Garmin Ltd.

     21,613         758,184   

Ralph Lauren Corp.

     7,681         1,394,716   

Select Comfort Corp.(a)

     46,749         992,014   
     

 

 

 
        4,252,254   
     

 

 

 

Consumer Services (0.13%)

     

Nutrisystem, Inc.

     10,682         86,524   
     

 

 

 

Leisure (2.01%)

     

The Cheesecake Factory, Inc.

     12,050         479,831   

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

     23,725         866,674   
     

 

 

 
        1,346,505   
     

 

 

 

Media (0.70%)

     

DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. - Class A(a)

     24,212         466,807   
     

 

 

 

Retail (9.96%)

     

Cabela’s, Inc.(a)

     30,375         1,950,075   

Limited Brands, Inc.

     32,405         1,633,536   

TJX Cos., Inc.

     63,375         3,090,799   
     

 

 

 
        6,674,410   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY

        14,615,017   
     

 

 

 

ENERGY (2.00%)

     

Energy Equipment & Services (1.35%)

Noble Corp.

     24,157         905,888   
     

 

 

 

 

6    1-855-DGI-FUND (344-3863) | www.DGIfund.com


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

ENERGY (continued)

     

Oil & Gas (0.65%)

     

Ultra Petroleum Corp.(a)

     20,300       $ 434,420   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL ENERGY

        1,340,308   
     

 

 

 

FINANCIAL SERVICES (3.57%)

     

Banks (0.71%)

     

TCF Financial Corp.

     32,800         477,240   
     

 

 

 

Consumer Finance & Credit Services (1.76%)

     

FactSet Research Systems, Inc.

     12,494         1,175,311   
     

 

 

 

Investment Banking & Brokerage (1.10%)

     

E*Trade Financial Corp.(a)

     25,381         261,170   

Janus Capital Group, Inc.

     53,200         474,544   
     

 

 

 
        735,714   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL FINANCIAL SERVICES

        2,388,265   
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE (5.84%)

     

Medical Equipment & Services (5.02%)

     

Edwards Lifesciences Corp.(a)

     25,550         1,629,834   

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.(a)

     1,737         855,108   

Varian Medical Systems, Inc.(a)

     13,450         876,133   
     

 

 

 
        3,361,075   
     

 

 

 

Medical Specialties (0.78%)

     

Align Technology, Inc.(a)

     15,700         519,984   
     

 

 

 

Pharmaceuticals & Biotech (0.04%)

     

Incyte Corp. Ltd.(a)

     1,400         31,010   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL HEALTH CARE

        3,912,069   
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS (0.73%)

     

Machinery-Diversified (0.73%)

     

Graco, Inc.

     8,050         487,266   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INDUSTRIALS

        487,266   
     

 

 

 

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    7


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

PRODUCER DURABLES (10.60%)

     

Commercial Services (0.59%)

     

Paychex, Inc.

     10,900       $ 396,869   
     

 

 

 

Machinery (2.22%)

     

Middleby Corp.(a)

     9,918         1,483,534   
     

 

 

 

Manufacturing & Production (2.77%)

     

Eaton Corp. PLC

     30,214         1,855,442   
     

 

 

 

Scientific Instruments & Services (2.82%)

     

Brady Corp. - Class A

     10,900         369,292   

Trimble Navigation Ltd.(a)

     52,950         1,521,783   
     

 

 

 
        1,891,075   
     

 

 

 

Transportation & Freight (2.20%)

     

JetBlue Airways Corp.(a)

     68,750         473,688   

Landstar System, Inc.

     18,250         997,545   
     

 

 

 
        1,471,233   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL PRODUCER DURABLES

        7,098,153   
     

 

 

 

TECHNOLOGY (23.13%)

     

Computers (0.62%)

     

IHS, Inc. - Class A(a)

     4,200         409,206   

Imation Corp.(a)

     800         2,944   
     

 

 

 
        412,150   
     

 

 

 

Electronics (7.09%)

     

ARM Holdings PLC ADR

     25,037         1,170,480   

Microchip Technology, Inc.

     17,900         651,918   

Open Text Corp.

     23,156         1,514,171   

Plexus Corp.(a)

     52,425         1,413,902   
     

 

 

 
        4,750,471   
     

 

 

 

 

8    1-855-DGI-FUND (344-3863) | www.DGIfund.com


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

TECHNOLOGY (continued)

     

Information Technology (13.15%)

     

Akamai Technologies, Inc.(a)

     30,300       $ 1,330,473   

Apple, Inc.

     1,183         523,773   

Autodesk, Inc.(a)

     34,850         1,372,393   

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. - Class A

     13,275         436,084   

Intuit, Inc.

     38,025         2,267,811   

Seagate Technology PLC

     46,081         1,691,173   

Yahoo!, Inc.(a)

     48,000         1,187,040   
     

 

 

 
        8,808,747   
     

 

 

 

Telecommunications (2.27%)

     

Aviat Networks, Inc.(a)

     42,775         136,880   

Plantronics, Inc.

     24,475         1,072,494   

ViaSat, Inc.(a)

     6,419         311,129   
     

 

 

 
        1,520,503   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL TECHNOLOGY

        15,491,871   
     

 

 

 

UTILITIES (1.26%)

     

Utilities (1.26%) 

     

tw telecom, Inc.(a)

     31,200         844,896   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL UTILITIES

        844,896   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

(Cost $39,174,453)

        46,177,845   
     

 

 

 
    
 
Principal
Amount
  
  
    

 

Value

(Note 2

  

 

 

ASSET/MORTGAGE BACKED SECURITIES (0.30%)

     

Government National Mortgage Association, Series 2005-93

     

5.500% 12/20/2034

   $ 185,000         199,870   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL ASSET/MORTGAGE BACKED SECURITIES

(Cost $204,337)

        199,870   
     

 

 

 

CORPORATE BONDS (26.42%)

     

Affiliated Computer Services, Inc.

     

5.125% 06/01/2015

     118,000         126,430   

Alliant Energy Corp.

     

4.000% 10/15/2014

     226,000         236,485   

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    9


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Principal
Amount
     Value
(Note 2)
 

 

 

CORPORATE BONDS (continued)

     

Ameren Illinois Co.

     

9.750% 11/15/2018

   $ 162,000       $ 228,483   

American Express Co.

     

7.250% 05/20/2014

     209,000         223,542   

Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc.

     

5.375% 01/15/2020

     216,000         263,239   

Arizona Public Service Co.

     

8.750% 03/01/2019

     185,000         250,313   

AT&T, Inc.

     

5.500% 02/01/2018

     414,000         489,950   

BB&T Corp.

     

5.700% 04/30/2014

     199,000         209,477   

BP Capital Markets PLC

     

5.250% 11/07/2013

     216,000         221,458   

Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC

     

4.875% 01/15/2015

     221,000         237,009   

Carolina Power & Light Co.

     

5.125% 09/15/2013

     133,000         135,347   

CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp.

     

4.500% 01/15/2021

     123,000         142,293   

Coca-Cola HBC Finance BV

     

5.500% 09/17/2015

     221,000         240,854   

Comcast Cable Communications Holdings, Inc.

     

9.455% 11/15/2022

     162,000         250,630   

Commonwealth Edison Co.

     

5.800% 03/15/2018

     109,000         131,479   

The Connecticut Light & Power Co., Series 09-A

     

5.500% 02/01/2019

     114,000         138,159   

Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc.

     

7.125% 12/01/2018

     382,000         496,534   

Corporacion Andina de Fomento

     

5.750% 01/12/2017

     1,000         1,148   

8.125% 06/04/2019

     182,000         237,547   

CSX Corp.

     

7.375% 02/01/2019

     105,000         134,552   

The Dayton Power & Light Co.

     

5.125% 10/01/2013

     154,000         156,895   

Diageo Capital PLC

     

5.750% 10/23/2017

     415,000         496,559   

Dominion Resources, Inc.

     

2.250% 09/01/2015

     765,000         791,679   

Emerson Electric Co.

     

5.000% 04/15/2019

     130,000         154,738   

 

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Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Principal
Amount
     Value
(Note 2)
 

 

 

CORPORATE BONDS (continued)

     

Energy Transfer Partners LP

     

9.700% 03/15/2019

   $   100,000       $   136,624   

Enterprise Products Operating LLC

     

3.700% 06/01/2015

     213,000         225,539   

Fluor Corp.

     

3.375% 09/15/2021

     131,000         140,648   

General Electric Capital Corp.

     

5.875% 01/14/2038

     228,000         277,581   

Hewlett-Packard Co.

     

3.750% 12/01/2020

     151,000         150,918   

International Business Machines Corp.

     

7.625% 10/15/2018

     371,000         491,751   

Johnson & Johnson

     

5.850% 07/15/2038

     184,000         251,478   

Joy Global, Inc.

     

6.000% 11/15/2016

     429,000         493,383   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

     

3.700% 01/20/2015

     420,000         440,865   

Lockheed Martin Corp.

     

4.250% 11/15/2019

     216,000         243,214   

Lubrizol Corp.

     

8.875% 02/01/2019

     159,000         220,850   

McDonald’s Corp.

     

6.300% 03/01/2038

     171,000         242,126   

Merck & Co., Inc.

     

5.950% 12/01/2028

     106,000         140,027   

Mondelez International, Inc.

     

5.375% 02/10/2020

     221,000         264,777   

National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp.

     

10.375% 11/01/2018

     340,000         495,189   

Nevada Power Co.

     

7.125% 03/15/2019

     170,000         219,621   

News America, Inc.

     

6.900% 03/01/2019

     115,000         145,479   

Nisource Finance Corp.

     

6.800% 01/15/2019

     115,000         141,794   

Noble Energy, Inc.

     

8.250% 03/01/2019

     186,000         244,827   

Northeast Utilities

     

5.650% 06/01/2013

     5,000         5,020   

Ohio Power Co., Series M

     

5.375% 10/01/2021

     193,000         235,375   

Oncor Electric Delivery Co. LLC

     

7.000% 09/01/2022

     182,000         243,863   

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    11


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Principal
Amount
     Value (Note
2)
 

 

 

CORPORATE BONDS (continued)

     

ONEOK Partners LP

     

6.150% 10/01/2016

   $         343,000       $         396,421   

The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc., Series B

     

7.000% 03/01/2029

     157,000         220,758   

Plains All American Pipeline LP / Plains All American Finance Corp.

     

3.950% 09/15/2015

     19,000         20,430   

8.750% 05/01/2019

     155,000         211,193   

PSEG Power LLC

     

5.320% 09/15/2016

     440,000         497,560   

Republic Services, Inc.

     

5.500% 09/15/2019

     119,000         141,422   

Rio Tinto Finance USA Ltd.

     

9.000% 05/01/2019

     166,000         229,961   

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC, Series 1

     

9.118% Perpetual Maturity (b)

     3,000         3,054   

Safeway, Inc.

     

5.625% 08/15/2014

     31,000         32,767   

Sempra Energy

     

6.500% 06/01/2016

     428,000         497,990   

The Southern Co., Series A

     

2.375% 09/15/2015

     911,000         946,619   

TCI Communications, Inc.

     

8.750% 08/01/2015

     691,000         812,668   

Texas Gas Transmission LLC

     

4.600% 06/01/2015

     183,000         195,979   

TransCanada PipeLines Ltd.

     

7.250% 08/15/2038

     180,000         257,108   

Unilever Capital Corp.

     

4.800% 02/15/2019

     118,000         139,469   

United Parcel Service, Inc.

     

6.200% 01/15/2038

     173,000         240,205   

United Technologies Corp.

     

5.375% 12/15/2017

     177,000         210,256   

US Bank

     

3.778% 04/29/2020 (c)

     226,000         238,825   

4.800% 04/15/2015

     70,000         75,611   

Viacom, Inc.

     

4.250% 09/15/2015

     464,000         499,904   

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

     

6.200% 04/15/2038

     181,000         247,410   

 

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Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

         Principal
Amount
    

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

CORPORATE BONDS (continued)

       

Waste Management, Inc.

       

7.375% 03/11/2019

     $ 102,000       $ 129,109   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL CORPORATE BONDS

(Cost $17,257,078)

          17,690,468   
       

 

 

 

FOREIGN GOVERNMENT BONDS (1.23%)

       

Israel Government AID Bonds

       

5.500% 12/04/2023

       184,000         242,528   

Israel Government AID Bonds, Zero Coupon, Series 8-Z

       

02/15/2020

       66,000         60,410   

Province of British Columbia

       

4.300% 05/30/2013

       43,000         43,133   

Province of Ontario Canada

       

0.950% 05/26/2015

       228,000         230,501   

Province of Quebec Canada, Series NN

       

7.125% 02/09/2024

       176,000         246,965   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL FOREIGN GOVERNMENT BONDS

(Cost $799,381)

          823,537   
       

 

 

 

GOVERNMENT & AGENCY OBLIGATIONS (0.32%)

       

Tennessee Valley Authority, Series B

       

4.700% 07/15/2033

       55,000         65,661   

U.S. Treasury Bonds

       

4.250% 08/15/2013

       3,000         3,037   

4.750% 05/15/2014

       65,000         68,108   

6.500% 11/15/2026

       28,000         42,617   

U.S. Treasury Notes

       

4.500% 11/15/2015

       16,000         17,711   

4.500% 02/15/2016

       13,000         14,524   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL GOVERNMENT & AGENCY OBLIGATIONS

(Cost $208,188)

          211,658   
       

 

 

 
     7-Day
Yield
  Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (2.16%)

       

Fidelity Institutional Money Market Government Portfolio - Class I

   0.01%     1,448,406         1,448,406   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $1,448,406)

          1,448,406   
       

 

 

 

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    13


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     

Value 

(Note 2)

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (99.38%)

(Cost $59,091,843)

   $ 66,551,784   

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (0.62%)

     415,602   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

   $ 66,967,386   
  

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-Income Producing Security.

(b) 

This security has no contractual maturity date, is not redeemable and contractually pays an indefinite stream of interest.

(c) 

The coupon rate shown on floating or adjustable rate securities represents the rate at period end.

Common Abbreviations: 

ADR - American Depository Receipt.

AID - Agency for International Development.

BV - Besloten Vennootschap.

LLC - Limited Liability Company.

LP - Limited Partnership.

Ltd. - Limited.

PLC - Public Limited Company.

Holdings are subject to change.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Statement of Assets and Liabilities
   April 30, 2013

 

 

 

ASSETS

  

Investments, at value

   $ 66,551,784   

Cash

     200,000   

Receivable for shares sold

     20,000   

Dividends and interest receivable

     237,619   

 

 

Total assets

     67,009,403   

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable to adviser

     42,017   

 

 

Total liabilities

     42,017   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 66,967,386   

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

  

Paid-in capital (Note 5)

   $ 59,284,029   

Accumulated net investment income

     18,206   

Accumulated net realized gain on investments

     205,210   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     7,459,941   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 66,967,386   

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 59,091,843   

PRICING OF SHARES

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 13.17   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

     5,084,771   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    15


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Statement of Operations
  

 

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

   $ 462,777   

Foreign taxes withheld

     (539)   

Interest

     312,002   

 

 

Total investment income

     774,240   

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Investment advisory fees (Note 6)

     359,232   

 

 

Total expenses

     359,232   

 

 

NET INVESTMENT INCOME

     415,008   

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

  

Net realized gain on investments

     261,618   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     4,182,524   

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

     4,444,142   

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $       4,859,150   

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Statements of Changes in Net Assets
  

 

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the Period

August 12,

2011

(Inception) to

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

OPERATIONS

     

Net investment income

   $ 415,008       $ 74,458   

Net realized gain on investments

     261,618         91,019   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     4,182,524         3,277,417   

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     4,859,150         3,442,894   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

     

From net investment income

     (383,921)         (58,339)   

From net realized gains on investments

     (176,427)           

 

 

Net decrease in net assets from distributions

     (560,348)         (58,339)   

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (Note 5)

     

Proceeds from sales of shares

     29,863,013         32,628,566   

Issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions

     560,205         58,309   

Cost of shares redeemed, net of redemption fees

     (3,432,700)         (393,364)   

 

 

Net increase from capital share transactions

     26,990,518         32,293,511   

 

 

Net increase in net assets

     31,289,320         35,678,066   

 

 

NET ASSETS

     

Beginning of period

     35,678,066           

 

 

End of period*

   $ 66,967,386       $ 35,678,066   

 

 

*Including accumulated net investment income of:

   $ 18,206       $ 16,119   

OTHER INFORMATION

     

Share Transactions

     

Issued

     2,376,536         2,969,119   

Issued in lieu of cash distributions

     45,306         5,081   

Redeemed

     (277,179)         (34,092)   

 

 

Net increase in share transactions

     2,144,663         2,940,108   

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    17


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Financial Highlights
For a share outstanding during the periods presented   

 

    

For the Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the Period

August 12, 2011

(Inception) to

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

     $              12.13         $              10.00   

INCOME FROM OPERATIONS

     

Net investment income(a)

     0.11         0.05   

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     1.09         2.11   

 

 

Total from investment operations

     1.20         2.16   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

     

From net investment income

     (0.11)         (0.03)   

From net realized gain on investments

     (0.05)           

 

 

Total distributions

     (0.16)         (0.03)   

 

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL

               

 

 

INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     1.04         2.13   

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

     $              13.17         $              12.13   

 

 

TOTAL RETURN

     9.93%         21.65%  (b) 

RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

     

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

     $            66,967         $            35,678   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS

     

Expenses

     0.78%         0.77%  (c) 

Net investment income

     0.90%         0.60%  (c) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     10%         6%  (b) 

 

(a)

Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Not annualized.

(c)

Annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

1. ORGANIZATION

 

Financial Investors Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). As of April 30, 2013, the Trust had 26 registered funds. This annual report describes The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund (the “Fund”). The Fund seeks long-term capital growth and as a secondary objective, modest income with reasonable risk. The Fund pursues its investment objective by normally investing approximately 60% of its assets in equity securities and approximately 40% in fixed-income securities and cash equivalent.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund in preparation of their financial statements.

Investment Valuation: The Fund generally values its securities based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading.

For equity securities and mutual funds that are traded on an exchange, the market price is usually the closing sale or official closing price on that exchange. In the case of equity securities not traded on an exchange, or if such closing prices are not otherwise available, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices on such day. Redeemable securities issued by open-end registered investment companies are valued at the investment company’s applicable net asset value, with the exception of exchange-traded open-end investment companies, which are priced as equity securities.

The market price for debt obligations is generally the price supplied by an independent third-party pricing service approved by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”), which may use a matrix, formula or other objective method that takes into consideration quotations from dealers, market transactions in comparable investments, market indices and yield curves. If vendors are unable to supply a price, or if the price supplied is deemed to be unreliable, the market price may be determined using quotations received from one or more broker–dealers that make a market in the security. Short–term debt obligations that will mature in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, unless it is determined that using this method would not reflect an investment’s fair value.

When such prices or quotations are not available, or when the Fair Value Committee appointed by the Board believes that they are unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board.

Fair Value Measurements: The Fund discloses the classification of its fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability,

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    19


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1    

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2    

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

Level 3    

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following is a summary of each input used to value the Fund as of April 30, 2013:

 

Investments in Securities at

Value

  

Level 1 -

Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

    

Level 2 - Other

Significant

Observable

Inputs

    

Level 3 -

Significant

Unobservable

Inputs

     Total  

 

 

Common Stocks(a)

   $   46,177,845       $       $       $   46,177,845   

Asset/Mortgage Backed Securities

             199,870                 199,870   

Corporate Bonds

             17,690,468                 17,690,468   

Foreign Government Bonds

             823,537                 823,537   

Government & Agency Obligations

             211,658                 211,658   

Short Term Investments

     1,448,406                         1,448,406   

 

 

TOTAL

   $ 47,626,251       $ 18,925,533       $       $ 66,551,784   

 

 

 

(a)

For detailed descriptions of the underlying industries, see the accompanying Portfolio of Investments.

The Fund recognizes transfers between levels as of the end of the period. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Fund did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Fund did not have any securities that used unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

 

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The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the investments are purchased or sold (trade date). Realized gains and losses from investment transactions are reported on an identified cost basis. Interest income, which includes accretion of discounts, is accrued and recorded as earned. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date or for certain foreign securities, as soon as information is available to the Fund.

Trust Expenses: Some expenses of the Trust can be directly attributed to the Fund. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed to the Fund are apportioned among all funds in the Trust based on average net assets of each fund.

Fund Expenses: Expenses that are specific to the Fund are charged directly to the Fund.

Federal Income Taxes: The Fund complies with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies and intends to distribute substantially all of their net taxable income and net capital gains, if any, each year so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. The Fund is not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made.

As of and during the year ended April 30, 2013, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund files U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The Fund’s tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return for federal purposes and four years for most state returns. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Distributions to Shareholders: The Fund normally pays dividends, if any, quarterly and distributes capital gains, if any, on an annual basis. Income dividend distributions are derived from interest and other income the Fund receives from its investments, including short term capital gains. Long term capital gain distributions are derived from gains realized when the Fund sells a security it has owned for more than a year. The Fund may make additional distributions and dividends at other times if the portfolio manager believes doing so may be necessary for the Fund to avoid or reduce taxes.

3. TAX BASIS INFORMATION

 

Reclassifications: Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts for permanent tax differences to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryforwards) under income tax regulations. If, for any calendar year, the total distributions made under the distribution policy exceed the Fund’s net investment income and net realized capital gains, the excess will generally be treated as a non-taxable return of capital, reducing the shareholder’s adjusted basis in his or her shares. These reclassifications were as follows:

 

Fund    Paid-in Capital      Accumulated Net
Investment Loss
     Accumulated Net
Realized Gain on
Investments
 

 

 

The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund

   $       $ (29,000)       $ 29,000   

These differences were primarily attributed to book/tax distribution differences.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    21


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Tax Basis of Investments: As of April 30, 2013, the aggregate cost of investments, gross unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) and net unrealized appreciation for Federal tax purposes was as follows:

 

     Disciplined Growth
Investors Fund
 

 

 

Gross appreciation
(excess of value over tax cost)

   $ 8,535,269   

Gross depreciation
(excess of tax cost over value)

     (1,075,328)   

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 7,459,941   

 

 

Cost of investments for income tax purposes

   $ 59,091,843   

 

 
Components of Earnings: As of April 30, 2013, components of distributable earnings were as follows:  

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 18,206   

Accumulated capital gains

     205,210   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     7,459,941   

 

 

Total

   $ 7,683,357   

 

 

Capital Losses: As of April 30, 2013, the Fund has no accumulated capital loss carryforwards.

Tax Basis of Distributions to Shareholders: The character of distributions made during the year from net investment income or net realized gains may differ from its ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Also, due to the timing of dividend distributions, the fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the fiscal year in which the income or realized gain was recorded by the Fund.

The tax character of distributions paid during the year ended April 30, 2013, were as follows:

 

     Ordinary Income      Long-Term Capital
Gain
 

 

 

The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund

   $ 560,348       $   

The tax character of distributions paid during the period ended April 30, 2012, were as follows:

  

     Ordinary Income      Long-Term Capital
Gain
 

 

 

The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund

   $ 58,339       $   

4. SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

During the year ended April 30, 2013, equity holdings, asset/mortgage backed securities, fixed income and rights were transferred in-kind. The intent of the transfers was to save on equity transaction costs both for the new shareholders at the institution they transferred from and for the Fund on the addition of assets. The assets of five separate accounts were transferred-in-kind into the Fund in the amount of $14,165,128.

 

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Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of securities (excluding short-term securities, transfers-in-kind, and U.S. Government Obligations) during the year ended April 30, 2013, were as follows:

 

Fund    Purchases of
Securities
     Proceeds From Sales of
Securities
 

 

 

The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund

   $ 17,945,934       $ 4,279,241   
Investment transactions in U.S. government and agency securities (excluding transfers-in-kind) for the year ended April 30, 2013 were as follows:   
Fund    Purchases of
Securities
    

Proceeds From Sales

of Securities

 

 

 

The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund

   $       $ 40,000   

5. SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST

 

The capitalization of the Trust consists of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value per share. Holders of the shares of the Fund of the Trust have one vote for each share held and a proportionate fraction of a vote for each fractional share. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and are non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive rights.

Shares redeemed within 90 days of purchase may incur a 2% short-term redemption fee deducted from the redemption amount. For the year ended April 30, 2013 and the period ended April 30, 2012, the Fund did not receive any redemption fees.

6. MANAGEMENT AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Disciplined Growth Investors, Inc. (the “Adviser” or “DGI”), subject to the authority of the Board, is responsible for the overall management and administration of the Fund’s business affairs. DGI manages the investments of the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, policies and limitations and investment guidelines established jointly by the Adviser and the Trustees. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Adviser a unitary fee for the services and facilities it provides payable on a monthly basis at the annual rate of 0.78% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Out of the unitary management fee, the Adviser pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except for interest expenses, distribution fees, brokerage expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business. Also included are Trustee fees which were $3,291 for the year ended April 30, 2013.

Fund Accounting Fees and Expenses

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS” and the “Administrator”) (an affiliate of ALPS Distributors, Inc.) serves as administrator to the Fund, and has agreed to pay expenses incurred in connection with its administrative activities. Pursuant to the Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement (the “Agreement”), ALPS will provide operational services to the Fund including, but not limited to fund accounting and fund administration and generally assist in the Fund’s operations.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    23


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Annual Administrative Fee, billed monthly, in the amount of the greater of (a) $150,000 annual minimum or (b) following basis point fee schedule:

 

Average Total Net Assets    Contractual Fee    

 

Between $0-$500M

   0.05%    

$500M-$1B

   0.03%    

Above $1B

   0.02%    

The Administrator is also reimbursed by the Fund for certain out-of-pocket expenses. The administrative fee and out-of-pocket expenses are included in the unitary fee paid to the Adviser.

Transfer Agent

ALPS serves as transfer, dividend paying and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund under a Transfer Agency and Services Agreement with the Trust. Under this Agreement, ALPS is paid an annual base fee of $25,000 plus fees for open accounts and is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is included in the unitary fee paid to the Adviser.

Compliance Services

ALPS provides services that assist the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer in monitoring and testing the policies and procedures of the Trust in conjunction with requirements under Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act under the Chief Compliance Officer Services Agreement with the Trust. Under this Agreement, ALPS is paid an annual base fee of $30,000 and is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is included in the unitary fee paid to the Adviser.

Principal Financial Officer

ALPS receives an annual fee of $10,000 for providing Principal Financial Officer (“PFO”) services to the Fund. The fee is included in the unitary fee paid to the Adviser.

Distributor: ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI” or the “Distributor”) (an affiliate of ALPS) acts as the distributor of the Fund’s shares pursuant to a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. Shares are sold on a continuous basis by ADI as agent for the Fund, and ADI has agreed to use its best efforts to solicit orders for the sale of the Fund’s shares, although it is not obliged to sell any particular amount of shares. ADI is not entitled to any compensation for its services as Distributor. ADI is registered as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

7. INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that may contain general indemnification clauses, which may permit indemnification to the extent permissible under applicable law. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

 

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Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund   

Report of Independent Registered

Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of Financial Investors Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio of investments, of The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund (the “Fund”), one of the funds constituting Financial Investors Trust, as of April 30, 2013, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, and the statements of changes in net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended and for the period from August 12, 2011 (inception) to April 30, 2012. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audit.

We conducted our audit 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 Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit 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 Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of April 30, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund of Financial Investors Trust, as of April 30, 2013, the results of its operations for the year then ended, and the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended and for the period from August 12, 2011 (inception) to April 30, 2012, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

June 27, 2013

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    25


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1. FUND HOLDINGS

 

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the period. Copies of the Fund’s Form N-Q are available without charge on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy the Form N-Q at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. For more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room, please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

2. FUND PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SUMMARIES

 

The Fund’s policies and procedures used in determining how to vote proxies and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent prior 12-month period ending June 30 are available without charge, (1) upon request, by calling (toll free) 855-DGI-FUND and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

3. TAX DESIGNATIONS

 

The Fund designates the following for federal income tax purposes for distributions made during the calendar year ended December 31, 2012:

 

Dividend Received Deduction

     52.93

Qualified Dividend Income

     72.66

In early 2013, if applicable, shareholders of record received this information for the distributions paid to them by the Fund during the calendar year 2012 via Form 1099. The Fund will notify shareholders in early 2014 of amounts paid to them by the Fund, if any, during the calendar year 2013.

 

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Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address*
& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5

Years

 

Mary K. Anstine,

age 72

  Trustee    Ms. Anstine was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21,1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/Director of AV Hunter Trust and Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.   26    Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund); and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

 

John R. Moran, Jr.,

age 82

  Trustee    Mr. Moran was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21,1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Moran is formerly President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, a private foundation serving the health and hospital community in the state of Colorado. An attorney, Mr. Moran was formerly a partner with the firm of Kutak Rock & Campbell in Denver, Colorado and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. Currently, Mr. Moran is a member of the Treasurer’s Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Colorado.   26    None.

 

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Disciplined Growth Investors, Inc. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    27


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES (continued)   

 

Name,

Address*
& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5

Years

 

Jeremy W. Deems,

age 36

  Trustee    Mr. Deems was appointed as a Trustee at the March 11, 2008 meeting of the Board of Trustees and elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, an investment management company, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, a liquidity resourcing company, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company (from 2004 to June 2007). Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund,LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.   26    Mr. Deems is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds) and Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund).

 

Jerry G. Rutledge,

age 68

  Trustee    Mr. Rutledge was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Rutledge is the President and owner of Rutledge’s Inc., a retail clothing business. Mr. Rutledge is currently Director of the American National Bank. He was from 1994 to 2007 a Regent of the University of Colorado.   26    Mr.Rutledge is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund), Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund) and Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund).

 

 

 

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Disciplined Growth Investors, Inc. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES (continued)   

 

Name,

Address*
& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5

Years

 

Michael “Ross” Shell, age 42   Trustee    Mr. Shell was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Shell is Founder and CEO* of Red Idea, LLC, a strategic consulting/early stage venture firm (since June 2008). From 1999 to 2009, he was a part-owner and Director of Tesser, Inc., a brand agency. From December 2005 to May 2008, he was Director, Marketing and Investor Relations, of Woodbourne, a REIT/real estate hedge fund and private equity firm. Prior to this, from May 2004 to November 2005, he worked as a business strategy consultant; from June 2003 to April 2004, he was on the Global Client Services team of IDEO, a product design/innovation firm; and from 1999 to 2003, he was President of Tesser, Inc. Mr. Shell graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science.   26    None.

 

 

 

 

 

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Disciplined Growth Investors, Inc. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    29


Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE

 

Name,

Address*
& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
 

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustee

 

Edmund J. Burke,

age 52

  Trustee, Chairman and President    Mr. Burke was elected as Chairman at the August 28, 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Burke was elected as Trustee at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009. Mr. Burke was elected President of the Trust at the December 17, 2002 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Burke is President and a Director of ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”) (since 2005) and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”), ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (”AFS”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and from 2001-2008, was President of AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD. Because of his positions with AHI, AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD, Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Burke is Trustee and President of the Clough Global Allocation Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2004); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Equity Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2005); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (since 2006); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund; and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.   26   Mr. Burke is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (1 fund); and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (1 fund).

 

 

 

 

 

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Disciplined Growth Investors, Inc. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Table of Contents
The Disciplined Growth Investors Fund    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

OFFICERS

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of Office and
Length of Time
Served**
   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years***

 

Kimberly R.

Storms,

age 40

  Treasurer    Ms. Storms was elected Treasurer of the Trust at the March 12, 2013 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   

Ms. Storms is Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration of ALPS. Ms. Storms joined ALPS in 1998 as Assistant Controller. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Storms is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Storms is also Treasurer of BPV Family of Funds and ALPS Series Trust; Assistant Treasurer of Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of Tilson Funds; and Chief Financial Officer of The Arbitrage Funds.

 

David T.

Buhler,

age 41

  Secretary    Mr. Buhler was elected Secretary of the Trust at the September 11, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Buhler joined ALPS in June 2010, and is currently Vice President and Associate Counsel of ALPS, AAI, ADI and APSD. Prior to joining ALPS, Mr. Buhler served as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Founders Asset Management LLC from 2006 to 2009. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Buhler is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Buhler is also the Secretary of ALPS Variable Investment Trust and Westcore Trust.

 

Ted Uhl,

age 37

  Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)    Mr. Uhl was appointed CCO of the Trust at the June 8, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Uhl joined ALPS in October 2006, and is currently Deputy Compliance Officer of ALPS. Prior to his current role, Mr. Uhl served as Senior Risk Manager for ALPS from October 2006 until June 2010. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Uhl served a Sr. Analyst with Enenbach and Associates (RIA), and a Sr. Financial Analyst at Sprint. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Uhl is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Uhl is also CCO of the Clough Global Funds, Reaves Utility Income Fund, Drexel Hamilton Funds and Transparent Value Trust.

 

 

 

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    31


Table of Contents

LOGO


Table of Contents

LOGO

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Manager Commentary

  

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

     1   

Emerald Growth Fund

     5   

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

     9   

Schedule of Investments

  

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

     11   

Emerald Growth Fund

     13   

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     15   

Statements of Operations

     16   

Statements of Changes of Net Assets

  

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

     17   

Emerald Growth Fund

     18   

Financial Highlights

  

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

     20   

Emerald Growth Fund

     24   

Notes to Financial Statements

     28   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     35   

Additional Information

     36   

Trustees & Officers

     37   


Table of Contents
Emerald Banking and Finance Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Dear Shareholder:

While small cap bank stocks (SNL Small Cap U.S. Bank & Thrift Index1 up 12.37%) have underperformed the broader market (S&P 500 Index2 up 13.64%; Russell 2000 Index3 up 16.13%) during the past fiscal year, the strong returns of the financial sector continue to be driven by loan growth, albeit tepid loan growth, solid mortgage banking income, ongoing credit leverage, and stability or dare we say strength in the housing markets. The Emerald Banking & Finance Fund’s Class A shares (without sales load) posted a total return of 18.40% for the twelve months ended April 30, 2013, compared with 17.69% for the Russell 2000 Index. While headwinds persists such as net interest margin (NIM) pressure, lower yields on interest earning assets and heightened macro concerns we remain optimistic about the current “new bull” market and the health of the banking and financial services sector. Fortunately, the Emerald Banking and Finance Fund continued to outperform the broad market and the SNL Small Cap U.S. Bank & Thrift in having posted a positive return for the last twelve months of 18.68% (without sales load). Large Cap banks have not suffered the same fate as their small cap brethren though as large cap stocks have led the broad market higher (SNL Large Cap U.S. Bank & Thrift Index4 up 18.06% versus the S&P 500 up 13.64% over the same period). The fact that small cap banks have not outperformed the broader market is somewhat disconcerting to us since Banks (and Financials in general) should lead the market higher during bull markets, not lag. Large cap banks tend to lead the market initially during a new bull market phase, but this bull market began in March 2009 and we believe small cap banks are long overdue for a reversal of their relative performance trend to take control of the bank sector and provide outsized gains versus large cap banks.

While headwinds persist, we believe the positives outweigh the negatives. We previously stated that improvements in the housing sector and the belief that housing has finally bounced off a bottom should continue to increase lending activity and keep mortgage origination income robust, thus helping to sustain relative valuations. We continue to support this thesis despite slower mortgage originations in the first quarter of 2013 which we believe was simply the result of seasonality. In fact, the underlying data remains robust. CoreLogic Inc. said May 7th that home prices in March rose 10.5% compared to the year-ago period, the biggest year-over-year gain since March 2006 and the 13th consecutive monthly rise in home prices nationally.

Data released by the Federal Reserve on Friday, April 25th shows that the recovery is not “just” a housing recovery as Commercial and Industrial (C&I) loans outstanding expanded 11.9% year-over-year for the week of April 24, 2013, with C&I loans outstanding at record levels after increasing 35% from the recent trough in June 2010. Yes, the pace of C&I growth has decelerated significantly thus far in 2013, which was not unexpected given the “pull-forward” in C&I loans in the fourth quarter of 2012 but we are optimistic that C&I loan growth will remain robust throughout the remainder of 2013 after seeing a pick-up in overall activity in April and commentary from several community bankers at the Gulf South Bank Conference regarding increasing loan pipelines in the second quarter of 2013.

Finally, we believe there is still some upside to earnings power that will come from the continued improvement in overall credit quality for the banking sector. Drastically lower net charge-offs were the bright spot in the first quarter of 2013 as credit quality metrics for U.S. commercial banks continued to improve. Net charge-offs were down to $14.91 billion from $17.31 billion at the end of 2012. As a percent of average loans, net charge-offs fell to 0.85% from 1%, according to SNL. Other than a slight increase from the second quarter of 2011 to the third quarter of 2011 and a blip in the third quarter of 2012, the percentage has fallen steadily since the first quarter of 2011.

But not everything in the banking sector is “unicorns and rainbows.” For the last twelve months, the number one concerns for bank investors and CEOs alike has been the flat yield curve and the resulting difficult interest rate environment. In fact, John Allison, Chairman of Home BancShares, Inc., recently stated to us that the only thing that keeps him up at night is net interest margin compression. In April, the slope of the yield curve decreased 16 basis points5 as the 10-year yield decreased by 18 basis points and the three-month Treasury bill yield ticked two basis points lower. At 163 basis points, the slope of the yield curve fell below the 20-year-plus average slope of approximately 180 basis points for the eleventh time in the past twelve months. Over the past 25 years, bank stocks typically under-perform the broader market (S&P 500) by roughly 7.5% annualized when the yield curve is flatter than average. However, over the past twelve months despite such a rate environment, the SNL Large Cap U.S. Bank & Thrift index outperformed the S&P 500 by 4.42%, up 18.06% versus a 13.64% increase in the S&P 500 over the same period.6

In this type of economic atmosphere, not all bank stocks are created equal and Emerald’s goal is to be able to continue to differentiate itself through our ten step research process and our ability to identify those bank management teams with the ability to navigate the headwinds in the sector, such as a slowdown in global growth and looming political and regulatory landmines, by growing loans organically or through acquisitions while reducing their cost of funds and implementing efficiency initiatives that should sustain earnings momentum throughout 2013. We believe that banks with earnings diversity, scale and growth will command a premium over the next twelve to eighteen months.

We also continue to focus on the inevitable mergers & acquisitions wave for banks with less than $1 billion in assets that we believe is being driven by Basel III7 requirements and regulatory expenses. We have witnessed an increase in the deal pace in 2012 but the bid/ask spread has not yet closed enough to see substantial activity in the first half of 2013.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    1


Table of Contents
Emerald Banking and Finance Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

We look forward to the continued opportunity to provide experienced portfolio management to our shareholders via our ten step research process and believe that this type of bifurcated market is exactly the type of environment where our stock picking capabilities differentiate the Fund from its peers.

 

Top Five Contributors to Return Included:    Top Five Detractors to Return Included:   

Bank of the Ozarks, Inc. (OZRK)

BofI Holdings, Inc. (BOFI)

First Financial Bankshares, Inc. (FFIN)

Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL)

Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. (TCBI)

  

Bankrate, Inc. (RATE)

Flagstar Bancorp, Inc. (FBC)

HomeStreet, Inc. (HMST)

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp. (ACRE)

The Bancorp, Inc. (TBBK)

  
LOGO    LOGO   

Kenneth G. Mertz II, CFA

Chief Investment Officer

Portfolio Manager

  

Steven E. Russell, Esq.

Portfolio Manager

  

Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust

 

(1)

SNL Small Cap Bank & Thrift Index: Includes all publicly traded (NYSE, NYSE Amex, NASDAQ, OTC BB, Pink Sheets) Banks and Thrifts in SNL’s coverage universe with $250M to $1B Total Common Market Capitalization as of most recent pricing data. Source: SNL Financial, data as of April 30, 2013.

(2)

The S&P 500® Total Return Index is an unmanaged index of 500 common stocks chosen for the market size, liquidity and industry group representation. It is a market-value weighted index. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

(3)

The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

(4)

SNL Large Cap U.S. Bank & Thrift Index: Includes all publicly traded (NYSE, NYSE Amex, NASDAQ, OTC BB, Pink Sheets) Banks and Thrifts in SNL’s coverage universe with greater than $5 billion Total Common Market Capitalization as of most recent pricing data. Source: SNL Financial, data as of April 30, 2013.

(5)

A basis point is a unit of equal to 1/100th of 1%, and is commonly used to denote the change in a financial instrument.

(6)

Wunderlich Securities; “Bank Shots: A Monthly Snapshot of the Banking Sector” May 8, 2013.

(7)

Basel III is a global regulatory standard on bank capital adequacy, stress testing and market liquidity risk agreed upon by the members of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in 2010–11, and scheduled to be introduced from 2013 until 2018.

 

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Table of Contents
Emerald Banking and Finance Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

TOP TEN HOLDINGS

(as a % of Net Assets)*

 

           

Bank of the Ozarks, Inc.

    3.84%      

 

    

Independent Bank Group, Inc.

    2.81%      

 

    

ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc.

    2.56%      

 

    

Pacific Premier Bancorp, Inc.

    2.45%      

 

    

SVB Financial Group

    2.38%      

 

    

Eagle Bancorp, Inc.

    2.30%      

 

    

EverBank Financial Corp.

    2.28%      

 

    

Signature Bank

    2.22%      

 

    

Home BancShares, Inc.

    2.09%      

 

    

Horizon Bancorp

    2.06%      

 

    

Top Ten Holdings

    24.99%      

 

    

 

INDUSTRY SECTOR ALLOCATION

(as a % of Net Assets)

 

    

Banks: Diversified

    70.72%      

 

    

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

    11.51%      

 

    

Banks: Savings, Thrift & Mortgage

    6.65%      

 

    

Insurance: Property-Casualty

    2.24%      

 

    

Insurance: Multi-Line

    1.48%      

 

    

Financial Data & Systems

    1.38%      

 

    

Commerical Finance & Mortgage

    1.37%      

 

    

Consumer Lending

    1.03%      

 

    

Diversified Financial Services

    0.98%      

 

    

Asset Management & Custodian

    0.07%      

 

    

Cash, Cash Equivalents, & Other Net Assets

    2.57%      

 

    
 
* Holdings are subject to change. Tables present indicative values only.         
      
      
      
      
      
      
      

 

GROWTH OF $10,000 INVESTMENT IN THE FUND (for the year ended April 30, 2013)

 

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes applicable sales loads)

 

LOGO

The chart represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN (for the year ended April 30, 2013)

 

 

                            Since     Expense Ratio  
    1 Year     3 Year     5 Year     10 Year     Inception1     Gross2     Net2  

 

 

Class A (NAV)

    18.40%        8.48%        2.60%        3.96%        7.09%        2.07%        1.84%   

 

 

Class A (MOP)

    12.75%        6.74%        1.61%        3.46%        6.77%        2.07%        1.84%   

 

 

Russell 2000® Index

    17.69%        11.25%        7.27%        10.47%        7.37%       

 

 

Class C (NAV)

    17.58%        7.81%        1.94%        3.31%        7.03%        2.72%        2.49%   

 

 

Class C (CDSC)

    16.58%        7.81%        1.94%        3.31%        7.03%        2.72%        2.49%   

 

 

Russell 2000® Index

    17.69%        11.25%        7.27%        10.47%        6.23%       

 

 

Investor Class

    18.34%        6.90%                      8.63%        N/A        1.89%   

 

 

Russell 2000® Index

    17.69%                             13.30%       

 

 

Institutional Class

    18.81%                             17.40%        2.12%        1.54%   

 

 

Russell 2000® Index

    17.69%        11.25%                      12.73%       

 

 

The performance quoted represents past performance, does not guarantee future results and current performance may be lower or higher than the data quoted. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained at www.emeraldmutualfunds.com.

Performance shown for periods prior to March 16, 2012, reflects the performance of the Forward Banking & Finance Fund, a series of Forward Funds as a result of a reorganization of the Forward Banking & Finance Fund into the Emerald Banking & Finance Fund.

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) for Class A shares includes the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 4.75%. Performance shown at NAV does not include these sales charges and would have been lower had it been taken into account.

A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) of 1.00% may apply to Class C shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase.

 

 

Annual Report | April 30, 2013    3


Table of Contents
Emerald Banking and Finance Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

    

1    Inception Dates - Class A: 02/18/1997, Class C: 07/01/2000, Class Institutional: 03/19/2012, Class Investor: 03/16/2010

 

2    Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust (“Emerald” or the “Adviser”) has agreed contractually to waive a portion of its fees and reimburse other expenses until August 31, 2014 in amounts necessary to limit the Fund’s operating expenses (exclusive of Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expenses, taxes and extraordinary expense) for Class A, Class C, Institutional Class, and Investor Class shares to an annual rate (as percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets) of 1.84%, 2.49%, 1.54% and 1.89% respectively. The Adviser will be permitted to recover, on a class-by-class basis, expenses it has borne through the agreement described above to the extent that the Fund’s expenses in later periods fall below the annual rates set forth in the relevant agreement. The Fund will not be obligated to pay any such deferred fees and expenses more than three years after the year(s) in which the fees and expense were incurred. The Adviser may not discontinue this waiver prior to August 31, 2014, without the approval by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

 

The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership.

 

Each index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into an index.

 

Important Risks

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the Fund or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. The Fund does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

 

A fund that concentrates in a particular industry will involve a greater degree of risk than a fund with a more diversified portfolio. Investing in smaller companies generally will present greater investment risks, including: greater price volatility, greater sensitivity to changing economic conditions and less liquidity than the securities of larger, more mature companies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Dear Shareholder:

The U.S. equity market successfully navigated another year wrought with macroeconomic and fiscal uncertainty, the U.S. Presidential Election, unforeseen tragedies (Super Storm Sandy, and Sandy Hook), the end of the Mayan calendar, the fiscal cliff and most recently the implementation of the sequester. While most market participants have seemingly been reluctant bulls, the better than expected economic data and strong equity inflows continued to provide underlying support to the market’s advance. The strength in equity inflows on a year –to-date basis through April 3, 2013 as reported by the Lipper FMI/AMG fund flows database was particularly notable at nearly $48 billion and while only $18 billion of those dollars flowed into domestic equities, this marked a notable reversal from the outflows experienced throughout 2012, fueling speculation that the great rotation into equities had finally begun.

The housing recovery that began in 2012 has continued in earnest and has remained an underlying source of strength in the domestic economy through the early part of 2013. Total single family home prices rose 10.2% year-over-year in February, according to CoreLogic. The CoreLogic Home Price Index is a repeat-sales index that tracks increases and decreases in sales prices for the same homes over time, including single-family attached and single-family detached homes. The CoreLogic HPI provides a multi-tier market evaluation of repeat sales transactions based on price, time between sales, property type, loan type (conforming vs. nonconforming) and distressed sales. The increases were fairly broad-based with 47 states showing year-over-year increases in pricing. The trend seems set to continue as the CoreLogic Pending Home Price Index indicates that March prices will rise 10.2%. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has a similarly optimistic forecast expecting the dollar volume of purchase mortgage originations to grow 19% year-over-year in 2013 and 20% year over year in 2014. Non-residential construction is showing signs of life as well through ongoing advance in the Architecture Billings Index(ABI). The ABI, a monthly survey of architects regarding current billings trends, serves as a leading economic indicator as it typically leads to improvement in the nonresidential construction market by 9-12 months. The February 2013, released on March 20, 2013, ABI rose 0.7 points to 54.9, above the January levels of 54.2 and representing the seventh consecutive positive reading for the index, and the highest individual monthly reading since November 2007. The improvement in the index has been broad based with all regions and sectors reflecting expansion. Manufacturing statistics have strengthened since the end of the fourth quarter and retail sales in aggregate have been fairly stable despite the increase in the payroll tax, rising gas prices and the headwind from delayed tax refunds. Although economic growth has been generally better than expected, Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke and Vice Chairwoman Yellen, did their best to convince the market that the U.S economy is still a long way from the point where the Federal Reserve would reconsider its position on stimulating the economy, further lending support to the broad market advance.

Results

The Emerald Growth Fund’s Class A shares (without sales load) posted a total return of 9.14% for the twelve months ended April 30, 2013, compared with the 14.52% for the Russell 2000 Growth Index1. While disappointed with the twelve month trailing performance, over both the three and five year periods the portfolio has continued to outpace the Russell 2000 Growth Index benchmark. For the three year period ended April 30, the Emerald Growth Fund’s Class A shares (without sales load) had an average total return of 16.91%, compared to 14.75% for the Russell 2000 Growth Index. Similarly for the five year period the Emerald Growth Fund’s Class A shares (without sales load) had an average total return of 10.66%, compared to 9.04% for the Russell 2000 Growth Index.

Investment Analysis

The healthcare, financial services and energy sectors made significant contributions to the fund over the last twelve months. In health care, Acadia Healthcare was the largest contributor to return. As a client of Emerald you have likely heard a member or members of the Emerald team mention the firm’s propensity to follow a successful entrepreneur into his or her next venture. Emerald’s holding in Acadia Healthcare exemplifies that strategy. Acadia, an operator of behavioral/psychiatric health care facilities, is the second go round for CEO Joey Jacobs. Mr. Jacob’s, was the prior CEO of behavioral/psychiatric facility operator Psychiatric Solutions, an Emerald holding until the time of its acquisition by Universal Health Services. Psychiatric Solutions’ revenue and profitability grew substantially during Emerald’s holding period as Mr. Jacobs and team aggressively rolled-up competing facilities and enhanced their productivity. Given Emerald’s prior success investing alongside of Mr. Jacob’s and our understanding of the industry it was our assessment that there was a significant opportunity for appreciation if Acadia was successful in emulating the Psychiatric Solutions model for growth. To date this thesis remains intact as evidenced by the relative outperformance of Acadia’s shares during the period. Emerald believes there remains ample opportunity for Acadia to continue to scale its operations and profitability through both acquisitions and same center revenue and profitability gains.

Within the energy and financial services sectors, shares of exploration company Gulfport Energy Corp., and community bank, Bank of the Ozarks Inc. were the top contributors to return.

Offsetting the aforementioned however was performance within the fund’s consumer discretionary, technology, materials and producer durables holdings which produced weaker returns when compared with the same sectors in the Russell 2000 Growth index. Body Central, a specialty retailer of women’s fashions and FARO Technologies, a manufacturer of 3-D measurement and imaging systems, were the largest detractors to return.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    5


Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Top Five Contributors to Return Included

Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. Cl A (HOV)

Acadia Healthcare Co Inc (ACHC)

Sarepta Therapeutics Inc (SRPT)

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. Cl A (SBGI)

MWI Veterinary Supply Inc. (MWIV)

  

Top Five Detractors to Return Included

Body Central Corp. (BODY)

FARO Technologies Inc. (FARO)

Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. (MHR)

Brightcove Inc. (BCOV)

Millennial Media Inc. (MM)

Looking Ahead

Sell in May and go away? In each of the last three years (2010, 2011 and 2012) had you sold in April you would have avoided three wicked corrections during which the S&P 500 declined 16%, 19.4% and 9.9%, respectively according to Yardeni Research. In each of those years, much in the way that economic data during the first quarter of 2013 has been better than expected, the economy started the year strong and then weakened during the spring and summer, correlating in part to rising tension in the Eurozone. Given the strength in the market during the first quarter of 2013 and the subsequent post quarter-end string of disappointing economic releases (retail sales, consumer confidence, unemployment, etc.) fears are growing that market performance during 2013 may mimic that of the last three years. While this year certainly could follow a different path, it may not. The implementation of the sequester which is set to reduce federal agencies’ spending authority by $85 billion by year-end and resulting near-term pressure on the economy, could be setting us up for a similar phenomenon this year.

That being said, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic. From a macro-economic perspective housing is recovering, liquidity is abundant, interest rates are low, earnings are expanding, inflation remains subdued, cash on corporate balance sheets remains high as a percentage of market capitalization and the global easing cycle remains ongoing. At the stock level, we remain enthusiastic about the level of innovation and growth opportunities reflected in the portfolio holdings. At the sector level, Emerald’s bottom-up approach to stock selection has resulted in overweight positions relative to the Russell 2000 Growth benchmark in healthcare, financial services, and the consumer discretionary sectors and the most significant underweight positions in the producer durables, materials and consumer staples sectors.

Emerald, as it has for the past twenty years, remains focused on utilizing its fundamental bottom-up research process to identify the best growth companies within the small capitalization universe.

 

LOGO    LOGO    LOGO
Kenneth G. Mertz II, CFA    Stacey L. Sears    Joseph W. Garner
Chief Investment Officer    Portfolio Manager    Portfolio Manager
Portfolio Manager      

Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust

 

(1) 

The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

 

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Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

TOP TEN HOLDINGS

(as a % of Net Assets)*

 

  

  

   

MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc.

    2.87    

Trex Co., Inc

    2.17    

Akorn, Inc.

    2.15    

Bank of the Ozarks, Inc.

    2.04    

Acadia Healthcare Co., Inc.

    1.96    

Spirit Airlines, Inc.

    1.94    

Triumph Group, Inc.

    1.79    

Multimedia Games Holding Co., Inc

    1.75    

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.

    1.74    

Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC

    1.71    

Top Ten Holdings

    20.12    
 

INDUSTRY SECTOR ALLOCATION

(as a % of Net Assets)

 

  

  

   

Health Care

    25.45    

Consumer Discretionary

    19.16    

Technology

    17.01    

Financial Services

    12.32    

Producer Durables

    11.56    

Materials & Processing

    6.89    

Energy

    4.39    

Consumer Staples

    1.84    

Utilities

    0.50    

Cash, Cash Equivalents, & Other Net Assets

    0.88    

 

*  Holdings are subject to change.

Tables present indicative values only.

 
   
 

    

      

   

GROWTH OF $10,000 INVESTMENT IN THE FUND (for the year ended April 30, 2013)

 

Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes applicable sales loads)

 

LOGO

The chart represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN (for the year ended April 30, 2013)

 

 

                            Since     Expense Ratio  
     1 Year     3 Year     5 Year     10 Year     Inception1     Gross2     Net2  

Class A (NAV)

    9.14     14.46     9.38     9.99     10.60     1.43     1.29

Class A (MOP)

    3.94     12.61     8.32     9.46     10.34     1.43     1.29

Russell 2000® Growth Index

    15.67     12.94     7.81     10.53     7.39                

Class C (NAV)

    8.43     13.71     8.72     9.33     3.61     2.08     1.94

Class C (CDSC)

    7.48     13.71     8.72     9.33     3.61     2.08     1.94

Russell 2000® Growth Index

    15.67     12.94     7.81     10.53     2.60                

Investor Class

    9.08     -        -        -        5.90     1.48     1.34

Russell 2000® Growth Index

    15.67     12.94     -        -        16.74                

Institutional Class

    9.47     14.80     -        -        16.51     1.13     0.99

Russell 2000® Growth Index

    15.67     -        -        -        5.87                

The performance quoted represents past performance, does not guarantee future results and current performance may be lower or higher than the data quoted. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained at www.emeraldmutualfunds.com.

Performance shown for periods prior to March 16, 2012, reflects the performance of the Forward Growth Fund, a series of Forward Funds (as a result of a reorganization of the Forward Growth Fund into the Emerald Growth Fund.

Maximum Offering Price (MOP) for Class A shares includes the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 4.75%. Performance shown at NAV does not include these sales charges and would have been lower had it been taken into account.

 

 

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Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Manager Commentary
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

    

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) of 1.00% may apply to Class C shares redeemed within the first 12 months after a purchase.

 

1

Inception Dates - Class A: 10/01/1992, Class C: 07/01/2000, Class Institutional: 10/21/2008, Class Investor: 05/01/2011

2 

Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust (“Emerald” or the “Adviser”) has agreed contractually to waive a portion of its fees and reimburse other expenses until August 31, 2013 in amounts necessary to limit the Fund’s operating expenses (exclusive of Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expenses, taxes and extraordinary expense) for Class A, Class C, Institutional Class, and Investor Class shares to an annual rate (as percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets) of 1.29%, 1.94%, 0.99% and 1.34% respectively. The Adviser will be permitted to recover, on a class-by-class basis, expenses it has borne through the agreement described above to the extent that the Fund’s expenses in later periods fall below the annual rates set forth in the relevant agreement. The Fund will not be obligated to pay any such deferred fees and expenses more than three years after the year(s) in which the fees and expense were incurred. The Adviser may not discontinue this waiver prior to August 31, 2013, without the approval by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

The Russell 2000® Growth Index measures the performance of the small-cap growth segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 2000® Index companies with higher price-to-value ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An Investor cannot invest directly into an index.

Important Risks

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the Fund or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. The Fund does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

Investing in smaller companies generally will present greater investment risks, including: greater price volatility, greater sensitivity to changing economic conditions and less liquidity than the securities of larger, more mature companies.

 

 

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Table of Contents
Emerald Funds    Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Funds, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including applicable sales charges (loads); and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, shareholder services fees and other Fund 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 example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the (six-month) period and held for the entire period November 1, 2012 through April 30, 2013.

Actual Expenses

The first line for each share class of each Fund in the table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use this information, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the applicable line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example For Comparison Purposes

The second line for each share class of each Fund in the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio 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 Funds and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table below are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), redemption fees or exchange fees. Therefore, the second line for each share class of each Fund within the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. If these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

EMERALD BANKING AND FINANCE FUND   

BEGINNING

ACCOUNT VALUE

11/01/12

    

ENDING

ACCOUNT VALUE

04/30/13

    

EXPENSE

RATIO(a)

   

Expense Paid

During Period

11/01/12 - 4/30/13(b)

 

Class A

          

Actual

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,105.10         1.84   $ 9.60   

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,015.67         1.84   $ 9.20   

          

Class C

                                  

Actual

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,101.40         2.49   $ 12.97   

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,012.45         2.49   $ 12.42   
          

Institutional Class

                                  

Actual

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,107.10         1.54   $ 8.05   

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,017.16         1.54   $ 7.70   
          

Investor Class

                                  

Actual

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,105.20         1.89   $ 9.87   

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,015.42         1.89   $ 9.44   

 

(a) 

The Fund’s expense ratios have been based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half-year expenses.

(b) 

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half year (181), then divided by 365.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    9


Table of Contents
Emerald Funds    Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

EMERALD GROWTH FUND   

BEGINNING

ACCOUNT VALUE

11/01/12

    

ENDING

ACCOUNT VALUE

04/30/13

    

EXPENSE

RATIO(a)

   

Expense Paid

During Period

11/01/12 - 4/30/13(b)

 

Class A

          

Actual

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,159.40         1.29   $ 6.91   

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,018.40         1.29   $ 6.46   
          

Class C

                                  

Actual

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,155.70         1.94   $ 10.37   

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,015.17         1.94   $ 9.69   
          

Institutional Class

                                  

Actual

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,161.30         0.99   $ 5.31   

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,019.89         0.99   $ 4.96   
          

Investor Class

                                  

Actual

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,158.90         1.34   $ 7.17   

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,018.15         1.34   $ 6.71   

 

(a)

The Fund’s expense ratios have been based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half-year expenses.

(b)

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half year (181), then divided by 365.

 

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Table of Contents
Emerald Banking and Finance Fund    Schedule of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

Shares          

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

COMMON STOCKS: 97.43%

       

 

Financial Services: 97.43%

       

 

    Asset Management & Custodian: 0.07%

  

  1,000      

Artisan Partners Asset Management, Inc.(a)

    $37,300   
                      

 

    Banks: Diversified: 70.72%

 
  52,209      

Access National Corp.

    656,267   
  25,432      

American Business Bank(a)

    743,886   
  19,330      

Ameris Bancorp(a)

    268,107   
  31,650      

Atlas Financial Holdings, Inc.(a)

    231,045   
  50,398      

Bank of the Ozarks, Inc.

    2,062,790   
  26,770      

Bofl Holding, Inc.(a)

    1,091,681   
  28,500      

Bridge Bancorp, Inc.

    575,415   
  18,290      

Bryn Mawr Bank Corp.

    424,877   
  1,600      

California Republic Bancorp(a)

    32,400   
  15,510      

Capital Bank Financial Corp., Class A(a)

    277,164   
  47,140      

Cardinal Financial Corp.

    718,885   
  17,704      

Center Bancorp, Inc.

    206,252   
  34,580      

Central Valley Community Bancorp

    276,640   
  7,211      

Citizens Financial Services, Inc.

    350,094   
  124,563      

CoBiz Financial, Inc.

    1,066,259   
  47,400      

ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc.(a)

    1,374,600   
  700      

Consumers Bancorp, Inc.

    11,200   
  19,926      

Cortland Bancorp

    201,253   
  77,229      

CU Bancorp(a)

    1,081,206   
  53,546      

Eagle Bancorp, Inc.(a)

    1,238,519   
  19,720      

East West Bancorp, Inc.

    479,788   
  4,400      

Enterprise Financial Services Corp.

    63,272   
  15,950      

Evans Bancorp, Inc.

    284,229   
  76,625      

EverBank Financial Corp.

    1,226,000   
  104,453      

Farmers National Banc Corp.

    689,390   
  25,125      

First Business Financial Services, Inc.

    691,440   
  6,140      

First Community Bancshares, Inc.

    95,231   
  21,150      

First Financial Bankshares, Inc.

    1,045,021   
  26,150      

First of Long Island Corp.

    789,991   
  33,680      

First Security Group, Inc.(a)

    135,730   
  44,450      

Flagstar Bancorp, Inc.(a)

    551,624   
  112,530      

Guaranty Bancorp

    238,564   
  71,360      

Heritage Oaks Bancorp(a)

    393,907   
  28,270      

Home BancShares, Inc.

    1,122,884   
  16,003      

HopFed Bancorp, Inc.

    174,593   
  57,383      

Horizon Bancorp

    1,107,492   
  59,296      

Howard Bancorp, Inc.(a)

    437,308   
  15,250      

Independent Bank Corp.

    473,360   
  53,000      

Independent Bank Group, Inc.(a)

    1,512,620   
  34,233      

Investors Bancorp, Inc.

    677,813   
  27,563      

Lakeland Financial Corp.

    738,688   
  9,697      

Meridian Interstate Bancorp,
Inc.
(a)

    177,358   
  12,669      

MidSouth Bancorp, Inc.

    199,030   
  31,740      

Monarch Financial Holdings, Inc.

    339,301   
  6,320      

NBT Bancorp, Inc.

    127,980   
  52,180      

Northeast Bancorp

    494,145   
Shares          

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

    Banks: Diversified (continued)

  

  6,224       Oak Valley Bancorp(a)     $49,356   
  60,705       Old Line Bancshares, Inc.     749,100   
  6,700       Old National Bancorp     81,606   
  10,392       Orrstown Financial Services, Inc.(a)     154,217   
  108,566       Pacific Premier Bancorp, Inc.(a)     1,319,077   
  14,550       PacWest Bancorp     403,472   
  22,050       Park Sterling Corp.(a)     126,347   
  16,002       Peoples Bancorp, Inc.     326,121   
  14,460       Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc.(a)     350,944   
  5,760       Prosperity Bancshares, Inc.     264,614   
  5,909       QCR Holdings, Inc.     94,367   
  12,860       Renasant Corp.     293,465   
  15,170       Republic Bancorp, Inc., Class A     336,774   
  11,340       SCBT Financial Corp.     541,712   
  16,680       Signature Bank(a)     1,194,455   
  20,188      

Southern National Bancorp of Virginia, Inc.

    203,293   
  8,750       State Bank Financial Corp.     128,713   
  22,286       Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc.     260,078   
  18,008       SVB Financial Group(a)     1,280,549   
  14,190      

Texas Capital Bancshares,
Inc.
(a)

    591,155   
  7,520       Tompkins Financial Corp.     314,336   
  122,567      

United Community Financial
Corp.
(a)

    507,427   
  27,003       ViewPoint Financial Group, Inc.     502,796   
  24,349       Washington Banking Co.     336,016   
  22,657       Western Alliance Bancorp(a)     333,284   
  24,650       Xenith Bankshares, Inc.(a)     134,096   
       38,032,669   
                      

 

    Banks: Savings, Thrift & Mortgage: 6.65%

  

  19,950       Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.     515,907   
  48,225       Capitol Federal Financial, Inc.     570,984   
  7,875       Elmira Savings Bank     186,756   
  21,600       First Pactrust Bancorp, Inc.     245,376   
  12,500       Flushing Financial Corp.     189,750   
  14,850       Heritage Financial Corp.     207,157   
  3,300       Hingham Institution for Savings     224,433   
  11,680       Home Bancorp, Inc.(a)     211,408   
  16,830       Provident New York Bancorp     152,143   
  16,999       Teche Holding Co.     700,359   
  8,830       Territorial Bancorp, Inc.     206,445   
  25,000       WSB Holdings, Inc.(a)     163,750   
       3,574,468   
                      

 

    Commercial Finance & Mortgage: 1.37%

  

  41,410       Walker & Dunlop, Inc.(a)     737,512   
                      

 

    Consumer Lending: 1.03%

 
  27,087       Tree.com, Inc.     554,471   
 

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    11


Table of Contents
Emerald Banking and Finance Fund    Schedule of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

Shares         

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

    Diversified Financial Services: 0.98%

  

  13,960     

Evercore Partners, Inc., Class A

    $526,990   
                     

 

    Financial Data & Systems: 1.38%

  

  17,722     

Cass Information Systems, Inc.

    740,780   
                     

 

    Insurance: Multi-Line: 1.48%

 
  53,048     

Health Insurance Innovations, Inc., Class A(a)

    795,720   
                     

 

    Insurance: Property-Casualty: 2.24%

  

  20,028     

Amtrust Financial Services, Inc.

    634,087   
  98,165     

United Insurance Holdings Corp.

    568,375   
      1,202,462   
                     

 

    Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): 11.51%

  

  8,720     

American Campus Communities, Inc.

    389,261   
  35,023     

Campus Crest Communities, Inc.

    478,414   
  56,708     

CapitalSource, Inc.

    507,536   
  21,230     

CubeSmart

    373,011   
  55,060     

DiamondRock Hospitality Co.

    549,499   
  63,190     

Glimcher Realty Trust, REIT

    792,403   
  44,350     

Hersha Hospitality Trust, Priority A Shares

    265,213   
  16,870     

PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust

    425,967   
  8,840     

Saul Centers, Inc.

    396,032   
  3,700     

Sovran Self Storage, Inc.

    253,820   
  90,210     

Summit Hotel Properties, Inc., REIT

    901,198   
  5,290     

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.

    196,365   
  22,180     

Urstadt Biddle Properties, Inc., Class A

    493,949   
  10,250     

Whitestone, Class B

    169,125   
      6,191,793   
 

Total Common Stocks

(Cost $39,585,271)

    52,394,165   

 

RIGHTS: 0.00%

       
  40,100      United Community Financial Corp.,Strike Price $2.75, (expiring 05/31/2013)(a)     0   
 

Total Rights

(Cost $0)

    0   
                     

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS: 3.12%

  

  1,677,501     

Dreyfus Government Cash Management Fund - Institutional Class 0.010%
(7-Day Yield)

    1,677,501   
 

Total Short Term Investments

(Cost $1,677,501)

    1,677,501   
Shares       

Value

(Note 2)

 
 

Total Investments: 100.55%

(Cost $41,262,772)

  $ 54,071,666   
  Liabilities In Excess Of     Other Assets: (0.55)%     (294,942
  Net Assets: 100.00%   $ 53,776,724   

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

Holdings are subject to change.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

12    www.emeraldmutualfunds.com


Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Schedule of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

Shares         

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

COMMON STOCKS: 99.12%

       

 

Consumer Discretionary: 19.16%

 
  22,469      BJ’s Restaurants, Inc.(a)     $770,687   
  85,256      Black Diamond, Inc.(a)     835,509   
  40,038      Carmike Cinemas, Inc.(a)     703,067   
  68,420      Christopher & Banks Corp.(a)     475,519   
  23,682      Chuy’s Holdings, Inc.(a)     774,401   
  28,510      Diversified Restaurant Holdings, Inc.(a)     198,144   
  102,910      Fifth & Pacific Cos., Inc.(a)     2,122,004   
  19,283      Five Below, Inc.(a)     693,995   
  24,151      Francesca’s Holdings Corp.(a)     689,753   
  13,661      Hibbett Sports, Inc.(a)     749,306   
  36,365      HomeAway, Inc.(a)     1,110,951   
  177,567      Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., Class A(a)     967,740   
  22,927      Jack in the Box, Inc.(a)     821,933   
  15,570      Lithia Motors, Inc., Class A     771,026   
  27,765      Mattress Firm Holding Corp.(a)     1,063,955   
  36,969      Meritage Homes Corp.(a)     1,803,718   
  99,291      Multimedia Games Holding Co., Inc(a)     2,448,516   
  50,318      Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.(a)     2,433,882   
  49,827      SHFL Entertainment, Inc.(a)     787,267   
  61,539      Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., Class A     1,649,245   
  136,276      Standard Pacific Corp.(a)     1,233,298   
  28,509      Taylor Morrison Home Corp., Class A(a)     734,962   
  51,723      Tile Shop Holdings, Inc.(a)     1,282,730   
  47,382      Tilly’s, Inc., Class A(a)     684,196   
  19,371      Vitamin Shoppe, Inc.(a)     952,085   
      26,757,889   
                     

 

Consumer Staples: 1.84%

 
  134,180      Female Health Co.     1,029,160   
  25,405      GNC Holdings, Inc., Class A     1,151,609   
  24,112      PhotoMedex, Inc.(a)     393,026   
      2,573,795   
                     

 

Energy: 4.39%

 
  8,756      Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc.(a)     300,769   
  18,357      Delek US Holdings, Inc.     662,504   
  52,214      Diamondback Energy, Inc.(a)     1,371,140   
  31,555      Gulfport Energy Corp.(a)     1,646,855   
  48,740      Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp.(a)     381,634   
  257,254      Magnum Hunter Resources Corp.(a)     699,731   
  66,008      Rex Energy Corp.(a)     1,060,748   
      6,123,381   
                     

 

Financial Services: 12.32%

 
  40,414      Amtrust Financial Services, Inc.     1,279,507   
  69,562      Bank of the Ozarks, Inc.     2,847,173   
  9,347      Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc.(a)     223,767   
  26,164      Cardinal Financial Corp.     399,001   
  88,491      CoBiz Financial, Inc.     757,483   
  29,369      EverBank Financial Corp.     469,904   
  34,616      Evercore Partners, Inc., Class A     1,306,754   
Shares         

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

Financial Services (continued)

 
  12,912      Financial Engines, Inc.   $ 469,609   
  71,394      Glimcher Realty Trust, REIT     895,281   
  56,789      Health Insurance Innovations, Inc., Class A(a)     851,835   
  118,203      Howard Bancorp, Inc.(a)     871,747   
  45,359      Pacific Premier Bancorp, Inc.(a)     551,112   
  89,944      Summit Hotel Properties, Inc., REIT     898,541   
  85,813      Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc.     1,001,438   
  30,001      SVB Financial Group(a)     2,133,371   
  23,976      Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc.(a)     998,840   
  69,920      Walker & Dunlop, Inc.(a)     1,245,275   
      17,200,638   
                     

 

Health Care: 25.45%

 
  37,503      Abaxis, Inc.     1,601,003   
  86,721      Acadia Healthcare Co., Inc.(a)     2,736,048   
  93,366      Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)     703,980   
  39,001      Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)     1,639,602   
  199,931      Akorn, Inc.(a)     3,008,962   
  40,817      Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)     977,567   
  139,964      BioScrip, Inc.(a)     1,939,901   
  32,490      Cambrex Corp.(a)     405,800   
  125,282      Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.(a)     1,634,930   
  50,716      Cepheid, Inc.(a)     1,933,801   
  41,575      Conceptus, Inc.(a)     1,289,241   
  68,022      Exact Sciences Corp.(a)     635,325   
  39,180      Greatbatch, Inc.(a)     1,094,689   
  20,028      HMS Holdings Corp.(a)     504,906   
  68,490      Incyte Corp., Ltd.(a)     1,517,053   
  26,519      Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)     1,142,704   
  40,920      Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC(a)     2,387,682   
  34,061      MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc.(a)     4,009,320   
  168,013      NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)     2,256,415   
  38,934      Omnicell, Inc.(a)     701,591   
  103,680      Regulus Therapeutics, Inc.(a)     727,834   
  47,046      Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.(a)     1,366,216   
  17,976      Synageva BioPharma Corp.(a)     929,179   
  39,682      Verastem, Inc.(a)     389,677   
      35,533,426   
                     

 

Materials & Processing: 6.89%

 
  19,080      Acuity Brands, Inc.     1,392,077   
  57,533      Apogee Enterprises, Inc.     1,465,941   
  25,585      Boise Cascade Co.(a)     819,487   
  17,377      Eagle Materials, Inc.     1,177,292   
  62,293      Trex Co., Inc(a)     3,032,423   
  66,875      USG Corp.(a)     1,738,081   
      9,625,301   
                     

 

Producer Durables: 11.56%

 
  9,095      Chart Industries, Inc.(a)     771,347   
  40,133      FARO Technologies, Inc.(a)     1,556,759   
 

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    13


Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Schedule of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

 

Shares         

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

 

 

Producer Durables (continued)

  

  27,980     

H&E Equipment Services, Inc.

     $569,673   
  12,292     

Middleby Corp.(a)

     1,838,637   
  28,470     

Mistras Group, Inc.(a)

     539,507   
  84,747     

Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc.(a)

     1,907,655   
  101,353     

Spirit Airlines, Inc.(a)

     2,706,125   
  31,316     

Triumph Group, Inc.

     2,502,148   
  31,354     

United Rentals, Inc.(a)

     1,649,534   
  29,300     

WESCO International, Inc.(a)

     2,100,517   
       16,141,902   

 

 

 

 

Technology: 17.01%

  
  17,016     

3D Systems Corp.(a)

     650,692   
  69,757     

Aruba Networks, Inc.(a)

     1,568,835   
  74,171     

Brightcove, Inc.(a)

     446,509   
  37,106     

Cavium, Inc.(a)

     1,166,984   
  60,521     

EPAM Systems, Inc.(a)

     1,301,201   
  94,863     

ExactTarget, Inc.(a)

     1,857,417   
  52,142     

Finisar Corp.(a)

     669,503   
  25,550     

Fortinet, Inc.(a)

     458,878   
  34,150     

Guidewire Software,
Inc.
(a)

     1,368,732   
  76,158     

Infoblox, Inc.(a)

     1,683,853   
  35,889     

IPG Photonics Corp.

     2,285,411   
  97,219     

Ixia, Inc.(a)

     1,601,197   
  74,203     

Jive Software, Inc.(a)

     1,008,419   
  19,815     

Microsemi Corp.(a)

     412,152   
  60,323     

Mindspeed Technologies,
Inc.
(a)

     138,140   
  13,083     

Peregrine Semiconductor Corp.(a)

     126,382   
  50,957     

QLIK Technologies, Inc.(a)

     1,325,392   
  125,261     

Saba Software, Inc.(a)

     1,139,875   
  45,784     

Sourcefire, Inc.(a)

     2,186,644   
  16,640     

Ultimate Software Group,
Inc.
(a)

     1,607,258   
  20,905     

Uni-Pixel, Inc.(a)

     743,173   
       23,746,647   

 

 

 

 

Utilities: 0.50%

  
  96,753      8x8, Inc.(a)      699,524   
       699,524   
 

Total Common Stocks

(Cost $100,225,064)

     138,402,503   

 

 

 

 

WARRANTS: 0.00%(b)

  
  22,283     

Magnum Hunter Resources Corp.,
Strike Price $10.50 (expiring 10/14/13)
(a)(c)

     3,120   
 

Total Warrants

(Cost $0)

     3,120   
Shares       

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS: 1.28%

  

1,787,701  

Dreyfus Government Cash Management Fund - Institutional Class 0.010% (7-Day Yield)

     $1,787,701   
 

Total Short Term Investments

(Cost $1,787,701)

     1,787,701   
 

Total Investments: 100.40% (excluding investments purchased with cash collateral from securities loaned)

(Cost $102,012,765)

     140,193,324   

 

 
INVESTMENTS PURCHASED WITH CASH COLLATERAL FROM SECURITIES LOANED: 0.02%      
22,051  

Short-Term Investments Trust, Liquid Assets Portfolio Institutional
Class, 0.110% (7 Day Yield)
(d)

     22,051   
 

Total Investments Purchased with Cash Collateral From Securities Loaned

(Cost $22,051)

     22,051   
 

Total Investments: 100.42%

(Cost $102,034,816)

     140,215,375   
 

Liabilities In Excess Of Other Assets: (0.42)%

     (583,994
  Net Assets: 100.00%      $139,631,381   

 

(a)

Non-income producing security.

(b)

Less than 0.0005% of Net Assets.

(c)

Security, or portion of security, is currently on loan.

(d)

The security has been segregated to satisfy the commitment to return the cash collateral received in securities lending transactions upon the borrower’s return of the securities loaned. (Note 2).

Holdings are subject to change.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

 

14    www.emeraldmutualfunds.com


Table of Contents
Emerald Funds    Statements of Assets and Liabilities
   April 30, 2013

 

 

     EMERALD
BANKING
AND
FINANCE
FUND
    EMERALD
GROWTH
FUND
 

ASSETS:

    

Investments, at value(a)

   $ 54,071,666      $ 140,215,375   

Cash

            9,769   

Receivable for investments sold

            138,335   

Receivable for shares sold

     94,674        8,821   

Interest and dividends receivable

     26,246        24,727   

Other assets

     18,337        18,113   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Assets

     54,210,923        140,415,140   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES:

    

Payable for investments purchased

     298,976        473,582   

Payable for shares redeemed

     33,163        127,971   

Payable for collateral upon return of securities loaned

            22,051   

Payable to advisor

     28,544        74,382   

Payable to fund accounting and administration

     5,598        12,830   

Payable for distribution and service fees

     29,252        30,882   

Payable for trustee fees and expenses

     739        1,762   

Payable to transfer agents

     11,273        7,218   

Payable for chief compliance officer fee

     985        2,348   

Payable for principal financial officer fee

     246        587   

Payable for audit fee

     16,446        16,576   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     8,977        13,570   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Liabilities

     434,199        783,759   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 53,776,724      $ 139,631,381   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF:

    

Paid-in capital (Note 5)

   $ 52,188,446      $ 96,562,006   

Accumulated net investment loss

            (390,898

Accumulated net realized gain/(loss) on investments

     (11,220,616     5,279,714   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     12,808,894        38,180,559   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 53,776,724      $ 139,631,381   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 41,262,772      $ 102,034,816   

PRICING OF SHARES

    

Class A: (b)

    

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 20.08      $ 15.60   

Net Assets

   $ 25,496,020      $ 46,604,977   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

     1,269,915        2,987,574   

Maximum offering price per share (NAV/.9525, based on maximum sales charge of 4.75% of the offering price)

   $ 21.08      $ 16.38   

Class C: (b)

    

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 18.46      $ 14.07   

Net Assets

   $ 17,704,878      $ 4,945,616   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

     958,916        351,537   

Institutional Class:

    

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 20.15      $ 15.86   

Net Assets

   $ 4,321,035      $ 86,238,428   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

     214,485        5,437,988   

Investor Class:

    

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 19.23      $ 15.57   

Net Assets

   $ 6,254,791      $ 1,842,360   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

     325,295        118,332   

 

(a)

At April 30, 2013, securities with a market value of $- and $3,120, respectively, were on loan to brokers.

(b)

Redemption price per share may be reduced for any applicable contingent deferred sales charge. For a description of a possible sales charge, please see the Funds’ Prospectus.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    15


Table of Contents
Emerald Funds    Statements of Operations
   For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

 

     EMERALD
BANKING AND
FINANCE
FUND
     EMERALD
GROWTH
FUND
 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

     

Dividends

   $ 782,825       $ 348,177   

Foreign taxes withheld

     (27)           

Securities lending income

             79   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investment Income

     782,798         348,256   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

EXPENSES:

     

Investment advisory fee

     437,752         920,598   

Administration fee

     44,249         115,522   

Custodian fee

     6,786         15,234   

Legal and audit fee

     23,210         30,491   

Transfer agent fee

     78,073         60,394   

Trustee fees and expenses

     3,149         8,816   

Registration/filing fees

     48,115         49,473   

Reports to shareholder and printing fees

     8,306         11,766   

Distribution and service fees

     

Class A

     82,741         142,661   

Class C

     153,129         35,422   

Institutional Class

     673         38,530   

Investor Class

     13,906         5,536   

Chief compliance officer fee

     10,497         29,503   

Principal financial officer fee

     2,624         7,376   

Other

     9,668         17,481   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses before waiver

     922,878         1,488,803   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment adviser (Note 6)

     (20,178)         (112,836)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Net Expenses

     902,700         1,375,967   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET INVESTMENT LOSS:

     (119,902)         (1,027,711)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net realized gain on investments

     5,057,984         11,995,509   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     2,441,099         148,175   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

     7,499,083         12,143,684   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 7,379,181       $ 11,115,973   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

16    www.emeraldmutualfunds.com


Table of Contents
Emerald Banking and Finance Fund    Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

      Year Ended
April 30, 2013
     For the Period
January 1, 2012 to
April 30, 2012 (a)(b)
     Year Ended
December 31, 2011
 

OPERATIONS:

        

Net investment loss

   $ (119,902)       $ (55,289)       $ (171,307)   

Net realized gain on investments

     5,057,984         377,708         1,403,730   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments

     2,441,099         3,624,786         (3,408,071)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

     7,379,181         3,947,205         (2,175,648)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

SHARE TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 5):

        

Class A

        

Proceeds from sale of shares

     16,828,917         558,884         7,104,262   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (16,569,563)         (1,955,508)         (12,134,100)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) from share transactions

     259,354         (1,396,624)         (5,029,838)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Class C

        

Proceeds from sale of shares

     3,125,343         289,945         925,478   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (2,586,830)         (833,416)         (4,259,179)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) from share transactions

     538,513         (543,471)         (3,333,701)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Institutional Class

        

Proceeds from sale of shares

     4,004,050         7,500           

Cost of shares redeemed

     (26,445)                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase from share transactions

     3,977,605         7,500           
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Investor Class

        

Proceeds from sale of shares

     4,980,596         553,960         192,346   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (111,720)         (38,595)         (62,335)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase from share transactions

     4,868,876         515,365         130,011   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets

   $ 17,023,529       $ 2,529,975       $ (10,409,176)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSETS:

        

Beginning of period

     36,753,195         34,223,220         44,632,396   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

End of period (including accumulated net investment income of $0, $0 and $0, respectively)

   $ 53,776,724       $ 36,753,195       $ 34,223,220   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Other Information:

        

SHARE TRANSACTIONS:

        

Class A

        

Sold

     900,183         34,567         459,338   

Redeemed

     (889,933)         (121,170)         (796,670)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in shares outstanding

     10,250         (86,603)         (337,332)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Class C

        

Sold

     179,911         19,157         64,376   

Redeemed

     (156,661)         (55,919)         (297,678)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in shares outstanding

     23,250         (36,762)         (233,302)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Institutional Class

        

Sold

     215,452         445           

Redeemed

     (1,412)                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     214,040         445           
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Investor Class

        

Sold

     289,184         35,715         13,276   

Redeemed

     (6,528)         (2,485)         (4,161)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     282,656         33,230         9,115   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) The Fund began offering Institutional Class shares on March 16, 2012.
(b) Effective March 13, 2012, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    17


Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

      Year Ended
April 30, 2013
     For the Period
January 1, 2012 to
April 30, 2012 (a)
     Year Ended
December 31, 2011 (b)
 

OPERATIONS:

        

Net investment loss

   $ (1,027,711)       $ (343,635)       $ (998,270)   

Net realized gain on investments

     11,995,509         4,975,489         17,632,425   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments

     148,175         17,806,862         (18,505,164)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

     11,115,973         22,438,716         (1,871,009)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

        

From net realized gains on investments

        

Class A

     (4,685,787)                   

Class C

     (490,319)                   

Institutional Class

     (8,763,223)                   

Investor Class

     (164,347)                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net decrease in net assets from distributions

     (14,103,676)                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

SHARE TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 5):

        

Class A

        

Proceeds from sale of shares

     8,448,904         1,322,264         6,495,536   

Issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions

     4,124,748                   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (7,040,533)         (4,049,586)         (15,702,192)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) from share transactions

     5,533,119         (2,727,322)         (9,206,656)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Class C

        

Proceeds from sale of shares

     2,232,832         160,186         598,742   

Issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions

     398,442                   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (635,817)         (440,586)         (652,998)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) from share transactions

     1,995,457         (280,400)         (54,256)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Institutional Class

        

Proceeds from sale of shares

     11,472,743         6,741,602         14,532,788   

Issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions

     8,744,099                   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (15,124,866)         (2,499,170)         (13,251,443)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase from share transactions

     5,091,976         4,242,432         1,281,345   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Investor Class

        

Proceeds from sale of shares

     773,551         24,856         942,919   

Issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions

     164,347                   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (190,984)         (6,289)         (8,611)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase from share transactions

     746,914         18,567         934,308   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets

   $ 10,379,763       $ 23,691,993       $ (8,916,268)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSETS:

        

Beginning of period

     129,251,618         105,559,625         114,475,893   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

End of period (including accumulated net investment income/(loss) of $(390,898), $0 and $0, respectively)

   $ 139,631,381       $ 129,251,618       $ 105,559,625   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

18    www.emeraldmutualfunds.com


Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Statements of Changes in Net Assets
  

 

     Year Ended
April 30, 2013
     For the Period
January 1, 2012 to
April 30, 2012 (a)
     Year Ended
December 31, 2011 (b)
 

Other Information:

        

SHARE TRANSACTIONS:

        

Class A

        

Sold

     563,949         86,928         459,368   

Distributions reinvested

     297,172                   

Redeemed

     (465,853)         (263,330)         (1,139,141)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in shares outstanding

     395,268         (176,402)         (679,773)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Class C

        

Sold

     163,382         10,962         48,633   

Distributions reinvested

     31,748                   

Redeemed

     (46,882)         (30,490)         (49,356)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in shares outstanding

     148,248         (19,528)         (723)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Institutional Class

        

Sold

     745,549         428,209         1,000,591   

Distributions reinvested

     620,149                   

Redeemed

     (1,001,795)         (160,803)         (938,781)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     363,903         267,406         61,810   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Investor Class

        

Sold

     51,913         1,619         66,493   

Distributions reinvested

     11,857                   

Redeemed

     (12,514)         (400)         (636)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     51,256         1,219         65,857   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Effective March 13, 2012, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(b)

The Fund began offering Investor Class shares on May 2, 2011.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    19


Table of Contents
Emerald Banking and Finance Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

 

    CLASS A  

 

 
   

Year Ended
April 30,

2013

   

For the Period
January 1, 2012 to
April 30,

2012 (a)(b)

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2011

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2010

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2009

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2008 (c)

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

  $ 16.96      $ 15.16      $ 15.89      $ 13.62      $ 15.39      $ 19.61   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS:(d)

 

         

Net investment income/(loss)

    (0.01)  (e)      (0.01)  (e)      (0.03)  (e)      (0.04)        0.02 (e)       0.08   

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    3.13        1.81        (0.70)        2.31        (1.76)        (4.28)   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

    3.12        1.80        (0.73)        2.27        (1.74)        (4.20)   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

           

From investment income

                                (0.03)        (0.02)   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Distributions

                                (0.03)        (0.02)   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSET VALUE

    3.12        1.80        (0.73)        2.27        (1.77)        (4.22)   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

  $ 20.08      $ 16.96      $ 15.16      $ 15.89      $ 13.62      $ 15.39   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(f)

    18.40     11.87 %(g)      (4.59)     16.67     (11.29)     (21.41)

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

           

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

  $ 25,496      $ 21,363      $ 20,412      $ 26,756      $ 22,675      $ 48,460   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

           

Net Investment income/(loss)

    (0.06)     (0.24) %(h)      (0.22)     (0.22)     0 .15     0 .36

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver

    1 .88     1.96 %(h)      1 .90     1 .95     1 .88     1 .65

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver

    1 .84     1.85 %(h)      n/a        n/a        n/a        n/a   

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

    53     9 %(g)      27     48     43     61

 

(a)

Prior to its March 16, 2012 reorganization with and into the Emerald Banking and Finance Fund, the Fund was known as the Forward Banking and Finance Fund.

(b)

Effective March 13, 2012 the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c)

Prior to May 1, 2008, the Forward Banking and Finance Fund was known as the Forward Emerald Banking and Finance Fund.

(d)

The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and redemptions of Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating market value of the investments of the Fund.

(e)

Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.

(f)

Total return does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

(g)

Not Annualized.

(h)

Annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

20    www.emeraldmutualfunds.com


Table of Contents
Emerald Banking and Finance Fund    Financial Highlights
For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

 

    CLASS C  

 

 
   

Year Ended
April 30,

2013

   

For the Period
January 1, 2012 to
April 30,

2012 (a)(b)

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2011

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2010

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2009

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2008 (c)

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

  $ 15.70      $ 14.06      $ 14.82      $ 12.77      $ 14.52      $ 18.60   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM
OPERATIONS:(d)

  

       

Net investment loss

    (0.11)  (e)      (0.04)  (e)      (0.11)  (e)      (0.18)        (0.19)        (0.19)   

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    2.87        1.68        (0.65)        2.23        (1.56)        (3.89)   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

    2.76        1.64        (0.76)        2.05        (1.75)        (4.08)   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSET VALUE

    2.76        1.64        (0.76)        2.05        (1.75)        (4.08)   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

  $ 18.46      $ 15.70      $ 14.06      $ 14.82      $ 12.77      $ 14.52   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(f)

    17.58     11.66 %(g)      (5.13)     16.05     (12.05)     (21.94)

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

           

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

  $ 17,705      $ 14,690      $ 13,675      $ 17,872      $ 16,907      $ 23,486   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

           

Net Investment loss

    (0.68)     (0.82) %(h)      (0.77)     (0.77)     (0.47)     (0.30)

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver

    2 .54     2.55 %(h)      2 .45     2 .50     2 .49     2 .30

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver

    2 .49     2.44 %(h)      n/a        n/a        n/a        n/a   

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

    53     9 %(g)      27     48     43     61

 

(a)

Prior to its March 16, 2012 reorganization with and into the Emerald Banking and Finance Fund, the Fund was known as the Forward Banking and Finance Fund.

(b)

Effective March 13, 2012 the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c)

Prior to May 1, 2008, the Forward Banking and Finance Fund was known as the Forward Emerald Banking and Finance Fund.

(d) 

The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and redemptions of Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating market value of the investments of the Fund.

(e)

Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.

(f)

Total return does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

(g)

Not Annualized.

(h)

Annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    21


Table of Contents
Emerald Banking and Finance Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

 

     INSTITUTIONAL CLASS  

 

 
     Year Ended
April 30,
2013
   

For the Period

March 16, 2012 to
April 30,

2012 (a)

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 16.96      $ 16.85   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment income/(loss)(b)

     0.01        (0.01)   

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     3.18        0.12   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

     3.19        0.11   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     3.19        0.11   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 20.15      $ 16.96   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN

     18.81     0.65 %(c) 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

    

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

   $ 4,321      $ 8   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

    

Net Investment income/(loss)

     0.06     (0.27) %(d) 

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver

     1.62     1.83 %(d) 

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver

     1.54     1.53 %(d) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     53     9 %(c)(e) 

 

(a) 

The Fund began offering Institutional Class shares on March 16, 2012.

(b) 

Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.

(c)

Not Annualized.

(d) 

Annualized.

(e) 

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated at the Fund level and represents the period ended April 30, 2012.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

22    www.emeraldmutualfunds.com


Table of Contents
Emerald Banking and Finance Fund    Financial Highlights
For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

 

     INVESTOR CLASS  

 

 
     Year Ended
April 30,
2013
   

For the Period
January 1, 2012 to
April 30,

2012 (a)(b)

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2011

   

Period Ended

December 31,
2010 (c)

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 16.25      $ 14.50      $ 15.14      $ 14.85   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS:(d)

 

   
   

Net investment income/(loss)(e)

     (0.01)        (0.00)  (f)      0.07        (0.02)   

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

     2.99        1.75        (0.71)        0.31   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

     2.98        1.75        (0.64)        0.29   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSET VALUE

     2.98        1.75        (0.64)        0.29   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 19.23      $ 16.25      $ 14.50      $ 15.14   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN

     18.34     12.07 %(g)      (4.23)     1.95 %(g) 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

        

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

   $ 6,255      $ 693      $ 136      $ 4   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

        

Net Investment income/(loss)

     (0.08)     (0.07) %(h)      0.47     (0.20) %(h) 

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver

     1.94     1.88 %(h)      1.48     1.83 %(h) 

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver

     1.89     1.72 %(h)      n/a        n/a   

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     53     9 %(g)      27     48 %(i) 

 

(a) 

Prior to its March 16, 2012 reorganization with and into the Emerald Banking and Finance Fund, the Fund was known as the Forward Banking and Finance Fund.

(b) 

Effective March 13, 2012 the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c)

The Fund began offering Investor Class shares on March 16, 2010.

(d) 

The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and redemptions of Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating market value of the investments of the Fund.

(e)

Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.

(f) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(g) 

Not Annualized.

(h)

Annualized.

(i)

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated at the Fund level and represents the year ended December 31, 2010.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    23


Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

 

    CLASS A  

 

 
    Year Ended
April 30,
2013
   

For the Period
January 1, 2012 to
April 30,

2012 (a)(b)

    Year Ended
December 31,
2011
    Year Ended
December 31,
2010
    Year Ended
December 31,
2009
   

Year Ended

December 31,
2008 (c)

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

  $ 16.20      $ 13.37      $ 13.57      $ 10.63      $ 7.99      $ 12.73   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS:

  

         

Net investment loss

    (0.15 (d)      (0.05 (d)      (0.14 (d)      (0.12     (0.11     (0.11

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    1.40        2.88        (0.06     3.06        2.75        (4.59
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

    1.25        2.83        (0.20     2.94        2.64        (4.70
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

           

From capital gains

    (1.85                                 (0.04
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Distributions

    (1.85                                 (0.04
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSET VALUE

    (0.60     2.83        (0.20     2.94        2.64        (4.74
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

  $ 15.60      $ 16.20      $ 13.37      $ 13.57      $ 10.63      $ 7.99   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(e)

    9.14     21.17 %(f)      (1.47 )%      27.66     33.04     (36.91 )% 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

           

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

  $ 46,605      $ 41,991      $ 37,008      $ 46,785      $ 51,177      $ 92,675   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

           

Net Investment loss

    (1.01 )%      (1.02 )%(g)      (1.03 )%      (0.85 )%      (1.03 )%      (0.95 )% 

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver

    1.38     1.36 %(g)      1.36     1.41     1.38     1.35

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver

    1.29     1.29 %(g)      1.29     1.29     1.29 %(h)      n/a   

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

    78     28 %(f)      75     78     113     108

 

(a) 

Prior to its March 16, 2012 reorganization with and into the Emerald Growth Fund, the Fund was known as the Forward Growth Fund.

(b)

Effective March 13, 2012 the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c) 

Prior to May 1, 2008, the Forward Growth Fund was known as the Forward Emerald Growth Fund.

(d) 

Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.

(e) 

Total return does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

(f)

Not Annualized.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h)

Effective January 1, 2009, the Advisor agreed to limit expenses at 1.29%.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

 

 

      CLASS C  
     Year Ended
April 30, 2013
   

For the Period
January 1, 2012

to

April 30,

2012(a)(b)

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2011

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2010

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2009

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2008(c)

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 14.89      $ 12.31      $ 12.58      $ 9.92      $ 7.49      $ 12.03   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM
OPERATIONS:

   

       

Net investment loss

     (0.23) (d)      (0.08) (d)      (0.22) (d)      (0.03)        (0.36)        (0.48)   

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

     1.26        2.66        (0.05)        2.69        2.79        (4.02)   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

     1.03        2.58        (0.27)        2.66        2.43        (4.50)   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

  

     

From capital gains

     (1.85)                                    (0.04)   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Distributions

     (1.85)                                    (0.04)   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSET VALUE

     (0.82)        2.58        (0.27)        2.66        2.43        (4.54)   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 14.07      $ 14.89      $ 12.31      $ 12.58      $ 9.92      $ 7.49   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(e)

     8.43     20.96 %(f)      (2.15)     26.81     32.44     (37.40)

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL
DATA:

   

       

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

   $ 4,946      $ 3,026      $ 2,743      $ 2,812      $ 2,555      $ 2,623   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE
NET ASSETS:

   

       

Net Investment loss

     (1.65)     (1.67) %(g)      (1.68)     (1.48)     (1.68)     (1.65)

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver

     2.03     2.01 %(g)      2.01     2.06     2.04     2.04

Operating expenses including reimbursement/
waiver

     1.94     1.94 %(g)      1 94     1.94     1.94 %(h)      n/a   

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     78     28 %(f)      75     78     113     108

 

(a)

Prior to its March 16, 2012 reorganization with and into the Emerald Growth Fund, the Fund was known as the Forward Growth Fund.

(b)

Effective March 13, 2012 the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c)

Prior to May 1, 2008, the Forward Growth Fund was known as the Forward Emerald Growth Fund.

(d)

Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.

(e)

Total return does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

(f)

Not Annualized.

(g)

Annualized.

(h)

Effective January 1, 2009, the Advisor agreed to limit expenses at 1.94%.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    25


Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

 

      INSTITUTIONAL CLASS  
     Year Ended
April 30, 2013
   

For the Period
January 1, 2012

to

April 30,

2012(a)(b)

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2011

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2010

   

Year Ended
December 31,

2009

   

Period Ended
December 31,

2008(c)(d)

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 16.39      $ 13.51      $ 13.67      $ 10.68      $ 8.00      $ 9.03   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM
OPERATIONS:

   

       

Net investment loss

     (0.11) (e)      (0.04) (e)       (0.10) (e)       (0.06)        (0.17)        (0.01)   

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

     1.43        2.92        (0.06)        3.05        2.85        (0.98)   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

     1.32        2.88        (0.16)        2.99        2.68        (0.99)   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

  

       

From capital gains

     (1.85)                                    (0.04)   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Distributions

     (1.85)                                    (0.04)   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSET VALUE

     (0.53)        2.88        (0.16)        2.99        2.68        (1.03)   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 15.86      $ 16.39      $ 13.51      $ 13.67      $ 10.68      $ 8.00   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN

     9 .47     21.32 %(f)      (1.17)     28.00     33.50     (10.95) %(f) 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL
DATA:

   

       

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

   $ 86,238      $ 83,149      $ 64,930      $ 64,880      $ 47,091      $ 908   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE
NET ASSETS:

   

       

Net Investment loss

     (0.71)     (0.72) %(g)      (0.72)     (0.52)     (0.73)     (0.45) %(g) 

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver

     1 .08     1.06 %(g)      1.06     1.11     1.08     1.08 %(g) 

Operating expenses including reimbursement/
waiver

     0.99     0.99 %(g)      0.99     0.99     0.99 %(h)      n/a   

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     78     28 %(f)      75     78     113     108 %(i) 

 

(a)

Prior to its March 16, 2012 reorganization with and into the Emerald Growth Fund, the Fund was known as the Forward Growth Fund.

(b)

Effective March 13, 2012 the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c)

The Fund began offering Institutional Class shares on October 21, 2008.

(d)

Prior to May 1, 2008, the Forward Growth Fund was known as the Forward Emerald Growth Fund.

(e)

Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.

(f)

Not Annualized.

(g)

Annualized.

(h)

Effective January 1, 2009, the Advisor agreed to limit expenses at 0.99%.

(i)

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated at the Fund level and represents the year ended December 31, 2008.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
Emerald Growth Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

 

      INVESTOR CLASS  
     Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    

For the Period
January 1, 2012
to

April 30,  2012(a)(b)

    Period Ended
December 31, 2011(c)
 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 16.18       $ 13.35      $ 15.74   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment loss(d)

     (0.16)         (0.05)        (0.09)   

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

     1.40         2.88        (2.30)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

     1.24         2.83        (2.39)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

       

From capital gains

     (1.85)                  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Distributions

     (1.85)                  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSET VALUE

     (0.61)         2.83        (2.39)   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 15.57       $ 16.18      $ 13.35   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN

     9 .08%         21.20% (e)      (15.18)% (e) 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

       

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

   $ 1,842       $ 1,085      $ 879   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

  

 

Net Investment loss

     (1.05)%         (1.07)% (f)      (1 .00)% (f) 

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver

     1 .43%         1 .41% (f)      1 .43% (f) 

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver

     1 .34%         1 .34% (f)      1 .34% (f) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     78 %         28% (e)      75% (g) 

 

(a)

Prior to its March 16, 2012 reorganization with and into the Emerald Growth Fund, the Fund was known as the Forward Growth Fund.

(b)

Effective March 13, 2012 the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from December 31 to April 30.

(c)

The Fund began offering Investor Class shares on May 2, 2011.

(d)

Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.

(e)

Not Annualized.

(f)

Annualized.

(g)

Portfolio turnover is calculated at the Fund level and represents the year ended December 31, 2011.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    27


Table of Contents
Emerald Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

1. ORGANIZATION

 

Financial Investors Trust (the “Trust”), Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As of April 30, 2013, the Trust had 26 registered funds. This annual report describes the Emerald Banking and Finance Fund and Emerald Growth Fund (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”). Prior to March 16, 2012, the Emerald Banking and Finance Fund was known as the Forward Banking and Finance Fund and the Emerald Growth Fund was known as the Forward Growth Fund. Effective March 13, 2012, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) approved changing the fiscal year end of the Funds from December 31 to April 30.

The Emerald Banking and Finance Fund seeks to achieve long term growth through capital appreciation with income as a secondary objective and invests primarily in equity securities of companies principally engaged in the banking or financial services industries.

The Emerald Growth Fund seeks to achieve long-term growth through capital appreciation and invests in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks, and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Funds in preparation of their financial statements.

Investment Valuation: The Funds generally value their securities based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), normally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each business day the NYSE is open for trading.

For equity securities and mutual funds that are traded on an exchange, the market price is usually the closing sale or official closing price on that exchange. In the case of equity securities not traded on an exchange, or if such closing prices are not otherwise available, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices on such day. Redeemable securities issued by open-end registered investment companies are valued at the investment company’s applicable net asset value.

The market price for debt obligations is generally the price supplied by an independent third-party pricing service approved by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”), which may use a matrix, formula or other objective method that takes into consideration quotations from dealers, market transactions in comparable investments, market indices and yield curves. If vendors are unable to supply a price, or if the price supplied is deemed to be unreliable, the market price may be determined using quotations received from one or more brokers–dealers that make a market in the security. Short–term debt obligations that will mature in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, unless it is determined that using this method would not reflect an investment’s fair value. Investments in non-exchange traded funds are fair valued at their respective net asset values.

Equity securities that are primarily traded on foreign securities exchanges are valued at the preceding closing values of such securities on their respective exchanges, except when an occurrence subsequent to the time a value was so established is likely to have changed such value. In such an event, the fair values of those securities are determined in good faith through consideration of other factors in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Board.

When such prices or quotations are not available, or when the Fair Value Committee appointed by the Board believes that they are unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board.

Fair Value Measurements: A three-tier hierarchy has been established to classify fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available. Various inputs are used in determining the value of each Fund’s investments as of the reporting period end. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

 

Level 1 –

   Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Funds have the ability to access at the measurement date;
 

Level 2 –

   Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

 

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Table of Contents
Emerald Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

 

Level 3 –

   Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Funds’ own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following is a summary of each input used to value the Funds as of April 30, 2013.

 

Investments in Securities at Value    Level 1 -
Quoted Prices
    

Level 2 -

Other Significant
Observable Inputs

     Level 3 -
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
     Total  

 

 

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

  

Common Stocks

           

Asset Management & Custodian

   $ 37,300       $       $       $ 37,300   

Banks: Diversified

     37,288,783         743,886                 38,032,669   

Banks: Savings, Thrift & Mortgage

     3,574,468                         3,574,468   

Commercial Finance & Mortgage

     737,512                         737,512   

Consumer Lending

     554,471                         554,471   

Diversified Financial Services

     526,990                         526,990   

Financial Data & Systems

     740,780                         740,780   

Insurance: Multi-Line

     795,720                         795,720   

Insurance: Property-Casualty

     1,202,462                         1,202,462   

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

     6,191,793                         6,191,793   

Rights

                     0         0   

Short Term Investments

     1,677,501                         1,677,501   

 

 

TOTAL

   $ 53,327,780       $ 743,886       $ 0       $ 54,071,666   

 

 
Investments in Securities at Value    Level 1 -
Quoted Prices
    

Level 2 -

Other Significant
Observable Inputs

     Level 3 -
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
     Total  

 

 

Emerald Growth Fund

           

Common Stocks(a)

   $ 138,402,503       $       $       $ 138,402,503   

Warrants

     3,120                         3,120   

Short Term Investments

     1,787,701                         1,787,701   

Investments Purchased with Cash Collateral From Securities Loaned

     22,051                         22,051   

 

 

TOTAL

   $ 140,215,375       $       $       $ 140,215,375   

 

 

 

(a) 

For detailed descriptions of sector and industry, see the accompanying Schedule of Investments.

The Funds recognize transfers between levels as of the end of the period. During the year ended April 30, 2013, there were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities.

For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Emerald Growth Fund did not have transfers between significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) used in determining fair value. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Emerald Banking and Finance Fund had received rights at $0 cost and $0 market value in a level 3. Therefore, a reconciliation of assets in which unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value is not applicable.

Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the investments are purchased or sold (trade date). Realized gains and losses from investment transactions are reported on an identified cost basis, which is the same basis the Funds use for federal income tax purposes. Interest income, which includes accretion of discounts, is accrued and recorded as earned. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date or for certain foreign securities, as soon as information is available to the Funds. All of the realized and unrealized gains and losses and net investment income, are allocated daily to each class in proportion to its average daily net assets.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”): The Funds may invest a portion of their assets in REITs and are subject to certain risks associated with direct investment in REITs. REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties and by defaults by borrowers or tenants. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareowners, and certain REITs have self-liquidation provisions by which mortgages held may be paid in full and distributions of capital returns may be made at any time. In addition, the performance

 

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Emerald Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

of a REIT may be affected by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or its failure to maintain exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

Lending of Portfolio Securities: Prior to March 16, 2012, each Fund from time to time had lent portfolio securities to broker-dealers, banks or institutional borrowers of securities. The loans were secured by collateral in the form of cash that was equal to at least 102% of the fair value of the securities loaned plus accrued interest, if any. Upon lending its securities to third parties, a Fund receives compensation in the form of income on the investment of the cash collateral. Gain or loss in the fair value of the securities loaned that may occur during the term of the loan will be for the account of the Fund. The Fund has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand, and loans are subject to termination by the lending Fund or the borrower at any time. While the lending Fund does not have the right to vote securities on loan, it intends, to the extent practicable, to terminate the loan and regain the right to vote if the matter to be voted upon is considered significant with respect to the investment. Additionally, the Fund does not have the right to sell or repledge collateral received in the form of securities unless the borrower goes into default. Each Fund receives cash collateral which is invested in the Short-Term Investment Trust Liquid Assets Portfolio Institutional Class. The risks to a Fund of securities lending are that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or return the securities when due. This collateral must be valued daily and should the market value of the loaned securities increase, the borrower must furnish additional collateral to the lending Fund. The Fund bears the risk of any income or gains and losses from investing and reinvesting cash pledged as collateral. During the time portfolio securities are on loan, the borrower pays the lending Fund the economic equivalent of any dividends or interest paid on such securities. In the event the borrower defaults on its obligation to the lending Fund, the lending Fund could experience delays in recovering its securities and possible capital losses. As of April 30, 2013, the Emerald Growth Fund had securities on loan valued at $3,120 and received cash collateral with a value of $22,051. The current security on loan (Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. Warrants) is held at the custodian Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“BBH”), and the warrants are due to expire on October 14, 2013. Once the warrant expires, BBH can recall and transfer the current quantity to Union Bank of California, the current custodian to the Funds.

Trust Expenses: Some expenses of the Trust can be directly attributed to the Funds. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed to the Funds are apportioned among all funds in the Trust based on average net assets of each fund.

Fund and Class Expenses: Expenses that are specific to a Fund or class of shares of a Fund are charged directly to that Fund or share class. All expenses of the Fund, other than class specific expenses, are allocated daily to each class in proportion to its average daily net assets. Expenses that are common to the Funds generally are allocated among the Funds in proportion to their average daily net assets. Fees provided under the distribution (Rule 12b-1) and/or shareholder service plans for a particular class of the Funds are charged to the operations of such class.

Federal Income Taxes: Each Fund complies with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies and intends to distribute substantially all of its net taxable income and net capital gains, if any, each year so that the Funds will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. The Funds are not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made.

As of and during the year ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Funds file U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The Funds’ tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return for federal purposes and four years for most state returns. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Distributions to Shareholders: Each Fund normally pays dividends and distributes capital gains, if any, on an annual basis. Income dividend distributions are derived from interest and other income each Fund receives from its investments, including short-term capital gains. Long term capital gain distributions are derived from gains realized when each Fund sells a security it has owned for more than a year. Each Fund may make additional distributions and dividends at other times if the portfolio manager believes doing so may be necessary for each Fund to avoid or reduce taxes.

3. TAX BASIS INFORMATION

 

Reclassifications: As of April 30, 2013, permanent differences on book and tax accounting were reclassified. These differences had no effect on net assets and were primarily attributed to treatment of certain investments and net investment loss. These reclassifications were as follows:

 

      Accumulated Net
Investment Income
     Accumulated Net
Realized Gain/(Loss)
on Investments
     Paid-in Capital  

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

   $ 119,902       $       $ (119,902

Emerald Growth Fund

     636,813                 (636,813

 

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Emerald Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Included in those amounts reclassified was a net operating loss offset to Paid-in capital for the Emerald Banking and Finance Fund for $119,902 and Emerald Growth Fund $636,813.

Tax Basis of Investments: As of April 30, 2013 the aggregate cost of investments, gross unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation for Federal tax purposes was as follows:

 

     Gross Appreciation
(excess of value
over tax cost)
    

Gross Depreciation
(excess of tax

cost over value)

    Net Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
     Cost of Investments for
Income Tax Purposes
 

 

 

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

   $ 13,248,591       $ (462,137   $ 12,786,454       $ 41,285,212   

Emerald Growth Fund

     41,191,957         (3,155,037     38,036,920         102,178,455   

Components of Earnings: As of April 30, 2013, components of distributable earnings were as follows:

 

     Emerald Banking and
Finance Fund
    Emerald Growth Fund  

 

 

Accumulated capital gains/(losses)

   $ (11,198,176   $ 5,423,353   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     12,786,454        38,036,920   

Other cumulative effect of timing differences

            (390,898

 

 

Total

   $ 1,588,278      $ 43,069,375   

 

 

As of April 30, 2013, Emerald Growth Fund elects to defer to the period ending April 30, 2014, late year ordinary losses in the amount of $390,898.

Capital Losses: As of April 30, 2013, the Funds had capital loss carryforwards which may reduce the Funds’ taxable income arising from future net realized gains on investments, if any, to the extent permitted by the Code and thus may reduce the amount of the distributions to shareholders which would otherwise be necessary to relieve the Funds of any liability for federal tax. Pursuant to the Code, such capital loss carryforwards will expire as follows:

 

     Expiring in 2017      Expiring in 2018  

 

 

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

   $ 9,827,290       $ 1,370,886   

During the year ended April 30, 2013, $5,047,204 of capital loss carryforwards were utilized by the Emerald Banking and Finance Fund.

Tax Basis of Distributions to Shareholders: The character of distributions made during the year from net investment income or net realized gains may differ from its ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Also, due to the timing of dividend distributions, the fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the fiscal year in which the income or realized gain were recorded by each Fund.

The tax character of distributions paid by the Funds for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2013, were as follows:

 

     Ordinary Income      Long-Term Capital Gain  

 

 

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

   $       $   

Emerald Growth Fund

             14,103,676   

During the period ended April 30, 2012 and the year ended December 31, 2011, the Funds did not make any distributions.

4. SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of securities (excluding short-term securities) during the year ended April 30, 2013, was as follows:

 

Funds    Cost of Investments
Purchased
     Proceeds from
Investments Sold
 

 

 

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

   $ 31,446,601       $ 22,857,700   

Emerald Growth Fund

     95,559,631         96,539,610   

 

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Emerald Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

5. SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST

 

The capitalization of the Trust consists of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value per share. Holders of the shares of the Funds of the Trust have one vote for each share held and a proportionate fraction of a vote for each fractional share. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and are non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive rights.

6. MANAGEMENT AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust, (“the Adviser”), subject to the authority of the Board, is responsible for the overall management and administration of the Funds’ business affairs. The Adviser manages the investments of the Funds in accordance with the Funds’ investment objective, policies and limitations and investment guidelines established jointly by the Adviser and the Trustees. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Funds pay the Adviser fees for the services and facilities it provides payable on a monthly basis at the annual rate set forth below of the Funds’ average daily net assets.

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

 

  Average Total Net Assets            Contractual Fee        

 

  Between $0-$100M

   1.00%

  Above $100M

   0.90%

Emerald Growth Fund

 

  
  Average Total Net Assets            Contractual Fee        

 

  Between $0-$250M

   0.75%

  $250M-$500M

   0.65%

  $500M-$750M

   0.55%

  Above $750M

   0.45%

The Adviser has contractually agreed to limit the total amount of “Management Fees” and “Other Expenses” that it is entitled to receive from the Emerald Banking and Finance Fund through August 31, 2014 and the Emerald Growth Fund through August 31, 2013, respectively, with respect to the Funds’ different classes, to the extent the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a Fund (exclusive of acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and extraordinary expenses) exceed the annual rates (as a percentage of each Funds average daily net assets) set forth on the tables below. The Adviser will reduce the fee payable with respect to such Fund to the extent of such excess, and/or shall reimburse the Fund (or class) by the amount of such excess. The waiver or reimbursement shall be allocated to each class of the Fund in the same manner as the underlying expenses or fees were allocated.

 

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

 

         
Class A    Class C    Institutional Class    Investor Class

 

1.84%

   2.49%    1.54%    1.89%

Emerald Growth Fund

 

        
Class A    Class C    Institutional Class    Investor Class

 

1.29%

   1.94%    0.99%    1.34%

For the year ended April 30, 2013, the fee waivers and/or reimbursements were as follows:

 

Fund  

    Fees Waived/Reimbursed    

by Adviser

    Recoupment of Past Waived Fees by Adviser  

 

 

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

  

 

Class A

  $ 9,691                              $ –                                

Class C

    7,599                        –                                

Institutional Class

    1,062                        –                                

Investor Class

    1,826                        –                                

Emerald Growth Fund

  

 

Class A

  $ 37,509                              $ –                                

Class C

    3,189                        –                                

Institutional Class

    70,871                        –                                

Investor Class

    1,267                        –                                

 

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Emerald Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

As of April 30, 2013, the balances of recoupable expenses for each Fund were as follows:

 

Fund        Expires 2015              Expires 2016              Total      

 

 

Emerald Banking and Finance Fund

  

     

Class A

   $ 7,504       $ 9,691       $ 17,195   

Class C

     5,168         7,599         12,767   

Institutional Class

     2         1,062         1,064   

Investor Class

     228         1,826         2,054   

Emerald Growth Fund

        

Class A

   $ 6,877       $ 37,509       $ 44,386   

Class C

     518         3,189         3,707   

Institutional Class

     13,614         70,871         84,485   

Investor Class

     177         1,267         1,444   

The Emerald Banking and Finance and Emerald Growth Funds will not be obligated to pay any such deferred fees and expenses more than three years after the year(s) in which the fees and expense were incurred.

Distributor: ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI” or the “Distributor”) (an affiliate of ALPS Fund Services Inc. (“ALPS”)) acts as the distributor of the Funds’ shares pursuant to a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. Shares are sold on a continuous basis by ADI as agent for the Funds, and ADI has agreed to use its best efforts to solicit orders for the sale of Funds’ shares, although it is not obliged to sell any particular amount of shares. ADI is not entitled to any compensation for its services as Distributor. ADI is registered as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Each Fund has adopted a separate Distribution and Services Plan (each a “Plan” and collectively, the “Plans”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act. The Plans allow each Fund, as applicable, to use each Fund’s assets to pay fees in connection with the distribution and marketing of the Funds’ shares and/or the provision of shareholder services to the Funds’ shareholders. The Plan permits payment for services in connection with the administration of plans or programs that use shares of each Fund as their funding medium and for related expenses. The Plans permit each Fund to make total payments at an annual rate of up to 0.35%, 0.75% and 0.25% of the average daily net asset value of Class A, Class C and Investor Class, respectively. Because these fees are paid out of the Funds’ assets on an ongoing basis, over time they will increase the cost of an investment in the Funds, and Plan fees may cost an investor more than other types of sales charges.

Each Fund has adopted a Shareholder Services Plan (a “Shareholder Services Plan”) with respect to its shares. Under the Shareholder Services Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay banks and their affiliates and other institutions, including broker-dealers and Fund affiliates (“Participating Organizations”), an aggregate fee in an amount not to exceed on an annual basis 0.25%, 0.05% and 0.15% of the average daily net asset value of Class C, Institutional Class and Investor Class, respectively, of the Funds attributable to or held in the name of a Participating Organization for its clients as compensation for providing services pursuant to an agreement with a Participating Organization. Any amount of such payment not paid during the Funds’ fiscal year for such service activities shall be reimbursed to the Funds as soon as practicable after the end of the fiscal year. Shareholder Services Plan fees are included with distribution and service fees on the Statement of Operations.

Administrator: ALPS (an affiliate of ADI) serves as administrator to the Funds, and each Fund has agreed to pay expenses incurred in connection with its administrative activities. Pursuant to the Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement (the “Agreement”), ALPS will provide operational services to the Funds including, but not limited to, fund accounting and fund administration and generally assist in each Fund’s operations.

The annual administrative fee, billed monthly in total and allocated to each Fund, in the amount of the greater of (a) the annual minimum for all Funds of $140,000 in Year 1 of operations and $200,000 in subsequent years or (b) following basis point fee schedule:

 

Average Total Net Assets    Contractual Fee      

 

 

Between $0-$500M

     0.06%               

$500M-$1B

     0.04%               

Above $1B

     0.025%               

The Administrator is also reimbursed by the Funds for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Transfer Agent: ALPS serves as transfer, dividend paying and shareholder servicing agent for the Funds. ALPS is compensated based upon a $25,000 annual base fee per Fund, and annually $9 per direct open account and $7 per open account through NSCC. ALPS is also reimbursed by the Funds for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

 

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Emerald Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Compliance Services: ALPS provides services which assist the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, in monitoring and testing the policies and procedures of the Trust in conjunction with requirements under Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and receives an annual base fee for all Funds of $40,000. ALPS is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses. The annual fee is billed monthly in total and allocated to each Fund.

Principal Financial Officer: ALPS receives an annual fee for both Funds of $10,000 for providing Principal Financial Officer (“PFO”) services to the Funds. The annual fee is billed monthly in total and allocated to each Fund.

7. INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that may contain general indemnification clauses, which may permit indemnification to the extent permissible under applicable law. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

 

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
  

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of Financial Investors Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the schedules of investments, of Emerald Banking and Finance Fund and Emerald Growth Fund (the “Funds”), two of the funds of Financial Investors Trust, as of April 30, 2013, the related statements of operations for the year then ended, and the statements of changes in net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended and the period from January 1, 2012 to April 30, 2012. 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. The statements of changes in net assets for the year ended December 31, 2011, and the financial highlights for each of the four years in the period ended December 31, 2011 were audited by other auditors whose report, dated February 28, 2012, expressed an unqualified opinion on such financial statements and financial highlights.

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 their internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of April 30, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers, where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Emerald Banking and Finance Fund and Emerald Growth Fund of Financial Investors Trust as of April 30, 2013, the results of their operations for the year then ended, and the changes in their net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended and the period from January 1, 2012 to April 30, 2012, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

June 27, 2013

 

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Table of Contents
Emerald Funds    Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1. FUND HOLDINGS

 

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the period. Copies of the Funds’ Form N-Q are available without charge on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy the Form N-Q at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. For more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room, please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

2. FUND PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SUMMARIES

 

Each Fund’s policies and procedures used in determining how to vote proxies and information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent prior 12-month period ending June 30 are available without charge, (1) upon request, by calling (toll-free) (855) 828-9909 and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

3. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION

 

Pursuant to Section 852(b)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, the Emerald Growth Fund designates $14,103,676 as long-term capital gain dividends.

 

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Emerald Funds    Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee****
 

Other Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5 Years

Mary K. Anstine,

age 72

  Trustee   Ms. Anstine was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/Director of AV Hunter Trust and Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.   26   Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund); and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

John R. Moran, Jr.,

age 82

  Trustee   Mr. Moran was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Moran is formerly President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, a private foundation serving the health and hospital community in the state of Colorado. An attorney, Mr. Moran was formerly a partner with the firm of Kutak Rock & Campbell in Denver, Colorado and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. Currently, Mr. Moran is a member of the Treasurer’s Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Colorado.   26   None.

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Emerald Funds    Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee****
 

Other Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5 Years

Jeremy W. Deems,

age 36

  Trustee   Mr. Deems was appointed as a Trustee at the March 11, 2008 meeting of the Board of Trustees and elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, an investment management company, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, a liquidity resourcing company, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company (from 2004 to June 2007). Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.   26   Mr. Deems is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds) and Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund).

Jerry G. Rutledge,

age 68

  Trustee   Mr. Rutledge was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Rutledge is the President and owner of Rutledge’s Inc., a retail clothing business. Mr. Rutledge is currently Director of the American National Bank. He was from 1994 to 2007 a Regent of the University of Colorado.   26   Mr. Rutledge is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund), Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund) and Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund).

Michael “Ross” Shell,

age 42

  Trustee   Mr. Shell was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Shell is Founder and CEO* of Red Idea, LLC, a strategic consulting/early stage venture firm (since June 2008). From 1999 to 2009, he was a part-owner and Director of Tesser, Inc., a brand agency. From December 2005 to May 2008, he was Director, Marketing and Investor Relations, of Woodbourne, a REIT/real estate hedge fund and private equity firm. Prior to this, from May 2004 to November 2005, he worked as a business strategy consultant; from June 2003 to April 2004, he was on the Global Client Services team of IDEO, a product design/innovation firm; and from 1999 to 2003, he was President of Tesser, Inc. Mr. Shell graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science.   26   None.

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Table of Contents
Emerald Funds    Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee****
 

Other Directorships

Held by Trustee

Edmund J. Burke,

age 52

  Trustee,
Chairman
and
President
  Mr. Burke was elected as Chairman at the August 28, 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Burke was elected as Trustee at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009. Mr. Burke was elected President of the Trust at the December 17, 2002 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Mr. Burke is President and a Director of ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”) (since 2005) and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”), ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and from 2001-2008, was President of AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD. Because of his positions with AHI, AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD, Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Burke is Trustee and President of the Clough Global Allocation Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2004); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Equity Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2005); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (since 2006); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund; and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.   26   Mr. Burke is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (1 fund); and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (1 fund).

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    39


Table of Contents
Emerald Funds    Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

OFFICERS

 

Name, Address* & Age  

Position(s) Held

with Fund

 

Term of Office and Length

of Time Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

Kimberly R. Storms,

age 40

  Treasurer   Ms. Storms was elected Treasurer of the Trust at the March 12, 2013 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Ms. Storms is Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration of ALPS. Ms. Storms joined ALPS in 1998 as Assistant Controller. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Storms is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Storms is also Treasurer of BPV Family of Funds and ALPS Series Trust; Assistant Treasurer of Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of Tilson Funds; and Chief Financial Officer of The Arbitrage Funds.

David T. Buhler,

Age 41

  Secretary   Mr. Buhler was elected Secretary of the Trust at the September 11, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Mr. Buhler joined ALPS in June 2010, and is currently Vice President and Associate Counsel of ALPS, AAI, ADI and APSD. Prior to joining ALPS, Mr. Buhler served as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Founders Asset Management LLC from 2006 to 2009. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Buhler is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Buhler is also the Secretary of ALPS Variable Investment Trust and Westcore Trust.

Ted Uhl,

age 37

 

Chief

Compliance

Officer (“CCO”)

  Mr. Uhl was appointed CCO of the Trust at the June 8, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Mr. Uhl joined ALPS in October 2006, and is currently Deputy Compliance Officer of ALPS. Prior to his current role, Mr. Uhl served as Senior Risk Manager for ALPS from October 2006 until June 2010. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Uhl served a Sr. Analyst with Enenbach and Associates (RIA), and a Sr. Financial Analyst at Sprint. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Uhl is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Uhl is also CCO of the Clough Global Funds, Reaves Utility Income Fund, Drexel Hamilton Funds and Transparent Value Trust.

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

 

40    www.emeraldmutualfunds.com


Table of Contents

LOGO

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS   

Shareholder Letter

     1   

Performance Update

     5   

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

     9   

Portfolio of Investments

  

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund

     11   

Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund

     20   

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     29   

Statements of Operations

     31   

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

  

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund

     32   

Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund

     34   

Financial Highlights

  

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund

     36   

Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund

     38   

Notes to Financial Statements

     40   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     49   

Additional Information

     50   

Trustees and Officers

     51   


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

LOGO

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

As you are no doubt aware, the S&P 500 Index has pushed into record territory this year. That the S&P 500 hit a new all-time high at a time of severe disequilibrium in our monetary policy, fiscal situation and term structure of interest rates has left a lot of market observers scratching their heads. There are plenty of economic challenges abroad as well, with continuing struggles in Europe and slowing growth in emerging countries, to make one wonder why the market is so optimistic.

The U.S. isn’t the only market hitting all-time highs. Malaysia, Turkey, Mexico, South Africa, Denmark, Indonesia, Philippines, and even Venezuela recently hit all-time highs as well. However, this story is not universally true around the world. Of the markets that we actively cover, there are 19 that remain below their peaks reached in 2006–2008, there are 6 that have yet to recover from the fallout of the tech bubble in 2000, Thailand and Taiwan are still off from their highs hit in 1994 and 1990 respectively, and Japan is still below its 1989 peak.1

So, the good news is that despite the broad advances there are still some markets that have reasonable valuations. The bad news is that the first quarter (Q1 ‘13) earnings season was mediocre—again not consistent with the continuing broad market gains. Our companies are doing okay, but not as well as we’d like. Europe’s issues have clearly gotten measurably worse, Japan’s mega stimulus is encouraging in some ways but Japan still face big challenges, and the emerging markets have seen a significant deceleration in their growth while facing serious inflationary pressure. Consequently, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a pullback in several markets in the coming months. We don’t try to time the markets, but there are markets that feel pricey and we’d love to see a pull back to get a better buying opportunity for some of our Watch A2 names.

 

1 

Source: Bloomberg, April 30, 2013.

2 

Watch A names are stocks we actively follow that we’d love to own but think they are currently too expensive.

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

A big question we’ve been hearing among U.S.-centric investors lately has been: “are we hitting yet another bubble top?” We actually don’t think so. Here too we wouldn’t be surprised to see the U.S. market retreat sometime this year—since valuations are stretched and the global economy is still plagued with serious issues—but we don’t believe we are in “bubble” territory. When the S&P 500 hit its peak in August, 2000 the Shiller P/E was 44.20, many standard deviations above the long term median of 15.87. When it hit its peak in October, 2007, the Shiller P/E was 27.10, almost 2 standard deviations above the median. As of April 30, 2013, the Shiller P/E was 22.67, about 1 standard deviation above median. Not great, but not in bubble territory.

Of course one advantage of holding an active portfolio instead of a passive index fund is that you don’t have to own the expensive stocks. Active management allows investors to customize the portfolio to take advantage of the opportunities that exist in any environment. So, we’re currently keeping our heads down and trying to find great companies at reasonable prices that we believe can grow even through unfavorable macro issues. We focus first on quality because we believe these companies will be the long-term winners. As these companies are discovered and become expensive, we rotate to other lesser known high quality companies that we find through our constant screening of the global equity universe.

Portfolio Performance

For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Global Opportunities Fund - Investor Class was up 22.34%, about six percentage points ahead of the Russell Global Small Cap Index’s gain of 16.21%. Meanwhile, the International Opportunities Fund - Investor Class increased 24.57% during the year, outpacing the Russell Global ex US Small Cap Index’s 15.38% return by over nine percentage points. Both Funds did very well in calendar 2012 and have slightly outpaced the benchmark so far in 2013.

We had a lot of inflows into the Funds over the first four months of 2013, which created a challenge in staying fully invested while stock prices continued to run. Along with the inflows, we also trimmed positions where valuations became expensive. On average, we had 8-10% cash in the Funds over this period. We’ve been working hard researching the nearly 200 companies on our red hot list to find a few new names to rotate into as the bull market marches forward. Holding cash has clearly been a performance drag so far in 2013, but we’ve remained pleased with our stock picking. We outperformed across most regions and sectors in Q1. The only sector where we lagged was in Consumer—where we had trouble with some of our retailers, restaurants and apparel stocks. Nothing major, but a slight drag on the quarter.

The two strongest regions in the benchmark for the past year were Western Europe and Asia. We were overweight Europe and underweight in Asia—not a macro call, simply where our bottom-up approach took us. The good news is that our stock selections handily outperformed in both regions over this period.

The strongest sectors over the past year were Financials, Healthcare, and Consumer. Our underweight in Financials hurt us, although we more than made up for the underweight through the performance of our financial holdings. In Health Care we were slightly overweight, and we outperformed nicely. We struggled in Consumer where we were slightly underweight and also underperformed, as mentioned above. We did catch a nice tail wind by being underweight in Energy & Materials, the only two segments that were down over this

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

period—again a bottom-up call, in sectors that we have traditionally found fewer companies that fit our investment approach.

Business Update

We continue to add to our senior team, both on the research side and in the back office. Zach Larkin joined us in research and Juliette Campbell joined Amy Hone in trading and operations. We have known and respected Zach and Juliette for years and were thrilled to lure them each back to Salt Lake to join our team. Our research team now includes 7 senior members and 7 junior members. We’re really excited about how the team has come together. We feel we are knocking the cover off the ball in terms of the front end screening process, idea generation and visiting companies. We still have some more work to do to tighten things up on the back-end of the process, so we’re really glad to have Zach, Juliette, and a full junior team on board to help us add greater back-end discipline. It’s worth specifically mentioning how pleased we are with the development of the junior research team. The junior analysts have been terrific and there is no question that they have been an important resource in helping us improve our process over the past year.

We soft closed the Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund and the Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund on May 1st. This announcement is of great importance. We believe that limiting our assets is a critical element in achieving the long-term success we desire for our clients. Failure to limit assets is also one of the most common reasons why great small cap firms lose their luster over time. As we’ve reiterated time and again, we founded Grandeur Peak to be a world-class global small cap manager, and to help us achieve this mission we are committed to remaining small & nimble.

Among the short list of other global small cap and international small cap funds, there are very few managers truly committed to the small/micro space. Most of our closest peer funds are, or have become, midcap products. We believe there is a truly unique investment opportunity in global small and micro cap companies, but it takes a significant commitment in resources and discipline to analyze the universe of over 30,000 companies. With the cost and effort to do this work, and limited revenue potential for managers who cap their assets appropriately, few other managers have chosen to pursue this compelling segment.

In founding Grandeur Peak we laid out a product roadmap for the global small cap space. There are 6-7 strategies that we would ultimately like to manage within this arena. Given the expected overlap of our portfolios, it is important to look at capacity constraints at the firm level, as well as at the individual portfolio level. We soft closed the Global Opportunities and International Opportunities Funds not because we are already feeling a capacity pinch, but because we wanted to make sure to leave room for existing shareholders to continue investing, for potential growth from performance, and for the future small and micro cap funds that we intend to launch.

We expect to launch our next fund, the Global Reach Fund, this summer. Joining us as portfolio managers on the Global Reach Fund we are pleased to name Amy Hu Sunderland, Randy Pearce, and Spencer Stewart as Associate Portfolio Managers. Like all Grandeur Peak Funds, the entire research team will be involved. We have a very collaborative approach, with a unified goal of delivering for our shareholders. Amy, Randy, and Spencer joined Grandeur Peak when we founded the firm in 2011. They are great analysts and have been instrumental in the success our existing

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    3


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

funds have experienced to date. More information about the team and this new Fund are available on our website at www.grandeurpeakglobal.com.

Thank you for your continued trust.

 

Sincerely,

 

  
Robert Gardiner    Blake Walker
Chief Executive Officer & Portfolio Manager    Chief Investment Officer & Portfolio Manager

The objective of all Grandeur Peak Funds is long-term growth of capital. The Grandeur Peak Global Reach Fund is new with limited operating history.

RISKS: Mutual fund investing involves risks and loss of principal is possible. Investing in small and micro cap funds will be more volatile, and loss of principal could be greater than investing in large cap or more diversified funds. Investing in foreign securities entails special risks, such as currency fluctuations and political uncertainties, which are described in more detail in the prospectus. Investments in emerging markets are subject to the same risks as other foreign securities and may be subject to greater risks than investments in foreign countries with more established economies and securities markets.

An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. To obtain a Grandeur Peak Funds prospectus, containing this and other information, visit www.grandeurpeakglobal.com or call 1-855-377-PEAK (7325). Please read it carefully before investing.

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the Funds or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. The Funds do not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

The S&P 500® Index is an index of 500 stocks, it is designed to be a leading indicator of U.S. equities. The Russell Global Small Cap Index offers investors access to the small-cap segment of the global equity universe. It is constructed to provide a comprehensive and unbiased barometer for the small-cap segment and is completely reconstituted annually to accurately reflect the changes in the market over time. The Russell Global ex-U.S. Small Cap Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the global equity universe, excluding companies assigned to the United States. You cannot invest directly in these or any indices.

The Shiller PE is the price of the stock market divided by the average of ten years worth of earnings.

Valuation is the process of determining the current worth of an asset or company.

Standard Deviation is a measure of the dispersion of a set of data from its mean. The more spread apart the data, the higher the deviation. Standard deviation is calculated as the square root of variance.

CFA® is a trademark owned by CFA Institute.

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Cumulative Total Return Performance for the periods ended April 30,  2013  
                   Since      Expense Ratio  
      6 months      1 Year      Inception*      Gross      Net**  

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities
Fund – Investor (GPGOX)

     17.27%        22.34%        25.23%        1.76%        1.75%  

 

 

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities
Fund – Institutional (GPGIX)

     17.78%        22.86%        25.93%        1.51%        1.50%  

 

 

Russell Global Small Cap Index

     15.64%        16.21%        18.72%        

 

 

Russell Global Index

     14.12%        15.87%        18.52%        

 

 

 

*

Fund Inception date of October 17, 2011.

**

Grandeur Peak Global Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”), has agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses) to 1.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the Investor Class and 1.50% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the Institutional Class. This agreement is in effect through August 31, 2013. The Fund may have to repay some of these waivers and reimbursements to the Adviser in the following three years. This agreement may not be terminated or modified prior to this date except with the approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

Returns for periods greater than 1 year are annualized.

The returns shown above do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or redemption of Fund shares.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-855-377-PEAK (7325).

Growth of $10,000 for the period ended April 30, 2013

 

LOGO

 

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

The graphs shown above represent a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund’s Investor Class shares for the period from inception to 4/30/2013. All returns reflect reinvested dividends, but do not reflect the deduction of taxes that an investor would pay on distributions or redemptions.

The Russell Global Small Cap Index and Russell Global Index are not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

The Fund also offers Institutional Class shares, performance for which is not reflected in the graphs above. The performance of Institutional Class shares may be higher or lower than the performance of the Investor Class shares shown in the graphs above based upon differences in fees paid by shareholders investing in the Investor Class shares and Institutional Class shares.

 

Regional Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)*       

North America

     34.9 %  

Asia ex Japan

     21.4 %  

Europe

     19.1 %  

Australia/New Zealand

     5.3 %  

Japan

     4.7 %  

Latin America

     4.2 %  

Africa/Middle East

     2.2 %  

Cash, Cash Equivalents, & Other Net Assets

     8.2 %  

Total

     100.0 %    
Industry Sector Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)*       

Technology

     21.8 %  

Industrials

     19.7 %  

Consumer

     18.8 %  

Financials

     16.7 %  

Health Care

     10.7 %  

Energy & Materials

     3.4 %  

Exchange Traded Funds

     0.7 %  

Cash, Cash Equivalents, & Other Net Assets

     8.2 %  

Total

     100.0 %    
Top 10 Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)*       

Magellan Financial Group, Ltd.

     3.1 %  

Clinigen Group PLC

     2.5 %  

Melexis NV

     2.0 %  

Blinkx PLC

     1.5 %  

Banco Daycoval SA

     1.5 %  

Manning & Napier, Inc.

     1.4 %  

RPS Group PLC

     1.4 %  

Tilly’s, Inc., Class A

     1.4 %  

Hy-Lok Corp.

     1.4 %  

Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc.

     1.3 %  

Total 

     17.5 %    

 

* Holdings are subject to change. Tables present indicative values only.

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

Cumulative Total Return Performance for the periods ended April 30,  2013  
                  

Since

Inception*

     Expense Ratio  
      6 months      1 Year         Gross      Net**  

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities
Fund – Investor (GPGOX)

     18.37%        24.57%        25.99%        1.88%        1.75%  

 

 

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities
Fund – Institutional (GPGIX)

     18.39%        25.11%        26.35%        1.59%        1.50%  

 

 

Russell Global ex-U.S. Small Cap Index

     15.12%        15.38%        15.49%        

 

 

 

*

Fund Inception date of October 17, 2011.

**

Grandeur Peak Global Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”), has agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses) to 1.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the Investor Class and 1.50% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the Institutional Class. This agreement is in effect through August 31, 2013. The Fund may have to repay some of these waivers and reimbursements to the Adviser in the following three years. This agreement may not be terminated or modified prior to this date except with the approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

Returns for periods greater than 1 year are annualized.

The returns shown above do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or redemption of Fund shares.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-855-377-PEAK (7325).

Growth of $10,000 for the period ended April 30, 2013

 

LOGO

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    7


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

The graphs shown above represent a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund’s Investor Class shares for the period from inception to 4/30/2013. All returns reflect reinvested dividends, but do not reflect the deduction of taxes that an investor would pay on distributions or redemptions.

The Russell Global ex-U.S. Small Cap Index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

The Fund also offers Institutional Class shares, performance for which is not reflected in the graphs above. The performance of Institutional Class shares may be higher or lower than the performance of the Investor Class shares shown in the graphs above based upon differences in fees paid by shareholders investing in the Investor Class shares and Institutional Class shares.

 

Regional Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)*       

Asia ex Japan

     37.4 %  

Europe

     21.8 %  

Japan

     7.5 %  

North America

     6.9 %  

Latin America

     5.5 %  

Australia/New Zealand

     5.3 %  

Africa/Middle East

     4.3 %  

Cash, Cash Equivalents, & Other Net Assets

     11.3 %  

Total

     100.0 %    
Industry Sector Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)*       

Consumer

     21.2 %  

Technology

     19.1 %  

Industrials

     17.1 %  

Financials

     15.1 %  

Health Care

     9.7 %  

Energy & Materials

     3.8 %  

Exchange Traded Funds

     2.7 %  

Cash, Cash Equivalents, & Other Net Assets

     11.3 %  

Total

     100.0 %    
Top 10 Holdings (as a % of Net Assets)*       

Magellan Financial Group, Ltd.

     3.0 %  

WisdomTree India Earnings Fund

     2.5 %  

Clinigen Group PLC

     2.3 %  

Melexis NV

     1.9 %  

Banco Daycoval SA

     1.7 %  

Blinkx PLC

     1.7 %  

RPS Group PLC

     1.7 %  

Hy-Lok Corp.

     1.7 %  

CETIP SA - Mercados Organizados

     1.5 %  

Trancom Co., Ltd.

     1.3 %  

Total

     19.3 %    

 

* Holdings are subject to change. Tables present indicative values only.

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of a Fund, you incur two types of costs: direct costs, such as short-term redemption fees and wire fees, and indirect costs, including management fees, and other fund operating expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your indirect costs, also referred to as “ongoing costs” (in dollars), of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

This example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire six-month period of November 1, 2012 through April 30, 2013.

Actual Expenses The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested at the beginning of the period, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio 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 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 other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any direct costs, such as wire fees or low balance fees. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these direct costs were included, your costs would be higher.

 

     Beginning Account
Value
November 1, 2012
   Ending Account
Value
April 30, 2013
   Expense Ratio(a)  

Expenses Paid

During period

November 1, 2012 -
April 30, 2013(b)

 

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities

    

Investor Class

          

Actual

   $  1,000.00    $  1,172.70    1.75%   $  9.43

Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)

   $  1,000.00    $  1,016.12    1.75%   $  8.75

Institutional Class

          

Actual

   $  1,000.00    $  1,177.80    1.50%   $  8.10

Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)

   $  1,000.00    $  1,017.36    1.50%   $  7.50

 

(a)

The Fund’s expense ratios have been annualized based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half-year expenses.

(b)

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year 181/365.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    9


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

    

Beginning Account
Value

November 1, 2012

  

Ending Account
Value

April 30, 2013

   Expense Ratio(a)  

Expenses Paid

During period

November 1, 2012 -
April 30, 2013(b)

 

Grandeur Peak International Opportunities

    

Investor Class

          

Actual

   $  1,000.00    $  1,183.70    1.75%   $  9.48

Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)

   $  1,000.00    $  1,016.12    1.75%   $  8.75

Institutional Class

          

Actual

   $  1,000.00    $  1,183.90    1.50%   $  8.12

Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)

   $  1,000.00    $  1,017.36    1.50%   $  7.50

 

(a) 

The Fund’s expense ratios have been annualized based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half-year expenses.

(b)

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year 181/365.

 

10    1.855.377.7325 |  www.GrandeurPeakGlobal.com


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

COMMON STOCKS (91.09%)

     

Australia (5.27%)

     

ALS, Ltd.

     89,322      $ 906,555  

Countplus, Ltd.

     315,836        622,111  

Lycopodium, Ltd.

     15,622        82,920  

Magellan Financial Group, Ltd.

     1,444,045        10,733,778  

Navitas, Ltd.

     90,505        507,601  

The Reject Shop, Ltd.

     55,390        1,020,977  

Sirtex Medical, Ltd.

     71,900        723,025  

Super Retail Group, Ltd.

     191,257        2,609,312  

Webjet, Ltd.

     279,300        1,268,229  
     

 

 

 
        18,474,508  
     

 

 

 

Belgium (2.03%)

     

Melexis NV

     349,934        7,110,850  
     

 

 

 

Brazil (4.20%)

     

All America Latina Logistica SA

     358,300        1,812,318  

Banco ABC Brasil SA

     216,042        1,697,454  

Banco Daycoval SA

     1,017,600        5,350,570  

CETIP SA - Mercados Organizados

     281,000        3,317,366  

Tegma Gestao Logistica

     188,500        2,532,490  
     

 

 

 
        14,710,198  
     

 

 

 

Britain (9.40%)

     

Abcam PLC

     135,565        924,446  

Blinkx PLC(a)

     3,698,694        5,371,917  

Brammer PLC

     434,900        2,408,342  

Clinigen Group PLC

     2,083,800        8,674,812  

CVS Group PLC

     87,680        260,819  

Fidessa Group PLC

     12,120        337,938  

Halma PLC

     76,296        593,164  

Hunting PLC

     134,000        1,679,761  

Michael Page International PLC

     62,375        361,013  

N Brown Group PLC

     301,580        2,089,328  

Premier Oil PLC(a)

     381,255        2,208,397  

Robert Walters PLC

     203,500        730,206  

RPS Group PLC

     1,277,584        4,949,430  

Sthree PLC

     184,747        962,807  

Ted Baker PLC

     43,070        905,864  

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    11


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Britain (continued)

     

Ultra Electronics Holdings PLC

     17,735      $ 454,553  
     

 

 

 
        32,912,797  
     

 

 

 

Canada (3.86%)

     

Atrium Innovations, Inc.(a)

     29,705        365,323  

Gildan Activewear, Inc.

     19,770        794,960  

Gran Tierra Energy, Inc.(a)

     535,275        2,960,071  

Home Capital Group, Inc.

     57,664        3,308,332  

Pan American Silver Corp.

     10,725        141,055  

Richelieu Hardware, Ltd.

     59,555        2,343,894  

SEMAFO, Inc.

     141,725        268,693  

ShawCor, Ltd.

     43,645        1,753,251  

Stantec, Inc.

     27,364        1,170,124  

TransGlobe Energy Corp.(a)

     54,540        432,011  
     

 

 

 
        13,537,714  
     

 

 

 

China (3.46%)

     

Airtac International Group

     185,000        981,042  

China Medical System Holdings, Ltd.

     2,709,427        2,657,003  

Golden Eagle Retail Group, Ltd.

     443,000        779,802  

NQ Mobile, Inc., ADR(a)

     205,000        1,769,150  

O2Micro International, Ltd., ADR(a)

     518,163        1,772,117  

Pacific Online, Ltd.

     3,598,853        1,437,658  

Parkson Retail Group, Ltd.

     950,000        514,165  

Tao Heung Holdings, Ltd.

     1,800,000        1,136,576  

WuXi PharmaTech Cayman, Inc., ADR(a)

     56,000        1,067,920  
     

 

 

 
        12,115,433  
     

 

 

 

France (0.83%)

     

1000mercis SA

     9,998        549,059  

Audika Groupe

     20,667        210,391  

Neurones

     45,508        539,985  

Sartorius Stedim Biotech

     5,513        781,213  

Thermador Groupe

     11,192        843,089  
     

 

 

 
        2,923,737  
     

 

 

 

Germany (3.45%)

     

Adler Modemaerkte AG(a)

     62,882        530,828  

Bertrandt AG

     24,555        2,824,376  

CompuGroup Medical AG

     83,265        1,920,075  

Gerry Weber International AG

     15,800        693,004  

 

12    1.855.377.7325 |  www.GrandeurPeakGlobal.com


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Germany (continued)

     

Nexus AG

     144,500      $ 1,722,209  

Softing AG

     30,424        310,919  

Wirecard AG

     119,085        3,194,608  

zooplus AG(a)

     16,120        889,612  
     

 

 

 
        12,085,631  
     

 

 

 

Hong Kong (1.86%)

     

Far East Horizon, Ltd.

     1,890,000        1,285,954  

Le Saunda Holdings, Ltd.

     3,038,600        943,671  

Magic Holdings International, Ltd.

     5,750,000        3,104,644  

Trinity, Ltd.

     1,285,000        506,704  

Vitasoy International Holdings, Ltd.

     553,483        670,443  
     

 

 

 
        6,511,416  
     

 

 

 

India (0.29%)

     

MakeMyTrip, Ltd.(a)

     79,300        1,018,212  
     

 

 

 

Indonesia (1.38%)

     

Arwana Citramulia Tbk PT

     4,193,000        1,336,930  

Lippo Cikarang Tbk PT(a)

     2,783,000        1,960,766  

Ultrajaya Milk Industry & Trading Co. Tbk PT

     4,428,000        1,548,491  
     

 

 

 
        4,846,187  
     

 

 

 

Ireland (0.65%)

     

Beazley PLC

     654,400        2,282,070  
     

 

 

 

Israel (0.74%)

     

Caesar Stone Sdot Yam, Ltd.(a)

     31,700        743,682  

Camtek, Ltd.(a)

     114,351        162,378  

SodaStream International, Ltd.(a)

     31,150        1,677,116  
     

 

 

 
        2,583,176  
     

 

 

 

Japan (4.74%)

     

Benefit One, Inc.

     600        830,897  

CMIC Co., Ltd.

     65,220        1,418,335  

Create SD Holdings Co., Ltd.

     27,900        1,237,806  

CyberAgent, Inc.

     623        1,218,712  

Daiken Medical Co., Ltd.

     22,900        1,024,199  

Infomart Corp.

     15,000        472,380  

Kakaku.com, Inc.

     40,000        1,032,364  

MonotaRO Co., Ltd.

     100,290        2,548,272  

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    13


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Japan (continued)

     

Nihon M&A Center, Inc.

     13,900      $ 732,892  

Seria Co., Ltd.

     34,000        830,076  

Simplex Holdings, Inc.

     786        305,176  

Toridoll Corp.

     75,000        1,008,617  

Trancom Co., Ltd.

     111,870        3,224,647  

Watts Co., Ltd.

     56,600        732,720  
     

 

 

 
        16,617,093  
     

 

 

 

Luxembourg (0.89%)

     

L’Occitane International SA

     1,075,153        3,117,329  
     

 

 

 

Malaysia (2.01%)

     

Aeon Credit Service M Bhd

     405,080        1,917,223  

Berjaya Food Bhd

     1,793,000        795,579  

JobStreet Corp. Bhd

     327,600        355,326  

My EG Services Bhd

     4,621,500        1,268,349  

Padini Holdings Bhd

     4,037,650        2,375,479  

Uzma Bhd(a)

     437,500        314,914  
     

 

 

 
        7,026,870  
     

 

 

 

Mexico (0.51%)

     

Genomma Lab Internacional SAB de CV(a)

     822,000        1,775,021  
     

 

 

 

Philippines (0.73%)

     

Security Bank Corp.

     531,700        2,547,406  
     

 

 

 

Russia (0.26%)

     

Highland Gold Mining, Ltd.

     144,690        189,355  

MD Medical Group Investments PLC, GDR(a)(b)

     40,900        715,750  
     

 

 

 
        905,105  
     

 

 

 

Singapore (2.02%)

     

ARA Asset Management, Ltd.

     622,888        958,328  

Breadtalk Group, Ltd.

     1,488,625        1,172,336  

CSE Global, Ltd.

     1,335,550        916,245  

Goodpack, Ltd.

     387,000        527,856  

Parkson Retail Asia, Ltd.

     1,155,000        1,547,252  

Petra Foods, Ltd.

     590,000        1,954,372  
     

 

 

 
        7,076,389  
     

 

 

 

 

14    1.855.377.7325 |  www.GrandeurPeakGlobal.com


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

South Africa (1.32%)

     

Clicks Group, Ltd.

     103,785      $ 661,559  

Ellies Holdings, Ltd.

     310,000        307,461  

EOH Holdings, Ltd.

     153,300        844,786  

Foschini Group, Ltd.

     59,035        756,564  

Super Group, Ltd.(a)

     766,609        2,059,725  
     

 

 

 
        4,630,095  
     

 

 

 

South Korea (3.99%)

     

Able C&C Co., Ltd.

     9,800        534,804  

Daum Communications Corp.

     23,500        1,920,458  

Duksan Hi-Metal Co., Ltd.(a)

     11,600        287,551  

Handsome Co., Ltd.

     30,000        897,576  

Hy-Lok Corp.

     237,000        4,842,005  

Koh Young Technology, Inc.

     34,410        1,070,137  

Kolao Holdings

     22,600        615,636  

Kolon Life Science, Inc.

     3,000        225,552  

KONA@I Co., Ltd.

     60,000        1,539,090  

Korean Reinsurance Co.

     26,700        261,836  

LG Fashion Corp.

     40,350        1,155,945  

MKTrend Co., Ltd.

     39,340        392,936  

Vieworks Co., Ltd.

     11,800        241,079  
     

 

 

 
        13,984,605  
     

 

 

 

Sweden (1.14%)

     

AddTech AB, B Shares

     50,409        1,722,806  

DIBS Payment Services AB

     6,499        44,724  

HIQ International AB

     176,304        987,469  

Indutrade AB

     35,564        1,240,148  
     

 

 

 
        3,995,147  
     

 

 

 

Taiwan (2.96%)

     

Cub Elecparts, Inc.

     155,000        439,601  

Global Mixed Mode Technology, Inc.

     218,000        679,588  

Leadtrend Technology Corp.

     183,000        288,340  

Pacific Hospital Supply Co.

     450,150        1,494,805  

Polyronics Tech Corp.

     902,200        1,773,096  

Power Mate Technology Co., Ltd.

     100,000        131,472  

Richtek Technology Corp.

     59,200        325,969  

Sporton International, Inc.

     896,086        2,262,077  

Taiwan Hon Chuan Enterprise Co., Ltd.

     471,000        1,308,688  

Test Research, Inc.

     547,234        903,033  

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    15


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Taiwan (continued)

     

TXC Corp.

     491,600      $ 766,251  
     

 

 

 
        10,372,920  
     

 

 

 

Thailand (0.85%)

     

Coastal Energy Co. (London Exchange)(a)

     11,888        226,211  

Coastal Energy Co. (Toronto Exchange)(a)

     50,000        958,360  

Premier Marketing PCL

     4,595,000        1,800,426  
     

 

 

 
        2,984,997  
     

 

 

 

Turkey (1.47%)

     

Albaraka Turk Katilim Bankasi AS(a)

     1,449,083        1,568,106  

Emlak Konut Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi AS

     778,000        1,332,288  

Katmerciler Arac Ustu Ekipman Sanayi ve Ticaret AS(a)

     417,000        1,307,232  

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS(a)

     135,000        952,587  
     

 

 

 
        5,160,213  
     

 

 

 

United Arab Emirates (0.14%)

     

Aramex PJSC

     755,100        474,893  
     

 

 

 

United States (30.64%)

     

3D Systems Corp.(a)

     26,000        994,240  

Abaxis, Inc.

     55,130        2,353,500  

ABIOMED, Inc.(a)

     102,500        1,893,175  

Allegiant Travel Co.

     11,755        1,056,774  

Amsurg Corp.(a)

     51,030        1,712,567  

Ares Capital Corp.

     136,042        2,470,523  

Astronics Corp.(a)

     32,200        895,160  

Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp.

     46,550        782,040  

Cardica, Inc.(a)

     600,000        780,000  

Cardtronics, Inc.(a)

     45,450        1,273,054  

Cempra, Inc.(a)

     185,300        1,276,717  

Colony Financial, Inc.

     75,800        1,690,340  

Covance, Inc.(a)

     20,132        1,501,042  

CRA International, Inc.(a)

     87,473        1,613,002  

Dice Holdings, Inc.(a)

     239,100        2,018,004  

Ellie Mae, Inc.(a)

     101,200        2,633,224  

EPAM Systems, Inc.(a)

     103,500        2,225,250  

ExamWorks Group, Inc.(a)

     43,050        779,205  

ExlService Holdings, Inc.(a)

     61,000        1,989,820  

First Cash Financial Services, Inc.(a)

     40,800        2,099,976  

 

16    1.855.377.7325 |  www.GrandeurPeakGlobal.com


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

United States (continued)

     

First Republic Bank

     41,005      $   1,557,370  

Grand Canyon Education, Inc.(a)

     41,300        1,056,041  

ICU Medical, Inc.(a)

     12,600        759,150  

Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc.(a)

     96,400        883,988  

Keynote Systems, Inc.

     25,000        280,250  

The KEYW Holding Corp.(a)

     73,600        1,000,224  

Knight Transportation, Inc.

     118,595        1,852,454  

Linear Technology Corp.

     28,870        1,053,755  

Littelfuse, Inc.

     27,400        1,913,068  

Manitex International, Inc.(a)

     122,500        1,240,925  

Manning & Napier, Inc.

     289,850        5,075,274  

Market Leader, Inc.(a)

     237,300        2,377,746  

MarketAxess Holdings, Inc.

     59,900        2,534,968  

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

     46,675        1,443,658  

MaxLinear, Inc.(a)

     239,000        1,488,970  

Meridian Bioscience, Inc.

     59,900        1,215,371  

Mesa Laboratories, Inc.

     8,800        434,368  

Micrel, Inc.

     153,975        1,548,989  

Microchip Technology, Inc.

     66,245        2,412,643  

Misonix, Inc.(a)

     86,000        491,920  

Mitcham Industries, Inc.(a)

     69,000        1,024,650  

Myriad Genetics, Inc.(a)

     30,095        838,146  

Navigant Consulting, Inc.(a)

     159,910        1,971,690  

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc., Class A

     64,300        3,261,939  

Pegasystems, Inc.

     54,250        1,373,068  

Perficient, Inc.(a)

     123,896        1,298,430  

Pericom Semiconductor Corp.(a)

     268,614        1,735,246  

Polypore International, Inc.(a)

     26,650        1,117,435  

Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc.(a)

     8,455        1,037,851  

Power Integrations, Inc.

     41,175        1,705,057  

Procera Networks, Inc.(a)

     64,100        710,869  

Rally Software Development Corp.(a)

     21,400        387,982  

Redwood Trust, Inc.

     50,300        1,147,846  

Resources Connection, Inc.

     126,675        1,439,028  

RG Barry Corp.

     66,400        915,656  

Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc.(a)

     205,500        4,625,805  

Robert Half International, Inc.

     33,105        1,086,506  

rue21, Inc.(a)

     36,900        1,177,110  

SEI Investments Co.

     59,200        1,696,672  

Silicon Laboratories, Inc.(a)

     22,640        899,034  

Sonus Networks, Inc.(a)

     269,600        566,160  

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    17


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

United States (continued)

     

Tetra Tech, Inc.(a)

     19,805      $ 520,673  

Tilly’s, Inc., Class A(a)

     341,846        4,936,256  

Trimas Corp.(a)

     76,600        2,336,300  

Universal Truckload Services, Inc.(a)

     141,143        3,562,449  

Vera Bradley, Inc.(a)

     25,500        581,910  

Volterra Semiconductor Corp.(a)

     65,435        851,309  

WageWorks, Inc.(a)

     48,000        1,229,280  

Zagg, Inc.(a)

     97,100        657,367  
     

 

 

 
        107,350,469  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS 

(Cost $267,494,729)

        319,130,481  
     

 

 

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (0.72%)

     

Market Vectors®  India Small-Cap Index ETF

     43,465        412,918  

WisdomTree® India  Earnings Fund

     112,000        2,116,800  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 

(Cost $2,628,855)

        2,529,718  
     

 

 

 

RIGHTS (0.02%)

     

Sweden (0.02%)

     

HIQ International AB, Rights, Strike Price 2.40 SEK
(expiring 05/25/13)
(a)

     176,304        65,015  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL RIGHTS 

(Cost $63,336)

        65,015  
     

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (7.63%)

     

BlackRock Liquidity Funds Treasury Trust Fund

Portfolio - Institutional Class

(7 Day Yield 0.000%)(c)

     26,716,378        26,716,378  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS 

(Cost $26,716,378)

        26,716,378  
     

 

 

 

 

18    1.855.377.7325 |  www.GrandeurPeakGlobal.com


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (99.46%) 

(Cost $296,903,298)

   $ 348,441,592  

Assets In Excess Of Other Liabilities (0.54%)

     1,896,075  
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

   $   350,337,667  
  

 

 

 

 

(a) Non-Income Producing Security.
(b)

Security was purchased pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, which exempts securities offered and sold outside of the United States from registration. Such security cannot be sold in the United States without either an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption from registration. The security has been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. As of April 30, 2013, the aggregate market value of those securities was $715,750, representing 0.20% of net assets.

(c) Less than 0.0005% 7 Day Yield.

Common Abbreviations:

AB - Aktiebolag is the Swedish equivalent of the term corporation. 

ADR - American Depositary Receipt.

AG - Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e., owned by shareholders.

AS - Aktieselskab is the Danish term for a stock-based corporation. 

Bhd - Berhad is the Malaysian term for public limited company. 

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund.

GDR - Global Depositary Receipt. 

Ltd. - Limited.

NV - Naamloze Vennootschap is the Dutch term for a public limited liability corporation. 

PCL - Public Company Limited.

PLC - Public Limited Company. 

PJSC - Public Joint Stock Company.

SA - Generally designates corporations in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. 

SAB de CV - A variable capital company.

SEK - Swedish Krona

Tbk PT - Terbuka Perseroan Terbatas is an Indonesian term for a limited liability company.

Holdings are subject to change.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s geographical classifications refer to any one or more of the sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine sub-classifications for reporting ease. Geographical regions are shown as a percentage of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    19


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

COMMON STOCKS (86.16%)

     

Australia (5.32%)

     

ALS, Ltd.

     114,486      $ 1,161,951  

Countplus, Ltd.

     644,752        1,269,986  

Lycopodium, Ltd.

     14,122        74,958  

Magellan Financial Group, Ltd.

     1,411,057        10,488,574  

Navitas, Ltd.

     47,280        265,172  

The Reject Shop, Ltd.

     60,895        1,122,448  

Sirtex Medical, Ltd.

     78,000        784,366  

Super Retail Group, Ltd.

     155,348        2,119,407  

Webjet, Ltd.

     265,318        1,204,741  
     

 

 

 
        18,491,603  
     

 

 

 

Belgium (1.92%)

     

Melexis NV

     329,090        6,687,288  
     

 

 

 

Brazil (5.54%)

     

All America Latina Logistica SA

     498,600        2,521,970  

Banco ABC Brasil SA

     200,273        1,573,556  

Banco Daycoval SA

     1,133,200        5,958,398  

CETIP SA - Mercados Organizados

     437,600        5,166,119  

Even Construtora e Incorporadora SA

     367,000        1,720,585  

Tegma Gestao Logistica

     171,800        2,308,126  
     

 

 

 
        19,248,754  
     

 

 

 

Britain (10.84%)

     

Abcam PLC

     200,010        1,363,909  

Advanced Medical Solutions Group PLC

     500,000        617,457  

Blinkx PLC(a)

     4,059,600        5,896,090  

Brammer PLC

     462,617        2,561,830  

Clinigen Group PLC

     1,942,200        8,085,335  

CVS Group PLC

     81,320        241,900  

Fidessa Group PLC

     12,415        346,163  

Globo PLC(a)

     1,500,000        984,435  

Halma PLC

     174,999        1,360,532  

Hunting PLC

     135,500        1,698,565  

Michael Page International PLC

     140,425        812,749  

N Brown Group PLC

     228,495        1,583,000  

Premier Oil PLC(a)

     419,780        2,431,551  

Robert Walters PLC

     141,400        507,377  

RPS Group PLC

     1,512,790        5,860,631  

Sthree PLC

     110,116        573,868  

 

20    1.855.377.7325 |  www.GrandeurPeakGlobal.com


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Britain (continued)

     

Ted Baker PLC

     61,378      $ 1,290,924  

Tracsis PLC

     170,100        463,715  

Ultra Electronics Holdings PLC

     38,740        992,917  
     

 

 

 
        37,672,948  
     

 

 

 

Canada (4.76%)

     

Atrium Innovations, Inc.(a)

     96,105        1,181,936  

Gildan Activewear, Inc.

     16,500        663,472  

Gran Tierra Energy, Inc.(a)

     530,950        2,936,153  

Home Capital Group, Inc.

     72,230        4,144,021  

Pan American Silver Corp.

     23,845        313,610  

Richelieu Hardware, Ltd.

     80,550        3,170,190  

SEMAFO, Inc.

     64,575        122,426  

ShawCor, Ltd.

     46,545        1,869,747  

Stantec, Inc.

     35,976        1,538,385  

TransGlobe Energy Corp.(a)

     74,480        589,955  
     

 

 

 
        16,529,895  
     

 

 

 

China (4.66%)

     

Airtac International Group

     207,000        1,097,706  

China Medical System Holdings, Ltd.

     3,300,923        3,237,054  

Cowealth Medical Holding Co., Ltd.

     397,000        1,119,219  

Golden Eagle Retail Group, Ltd.

     496,000        873,096  

NQ Mobile, Inc., ADR(a)

     310,600        2,680,478  

O2Micro International, Ltd., ADR(a)

     302,714        1,035,282  

Pacific Online, Ltd.

     5,359,152        2,140,857  

Parkson Retail Group, Ltd.

     1,245,000        673,827  

Tao Heung Holdings, Ltd.

     2,590,000        1,635,407  

WuXi PharmaTech Cayman, Inc., ADR(a)

     89,900        1,714,393  
     

 

 

 
        16,207,319  
     

 

 

 

Finland (0.29%)

     

BasWare OYJ

     39,743        1,017,481  
     

 

 

 

France (1.15%)

     

1000mercis SA

     6,585        361,627  

Audika Groupe

     43,755        445,427  

Neurones

     74,220        880,674  

Sartorius Stedim Biotech

     10,112        1,432,910  

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    21


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

France (continued)

     

Thermador Groupe

     11,765      $ 886,252  
     

 

 

 
        4,006,890  
     

 

 

 

Germany (3.92%)

     

2G energy AG

     19,300        1,009,823  

Adler Modemaerkte AG(a)

     39,200        330,913  

Bertrandt AG

     22,100        2,541,996  

CompuGroup Medical AG

     75,200        1,734,097  

Gerry Weber International AG

     22,495        986,654  

Nexus AG

     200,178        2,385,802  

Softing AG

     80,786        825,595  

Wirecard AG

     109,770        2,944,721  

zooplus AG(a)

     15,350        847,118  
     

 

 

 
        13,606,719  
     

 

 

 

Hong Kong (2.91%)

     

Far East Horizon, Ltd.

     3,781,000        2,572,589  

Le Saunda Holdings, Ltd.

     3,192,400        991,435  

Magic Holdings International, Ltd.

     7,759,000        4,189,379  

Trinity, Ltd.

     2,971,000        1,171,531  

Vitasoy International Holdings, Ltd.

     982,338        1,189,923  
     

 

 

 
        10,114,857  
     

 

 

 

India (0.30%)

     

MakeMyTrip, Ltd.(a)

     80,700        1,036,188  
     

 

 

 

Indonesia (1.72%)

     

Arwana Citramulia Tbk PT

     5,418,000        1,727,519  

Lippo Cikarang Tbk PT(a)

     2,550,000        1,796,606  

Ultrajaya Milk Industry & Trading Co. Tbk PT

     7,066,500        2,471,185  
     

 

 

 
        5,995,310  
     

 

 

 

Ireland (0.96%)

     

Beazley PLC

     729,700        2,544,661  

Kentz Corp., Ltd.

     131,000        791,775  
     

 

 

 
        3,336,436  
     

 

 

 

Israel (0.72%)

     

Caesar Stone Sdot Yam, Ltd.(a)

     33,500        785,910  

Camtek, Ltd.(a)

     56,296        79,940  

 

22    1.855.377.7325 |  www.GrandeurPeakGlobal.com


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Israel (continued)

     

SodaStream International, Ltd.(a)

     30,200      $ 1,625,968  
     

 

 

 
        2,491,818  
     

 

 

 

Japan (7.48%)

     

Benefit One, Inc.

     1,380        1,911,063  

CMIC Co., Ltd.

     80,355        1,747,475  

Create SD Holdings Co., Ltd.

     35,600        1,579,422  

CyberAgent, Inc.

     566        1,107,208  

Daiken Medical Co., Ltd.

     28,500        1,274,658  

Gurunavi, Inc.

     97,000        1,435,821  

Infomart Corp.

     20,200        636,139  

Kakaku.com, Inc.

     60,000        1,548,546  

MonotaRO Co., Ltd.

     72,090        1,831,738  

Nakanishi, Inc.

     4,800        614,495  

Next Co., Ltd.

     115,000        1,193,825  

Nihon M&A Center, Inc.

     12,600        664,348  

Seria Co., Ltd.

     76,000        1,855,465  

Simplex Holdings, Inc.

     2,398        931,059  

Toridoll Corp.

     145,000        1,949,992  

Trancom Co., Ltd.

     156,290        4,505,051  

Watts Co., Ltd.

     93,200        1,206,528  
     

 

 

 
        25,992,833  
     

 

 

 

Luxembourg (0.72%)

     

L’Occitane International SA

     862,362        2,500,357  
     

 

 

 

Malaysia (3.74%)

     

Aeon Credit Service M Bhd

     710,040        3,360,584  

Berjaya Food Bhd

     2,389,800        1,060,388  

CB Industrial Product Holding Bhd

     922,000        757,601  

JobStreet Corp. Bhd

     333,900        362,159  

My EG Services Bhd

     8,808,700        2,417,507  

Padini Holdings Bhd

     5,659,450        3,329,635  

Uzma Bhd(a)

     2,394,200        1,723,352  
     

 

 

 
        13,011,226  
     

 

 

 

Mexico (0.75%)

     

Genomma Lab Internacional SAB de CV(a)

     1,200,000        2,591,272  
     

 

 

 

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    23


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Netherlands (0.26%)

     

Aalberts Industries NV

     40,000      $ 896,316  
     

 

 

 

Philippines (1.22%)

     

COL Financial Group, Inc.

     1,800,000        894,315  

Security Bank Corp.

     700,800        3,357,574  
     

 

 

 
        4,251,889  
     

 

 

 

Russia (0.50%)

     

Exillon Energy PLC(a)

     66,740        160,171  

Highland Gold Mining, Ltd.

     102,450        134,076  

MD Medical Group Investments PLC, GDR(a)(b)

     82,000        1,435,000  
     

 

 

 
        1,729,247  
     

 

 

 

Singapore (3.66%)

     

ARA Asset Management, Ltd.

     1,148,212        1,766,552  

Breadtalk Group, Ltd.

     2,430,375        1,913,992  

CSE Global, Ltd.

     2,180,055        1,495,613  

Goodpack, Ltd.

     1,097,000        1,496,273  

Parkson Retail Asia, Ltd.

     1,961,000        2,626,979  

Petra Foods, Ltd.

     1,034,000        3,425,120  
     

 

 

 
        12,724,529  
     

 

 

 

South Africa (3.49%)

     

Clicks Group, Ltd.

     128,485        819,005  

Ellies Holdings, Ltd.

     2,599,240        2,577,950  

EOH Holdings, Ltd.

     257,856        1,420,960  

Foschini Group, Ltd.

     87,270        1,118,410  

Italtile, Ltd.

     2,441,559        1,632,513  

OneLogix Group, Ltd.

     2,250,000        676,993  

Pinnacle Technology Holdings, Ltd.

     375,600        920,845  

Super Group, Ltd.(a)

     924,600        2,484,215  

Value Group, Ltd.

     817,368        464,543  
     

 

 

 
        12,115,434  
     

 

 

 

South Korea (6.99%)

     

Able C&C Co., Ltd.

     18,360        1,001,940  

Daum Communications Corp.

     40,700        3,326,069  

Duksan Hi-Metal Co., Ltd.(a)

     64,900        1,608,799  

ENF Technology Co., Ltd.

     61,500        734,337  

Handsome Co., Ltd.

     53,600        1,603,668  

Hy-Lok Corp.

     284,028        5,802,806  

 

24    1.855.377.7325 |  www.GrandeurPeakGlobal.com


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

South Korea (continued)

     

Koh Young Technology, Inc.

     32,100      $ 998,297  

Kolao Holdings

     31,700        863,525  

Kolon Life Science, Inc.

     8,650        650,341  

KONA@I Co., Ltd.

     82,100        2,105,988  

Korean Reinsurance Co.

     74,100        726,668  

LEENO Industrial, Inc.

     36,800        1,318,224  

LG Fashion Corp.

     58,470        1,675,046  

MKTrend Co., Ltd.

     40,660        406,120  

Silicon Works Co., Ltd.

     15,800        326,387  

Vieworks Co., Ltd.

     39,500        807,001  

Wins Technet Co., Ltd.

     16,800        330,264  
     

 

 

 
        24,285,480  
     

 

 

 

Sweden (1.71%)

     

AddTech AB, B Shares

     56,130        1,918,330  

DIBS Payment Services AB

     67,698        465,871  

HIQ International AB

     237,000        1,327,424  

Indutrade AB

     49,450        1,724,366  

Seamless Distribution AB(a)

     140,000        496,833  
     

 

 

 
        5,932,824  
     

 

 

 

Taiwan (5.96%)

     

Coland Holdings, Ltd.

     470,000        1,089,320  

Cub Elecparts, Inc.

     355,000        1,006,828  

Global Mixed Mode Technology, Inc.

     558,500        1,741,054  

Leadtrend Technology Corp.

     655,000        1,032,038  

Ledlink Optics, Inc.

     120,000        357,821  

Pacific Hospital Supply Co.

     704,700        2,340,085  

Polyronics Tech Corp.

     1,700,300        3,341,603  

Power Mate Technology Co., Ltd.

     586,400        770,951  

Richtek Technology Corp.

     218,000        1,200,359  

Sporton International, Inc.

     1,300,208        3,282,241  

Taiwan Hon Chuan Enterprise Co., Ltd.

     441,800        1,227,555  

Test Research, Inc.

     449,880        742,381  

TSC Auto ID Technology Co., Ltd.

     412,000        1,842,776  

TXC Corp.

     471,900        735,545  
     

 

 

 
        20,710,557  
     

 

 

 

Thailand (0.89%)

     

Coastal Energy Co. (London Exchange)(a)

     5,218        99,291  

Coastal Energy Co. (Toronto Exchange)(a)

     44,000        843,357  

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    25


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

Thailand (continued)

     

Premier Marketing PCL

     5,470,000      $ 2,143,271  
     

 

 

 
        3,085,919  
     

 

 

 

Turkey (2.29%)

     

Albaraka Turk Katilim Bankasi AS(a)

     2,226,785        2,409,685  

Emlak Konut Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi AS

     1,329,800        2,277,220  

Katmerciler Arac Ustu Ekipman Sanayi ve Ticaret AS(a)

     512,338        1,606,102  

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS(a)

     236,100        1,665,969  
     

 

 

 
        7,958,976  
     

 

 

 

United Arab Emirates (0.13%)

     

Aramex PJSC

     726,900        457,157  
     

 

 

 

United States (1.36%)

     

First Cash Financial Services, Inc.(a)

     43,100        2,218,357  

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc., Class A

     49,650        2,518,745  
     

 

 

 
        4,737,102  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS 

(Cost $260,768,675)

        299,424,624  
     

 

 

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (2.68%)

     

Market Vectors®  India Small-Cap Index ETF

     80,770        767,315  

WisdomTree® India  Earnings Fund

     453,000        8,561,700  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 

(Cost $9,294,028)

        9,329,015  
     

 

 

 

RIGHTS (0.03%)

     

Sweden (0.03%)

     

HIQ International AB, Rights, Strike Price 2.40 SEK (expiring 05/25/13)(a)

     237,000        87,398  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL RIGHTS 

(Cost $85,864)

        87,398  
     

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (13.17%)

     

BlackRock Liquidity Funds Treasury Trust Fund

Portfolio - Institutional Class

(7 Day Yield 0.000%)(c)

     45,753,982      $ 45,753,982  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS 

(Cost $ 45,753,982)

        45,753,982  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (102.04%) 

(Cost $ 315,902,549)

      $ 354,595,019  

Liabilities In Excess Of Other Assets (-2.04%)

        (7,083,003)  
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

      $ 347,512,016  
     

 

 

 
     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-Income Producing Security.

(b)

Security was purchased pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, which exempts securities offered and sold outside of the United States from registration. Such security cannot be sold in the United States without either an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption from registration. The security has been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. As of April 30, 2013, the aggregate market value of those securities was $1,435,000, representing 0.41% of net assets.

(c) 

Less than 0.0005% 7 Day Yield.

Common Abbreviations:

AB - Aktiebolag is the Swedish equivalent of the term corporation.

ADR - American Depositary Receipt.

AG - Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e., owned by shareholders.

AS - Aktieselskab is the Danish term for a stock-based corporation.

Bhd - Berhad is the Malaysian term for public limited company.

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund.

GDR - Global Depositary Receipt.

Ltd. - Limited.

NV - Naamloze Vennootschap is the Dutch term for a public limited liability corporation.

OYJ - Julkinen Osakeyhtiö is the Finnish term for a public limited company.

PCL - Public Company Limited.

PLC - Public Limited Company.

PJSC - Public Joint Stock Company.

SA - Generally designates corporations in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law.

SAB de CV - A variable capital company.

SEK - Swedish Krona

Tbk PT - Terbuka Perseroan Terbatas is an Indonesian term for a limited liability company.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    27


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

Holdings are subject to change.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s geographical classifications refer to any one or more of the sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine sub-classifications for reporting ease. Geographical regions are shown as a percentage of net assets.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Statements of Assets and Liabilities
   April 30, 2013

 

     Grandeur Peak      Grandeur Peak  
     Global      International  
     Opportunities      Opportunities  

 

 

ASSETS

     

Investments, at value (Cost - see below)

   $ 348,441,592       $ 354,595,019   

Cash

             97,666   

Foreign cash, at value
(Cost $5,477,911 and $4,115,660, respectively)

     5,524,837         4,117,662   

Dividends and interest receivable

     471,775         656,225   

Receivable for investments sold

     375,332         60,969   

Receivable for fund shares subscribed

     1,295,618         7,363,778   

Prepaid and other assets

     17,960         38,830   

 

 

Total assets

     356,127,114         366,930,149   

 

 

LIABILITIES

     

Payable for investments purchased

     5,295,637         19,048,924   

Payable for fund shares redeemed

     27,812         13,191   

Advisory fees payable

     303,668         188,830   

Administration fees payable

     18,393         17,510   

Custodian fees payable

     35,462         44,226   

Payable for trustee fees and expenses

     7,468         6,436   

Payable for chief compliance officer fee

     3,750         3,750   

Payable for principal financial officer fees

     1,250         1,250   

Distribution and service fees payable

     25,465         18,356   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     70,542         75,660   

 

 

Total liabilities

     5,789,447         19,418,133   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 350,337,667       $ 347,512,016   

 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSISTS OF

     

Paid-in capital (Note 5)

   $ 296,682,176       $ 307,288,881   

Accumulated net investment loss

     (865,742)         (643,664)   

Accumulated net realized gain on investments and foreign currency transactions

     2,948,603         2,233,261   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies

     51,572,630         38,633,538   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 350,337,667       $ 347,512,016   

 

 

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 296,903,298       $ 315,902,549   

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    29


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Statements of Assets and Liabilities (continued)
   April 30, 2013

 

     Grandeur Peak      Grandeur Peak  
     Global      International  
     Opportunities      Opportunities  

 

 

PRICING OF SHARES

     

Investor Class

     

Net Assets

   $ 132,384,188       $ 96,550,019   

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 2.77       $ 2.83   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

     47,777,008         34,086,828   

Institutional Class

     

Net Assets

   $ 217,953,479       $ 250,961,997   

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 2.79       $ 2.84   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

     78,234,962         88,473,439   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Statements of Operations
   For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

     Grandeur Peak
Global
Opportunities
     Grandeur Peak
International
Opportunities
 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

     

Dividends

   $ 4,214,792       $ 2,979,329  

Interest

     2,150         38  

Foreign taxes withheld

     (272,258)         (245,169)  

 

 

Total investment income

     3,944,684         2,734,198  

 

 

EXPENSES

     

Investment advisor fees (Note 6)

     2,593,394         1,698,009  

Administrative fees

     160,136         103,321  

Distribution and service fees - Investor Class

     225,018         67,649  

Transfer agent fees

     64,351         42,434  

Legal fees

     9,785         6,445  

Printing fees

     27,514         15,281  

Registration fees

     49,848         68,315  

Audit and tax preparation fees

     23,959         23,654  

Custodian fees

     108,553         136,643  

Trustee fees and expenses

     15,451         10,622  

Chief compliance officer fees

     15,000         15,000  

Principal financial officer fees

     5,000         5,000  

Offering costs

     34,146         31,823  

Other expenses

     24,670         18,008  

 

 

Total expenses

     3,356,825         2,242,204  

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor

     

Investor Class

     (8,775)         (33,942)  

Institutional Class

     (11,427)         (103,002)  

 

 

Total net expenses

     3,336,623         2,105,260  

 

 

NET INVESTMENT INCOME

     608,061         628,938  

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN/(LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS

     

Net realized gain on investments

     6,177,404         3,207,753  

Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions

     (667,152)         (373,626)  

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     43,055,771         35,338,869  

Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on translation of assets and liabilities in  foreign currencies

     33,160         (67,240)  

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS AND FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS

     48,599,183         38,105,756  

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 49,207,244       $ 38,734,694  

 

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    31


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund   

Statements of Changes

in Net Assets

  

 

    

For the

Year Ended
April 30, 2013

     For the Period
October 17, 2011
(Inception) to
April 30, 2012
     

 

OPERATIONS

       

Net investment income

   $ 608,061       $ 95,503     

Net realized gain on investments and foreign currency transactions

     5,510,252         101,624     

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments and foreign currency translations

     43,088,931         9,712,622     

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     49,207,244         9,909,749     

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

       

Net investment income

       

Investor Class

     (499,095)             

Institutional Class

     (815,023)             

Net realized gains on investments

       

Investor Class

     (1,304,234)             

Institutional Class

     (1,691,595)             

 

Net decrease in net assets from distributions

     (4,309,947)             

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 5)

       

Investor Class

       

Proceeds from sales of shares

     54,013,215         70,935,320     

Distributions reinvested

     1,777,862             

Cost of shares redeemed

     (15,078,229)         (479,829)     

Redemption fees

     6,976         1,255     

 

Net increase from capital shares transactions

     40,719,824         70,456,746     

 

Institutional Class

       

Proceeds from sales of shares

     119,663,878         70,797,423     

Distributions reinvested

     2,431,109             

Cost of shares redeemed

     (8,266,338)         (272,865)     

Redemption fees

     682         162     

 

Net increase from capital shares transactions

     113,829,331         70,524,720     

 

Net increase in net assets

     199,446,452         150,891,215     

 

NET ASSETS

       

Beginning of year

     150,891,215             

 

End of year*

   $ 350,337,667       $ 150,891,215     

 

 

*Including accumulated net investment loss of:

   $ (865,742)       $ (329,624)     

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund   

Statements of Changes

in Net Assets (continued)

  

 

     For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013
     For the Period
October 17, 2011
(Inception) to
April 30, 2012
 

 

 

OTHER INFORMATION

     

Shares Transactions

     

Investor Class

     

Issued

     21,496,144         31,896,998  

Issued in lieu of cash distributions

     725,658          

Redeemed

     (6,120,849)         (220,943)   

 

 

Net increase in share transactions

     16,100,953         31,676,055  

 

 

 

 

Institutional Class

     

Issued

     47,178,631         33,638,446  

Issued in lieu of cash distributions

     988,256          

Redeemed

     (3,450,605)         (119,766)   

 

 

Net increase in share transactions

     44,716,282         33,518,680  

 

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    33


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund   

Statements of Changes

in Net Assets

  

 

     For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013
     For the Period
October 17, 2011
(Inception) to
April 30, 2012
 

 

 

OPERATIONS

     

Net investment income

   $ 628,938       $ 68,526  

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions

     2,834,127         (555,062)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments and foreign currency translations

     35,271,629         4,261,024  

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     38,734,694         3,774,488  

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

     

Net investment income

     

Investor Class

     (130,100)          

Institutional Class

     (937,970)          

Net realized gains on investments

     

Investor Class

     (53,171)          

Institutional Class

     (333,531)          

 

 

Net decrease in net assets from distributions

     (1,454,772)          

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 5)

     

Investor Class

     

Proceeds from sales of shares

     85,888,034         8,652,042  

Distributions reinvested

     161,260          

Cost of shares redeemed

     (6,392,115)         (306,774)   

Redemption fees

     16,442         196  

 

 

Net increase from capital shares transactions

     79,673,621         8,345,464  

 

 

Institutional Class

     

Proceeds from sales of shares

     170,464,416         52,679,495  

Distributions reinvested

     1,149,105          

Cost of shares redeemed

     (5,787,933)         (69,011)   

Redemption fees

     1,265         1,184  

 

 

Net increase from capital shares transactions

     165,826,853         52,611,668  

 

 

Net increase in net assets

     282,780,396         64,731,620  

 

 

NET ASSETS

     

Beginning of year

     64,731,620          

 

 

End of year*

   $ 347,512,016       $ 64,731,620  

 

 

 

 

*Including accumulated net investment loss of:

   $ (643,664)       $ (184,355)   

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Statements of Changes
   in Net Assets (continued)

 

 

     

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the Period
October 17, 2011

(Inception) to

April 30, 2012

 

OTHER INFORMATION

     

Shares Transactions

     

Investor Class

     

Issued

     32,421,152         4,205,017  

Issued in lieu of cash distributions

     63,992          

Redeemed

     (2,456,449)         (146,884)   
                   

Net increase in share transactions

     30,028,695         4,058,133  
                   

Institutional Class

     

Issued

     66,055,460         24,273,224  

Issued in lieu of cash distributions

     455,994           

Redeemed

     (2,280,523)         (30,716)   
                   

Net increase in share transactions

     64,230,931         24,242,508   
                   

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    35


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented.

 

 

Investor Class   

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

   

For the Period

October 17, 2011

(Inception) to

April 30, 2012

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD 

   $ 2.31      $ 2.00  

INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income/(loss)(a)

     0.00 (b)      (0.00) (b)

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     0.51        0.31  
                  

Total income from investment operations

     0.51        0.31  
                  

DISTRIBUTIONS

    

From net investment income

     (0.01)         

From net realized gain on investments

     (0.04)         
                  

Total distributions

     (0.05)         
                  

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL

     0.00 (b)      0.00 (b)
                  

INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     0.46        0.31  
                  

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 2.77      $ 2.31  
                  

TOTAL RETURN

     22.34 %     15.50% (c)

RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

    

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

   $ 132,384      $ 73,154  

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS

    

Expenses (excluding fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor)

     1.76 %     2.30% (d)

Expenses (including fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor)

     1.75 %     1.75% (d)

Net investment income/(loss)

     0.19 %     (0.04)% (d)

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     35 %     42% (c)

 

(a) 

Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.

(b)

Less than $0.005 per share.

(c)

Not Annualized.

(d) 

Annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the period presented.

 

Institutional Class    Year Ended
April 30, 2013
   

For the Period

October 17, 2011

(Inception) to

April 30, 2012

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD 

   $ 2.32      $ 2.00  

INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income(a)

     0.01        0.00 (b)

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     0.52        0.32  

Total income from investment operations

     0.53        0.32  

DISTRIBUTIONS

    

From net investment income

     (0.02      

From net realized gain on investments

     (0.04      

Total distributions

     (0.06      

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL

     0.00 (b)      0.00 (b)

INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     0.47        0.32  

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 2.79      $ 2.32  
                  

TOTAL RETURN

     22.86%       16.00% (c)

RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

    

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

   $ 217,953      $ 77,737  

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS

    

Expenses (excluding fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor)

     1.51%       2.03%(d)  

Expenses (including fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor)

     1.50%       1.50%(d)  

Net investment income

     0.37%       0.40%(d)  

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     35%       42%(c)  

 

(a) 

Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.

(b)

Less than $0.005 per share.

(c)

Not Annualized.

(d) 

Annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    37


Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented.

 

Investor Class    Year Ended
April 30, 2013
   

For the Period

October 17, 2011

(Inception) to

April 30, 2012

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 2.29      $ 2.00  

INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income(a)

     0.01        0.00 (b)

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     0.55        0.29  

Total income from investment operations

     0.56        0.29  

DISTRIBUTIONS

    

From net investment income

     (0.01)         

From net realized gain on investments

     (0.01)         

Total distributions

     (0.02)         

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL

     0.00 (b)      0.00 (b)

INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     0.54        0.29  

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 2.83      $ 2.29  
                  

TOTAL RETURN

     24.57 %     14.50% (c)

RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

    

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

   $ 96,550      $ 9,274  

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS

    

Expenses (excluding fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor)

     1.88 %     2.94% (d)

Expenses (including fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor)

     1.75 %     1.75% (d)

Net investment income

     0.26 %     0.33% (d)

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     52 %     24% (c)

 

(a) 

Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(c) 

Not Annualized.

(d) 

Annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Grandeur Peak International Opportunites Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the period presented.

 

Institutional Class    Year Ended
April 30, 2013
   

For the Period
October 17, 2011
(Inception) to

April 30, 2012

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 2.29      $ 2.00  

INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income(a)

     0.01        0.01  

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     0.57        0.28  

Total income from investment operations

     0.58        0.29  

DISTRIBUTIONS

    

From net investment income

     (0.02)         

From net realized gain on investments

     (0.01)         

Total distributions

     (0.03)         

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID-IN CAPITAL

     0.00 (b)      0.00 (b)

INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     0.55        0.29  

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 2.84      $ 2.29  
                  

TOTAL RETURN

     25.11 %     14.50% (c)

RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

    

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

   $ 250,962      $ 55,458  

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS

    

Expenses (excluding fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor)

     1.59 %     2.50% (d)

Expenses (including fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor)

     1.50 %     1.50% (d)

Net investment income

     0.51 %     0.56% (d)

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     52 %     24% (c)

 

(a) 

Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(c) 

Not Annualized.

(d) 

Annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

1. ORGANIZATION

 

Financial Investors Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). As of April 30, 2013, the Trust had 26 registered funds. This annual report describes the Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund and Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”). The Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund seeks long-term growth of capital and invests primarily in foreign and domestic small and micro cap companies. The Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund seeks long-term growth of capital and invests primarily in foreign small and micro cap companies. The Funds offer Investor Class and Institutional Class shares. All classes of shares have identical rights to earnings, assets and voting privileges, except for class specific expenses and exclusive rights to vote on matters affecting only individual classes.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Funds in preparation of their financial statements.

Investment Valuation: The Funds generally value their securities based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading.

For equity securities and mutual funds that are traded on an exchange, the market price is usually the closing sale or official closing price on that exchange. In the case of equity securities not traded on an exchange, or if such closing prices are not otherwise available, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices on such day. Redeemable securities issued by open-end registered investment companies are valued at the investment company’s applicable net asset value.

Equity securities that are primarily traded on foreign securities exchanges are valued at the closing values of such securities on their respective foreign exchanges, except when an event occurs subsequent to the close of the foreign exchange and the close of the NYSE that was likely to have changed such value. In such an event, the fair value of those securities are determined in good faith through consideration of other factors in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Funds will use a fair valuation model provided by an independent pricing service, which is intended to reflect fair value when a security’s value or a meaningful portion of each Fund’s portfolio is believed to have been materially affected by a valuation event that has occurred between the close of the exchange or market on which the security is traded and the close of the regular trading day on the NYSE. The Funds’ valuation procedures set forth certain triggers which instruct when to use the fair valuation model.

Forward currency exchange contracts have a market value determined by the prevailing foreign currency exchange daily rates and current foreign currency exchange forward rates. The foreign currency exchange forward rates are calculated using an automated system that estimates rates

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

on the basis of the current day foreign currency exchange rates and forward foreign currency exchange rates supplied by a pricing service.

When such prices or quotations are not available, or when the Fair Value Committee appointed by the Board believes that they are unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board.

Fair Value Measurements: The Funds disclose the classification of their fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Funds’ investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Funds have the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2 – Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

Level 3 – Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Funds’ own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following is a summary of each Fund’s investments in the fair value hierarchy as of April 30, 2013:

 

Investments in Securities at

Value(a)

  

Level 1 - Quoted

and Unadjusted

Prices

    

Level 2 - Other

Significant

Observable

Inputs

    

Level 3 -

Significant

Unobservable

Inputs

     Total  
   

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities

           

Common Stocks

   $ 319,130,481       $      –       $     –       $   319,130,481  

Exchange Traded Funds

     2,529,718                         2,529,718  

Rights

     65,015                         65,015  

Short Term Investments

     26,716,378                         26,716,378  
   

Total

   $ 348,441,592       $       $       $ 348,441,592  
   
   

 

(a) 

For detailed descriptions of countries, see the accompanying Portfolio of Investments.

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Investments in Securities at

Value(a)

  

Level 1 - Quoted

and Unadjusted

Prices

    

Level 2 - Other

Significant

Observable

Inputs

    

Level 3 -

Significant

Unobservable

Inputs

     Total  
   

Grandeur Peak International Opportunities

           

Common Stocks

   $ 299,424,624       $       $       $   299,424,624   

Exchange Traded Funds

     9,329,015                         9,329,015   

Rights

     87,398                         87,398   

Short Term Investments

     45,753,982                         45,753,982   
   

Total

   $ 354,595,019       $      –       $      –       $ 354,595,019   
   
   

 

(a)

For detailed descriptions of countries, see the accompanying Portfolio of Investments.

The Funds recognize transfers between levels as of the end of the period. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. The following is a reconciliation of assets in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value:

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund

 

Investments in

Securities at Value

  

Balance as of

April 30, 2012

    

Realized

gain/(loss)

   

Change in

unrealized

appreciation/

(depreciation)

    

Sales

proceeds

   

Balance as of

April 30, 2013

    

Net change in

unrealized

appreciation/

(depreciation)

included in the

statement of

operations

attributable to

level 3

investments

still held at

April 30. 2013

 
   

Common Stocks

   $ 190,464       $ (127,800   $ 52,117       $ (114,781   $  –       $      –   
   

Total

   $ 190,464       $ (127,800   $ 52,117       $ (114,781   $      –       $   
   
   

Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund

 

Investments in

Securities at Value

  

Balance as of

April 30, 2012

    

Realized

gain/(loss)

   

Change in

unrealized

appreciation/

(depreciation)

    

Sales

proceeds

   

Balance as of

April 30, 2013

    

Net change in

unrealized

appreciation/

(depreciation)

included in the

statement of

operations

attributable to

level 3

investments

still held at

April 30, 2013

 
   

Common Stocks

   $ 110,632       $ (78,585   $ 34,624       $ (66,671   $      –       $      –   
   

Total

   $ 110,632       $ (78,585   $ 34,624       $ (66,671   $      –       $     –   
   
   

Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the investments are purchased or sold (trade date). Realized gains and losses from investment transactions are reported on an identified cost basis. Interest income, which includes accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums, is accrued and recorded as earned. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date or for certain foreign securities, as soon as

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

information is available to the Funds. All of the realized and unrealized gains and losses and net investment income, are allocated daily to each class in proportion to its average daily net assets.

Foreign Securities: The Funds may directly purchase securities of foreign issuers. Investing in securities of foreign issuers involves special risks not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers. The risks include possible reevaluation of currencies, the inability to repatriate foreign currency, less complete financial information about companies and possible future adverse political and economic developments. Moreover, securities of many foreign issuers and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of securities of comparable U.S. issuers.

Foreign Currency Translation: The books and records of the Funds are maintained in U.S. dollars. Investment valuations and other assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies are converted each business day into U.S. dollars based upon current exchange rates. Prevailing foreign exchange rates may generally be obtained at the close of the NYSE (normally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). The portion of realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments due to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed and is included in realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments, when applicable.

Foreign Currency Spot Contracts: The Funds may enter into foreign currency spot contracts to facilitate transactions in foreign securities or to convert foreign currency receipts into U.S. dollars. A foreign currency spot contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell currencies at the current market rate, for settlement generally within two business days. The U.S. dollar value of the contracts is determined using current currency exchange rates supplied by a pricing service. The contract is marked-to-market daily for settlements beyond one day and any change in market value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded equal to the difference between the value on the open and close date. Losses may arise from changes in the value of the foreign currency, or if the counterparties do not perform under the contract’s terms. The maximum potential loss from such contracts is the aggregate face value in U.S. dollars at the time the contract was opened.

Trust Expenses: Some expenses of the Trust can be directly attributed to the Funds. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed to the Funds are apportioned among all funds in the Trust based on average net assets of each fund.

Fund and Class Expenses: Expenses that are specific to a Fund or class of shares of a Fund are charged directly to that Fund or share class. Expenses that are common to all Funds generally are allocated among the Funds in proportion to their average daily net assets. Fees provided under the distribution (Rule 12b-1) and/or shareholder service plans for a particular class of the Funds are charged to the operations of such class.

Offering Costs: Offering costs, including costs of printing initial prospectuses, legal and registration fees, are being amortized over twelve months from the inception date of the Funds. As of April 30, 2013, all offering costs have been amortized by the Funds.

Federal Income Taxes: The Funds comply with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies and intend to distribute substantially all of their net taxable income and net capital gains, if any, each year so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. The Funds are not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made.

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

As of and during the year ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Funds file U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The Funds’ tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return for federal purposes and four years for most state returns. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Distributions to Shareholders: Each Fund normally pays dividends and distributes capital gains, if any, on an annual basis. Income dividend distributions are derived from interest and other income each Fund receives from their investments, including short term capital gains. Long term capital gain distributions are derived from gains realized when each Fund sells a security it has owned for more than a year. Each Fund may make additional distributions and dividends at other times if the portfolio manager believes doing so may be necessary for each Fund to avoid or reduce taxes.

3. TAX BASIS INFORMATION

 

Reclassifications: As of April 30, 2013, permanent differences in book and tax accounting were reclassified. These differences had no effect on net assets and were primarily attributed to differing book/tax treatment of foreign currency, PFICs and certain other investments. The reclassifications were as follows:

 

Fund    Paid-in Capital    

Accumulated

Net Investment

Income/(Loss)

   

Accumulated

Net Realized

Gain/(Loss) on

Investments

 
   

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities

   $ (34,146   $ 169,939      $ 135,793   

Grandeur Peak International Opportunities

     (31,823     (20,177     (52,000

Tax Basis of Investments: As of April 30, 2013, the aggregate cost of investments, gross unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) and net unrealized appreciation for Federal tax purposes was as follows:

 

    

Gross

Appreciation

(excess of

value over tax

cost)

    

Gross

Depreciation

(excess of tax

cost over

value)

   

Net

Appreciation/

(Depreciation)

of Foreign

Currency

   

Net Unrealized

Appreciation

    

Cost of

Investments for

Income Tax

Purposes

 
   

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities

   $ 60,298,409       $ (9,929,872   $ 34,336      $ 50,402,873       $ 298,073,055   

Grandeur Peak International Opportunities

     45,791,463         (7,839,663     (58,932     37,892,868         316,643,219   

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Components of Earnings: As of April 30, 2013, components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

    

Grandeur Peak

Global

Opportunities

    

Grandeur Peak

International

Opportunities

 
   

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 1,939,706       $ 1,863,586   

Accumulated capital gains

     1,311,020         480,158   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     50,402,873         37,892,868   

Other cumulative effect of timing differences

     1,892         (13,477
   

Total distributable earnings

   $ 53,655,491       $ 40,223,135   
   
   

Capital Losses: As of April 30, 2013, the Funds have no accumulated capital loss carryforwards.

Tax Basis of Distributions to Shareholders: The character of distributions made during the year from net investment income or net realized gains may differ from its ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Also, due to the timing of dividend distributions, the fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the fiscal year in which the income or realized gain were recorded by the Funds.

The tax character of distributions paid by the Funds for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

     Ordinary Income     

Long-Term

Capital Gain

 
   

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities

   $ 4,298,437       $ 11,510   

Grandeur Peak International Opportunities

     1,378,397         76,375   

4. SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of securities (excluding short term securities) during the year ended April 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

Fund   

Purchases of

Securities

    

Proceeds From Sales

of Securities

 
   

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities

   $  205,224,492       $  69,688,297   

Grandeur Peak International Opportunities

     276,727,257         67,342,087   

5. SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST

 

The capitalization of the Trust consists of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value per share. Holders of the shares of the Funds of the Trust have one vote for each share held and a proportionate fraction of a vote for each fractional share. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and are non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive rights.

Shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase may incur a 2% short-term redemption fee deducted from the redemption amount. For the year ended April 30, 2013 and the period October 17, 2011 (inception) to April 30, 2012, the redemption fees charged by the Funds are presented in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets.

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

6. MANAGEMENT AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Grandeur Peak Global Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser” or “Grandeur Peak Global Advisors”), subject to the authority of the Board, is responsible for the overall management and administration of the Funds’ business affairs. The Adviser manages the investments of the Funds in accordance with the Funds’ investment objective, policies and limitations and investment guidelines established jointly by the Adviser and the Trustees. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, (the “Advisory Agreement”), each Fund pays the Adviser an annual management fee of 1.25%, based on each Fund’s average daily net assets. The management fee is paid on a monthly basis.

The Adviser has contractually agreed to limit certain of each Fund’s expenses to 1.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets in the Investor Class shares and 1.50% of the Fund’s average daily net assets in the Institutional Class shares until August 31, 2013. Pursuant to this agreement, each Fund will reimburse the Adviser for any fee waivers and expense reimbursements made by the Adviser, provided that any such reimbursements made by the Funds to the Adviser will not cause the Funds’ expense limitation to exceed expense limitations in existence at the time the expense was incurred, or at the time of the reimbursement, whichever is lower, and the reimbursement is made within three years after the expenses were incurred.

For the year ended April 30, 2013, the fee waivers and/or reimbursements were as follows:

 

Fund   

Fees Waived/

Reimbursed By

Advisor

    

Recoupment of

Previously

Waived Fees By

Advisor

     Total  
   

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund

        
   

Investor Class

   $ 8,775       $      –       $ 8,775   
   

Institutional Class

     11,427                 11,427   
   

Grandeur Peak Global International Opportunities Fund

        
   

Investor Class

   $ 33,942       $       $ 33,942   
   

Institutional Class

     103,002                 103,002   
   

 

As of April 30, 2013, the balances of recoupable expenses for each Fund were as follows:

 

  

Fund    Expires 2015      Expires 2016      Total  
   

Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund

        
   

Investor Class

   $ 57,387       $ 8,775       $ 66,162   
   

Institutional Class

     130,976         11,427         142,402   
   

Grandeur Peak Global International Opportunities Fund

        
   

Investor Class

   $ 42,227       $ 33,942       $ 76,169   
   

Institutional Class

     102,671         103,002         205,673   
   

Fund Accounting Fees and Expenses

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS” and the “Administrator”) (an affiliate of ALPS Distributors, Inc.) serves as administrator to the Funds, and each Fund has agreed to pay expenses incurred in connection with its administrative activities. Pursuant to the Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement (the “Agreement”), ALPS will provide operational services to the Funds

 

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   April 30, 2013

 

including, but not limited to fund accounting and fund administration and generally assist in each Fund’s operations.

The Annual Administrative Fee is billed monthly in total and allocated to each Fund in the amount of the greater of (a) the annual minimum for both Funds of $185,000 in year 1 of operations and $205,000 in year 2 and forward or (b) following basis point fee schedule:

 

Average Total Net Assets    Contractual Fee    
 

Between $0-$500M

       0.05 %      
 

$500M-$1B

       0.03 %      
 

Above $1B

       0.02 %      
 

The Administrator is also reimbursed by the Funds for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Transfer Agent

ALPS serves as transfer, dividend paying and shareholder servicing agent for the Funds (“Transfer Agent”). ALPS is compensated based upon a $25,000 annual base fee per Fund, and annually $9 per direct open account and $7 per open account through NSCC. The Transfer Agent is also reimbursed by the Funds for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Compliance Services

ALPS provides services which assist the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer in monitoring and testing the policies and procedures of the Trust in conjunction with requirements under Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act for an annual fee for both Funds of $30,000. ALPS is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses. The annual fee is billed monthly in total and allocated to each Fund.

Principal Financial Officer

ALPS receives an annual fee for both Funds of $10,000 for providing Principal Financial Officer (“PFO”) services to the Funds. The annual fee is billed monthly in total and allocated to each Fund.

Distributor: ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI” or the “Distributor”) (an affiliate of ALPS) acts as the distributor of the Funds’ shares pursuant to a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. Shares are sold on a continuous basis by ADI as agent for the Funds, and ADI has agreed to use its best efforts to solicit orders for the sale of each Fund’s shares, although it is not obliged to sell any particular amount of shares. ADI is not entitled to any compensation for its services as Distributor. ADI is registered as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Each Fund has adopted a Distribution and Services (12b-1) Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act (the “Plan”) for its Investor Class shares. The Plan allows the Funds to use Investor Class assets to pay fees in connection with the distribution and marketing of Investor Class shares and/or the provision of shareholder services to Investor Class shareholders. The Plan permits payment for services in connection with the administration of plans or programs that use Investor Class shares of each Fund as their funding medium and for related expenses. The Plan permits the Funds to make total payments at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of each Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to its Investor Class shares. The expenses of the Plan are reflected as distribution and service fees in the Statement of Operations.

7. INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the

 

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   April 30, 2013

 

normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that may contain general indemnification clauses, which may permit indemnification to the extent permissible under applicable law. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

8. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

Effective as of the close of business on May 1, 2013, the Funds closed to new investors, except as described below. This change affects new investors seeking to purchase shares of a Fund either directly or through third party intermediaries. Existing shareholders of the Funds may continue to purchase additional shares of that Fund.

 

   

A financial advisor whose clients have established accounts in a Fund as of May 1, 2013 may continue to open new accounts in that Fund for any of its existing or new clients.

   

Existing or new participants in a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan, profit sharing plan, 403(b) plan or 457 plan, which has an existing position in a Fund as of May 1, 2013, may continue to open new accounts in that Fund. In addition, if such qualified retirement plans have a related retirement plan formed in the future, this plan may also open new accounts in the Fund.

As described in the Prospectus, the Adviser retains the right to make exceptions to any action taken to close a Fund or limit inflows into a Fund.

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®   

Report of Independent Registered

Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of Financial Investors Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the portfolios of investments, of Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund and Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund (the “Funds”), two of the funds constituting Financial Investors Trust, as of April 30, 2013, the related statements of operations for the year then ended, and the statements of changes in net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended and for the period from October 17, 2011 (inception) to April 30, 2012. 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 their internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of April 30, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund and Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund of Financial Investors Trust as of April 30, 2013, the results of their operations for the year then ended, and the changes in their net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended and for the period from October 17, 2011 (inception) to April 30, 2012, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

June 27, 2013

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1. FUND HOLDINGS

 

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the period. Copies of the Funds’ Form N-Q are available without charge on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy the Form N-Q at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. For more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room, please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

2. FUND PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SUMMARIES

 

The Funds’ policies and procedures used in determining how to vote proxies and information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent prior 12-month period ending June 30 are available without charge, (1) upon request, by calling (toll-free) 855-377-PEAK(7325) and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

3. TAX DESIGNATIONS

 

The Funds designate the following for federal income tax purposes for distributions made during the calendar year ended December 31, 2012:

 

    

Global

Opportunities Fund

 

International

Opportunities Fund

 

Dividend Received Deduction

   14.53%   0.40%

Qualified Dividend Income

   48.25%   65.70%

In early 2013, if applicable, shareholders of record received this information for the distributions paid to them by the Funds during the calendar year 2012 via Form 1099. The Funds will notify shareholders in early 2014 of amounts paid to them by the Funds, if any, during the calendar year 2013.

The Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund and the Grandeur Peak International Opportunities Fund designates $11,510 and $76,375, respectively, as long-term capital gain distribution.

 

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Table of Contents
Grandeur Peak Funds®    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time

Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

  During Past 5 Years***

  

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen

by

Trustee****

  

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee

During Past 5

Years

Mary K. Anstine,

age 72

   Trustee    Ms. Anstine was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/Director of AV Hunter Trust and Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.    26    Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund); and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Grandeur Peak Global Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time

Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

  During Past 5 Years***

  

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen

by

Trustee****

  

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee

During Past 5

Years

John R. Moran, Jr.,

age 82

   Trustee    Mr. Moran was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Moran is formerly President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, a private foundation serving the health and hospital community in the state of Colorado. An attorney, Mr. Moran was formerly a partner with the firm of Kutak Rock & Campbell in Denver, Colorado and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. Currently, Mr. Moran is a member of the Treasurer’s Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Colorado.    26   

   None.

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time

Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee

During Past 5

Years

Jeremy W. Deems,

age 36

   Trustee    Mr. Deems was appointed as a Trustee at the March 11, 2008 meeting of the Board of Trustees and elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, an investment management company, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, a liquidity resourcing company, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company (from 2004 to June 2007). Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.    26   

Mr. Deems is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust

(13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds) and Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund).

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
*** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust and any other investment companies for which Grandeur Peak provides investment advisory services.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Grandeur Peak Global Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time

Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee

During Past 5

Years

Jerry G. Rutledge,

age 68

   Trustee    Mr. Rutledge was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Rutledge is the President and owner of Rutledge’s Inc., a retail clothing business. Mr. Rutledge is currently Director of the American National Bank. He was from 1994 to 2007 a Regent of the University of Colorado.    26   

Mr. Rutledge is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund), Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund) and Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund).

 

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time

Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee

During Past 5

Years

Michael “Ross” Shell,

age 42

   Trustee    Mr. Shell was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Shell is Founder and CEO* of Red Idea, LLC, a strategic consulting/early stage venture firm (since June 2008). From 1999 to 2009, he was a part-owner and Director of Tesser, Inc., a brand agency. From December 2005 to May 2008, he was Director, Marketing and Investor Relations, of Woodbourne, a REIT/real estate hedge fund and private equity firm. Prior to this, from May 2004 to November 2005, he worked as a business strategy consultant; from June 2003 to April 2004, he was on the Global Client Services team of IDEO, a product design/innovation firm; and from 1999 to 2003, he was President of Tesser, Inc. Mr. Shell graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science.    26    None.

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Grandeur Peak Global Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee During

Past 5 Years

Edmund J. Burke,

age 52

   Trustee,
Chairman
and
President
   Mr. Burke was elected as Chairman at the August 28, 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Burke was elected as Trustee at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009. Mr. Burke was elected President of the Trust at the December 17, 2002 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   

Mr. Burke is President and a Director of ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”) (since 2005) and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”), ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and from 2001-2008, was President of AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD. Because of his positions with AHI, AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD, Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Burke is Trustee and President of the Clough Global Allocation Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2004); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Equity Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2005); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (since 2006); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund; and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.

 

   26    Mr. Burke is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (1 fund); and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (1 fund).

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Grandeur Peak Global Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

OFFICERS

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office and

Length of Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

Kimberly R. Storms,

age 41

   Treasurer    Ms. Storms was elected Treasurer of the Trust at the March 12, 2013 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   

Ms. Storms is Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration of ALPS. Ms. Storms joined ALPS in 1998 as Assistant Controller. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Storms is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Storms is also Treasurer of BPV Family of Funds and ALPS Series Trust; Assistant Treasurer of Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of Tilson Funds; and Chief Financial Officer of The Arbitrage Funds.

 

David T. Buhler,

age 41

   Secretary    Mr. Buhler was elected Secretary of the Trust at the September 11, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   

Mr. Buhler joined ALPS in June 2010, and is currently Vice President and Associate Counsel of ALPS, AAI, ADI and APSD. Prior to joining ALPS, Mr. Buhler served as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Founders Asset Management LLC from 2006 to 2009. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Buhler is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Buhler is also the Secretary of ALPS Variable Investment Trust and Westcore Trust.

 

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

 

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Grandeur Peak Funds®    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

OFFICERS

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)
Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office and

Length of Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

Ted Uhl,

age 37

   Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)    Mr. Uhl was appointed CCO of the Trust at the June 8, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Uhl joined ALPS in October 2006, and is currently Deputy Compliance Officer of ALPS. Prior to his current role, Mr. Uhl served as Senior Risk Manager for ALPS from October 2006 until June 2010. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Uhl served a Sr. Analyst with Enenbach and Associates (RIA), and a Sr. Financial Analyst at Sprint. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Uhl is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Uhl is also CCO of the Clough Global Funds, Reaves Utility Income Fund, Drexel Hamilton Funds and Transparent Value Trust.

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

 

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Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Shareholder Letter

     1   

Performance Update

  

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

     4   

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

     7   

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

     10   

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

     13   

Portfolio of Investments

  

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

     15   

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

     16   

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

     17   

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     18   

Statements of Operations

     19   

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     20   

Financial Highlights

  

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

     21   

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

     22   

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

     23   

Notes to Financial Statements

     24   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     33   

Additional Information

     34   

Trustees and Officers

     35   

 


Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

May 1, 2013

Dear Shareholder:

Since we launched our funds in July of last year, we’ve been diligently working to promote the funds and expand awareness of our presence in the marketplace. The table below summarizes the total return since inception through the first quarter of 2013.

 

      Inception* Through 3/31/13     

Pathway Advisors Conservative

       5.07 %  

Pathway Advisors Growth & Income

       8.14 %  

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth

       12.81 %  

*Since inception. The Funds’ inception date is July 30, 2012.

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an Investor’s shares, when redeemed, may not be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. To obtain the most recent month-end performance data, please call 1-888-288-1121 or visit www.pathwayadvisorsfunds.com.

Hanson McClain Strategic Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) has agreed contractually to limit the amount of each Fund’s total annual expenses, exclusive of Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses, to 1.98% of the Funds’ average daily net assets. This agreement is in effect through August 31, 2014. The Adviser will be permitted to recover expenses it has borne through the agreement described above to the extent that the Funds’ expenses in later periods fall below the annual rates set forth in the relevant agreement. The Funds will not be obligated to pay any such deferred fees and expenses more than three years after the end of the fiscal year in which the fees and expense were deferred. The Adviser may not discontinue this waiver without the approval by the Funds’ Board of Trustees.

A very strong first quarter of 2013 helped propel the funds overall returns since inception as noted above. As these funds are asset allocation funds that typically have 10% or more exposure to fixed income, we lagged behind broad equity indices as expected in periods of relatively low equity volatility, particularly from the beginning of the year until present. Conversely, our funds all exhibited less volatility as measured by beta (a measure of systematic risk with respect to a benchmark) and standard deviation (a statistical measurement of dispersion about an average which, for a mutual fund, depicts how widely the returns varied over a certain period of time). Despite the very strong run up in equity markets and multi-year records being set and all-time highs possible in the not too far distant future, we are somewhat cautious on both the degree to which equities have performed and the speed in which they’ve done so. While many prognosticators profess that the run up in equity prices is entirely justified by strong current earnings, high profit margins, healthy balance sheets, fair or slightly below normal valuations, and an ever accommodating Federal Reserve (Fed) – still purchasing $85 billion a month in mortgage-backed and other Treasury securities as of 3/31/13 – we have been focusing on fund managers and asset classes that we feel still are adding “quality” investments and diversification benefits to shareholders. On the fixed income side, we are also cautious in terms of valuations of both high duration government bonds as well as below investment grade credit (corporate or government debt that is rated at BBB or above by Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s rating agencies) as spreads (the difference between the yield on corporate/government debt

 

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    1  


Table of Contents

Pathway Advisors Funds

   Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

securities of the same average maturity) to Treasuries have tightened to multi-year lows and fund flows have increased by yield seeking investors. While we do not believe that either rates will increase dramatically in the next several months nor will default rates start picking up, we are more cognizant of both interest rate risk as well as spread risk, as both of these can adversely impact portfolio returns. For this reason, we continue to prefer mostly active managers in the fixed income space that can shorten duration (a time measure of a bond’s interest rate sensitivity, based on the weighted average of the time periods over which a bond’s cash flows accrue to the bondholder) or credit exposure or that can capitalize on alpha (a measure of the difference between a portfolio’s actual returns and its expected performance) generating opportunities overseas, rather than taking a more passive approach to domestic only fixed income.

Though the headwinds, or the amount of attention paid to the headwinds, has clearly decreased, we believe a high debt/gross domestic product (GDP) ratio and a Federal Reserve that is expanding its balance sheet to no seeming end may not provide a net benefit to the markets or the economic future in the long-run. There is also concern that earnings growth may be slowing and profit margins may start contracting. It is entirely possible that we have robbed returns and growth from the future, both at the micro level and the macro level. If this is the case, which we are of the opinion that it is, both fiscal and monetary policymakers will need to carefully balance an unwinding of massive balance sheets while keeping rates and inflation in check and all the while encouraging growth.

Notwithstanding our concerns domestically, the rest of the world also has its fair share of challenges – debt and growth crisis in Europe, reflation reattempt by Japan, and potentially slower growth in the Emerging Markets. There is also always the uncertainty of natural disasters, pandemics, or geopolitical stand-offs that could add to volatility and trepidation among investors. Perhaps of greatest concern, though, is that of unintended consequences of having too much accommodation by the Fed and having rates near zero for too long. Investors who are normally risk averse but need income are now taking more risk, either in credit products or via equity income. Will these same investors continue to hold risky assets through a market shock or will they revert back to being risk averse and contribute to panic selling? Will high frequency or algorithmic trading amplify volatility at precisely the wrong time and make matters even worse à la flash crash? We don’t know the answer to either of these questions, but we do feel that the void of bad news or uncertainty likely has put a premium on equities currently.

The equity markets have relentlessly pushed forward, climbing the “wall of worry” and bond yields have remained stubbornly low, courteous of the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) quantitative easing program whereby the Fed purchases debt securities as a means to induce economic activity via lower than normal interest rates. Perhaps emotions of fear are being replaced by emotions of greed, but, like the aforementioned prognosticators, we must acknowledge that there are some tailwinds or catalysts that, depending on how they play out, could be a boon for the economy. Increased energy production in natural gas and crude oil could create many jobs and, in the coming years, make us energy independent. Lower unemployment and higher business confidence could see much of the cash on corporate and individual balance sheets get reinvested. Systematic spending cuts from the government, though certainly not optimal, could have less of a drag on growth than anticipated and could help pave the way to further improve the federal balance sheet through more meaningful and better coordinated reductions to the debt level. The global economy could benefit from lower geopolitical risks and the emergence of the middle class consumer in developing markets. Technological improvement and networking gains could unlock more productivity, convenience, and wealth creation.

 

  
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Pathway Advisors Funds

   Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

On balance, we continue to focus on diversification benefits of different asset types. Regardless of whether we get more headwinds or tailwinds, our portfolios are designed to move in the direction of the equity markets to varying degrees. We will tactically adjust our overlay to our strategic mix as we deem necessary to overweight attractive areas and underweight areas we believe to exhibit greater risks. We appreciate the confidence that you have placed in our management, and we take seriously our fiduciary responsibility to deliver competitive performance that can help you reach your investment objectives and financial goals.

Sincerely,

David Schauer

Chief Investment Officer

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the Funds or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. The Funds do not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

The Pathway Aggressive Growth Fund invests in underlying funds that use investment techniques and financial instruments that may be considered aggressive, including the use of futures contracts, options on futures contracts, securities and indices, forward contracts, swap agreements and similar instruments, exposes an underlying fund to potentially dramatic changes (losses) in the value of certain of its portfolio holdings.

The Pathway Growth and Income Fund’s share price can move down in response to stock market conditions, changes in the economy or changes in a particular underlying fund’s share price. An underlying fund may decline in value even when the values of stocks or bonds in general are rising. An underlying fund’s investments in fixed-income securities may decline in value because of changes in interest rates. As nominal interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities held by an underlying fund (and indirectly, by the Fund) are likely to decrease.

The Pathway Conservative Fund invests in underlying funds that invest long or short in fixed-income securities subjects the Fund to additional risks that include credit risk, interest risk, maturity risk, investment-grade securities risk, municipal securities risk and prepayment risk. These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund’s share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an Investor’s shares, when redeemed, may not be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Diversification does not eliminate the risk of experiencing investment losses.

The Pathway Advisors Funds are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc.

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Cumulative Total Return for the period ended April 30, 2013

 

      One Month   Latest Quarter   Since Inception*

  Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

   1.45%   2.64%   6.59%

  S&P 500 Total Return  Index1

   1.93%   7.18%   17.30%

  Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond  Index2

   1.01%   1.60%   1.38%

  Russell 2000® Index3

   -0.37%   5.38%   21.02%

* Fund inception date of July 30, 2012.

Indexes are not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees or expenses. You cannot invest directly in an index.

The returns shown above do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or redemption of Fund shares.

The Fund is new and has a limited operating history.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-888-288-1121 or visit www.pathwayadvisorsfunds.com.

 

1 

The S&P 500® Total Return Index is an unmanaged index of 500 common stocks chosen for the market size, liquidity and industry group representation. It is a market-value weighted index. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

2 

The Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index is a market capitalization-weighted index, meaning the securities in the index are weighted according to the market size of each bond type. Most U.S. traded investment grade bonds are represented. Municipal bonds, and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities are excluded, due to tax treatment issues. The index includes Treasury securities, Government agency bonds, Mortgage-backed bonds, Corporate bonds, and a small amount of foreign bonds traded in U.S. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

3 

The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® Index is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

 

  
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Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

   Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Growth of $10,000 for the period ended April 30, 2013

 

LOGO

The graphs shown above represent a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund’s Investor Class shares for the period from inception to 4/30/13. All returns reflect reinvested dividends, but do not reflect the deduction of taxes that an investor would pay on distributions or redemptions.

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

Top Ten Long Holdings    (as a % of Net Assets)*

DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund - Class I

       14.32 %

PIMCO Total Return Fund - Institutional Class

       10.38 %

Vanguard® Wellesley Income Fund - Class Admiral

       9.67 %

Metropolitan West Total Return Bond Fund - Class I

       8.79 %

Vanguard® Wellington Fund - Class Admiral

       7.31 %

Vanguard® Total Stock Market ETF

       5.72 %

Loomis Sayles Bond Fund - Institutional Class

       4.84 %

PIMCO Real Return Fund - Institutional Class

       4.80 %

Templeton Global Bond Fund - Class A

       4.80 %

iShares® Dow Jones International Select Dividend Index Fund

       2.51 %

Top Ten Holdings

       73.14 %

Portfolio Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)*

 

LOGO

* Holdings are subject to change. Table and chart presents indicative values only.

 

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Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Cumulative Total Return for the period ended April 30, 2013

 

     One Month   Latest Quarter   Since Inception*

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund - NAV

    1.40%   3.14%     9.65%

  S&P 500 Total Return Index1

    1.93%   7.18%   17.30%

  Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index2

    1.01%   1.60%     1.38%

  Russell 2000® Index3

   -0.37%   5.38%   21.02%

* Fund inception date of July 30, 2012.

Indexes are not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees or expenses. You cannot invest directly in an index.

The returns shown above do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or redemption of Fund shares.

The Fund is new and has a limited operating history.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-888-288-1121 or visit www.pathwayadvisorsfunds.com.

 

1 

The S&P 500® Total Return Index is an unmanaged index of 500 common stocks chosen for the market size, liquidity and industry group representation. It is a market-value weighted index. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

2 

The Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index is a market capitalization-weighted index, meaning the securities in the index are weighted according to the market size of each bond type. Most U.S. traded investment grade bonds are represented. Municipal bonds, and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities are excluded, due to tax treatment issues. The index includes Treasury securities, Government agency bonds, Mortgage-backed bonds, Corporate bonds, and a small amount of foreign bonds traded in U.S. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

3 

The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® Index is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

 

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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Growth of $10,000 for the period ended April 30, 2013

 

 

LOGO

The graphs shown above represent a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund’s Investor Class shares for the period from inception to 4/30/13. All returns reflect reinvested dividends, but do not reflect the deduction of taxes that an investor would pay on distributions or redemptions.

 

  
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Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Top Ten Long Holdings    (as a % of Net Assets)*

SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust

   14.85%

Double Line Total Return Bond Fund - Class I

   13.89%

PIMCO Total Return Fund - Institutional Class

   9.02%

Vanguard® Wellington Fund - Class Admiral

   8.24%

T.Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Fund

   7.42%

iShares® Dow Jones International Select Dividend Index Fund

   6.66%

PIMCO Real Return Fund - Institutional Class

   5.73%

iShares® Dow Jones Select Dividend Index Fund

   4.13%

Vanguard® Large - Cap ETF

   4.12%

Metropolitan West Total Return Bond Fund - Class I

   4.10%

Top Ten Holdings

   78.16%

Portfolio Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)*

 

LOGO

* Holdings are subject to change. Table and chart presents indicative values only.

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Cumulative Total Return for the period ended April 30, 2013

 

      One Month   Latest Quarter   Since Inception*

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

       2.06 %       4.21 %       15.14 %

MSCI EAFE NR1

       5.21 %       5.07 %       24.68 %

S&P 500 Total Return Index2

       1.93 %       7.18 %       17.30 %

Russell 2000® Index3

       -0.37 %       5.38 %       21.02 %

* Fund inception date of July 30, 2012.

Indexes are not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees or expenses. You cannot invest directly in an index.

The returns shown above do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or redemption of Fund shares.

The Fund is new and has a limited operating history.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-888-288-1121 or visit www.pathwayadvisorsfunds.com.

 

1 

MSCI EAFE® (Europe, Australasia, Far East) Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index designed to measure developed market equity performance. The MSCI EAFE® Index is composed of companies representative of the market structure of Developed Market countries. The index includes reinvestment of dividends, net of foreign withholding taxes. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

2 

The S&P 500® Total Return Index is an unmanaged index of 500 common stocks chosen for the market size, liquidity and industry group representation. It is a market-value weighted index. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

3 

The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® Index is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly into the index.

Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used to create indices or financial products. This report is not approved or produced by MSCI.

 

  
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Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Growth of $10,000 for the period ended April 30, 2013

 

 

LOGO

The graphs shown above represent a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund’s Investor Class shares for the period from inception to 4/30/13. All returns reflect reinvested dividends, but do not reflect the deduction of taxes that an investor would pay on distributions or redemptions.

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Top Long Holdings    (as a % of Net Assets)*

iShares® Dow Jones International Select Dividend Index Fund

       16.49 %

SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust

       14.36 %

DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund - Class I

       14.17 %

Vanguard® Total Stock Market ETF

       13.40 %

Akre Focus Fund - Institutional Class

       12.69 %

T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Fund

       8.60 %

Mairs & Power Growth Fund - Investor Class

       7.62 %

Vanguard® FTSE Emerging Markets ETF

       3.87 %

WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund

       3.85 %

Top Long Holdings

       95.05 %

Portfolio Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)*

 

LOGO

* Holdings are subject to change. Table and chart presents indicative values only.

 

  
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Pathway Advisors Funds    Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of a Fund, you incur two types of costs: direct costs, such as short-term redemption fees and wire fees, and indirect costs, including management fees, and other fund operating expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your indirect costs, also referred to as “ongoing costs” (in dollars), of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

This example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire six-month period of November 1, 2012 through April 30, 2013.

Actual Expenses The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested at the beginning of the period, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio 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 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 other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any direct costs, such as wire fees or low balance fees. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these direct costs were included, your costs would be higher.

 

  
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Pathway Advisors Funds    Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

    

BEGINNING

ACCOUNT VALUE
11/01/12

  

ENDING

ACCOUNT VALUE

04/30/13

  

EXPENSE

RATIO(a)

  EXPENSES PAID
DURING  PERIOD
11/01/12-
04/30/13(b)

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

                                          

Actual

       $  1,000.00          $  1,047.10          1.98 %       $  10.05  

Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)

       $  1,000.00          $  1,014.98          1.98 %       $    9.89  

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

                                          

Actual

       $  1,000.00          $  1,069.80          1.98 %       $  10.16  

Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)

       $  1,000.00          $  1,014.98          1.98 %       $    9.89  

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

                                          

Actual

       $  1,000.00          $  1,111.30          1.98 %       $  10.37  

Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)

       $  1,000.00          $  1,014.98          1.98 %       $    9.89  

 

(a) 

Annualized, based on the Funds’ most recent fiscal half year expenses.

(b) 

Expenses are equal to the Funds’ annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half year (181), then divided by 365.

 

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Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

   Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

Description          Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (14.50%)

     

iShares® Dow Jones International Select Dividend  Index Fund

     949         $ 34,249  

SPDR® Barclays Capital High Yield Bond  ETF

        791         33,024  

Vanguard® FTSE Emerging Markets ETF

        480         21,005  

Vanguard® REIT ETF

        417         31,392  

Vanguard® Total Stock Market ETF

        949         78,065  
        

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

(Cost $187,070) 

                   197,735  

OPEN-END MUTUAL FUNDS (64.91%)

        

DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund - Class I

        17,118         195,323  

Loomis Sayles Bond Fund - Institutional Class

        4,224         66,026  

Metropolitan West Total Return Bond Fund - Class I

        10,881         119,910  

PIMCO Real Return Fund - Institutional Class

        5,306         65,474  

PIMCO Total Return Fund - Institutional Class

        12,484         141,564  

Templeton Global Bond Fund - Class A

        4,788         65,399  

Vanguard® Wellesley Income Fund - Class  Admiral

        2,144         131,858  

Vanguard® Wellington Fund - Class  Admiral

        1,567         99,687  
        

 

 

 

TOTAL OPEN-END MUTUAL FUNDS

(Cost $872,322) 

                   885,241  
      7-Day
Yield
   Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (13.88%)

        

Dreyfus Cash Management, Institutional Shares

      0.050%      189,284         189,284  
        

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $189,284) 

                   189,284  

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (93.29%)

(Cost $1,248,676)

         $ 1,272,260  

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (6.71%)

                   91,460  

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

                 $ 1,363,720  
                        

Common Abbreviations:

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund.

FTSE - Financial Times and Stock Exchange.

PIMCO - Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC.

REIT - Real Estate Investment Trust.

SPDR - Standard & Poor’s Depository Receipts.

Holdings are subject to change.

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

Description           Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (33.08%)

       

iShares® Dow Jones International Select Dividend Index Fund

       9,429         $ 340,293   

iShares® Dow Jones Select Dividend Index Fund

       3,219         210,748   

SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust

       4,748         758,161   

Vanguard® FTSE Emerging Markets ETF

       1,938         84,807   

Vanguard® Large-Cap ETF

       2,878         210,583   

WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund

       1,608         84,693   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

(Cost $1,630,817)

                      1,689,285   

OPEN-END MUTUAL FUNDS (48.38%)

       

DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund - Class I

       62,148         709,113   

Metropolitan West Total Return Bond Fund - Class I

       18,991         209,284   

PIMCO Real Return Fund - Institutional Class

       23,696         292,409   

PIMCO Total Return Fund - Institutional Class

       40,600         460,404   

T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Fund

       15,588         378,792   

Vanguard® Wellington Fund - Class Admiral

       6,615         420,809   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL OPEN-END MUTUAL FUNDS

(Cost $2,445,762)

                      2,470,811   
      7-Day
Yield
    Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (11.82%)

       

Dreyfus Cash Management, Institutional Shares

     0.050     603,517         603,517   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $603,517)

                      603,517   

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (93.28%)

(Cost $4,680,096)

        $ 4,763,613   

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (6.72%)

                      343,000   

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

                    $ 5,106,613   
                           

Common Abbreviations:

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund.

FTSE - Financial Times and Stock Exchange.

PIMCO - Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC.

SPDR - Standard & Poor’s Depository Receipts.

Holdings are subject to change.

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  
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Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

Description         Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (51.97%)

    

iShares® Dow Jones International Select Dividend  Index Fund

    7,214         $ 260,352  

SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust

       1,420         226,746  

Vanguard® FTSE Emerging Markets ETF

       1,396         61,089  

Vanguard® Total Stock Market ETF

       2,573         211,655  

WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund

    1,153         60,729  
       

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

(Cost $780,345) 

                  820,571  

OPEN-END MUTUAL FUNDS (43.08%)

       

Akre Focus Fund - Institutional Class

       11,272         200,305  

DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund - Class I

       19,616         223,814  

Mairs & Power Growth Fund - Investor Class

       1,276         120,346  

T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Fund

       5,588         135,792  
       

 

 

 

TOTAL OPEN-END MUTUAL FUNDS

(Cost $651,560) 

                  680,257  
      7-Day
Yield
  Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (6.21%)

       

Dreyfus Cash Management, Institutional Shares

      0.050%     98,085         98,085  
       

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $98,085) 

                  98,085  

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (101.26%)

(Cost $1,529,990)

        $ 1,598,913  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets (-1.26%)

                  (19,958)  

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

                $ 1,578,955  
                       

Common Abbreviations:

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund.

FTSE - Financial Times and Stock Exchange. 

SPDR - Standard & Poor’s Depository Receipts.

Holdings are subject to change.

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Statements of Assets and Liabilities
   April 30, 2013

 

     PATHWAY
ADVISORS
CONSERVATIVE
FUND
     PATHWAY
ADVISORS
GROWTH AND
INCOME FUND
     PATHWAY
ADVISORS
AGGRESSIVE
GROWTH FUND
 

ASSETS

        

Investments, at value

   $ 1,272,260       $ 4,763,613       $ 1,598,913   

Cash

             330,160           

Receivable for shares sold

     110,711         258,325           

Receivable due from advisor

     4,032         13,258         5,075   

Dividends receivable

     814         1,417         4   

Deferred offering cost

     15,290         15,174         15,174   

Other assets

     1,593         1,593         1,594   

Total assets

     1,404,700         5,383,540         1,620,760   

LIABILITIES

        

Distributions and service fees payable

     906         1,770         1,093   

Payable for investments purchased

             224,372           

Payable for trustee fees and expenses

     16         26         23   

Payable for chief compliance officer fees

     1,561         3,152         1,872   

Payable for principal financial officer fees

     391         788         468   

Payable for administration fees

     9,900         20,115         11,634   

Payable for transfer agency fees

     7,077         8,358         6,222   

Payable for professional fees

     12,915         12,939         12,921   

Payable for custody fees

     1,250         1,250         1,250   

Payable for reports to shareholders

     469         792         539   

Payable for offering costs

     5,730         2,144         4,928   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     765         1,221         855   

Total liabilities

     40,980         276,927         41,805   

NET ASSETS

   $ 1,363,720       $ 5,106,613       $ 1,578,955   
                            

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

        

Paid-in capital (Note 5)

   $ 1,333,103       $ 5,017,279       $ 1,498,194   

Accumulated net investment income

     3,953         2,793         210   

Accumulated net realized gain on investments

     3,080         3,024         11,628   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     23,584         83,517         68,923   

NET ASSETS

   $ 1,363,720       $ 5,106,613       $ 1,578,955   
                            

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 1,248,676       $ 4,680,096       $ 1,529,990   

PRICING OF SHARES

        

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 10.51       $ 10.85       $ 11.40   

Net Assets

   $ 1,363,720       $ 5,106,613       $ 1,578,955   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     129,714         470,791         138,460   

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  
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Table of Contents

Pathway Advisors Funds

   Statements of Operations
   For the Period July 31, 2012 (Commencement of Operations) to April 30, 2013

 

 

 

     PATHWAY
ADVISORS
CONSERVATIVE
FUND
    

PATHWAY
ADVISORS

GROWTH AND
INCOME FUND

    

PATHWAY
ADVISORS
AGGRESSIVE

GROWTH FUND

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

        

Dividends

   $ 12,300       $ 14,479       $ 9,288   

Total investment income

     12,300         14,479         9,288   

EXPENSES

        

Investment advisory fees

     3,231         5,521         3,911   

Administration fees

     52,381         69,597         63,295   

Transfer agency fees

     23,612         24,949         23,702   

Distribution and service fees

     1,615         2,761         1,956   

Legal fees

     775         947         788   

Audit and tax fees

     13,395         13,395         13,395   

Custody fees

     3,790         3,780         3,763   

Reports to shareholders

     664         1,126         733   

Trustee fees and expenses

     22         30         28   

Registration/filing fees

     513         645         530   

Chief compliance officer fees

     8,471         11,289         10,268   

Principal financial officer fees

     2,118         2,823         2,567   

Offering costs

     45,880         45,862         45,862   

Other

     3,854         4,397         4,194   

Total expenses before waivers

     160,321         187,122         174,992   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor

     (153,925)         (176,190)         (167,248)   

Total net expenses

     6,396         10,932         7,744   

NET INVESTMENT INCOME

     5,904         3,547         1,544   

Net realized gain on investments

     2,117         2,331         10,945   

Long-term capital gain distributions from other investment companies

     1,489         1,553         1,722   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     23,584         83,517         68,923   

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

     27,190         87,401         81,590   

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 33,094       $ 90,948       $ 83,134   
                            

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  

 

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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Statements of Changes in Net Assets

For the Period July 31, 2012 (Commencement of Operations) to April 30, 2013

 

     PATHWAY
ADVISORS
CONSERVATIVE
FUND
     PATHWAY
ADVISORS GROWTH
AND INCOME FUND
    

PATHWAY
ADVISORS
AGGRESSIVE

GROWTH FUND

 

OPERATIONS

        

Net investment income

   $ 5,904       $ 3,547       $ 1,544   

Net realized gain on investments

     2,117         2,331         10,945   

Long-term capital gain distributions from other investment companies

     1,489         1,553         1,722   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     23,584         83,517         68,923   

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     33,094         90,948         83,134   

DISTRIBUTIONS

        

Net investment income

     (3,846)         (3,542)         (3,440)   

Net realized gains on investments

     (526)         (860)         (1,039)   

Net decrease in net assets from distributions

     (4,372)         (4,402)         (4,479)   

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 5)

        

Shares sold

     1,332,626         5,015,665         1,601,209   

Dividends reinvested

     4,372         4,402         4,479   

Shares redeemed

     (2,000)                 (105,388)   

Net increase in net assets derived from beneficial interest transactions

     1,334,998         5,020,067         1,500,300   

Net increase in Net Assets

     1,363,720         5,106,613         1,578,955   

NET ASSETS:

        

Beginning of period

                       

End of period*

   $ 1,363,720       $ 5,106,613       $ 1,578,955   
                            

* Includes accumulated net investment income of:

   $ 3,953       $ 2,793       $ 210   

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

  

 

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Table of Contents

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

   Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the period presented.

 

 

      For the Period Ended
April 30, 2013(a)
 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 10.00   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS

  

Net investment income(b)

     0.14   

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     0.52   
  

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

     0.66   
  

 

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS

  

Net investment income

     (0.13)   

Net realized gain on investments

     (0.02)   
  

 

 

 

Total Distributions

     (0.15)   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     0.51   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 10.51   
  

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

     6.59%   

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

  

Net assets, End of Period (000s)

   $ 1,364   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

  

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver(d)

     49.62%  (e)(f) 

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver(d)

     1.98%  (e)(f) 

Net investment income including reimbursement/waiver(d)

     1.83%  (e) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     18%  (g) 

 

 

 

(a) 

The Fund commenced operations on July 31, 2012.

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Total investment return is calculated assuming a purchase of a common share at the opening of the first day and a sale at closing on the last day of each period reported. Dividends and distributions, if any, are assumed for purposes of this calculation to be reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Total investment returns do not reflect brokerage commissions, if any, and are not annualized.

(d) 

The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented in the Portfolio of Investments.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Expense ratios before reductions for startup periods may not be representative of longer term operating periods.

(g) 

Not annualized.

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the period presented.

 

 

      For the Period Ended
April 30, 2013(a)
 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 10.00   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS

  

Net investment income(b)

     0.05   

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     0.91   
  

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

     0.96   
  

 

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS

  

Net investment income

     (0.09)   

Net realized gain on investments

     (0.02)   
  

 

 

 

Total Distributions

     (0.11)   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     0.85   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 10.85   
  

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

     9.65%   

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

  

Net assets, End of Period (000s)

   $   5,107   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

  

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver(d)

     33.89%  (e)(f) 

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver(d)

     1.98%  (e)(f) 

Net investment income including reimbursement/waiver(d)

     0.64%  (e) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     5%  (g) 

 

 

 

(a) 

The Fund commenced operations on July 31, 2012.

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Total investment return is calculated assuming a purchase of a common share at the opening of the first day and a sale at closing on the last day of each period reported. Dividends and distributions, if any, are assumed for purposes of this calculation to be reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Total investment returns do not reflect brokerage commissions, if any, and are not annualized.

(d) 

The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented in the Portfolio of Investments.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Expense ratios before reductions for startup periods may not be representative of longer term operating periods.

(g) 

Not annualized.

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  
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Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the period presented.

 

 

     For the Period Ended
April 30, 2013(a)
 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

    $            10.00             

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS

 

Net investment income(b)

    0.03             

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

    1.47             
 

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

    1.50             
 

 

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS

 

Net investment income

    (0.08)             

Net realized gain on investments

    (0.02)             
 

 

 

 

Total Distributions

    (0.10)             
 

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

    1.40             
 

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

    $            11.40             
 

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

    15.14%             

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

 

Net assets, End of Period (000s)

    $            1,579             

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

 

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver(d)

    44.74%(e)(f)      

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver(d)

    1.98%(e)(f)      

Net investment income including reimbursement/waiver(d)

    0.39%(e)         

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

    31%(g)         

 

 

 

(a) 

The Fund commenced operations on July 31, 2012.

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Total investment return is calculated assuming a purchase of a common share at the opening of the first day and a sale at closing on the last day of each period reported. Dividends and distributions, if any, are assumed for purposes of this calculation to be reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Total investment returns do not reflect brokerage commissions, if any, and are not annualized.

(d) 

The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented in the Portfolio of Investments.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Expense ratios before reductions for startup periods may not be representative of longer term operating periods.

(g) 

Not annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

1. ORGANIZATION

 

Financial Investors Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). As of April 30, 2013, the Trust has 26 registered funds. This annual report describes Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund, Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund and Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund (individually a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”). The Funds’ inception date was July 30, 2012 and operations commenced on July 31, 2012. The Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund seeks total return through a primary emphasis on income with a secondary emphasis on growth of capital. The Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund seeks total return through growth of capital and income. The Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund seeks total return through a primary emphasis on growth with a secondary emphasis on income.

Principal Investment Strategies of each Fund: Each Fund is structured as a fund-of-funds and under normal circumstances, the Funds pursue their objectives by investing primarily in managed portfolios of other open-end investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, that represent a variety of asset classes and investment styles. The Funds may also invest in closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds, which provide exposure to hedging or alternative strategies. Collectively, the investment companies in which the Funds may invest are referred to as “underlying funds”.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Funds in preparation of their financial statements.

Investment Valuation: The Funds generally value their securities based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading.

For equity securities and mutual funds that are traded on an exchange, the market price is usually the closing sale or official closing price on that exchange. In the case of equity securities not traded on an exchange, or if such closing prices are not otherwise available, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices on such day. Redeemable securities issued by open-end registered investment companies are valued at the investment company’s applicable net asset value, with the exception of exchange-traded open-end investment companies, which are priced as equity securities.

The market price for debt obligations is generally the price supplied by an independent third-party pricing service approved by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”), which may use a matrix, formula or other objective method that takes into consideration quotations from dealers, market transactions in comparable investments, market indices and yield curves. If vendors are unable to supply a price, or if the price supplied is deemed to be unreliable, the market price may be

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

determined using quotations received from one or more broker-dealers that make a market in the security. Short-term debt obligations that will mature in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, unless it is determined that using this method would not reflect an investment’s fair value.

When such prices or quotations are not available, or when the Fair Value Committee appointed by the Board believes that they are unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board.

Fair Value Measurements: The Funds disclose the classification of their fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Funds’ investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1 –

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Funds have the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2 –

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

Level 3 –

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Funds’ own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Funds’ investments as of April 30, 2013:

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

 

Investments in Securities at

Value

   Level 1 -
Quoted Prices
    

Level 2 -

Other

Significant

Observable

Inputs

    

Level 3 -

Significant

Unobservable

Inputs

     Total  

Exchange Traded Funds

   $ 197,735       $       $       $ 197,735   

Open-End Mutual Funds

     885,241                         885,241   

Short Term Investments

     189,284                         189,284   

Total

   $ 1,272,260       $       $       $ 1,272,260   
                                     

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

 

Investments in Securities at

Value

   Level 1 -
Quoted Prices
     Level 2 -
Other
Significant
Observable
Inputs
     Level 3 -
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
     Total  

Exchange Traded Funds

   $ 1,689,285       $       $       $ 1,689,285   

Open-End Mutual Funds

     2,470,811                         2,470,811   

Short Term Investments

     603,517                         603,517   

Total

   $ 4,763,613       $       $       $ 4,763,613   
                                     

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

 

Investments in Securities at

Value

  

Level 1 -

Quoted Prices

    

Level 2 -

Other

Significant

Observable

Inputs

    

Level 3 -

Significant

Unobservable

Inputs

     Total  

Exchange Traded Funds

   $ 820,571       $       $       $ 820,571   

Open-End Mutual Funds

     680,257                         680,257   

Short Term Investments

     98,085                         98,085   

Total

   $ 1,598,913       $       $       $ 1,598,913   
                                     

The Funds recognize transfers between levels as of the end of the period. For the period ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. For the period ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have any securities that used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the investments are purchased or sold (trade date basis). Net realized gains and losses from investment transactions are reported on an identified cost basis. Interest income, which includes accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums, is accrued and recorded as earned. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date or for certain foreign securities, as soon as information is available to the Funds.

 

  
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Pathway Advisors Funds

   Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Trust Expenses: Some expenses of the Trust can be directly attributed to the Funds. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed to the Funds are apportioned among all funds in the Trust based on average net assets of each fund.

Fund Expenses: Expenses that are specific to a Fund are charged directly to that Fund. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed are apportioned among all funds in the Trust based on average net assets of each Fund.

Offering Costs: Offering costs, including costs of printing initial prospectuses, legal and registration fees, are being amortized over twelve months from the inception date of the Funds. As of April 30, 2013, $15,290, $15,174 and $15,174, of offering costs remain to be amortized for Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund, Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund and Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund, respectively.

Federal Income Taxes: The Funds comply with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies and intend to distribute substantially all of their net taxable income and net capital gains, if any, each year, so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. The Funds are not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made.

As of and during the period ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Funds file U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The Funds’ tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return for federal purposes and four years for most state returns. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Distributions to Shareholders: Each Fund normally pays dividends and distributes capital gains, if any, on an annual basis. Income dividend distributions are derived from interest and other income each Fund receives from its investments, including short-term capital gains. Long term capital gain distributions are derived from gains realized when each Fund sells a security it has owned for more than a year. Each Fund may make additional distributions and dividends at other times if the portfolio manager believes doing so may be necessary for each Fund to avoid or reduce taxes.

 

  
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Pathway Advisors Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

3. TAX BASIS INFORMATION

 

Reclassifications: As of April 30, 2013, permanent differences in book and tax accounting were reclassified. These differences had no effect on net assets and were primarily attributed to non-deductible expenses. The reclassifications were as follows:

 

Fund    Paid-in Capital     Accumulated Net
Investment Income
    

Accumulated Net

Realized Gain on

Investments

 

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

   $ (1,895   $ 1,895       $   

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

     (2,788     2,788           

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

     (2,106     2,106           

Tax Basis of Investments: As of April 30, 2013, the costs of investments for federal income tax purposes and accumulated net unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments were as follows:

 

      Gross
Appreciation
(excess of value
over tax cost)
     Gross
Depreciation
(excess of tax
cost over value)
    Net Unrealized
Appreciation
     Cost of
Investments for
Income Tax
Purposes
 

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

   $ 24,219       $ (635)      $ 23,584       $ 1,248,676   

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

     85,040         (1,523     83,517         4,680,096   

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

     69,068         (158     68,910         1,530,003   

Components of Earnings: As of April 30, 2013, components of distributable earnings were as follows:

 

      Pathway Advisors
Conservative Fund
    

Pathway Advisors
Growth and

Income Fund

     Pathway Advisors
Aggressive Growth
Fund
 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 5,544       $ 4,264       $ 10,129   

Accumulated capital gain

     1,489         1,553         1,722   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     23,584         83,517         68,910   

Total distributable earnings

   $ 30,617       $ 89,334       $ 80,761   
                            

Capital Losses: As of April 30, 2013, the Funds have no accumulated capital loss carryforwards.

Tax Basis of Distributions to Shareholders: The character of distributions made during the period from net investment income or net realized gains may differ from its ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Also, due to the timing of dividend distributions,

 

  
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Pathway Advisors Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

the fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the fiscal year in which the income or realized gain were recorded by the Funds.

The tax character of distributions paid by the Funds for the period ended April 30, 2013, were as follows:

 

            Long-Term Capital  
       Ordinary Income         Gain   

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

   $ 4,372       $   

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

     4,402           

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

     4,479           

4. SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

Purchases and sales of securities (excluding short-term securities) during the period ended April 30, 2013, were as follows:

 

Fund    Purchases of      Proceeds From Sales  
   Securities      of Securities  

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

   $ 1,134,265       $ 76,880   

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

     4,115,476         41,228   

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

     1,589,880         168,920   

5. BENEFICIAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

 

The capitalization of the Trust consists of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value per share. Holders of the shares of the Funds of the Trust have one vote for each share held and a proportionate fraction of a vote for each fractional share. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and are non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive rights.

Transactions in shares of capital stock:

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

 

      For the period July 31, 2012
(Commencement of Operations) to
April 30, 2013
 

Common Shares Outstanding - Beginning of Period

       

Common Shares Sold

     129,476   

Common Shares Issued as Reinvestment of Dividends

     432   

Common Shares Redeemed

     (194)   

Common Shares Outstanding - End of Period

     129,714   
   
   

 

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Pathway Advisors Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

 

      For the period July 31, 2012
(Commencement of Operations) to
April  30, 2013
 

Common Shares Outstanding - Beginning of Period

       

Common Shares Sold

     470,359   

Common Shares Issued as Reinvestment of Dividends

     432   

Common Shares Outstanding - End of Period

     470,791   
   
   

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

 

      For the period July 31, 2012
(Commencement of Operations) to
April 30, 2013
 

Common Shares Outstanding - Beginning of Period

       

Common Shares Sold

     147,706   

Common Shares Issued as Reinvestment of Dividends

     432   

Common Shares Redeemed

     (9,678)   

Common Shares Outstanding - End of Period

     138,460   
   
   

6. MANAGEMENT AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Investment Advisory

Hanson McClain Strategic Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”), subject to the authority of the Board, is responsible for the overall management and administration of the Funds’ business affairs. The Adviser manages the investments of the Funds in accordance with the Funds’ investment objective, policies and limitations and investment guidelines established jointly by the Adviser and the Board. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement (“Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser is entitled to an investment advisory fee, computed daily and payable monthly of 1.00% of the average daily net assets for each Fund.

The Adviser has agreed contractually to limit the amount of each Fund’s total annual expenses, exclusive of acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses, to 1.98% of the Funds’ average daily net assets. This agreement is in effect through August 31, 2014. The Adviser will be permitted to recover expenses it has borne through the agreement described above to the extent that the Funds’ expenses in later periods fall below the annual rates set forth in the relevant agreement. The Funds will not be obligated to pay any such deferred fees and expenses more than three years after the end of the fiscal year in which the fees and expense were deferred. The Adviser may not discontinue this waiver without the approval by the Funds’ Board of Trustees.

For the period ended April 30, 2013, the fee waivers and/ or reimbursements were as follows:

 

Fund    Fees Waived/
Reimbursed
By Adviser
     Recoupment of
Past Waived
Fees By Adviser
   Total  

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

   $ 153,925       $    0      $ 153,925   

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

   $ 176,190           0    $ 176,190   

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

   $ 167,248           0    $ 167,248   

 

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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

As of April 30, 2013, the balances of recoupable expenses for each Fund were as follows:

 

Fund    2012        

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

   $     153,925        

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

   $     176,190        

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

   $     167,248        

Fund Accounting Fees and Expenses

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS” and the “Administrator”) (an affiliate of ALPS Distributors, Inc.) serves as administrator to the Funds, and each Fund has agreed to pay expenses incurred in connection with its administrative activities. Pursuant to the Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement (the “Agreement”), ALPS will provide operational services to the Funds including, but not limited to fund accounting and fund administration and generally assist in each Fund’s operations.

Annual Administrative Fee, billed monthly in total and allocated to each Fund, in the amount of the greater of (a) the annual minimum for all Funds of $245,000 in year 1 of operations and $260,000 in year 2 and forward or (b) following basis point fee schedule:

 

Average Total Net Assets    Contractual Fee     

Between $0-$500 Million

       0.05 %  

$500M-$1 Billion

       0.03 %  

Above $1 Billion

       0.02 %  

The Administrator is also reimbursed by the Funds for certain out of pocket expenses.

Transfer Agent

ALPS serves as transfer, dividend paying and shareholder servicing agent for the Funds under a Transfer Agency and Services Agreement with the Trust. Under this Agreement, ALPS is paid an annual base fee of $25,000 per Fund plus fees for open accounts and is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Compliance Services

ALPS provides services that assist the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer in monitoring and testing the policies and procedures of the Trust in conjunction with requirements under Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act within the Chief Compliance Officer Services Agreement. Under this Agreement, ALPS is paid an annual base fee for all Funds of $40,000 and is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Principal Financial Officer

ALPS receives an annual fee for all Funds of $10,000 for providing Principal Financial Officer (“PFO”) services to the Trust and is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Distributor

ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI” or the “Distributor”) (an affiliate of ALPS) acts as the distributor of the Funds’ shares pursuant to a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. Shares are sold on a continuous basis by ADI as agent for the Funds, and ADI has agreed to use its best efforts to solicit orders for the sale of Funds’ shares, although it is not obliged to sell any particular amount of

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

shares. ADI is not entitled to any compensation for its services as Distributor. ADI is registered as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Each Fund has adopted a separate Distribution and Services Plan (each a “Plan” and collectively, the “Plans”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act. The Plans allow each Fund, as applicable, to use each Fund’s assets to pay fees in connection with the distribution and marketing of the Funds’ shares and/or the provision of shareholder services to the Funds’ shareholders. The Plan permits payment for services in connection with the administration of plans or programs that use shares of each Fund as their funding medium and for related expenses. The Plans permit each Fund to make total payments at an annual rate of up to 0.35% of each Fund’s average daily net assets. Because these fees are paid out of the Funds’ assets on an ongoing basis, over time they will increase the cost of an investment in the Funds, and Plan fees may cost an investor more than other types of sales charges.

Each Fund has adopted a Shareholder Services Plan (a “Shareholder Services Plan”) with respect to its shares. Under the Shareholder Services Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay banks and their affiliates and other institutions, including broker-dealers and Fund affiliates (“Participating Organizations”), an aggregate fee in an amount not to exceed on an annual basis 0.15% of the average daily net asset value of shares of the Funds attributable to or held in the name of a Participating Organization for its clients as compensation for providing services pursuant to an agreement with a Participating Organization. Any amount of such payment not paid during the Funds’ fiscal year for such service activities shall be reimbursed to the Funds as soon as practicable after the end of the fiscal year. Shareholder Services Plan fees are included with distribution and service fees on the Statement of Operations.

7. INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that may contain general indemnification clauses, which may permit indemnification to the extent permissible under applicable laws. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

 

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Table of Contents

Pathway Advisors Funds

  

Report of Independent Registered

Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of Financial Investors Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the portfolios of investments, of Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund, Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund, and Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund (the “Funds”), three of the funds constituting Financial Investors Trust, as of April 30, 2013, and the related statements of operations, changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for the period from July 31, 2012 (commencement of operations) to April 30, 2013. 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 their internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of April 30, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund, Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund, and Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund as of April 30, 2013, the results of their operations, the changes in their net assets, and the financial highlights for the period from July 31, 2012 (commencement of operations) to April 30, 2013, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

June 27, 2013

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1. FUND HOLDINGS

 

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the period. Copies of the Funds’ Form N-Q are available without charge on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy the Form N-Q at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. For more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room, please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

2. FUND PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SUMMARIES

 

The Funds’ policies and procedures used in determining how to vote proxies and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent prior 12-month period ending June 30 are available without charge, (1) upon request, by calling (toll-free) 888-288-1121 and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

3. TAX DESIGNATIONS

 

The Funds designate the following as a percentage of taxable ordinary income distributions, or up to the maximum amount allowable, for the calendar year ended December 31, 2012:

 

      Dividends Received
Deduction
  Qualified Dividend
Income

Pathway Advisors Conservative Fund

       0.39 %       18.05 %

Pathway Advisors Growth and Income Fund

       20.44 %       38.02 %

Pathway Advisors Aggressive Growth Fund

       24.17 %       54.71 %

In early 2013, if applicable, shareholders of record received this information for the distributions paid to them by the Funds during the calendar year 2012 via Form 1099. The Funds will notify shareholders in early 2014 of amounts paid to them by the Funds, if any, during the calendar year 2013.

Please consult a tax advisor if you have questions about federal or state income tax laws, or how to prepare your tax returns.

 

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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of

Office and

Length of Time
Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s) During

Past 5 Years***

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships Held

by Trustee During

Past 5 Years

Mary K. Anstine,

age 72

   Trustee    Ms. Anstine was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/Director of AV Hunter Trust and Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.    26    Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund); and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

John R. Moran, Jr.,

age 82

   Trustee    Mr. Moran was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re- elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Moran is formerly President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, a private foundation serving the health and hospital community in the state of Colorado. An attorney, Mr. Moran was formerly a partner with the firm of Kutak Rock & Campbell in Denver, Colorado and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. Currently, Mr. Moran is a member of the Treasurer’s Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Colorado.    26    None.

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Hanson McClain Strategic Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Name,
Address*

& Age

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  

Term of

Office and

Length of Time
Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships Held
by Trustee During
Past 5 Years

Jeremy W. Deems,

age 36

   Trustee   

Mr. Deems was appointed as a Trustee at the March 11, 2008 meeting of the Board of Trustees and elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.

  

Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, an investment management company, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, a liquidity resourcing company, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company (from 2004 to June 2007). Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.

   26    Mr. Deems is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds) and Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund).

Jerry G. Rutledge,

age 68

   Trustee   

Mr. Rutledge was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.

  

Mr. Rutledge is the President and owner of Rutledge’s Inc., a retail clothing business. Mr. Rutledge is currently Director of the American National Bank. He was from 1994 to 2007 a Regent of the University of Colorado.

   26   

Mr. Rutledge is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund), Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund) and Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund).

 

  
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Table of Contents

Pathway Advisors Funds

   Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

Name,
Address*

& Age

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  

Term of

Office and

Length of Time
Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships Held
by Trustee During
Past 5 Years

Michael “Ross”

Shell,

age 42

   Trustee    Mr. Shell was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Shell is Founder and CEO* of Red Idea, LLC, a strategic consulting/early stage venture firm (since June 2008). From 1999 to 2009, he was a part-owner and Director of Tesser, Inc., a brand agency. From December 2005 to May 2008, he was Director, Marketing and Investor Relations, of Woodbourne, a REIT/real estate hedge fund and private equity firm. Prior to this, from May 2004 to November 2005, he worked as a business strategy consultant; from June 2003 to April 2004, he was on the Global Client Services team of IDEO, a product design/innovation firm; and from 1999 to 2003, he was President of Tesser, Inc. Mr. Shell graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science.    26    None.

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Hanson McClain Strategic Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of

Office and

Length of Time

Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  

Number of

Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****

   Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past 5 Years

Edmund J. Burke,

age 52

   Trustee,
Chairman
and
President
   Mr. Burke was elected as Chairman at the August 28, 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Burke was elected as Trustee at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009. Mr. Burke was elected President of the Trust at the December 17, 2002 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Burke is President and a Director of ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”) (since 2005) and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”), ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and from 2001-2008, was President of AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD. Because of his positions with AHI, AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD, Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Burke is Trustee and President of the Clough Global Allocation Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2004); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Equity Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2005); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (since 2006); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund; and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.    26    Mr. Burke is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (1fund); and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (1 fund).

 

  
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Table of Contents
Pathway Advisors Funds    Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

OFFICERS

 

Name,
Address*

& Age

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  

Term of

Office and

Length of Time

Served**

   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years***

Kimberly R. Storms,

age 40

   Treasurer    Ms. Storms was elected Treasurer of the Trust at the March 12, 2013 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Ms. Storms is Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration of ALPS. Ms. Storms joined ALPS in 1998 as Assistant Controller. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Storms is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Storms is also Treasurer of BPV Family of Funds and ALPS Series Trust; Assistant Treasurer of Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of Tilson Funds; and Chief Financial Officer of The Arbitrage Funds.

David T. Buhler,

age 41

   Secretary    Mr. Buhler was elected Secretary of the Trust at the September 11, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Buhler joined ALPS in June 2010, and is currently Vice President and Associate Counsel of ALPS, AAI, ADI and APSD. Prior to joining ALPS, Mr. Buhler served as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Founders Asset Management LLC from 2006 to 2009. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Buhler is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Buhler is also the Secretary of ALPS Variable Investment Trust and Westcore Trust.

Ted Uhl,

age 37

   Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)    Mr. Uhl was appointed CCO of the Trust at the June 8, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Uhl joined ALPS in October 2006, and is currently Deputy Compliance Officer of ALPS. Prior to his current role, Mr. Uhl served as Senior Risk Manager for ALPS from October 2006 until June 2010. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Uhl served a Sr. Analyst with Enenbach and Associates (RIA), and a Sr. Financial Analyst at Sprint. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Uhl is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Uhl is also CCO of the Clough Global Funds, Reaves Utility Income Fund, Drexel Hamilton Funds and Transparent Value Trust.

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Hanson McClain Strategic Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    39  


Table of Contents

LOGO

 


Table of Contents

LOGO


Table of Contents
LOGO    TABLE OF CONTENTS
  

 

     PAGE  

Shareholder Letter

    1   

Performance Update

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I

    6   

Redmont Resolute Fund II

    7   

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

    8   

Schedule of Investments

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I

    9   

Redmont Resolute Fund II

    10   

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

    11   

Statements of Operations

    12   

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

    13   

Financial Highlights

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I

    15   

Redmont Resolute Fund II

    17   

Notes to Financial Statements

    18   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

    25   

Additional Information

    26   

Trustees & Officers

    31   

 


Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Introduction:

Equity markets around the world continued their meteoric rise, led by the S&P 500 which gained nearly 17 percent during the previous twelve months. It is extremely difficult to reconcile the performance of the capital markets with a world which continues to struggle with a difficult macro-economic environment. It is not unusual for capital markets to perform well during difficult economic times. Strong markets can occur in a variety of economic environments. For instance, a rising market might result from investors’ anticipation of a robust economic recovery prior to the economy’s actual move into a new growth phase. On the other end of the spectrum, investors can fail to properly account for the difficult environment – leading to declining markets once the economic difficulties begin to be properly reflected in security prices. Highland’s position is that the latter is more probable than the former. Consequently, we believe that investors ought to begin to position their portfolios for more difficult and volatile markets. Given the wide range of potential outcomes, how one positions for this type of market is a difficult proposition. It is our opinion that volatility can often erode an investor’s ability to make sound investment decisions. We believe Ben Graham (Economist and Investor) and Warren Buffet (Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway) would describe this as “emotional corrosion” and believe that very few individuals have the ability to remain emotionally strong during volatile markets. Today’s global uncertainty and the resulting elevated expectation for volatility going forward places an increasing importance of hedged equity exposure in a portfolio. For more a more detailed view of our market outlook, please visit our advisor website (www.highlandassoc.com).

Performance Discussion:

REDMONT RESOLUTE FUND I

Table 1 notes the performance for Fund I as of quarter end under standard reporting (since inception) as well as of April 30th with the since inception being since initial funding on January 17, 2012.

Table 1 i .ii. iii. iv. v. vi.

Performance (amounts greater than one year are annualized)

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I   

Standardized Performance Data

As of March 31, 2013

 

Non-Standardized Performance Data

As of April 30, 2013

      YTD   1-Year   Since Inception
(12/30/11)
  Year-to-
Date
  1-Year   Since Funding
(1/17/2012)

Resolute Fund I - I Class

   3.05%   3.28%   4.17%   4.62%   4.96%   5.10%

Resolute Fund I - A Class

   2.96%   2.53%   3.81%   4.73%   4.81%   0.56%

Load Adjusted

   -2.70%   -2.61%   -0.77%   -1.02%   -0.94%   4.96%

HFRX Global Index

   3.13%   3.50%   5.37%   3.60%   3.85%   20.59%

S&P 500 Index

   10.61%   13.96%   22.07%   12.74%   16.89%   0.56%

Morningstar Multi-Alternative Universe

   1.71%   2.62%   4.14%   2.45%   3.83%   3.87%
     Gross Expense
Ratio
  Less Expense
Waivers
  Net Expense
Ratio
  Net Ratio ex Dividend & Short Expense*

Resolute Fund I – I Class

   3.58%   -0.78%   2.80%     2.60%  

Resolute Fund I – A Class

   3.98%   -0.78%   3.20%     3.00%  

*Expense ratios per current prospectus dated March 31, 2013.

This performance analysis section shows the fund’s historical performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investment return and value of shares will fluctuate. Upon redemption, shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. The current performance may be higher or lower than the quoted performance. Call 1-855-268-2242 or visit www.redmontfunds.com for the most recent month end performance results. The Fund has a redemption fee of 2.00% for shares redeemed within the first 90 days of purchase. Maximum Offering Price (MOP) for Class A includes the Fund’s maximum sales charge of 5.50%. Performance shown at NAV does not include these sales charges and would have been lower had it been taken into account.

Fund I outperformed the HFRX Global Index by approximately 100 basis pointsvii. (depending on the share class) over the twelve months ending April 30, 2013. Since inception, the Fund has outperformed the HFRX Global Index during strong equity markets and underperformed the Index during market declines. The main factor driving that performance profile is the Fund’s higher level of net equity exposure relative to the HFRX Global Index. As we have discussed in previous letters, the Fund seeks to perform in line with the equity markets over time with less volatility. In order to accomplish this objective, the Fund must maintain a minimum level of net equity exposure or it will not be able to keep up enough in strong markets. Though hedge fund exposure can vary greatly over time, we anticipate outperforming the Index in up markets and underperforming in down markets and to outperform the Index over a full market cycle.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    1


Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Relative to the S&P 500, the Fund has performed as we expected - participating but trailing in strong up markets while generally protecting capital (not experiencing as negative a return as the index) and outperforming in negative markets.

When compared to the peer group (Morningstar MultiAlternative Universe), the Fund has outperformed the Universe over all time periods – by over 200 basis points year-to-date and approximately 100 basis points over the longer term. As with the HFRX Global Index, the Universe is very diverse and contains a number of market-neutral and other low net equity strategies that cause the average net equity exposure for the Universe to be considerably less than our Fund. So we anticipate outperforming the Universe in up markets and underperforming in down markets - recent performance has been consistent with our expectations.

REDMONT RESOLUTE FUND II

Table 2 notes the performance for Fund II as of quarter end under standard reporting (since inception) as well as of April 30th with the since inception being since initial funding on January 6, 2012.

Table 2 i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi.

Performance (amounts greater than one year are annualized)

 

Redmont Resolute Fund II   

Standardized Performance Data

As of March 31, 2013

 

Non-Standardized Performance Data

As of April 30, 2013

      YTD   1-Year   Since Inception
(12/30/11)
  Year-to-
Date
  1-Year  

Since Funding

(1/6/12)

Resolute Fund II - I Class

   4.02%   3.28%   7.52%   5.74%   7.65%   8.37%

HFRX Global Index

   3.13%   2.53%   5.37%   3.60%   3.85%   4.96%

S&P 500 Index

   10.61%   -2.61%   22.07%   12.74%   16.89%   20.59%

Morningstar Multi-Alternative Universe

   1.71%   3.50%   4.14%   2.45%   3.83%   3.88%
     Gross Expense
Ratio
  Less Expense
Waivers
  Net Expense
Ratio
  Net Ratio ex Dividend & Short Expense*

Resolute Fund II – I Class

   2.96%   -1.28%   1.68%     1.48%  

*Expense ratio per current prospectus dated March 31, 2013.

This performance analysis section shows the fund’s historical performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investment return and value of shares will fluctuate. Upon redemption, shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. The current performance may be higher or lower than the quoted performance. Call 1-855-268-2242 or visit www.redmontfunds.com for the most recent month end performance results. The Fund has a redemption fee of 2.00% for shares redeemed within the first 90 days of purchase. Performance shown at NAV does not include these sales charges and would have been lower had it been taken into account.

Fund II outperformed the HFRX Global Index by nearly 400 basis points over the twelve months ending April 30, 2013. Since inception, the Fund has outperformed the HFRX Global Index during strong equity markets underperformed the Index during market declines. The main factor driving that performance profile is the Fund’s higher level of net equity exposure relative to the HFRX Global Index. As we have discussed in previous letters, the Fund seeks to perform in line with the equity markets over time with less volatility. In order to accomplish this objective, the Fund must maintain a minimum level of net equity exposure or it will not be able to keep up enough in strong markets. Though hedge fund exposure can vary greatly over time, we anticipate outperforming the Index in up markets and underperforming in down markets and to outperform the Index over a full market cycle.

Relative to the S&P 500, the Fund has performed as we expected - participating but trailing in strong up markets while protecting capital and outperforming in negative markets.

When compared to the peer group (Morningstar MultiAlternative Universe), the Fund has outperformed the Universe over all time periods – by over 300 basis points year-to-date, nearly 400 basis points over the trailing twelve months and approximately 450 basis points since funding. As with the HFRX Global Index, the Universe is very diverse and contains a number of market-neutral and other low net equity strategies that cause the average net equity exposure for the Universe to be considerably less than our Fund. So we anticipate outperforming the Universe in up markets and underperforming in down markets - recent performance has been consistent with our expectations.

 

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Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Underlying Allocation Weights & Performance:

The Fund consists of three main asset classes:

 

   

Tactical Asset Allocation viii. - with three underlying funds;

   

Long/Short Equity ix.- with four underlying funds; and

   

Opportunistic/Other x.- with four underlying funds.

The Fund began the fiscal year (May 1, 2012) with a target weight of 40% in Tactical with three underlying funds, 40% in Long/Short with four funds, and 20% in Opportunistic with two managers that each have two funds (for a total of four funds). During the middle of May 2012, we changed the allocation by reducing the Tactical exposure and increasing the Opportunistic/Other exposure. In general, the Tactical allocation will have the highest level of net equity exposure while the Opportunistic/Other allocation will have the lowest level of net equity exposure. These changes were intended to lower the overall net equity exposure of the Fund and were based on the following reasons:

 

   

Valuations: equity market returns had been very strong for the preceding six months and, using our internal valuation models, valuations were roughly at their long-term average (the equity markets have continued to rise and our concerns over valuations remain);

   

Economic uncertainty: we believe the increasing uncertainty and economic challenges will pressure investor sentiment and the equity markets for the foreseeable future (uncertainty remains in the United States as well as around the globe despite the continued rise in equities); and

   

Government Policies: we believe the policies being pursued around the globe are producing a higher level of regulation, austerity, and a generally higher level of taxes – these shifts illustrate the very real challenges countries around the globe are dealing with coming out of the financial crisis in 2008 (this trend continues to be a concern).

The combination of factors listed above caused us to reposition the portfolio more conservatively. If the valuation picture improves, we would expect to reallocate closer to our long-term target allocation of 40/40/20.

Figure 1 lists the long-term target asset allocation for the Funds as well as the allocation for Fund I and Fund II as of April 30th.

 

 

LOGO

Holdings and allocations subject to change.

All three allocations performed well over the trailing twelve months. The underlying funds’ performance varied as expected with the funds with a higher net exposure outperforming the funds with a lower net exposure. Long/Short and Tactical were the leading contributors each providing about 35% of the Fund’s return during the trailing twelve months. Opportunistic funds did not perform quite as strongly (which is to be expected given their more defensive nature) and provided the remaining 30% of the Fund’s return during the trailing twelve months.

 

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Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Closing:

We appreciate your investment in the Redmont Resolute Fund. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Sincerely,

 

 

LOGO

R. Scott Graham, CFA & Michael T. Lytle, CFA

Portfolio Managers xi.

IMPORTANT NOTES AND DISCLOSURES

The Funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the investment company, and may be obtained by calling 1-855-268-2242 or by visiting www.redmontfunds.com. Read it carefully before investing.

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the Funds or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. The Funds do not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by th use of this information.

RISKS:

The Funds currently pursue their objective by primarily allocating their assets among investment sub-advisers who manage alternative or hedging investment strategies, and other open-end investment companies that use alternative or hedging strategies. There are certain risks associated with the use of a fund-of-funds structure. These risks include, but are not limited to higher expenses, allocation risk, underlying fund risk, and transparency risk. Investments such as mutual funds which focus on alternative strategies are subject to increased risk and loss of principal and are not suitable for all investors.

The Funds’ investments may subject the Funds to significantly greater volatility than investments in traditional securities and involve substantial risks, including risk of a significant portion on their principal value. The commodities markets and the prices of various commodities may fluctuate widely based on a variety of factors. Because the Funds’ performance is linked to the performance of highly volatile commodities, investors should consider purchasing shares of the Funds only as part of an overall diversified portfolio and should be willing to assume the risks of potentially significant fluctuations in the value of the Funds. Additional risks of Commodity Futures-Linked Investments include liquidity risk and counterparty credit risk.

Another principal risk of investing in the Funds are equity risk, which is the risk that the value of the securities held by the Funds will fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Funds participate or factors relating to specific companies in which the Funds invest.

The Funds’ investments in non-U.S. issuers may be even more volatile and may present more risks than investments in U.S. issuers. The Funds are new and has a limited operating history. Equity investments in commodity-related companies may not move in the same direction and to the same extent as the underlying commodities.

The Funds are not suitable for all investors. Subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

 

i. 

Source: Factset

ii.

The HFRX Global Index is designed to be representative of the overall composition of the hedge fund universe, and includes convertible arbitrage, distressed securities, equity hedge, equity market neutral, event driven, macro, merger arbitrage, and relative value strategies. Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

iii. 

The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged index of 500 common stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value weighted index. The S&P 500 Index figures do not reflect any fees, expenses, or taxes. Investors cannot invest directly in this index.

iv. 

The Morningstar Multi-Alternative Universe is designed to represent the exposure to alternative investment tactics. Funds in this category have the majority of their assets exposed to alternative strategies. An investor’s exposure to different tactics may change slightly over time in

 

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Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

response to market movements. Funds in this category include both funds with static allocations to alternative strategies and funds tactically allocating among alternative strategies and asset classes. The gross short exposure is greater than 20%.

v. 

Performance since funding is calculated at the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and is from January 17, 2012. This is the date in which the Fund received sufficient cash flow to invest the Fund in the underlying investments. Performance is also shown as of the actual inception/launch of the Fund on December 30, 2011. However, the Fund was invested in money markets from December 30, 2011 through January 17, 2012 until the initial cash flows were received. The Fund’s NAV remained at $10.00 from inception date to funding date; therefore, the return of the Fund during this period was 0.00%.

vi. 

The expense ratio includes fees and expenses associated with acquired funds, which are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. Please see the prospectus for a full disclosure of fees and expenses. Highland Associates, Inc. (the “Adviser”) has agreed, with respect to the Redmont Resolute Fund I’s Class A and Class I shares, contractually to waive the portion of its 1.50% Management Fee in excess of the sum of 0.50% plus any sub-advisory fees paid by the Adviser to sub-advisors in connection with the Fund, and/or reimburse the Fund(or class, as applicable) by the amount of such excess. In addition, after giving effect to the foregoing fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement for the Fund’s Class A and Class I shares, to the extent the Fund’s total annual expenses (exclusive of Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees, Shareholder Services Fees, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, Sub-Advisory Fees, brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and extraordinary expenses) exceed 1.90% of Fund I’s average daily net assets, the Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce the fee payable with respect to Fund I by the extent of such excess, and/or shall reimburse Fund I (or class, as applicable) by the amount of such excess. The Adviser will be permitted to recover, on a class-by-class basis, expenses it has borne through the agreement to the extent that the Funds’ expenses in later periods fall below the annual rates set forth in the relevant agreement. The Funds will not be obligated to pay any such deferred fees and expenses more than three years after the end of the fiscal year in which the fees and expense were deferred. With respect to Redmont Resolute Fund II, the Adviser has agreed to waive Fund II’s Class I share portion of its 1.50% Management Fee in excess of any sub-advisory fees paid by the Adviser to sub-advisors in connection with Fund II. The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the Funds are in effect through August 31, 2017. The Adviser may not discontinue this agreement to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses without the approval by the Funds’ Board of Trustees.

vii. 

Basis Point = 0.01%, 100 basis points would equal 1.0%

viii. 

The tactical asset allocation strategy is designed to provide investors with fluid exposure to global markets including primarily cash, fixed income, and equities.

ix. 

The long/short equity strategy is designed to provide investors with hedged equity exposure using both fundamental and quantitative analysis.

x. 

The other strategies allocation is designed to provide investors with exposure that has a lower correlation with the other segments of the Fund. The classification consists of but is not limited to trading strategies, managed futures, arbitrage, distressed securities, etc.

xi. 

ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the distributor for the Redmont Funds. R. Scott Graham and Michael T. Lytle are registered representatives of ALPS Distributors, Inc. CFA Institute Marks are trademarks owned by the CFA Institute.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    5


Table of Contents
Redmont Resolute Fund I    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013

 

Performance (for the period ended April 30, 2013)

Redmont Resolute Fund I

 

Cumulative Total Return

(for the period ended April 30, 2013)

  Year-to-Date   1 Year  

Since

Inception*

 

Class A (NAV)(a)

    4.73%     4.81%     4.90%

 

Class I (NAV)

    4.62%     4.96%     5.09%

 

S&P 500® Total Return Index(b)

  12.74%   16.89%   22.28%

 

Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index(c)

  15.41%   20.15%   20.27%

 

HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index(d)

    3.77%     4.02%     5.51%

 

 

(a) 

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the share price without sales charges.

(b)

The S&P 500® Total Return Index is the Standard & Poor’s composite index of 500 stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction of fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

(c)

The Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index represents the country’s top stocks by dividend yield, selected annually and subject to screening and buffering criteria. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions of fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

(d)

The HFRX Global Index is designed to be representative of the overall composition of the hedge fund universe, and includes convertible arbitrage, distressed securities, equity hedge, equity market neutral, event driven, macro, merger arbitrage, and relative value strategies. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction of fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data please call 1-855-268-2242.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

* Fund inception date of 12/30/11.

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (for the period ended April 30, 2013) Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment (includes applicable sales loads)

 

    

Top Ten Holdings*

(for the period ended April 30, 2013)

 

  As a percentage of Net Assets
 

AQR Risk Parity Fund, Class I

  12.57%
 

 

 

AQR Multi Strategy Alternative Fund, Class I

  12.39%
 

 

 

PIMCO Global Multi-Asset Fund, Institutional Class

  12.04%
 

 

 

BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc., Class I

    9.00%
 

 

 

FPA Crescent Fund

    8.98%
 

 

 

Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Institutional Class

    8.73%
 

 

 

Diamond Hill Long-Short Fund, Class Y

    8.71%
 

 

 

MainStay Marketfield Fund

    8.70%
 

 

 

Turner Spectrum Fund, Institutional Class

    8.69%
 

 

 

ASG Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Class A

    5.17%
 

 

 

Top Ten Holdings

  94.98%
 

 

*  Holdings are subject to change. Table presents indicative values only.

   
   
   

 

 

 

LOGO

The chart represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 

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Table of Contents
Redmont Resolute Fund II    Performance Update
   April 30, 2013

 

Performance (for the period ended April 30, 2013)

Redmont Resolute Fund II

 

Cumulative Total Return

(for the period ended April 30, 2013)

           
  Year-to-Date   1 Year   Since Inception*

 

Class I (NAV)

    5.74%     7.65%     8.36%

 

S&P 500® Total Return Index(a)

  12.74%   16.89%   22.28%

 

Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index(b)

  15.41%   20.15%   20.27%

 

HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index(c)

    3.77%     4.02%     5.51%

 

 

(a)

The S&P 500® Total Return Index is the Standard & Poor’s composite index of 500 stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction of fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index

(b)

The Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index represents the country’s top stocks by dividend yield, selected annually and subject to screening and buffering criteria. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions of fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

(c)

The HFRX Global Index is designed to be representative of the overall composition of the hedge fund universe and includes convertible arbitrage, distressed securities, equity hedge, equity market neutral, event driven, macro, merger arbitrage and relative value strategies. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction of fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data please call 1-855-268-2242.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

* Fund inception date of 12/30/11.

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (for the period ended April 30, 2013) Comparison of change in value of a $10,000 investment

    

Top Ten Holdings*

(for the period ended April 30, 2013)

 

  As a percentage of Net Assets
 

AQR Risk Parity Fund, Class I

  15.08%
 

 

 

AQR Multi Strategy Alternative Fund, Class I

  14.99%
 

 

 

PIMCO Global Multi-Asset Fund, Institutional Class

  11.95%
 

 

 

BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc., Class I

    8.90%
 

 

 

FPA Crescent Fund

    8.86%
 

 

 

MainStay Marketfield Fund

    8.59%
 

 

 

Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Institutional Class

    8.55%
 

 

 

Diamond Hill Long-Short Fund, Class Y

    8.54%
 

 

 

Turner Spectrum Fund, Institutional Class

    8.45%
 

 

 

ASG Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Class Y

    4.06%
 

 

 

Top Ten Holdings

  97.97%
    

 

*  Holdings are subject to change.
    Table presents indicative values
    only.

      
      
      
      
      
 

 

LOGO

The chart represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 

Annual Report | April 30, 2013    7


Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Funds, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including applicable sales charges (loads), redemption fees, wire fees and low balance fees; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, shareholder services fees and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your indirect costs, also referred to as “ongoing costs” (in dollars), of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

This example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the six-month period of November 1, 2012 through April 30, 2013.

Actual Expenses The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested at the beginning of the period, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio 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 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 other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as applicable sales charges (loads), redemption fees, wire fees and low balance fees. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transaction costs were included, your costs would be higher.

 

     BEGINNING      ENDING          EXPENSES PAID  
     ACCOUNT VALUE      ACCOUNT VALUE      EXPENSE   DURING PERIOD  
     11/01/12      04/30/13      RATIO(a)   11/01/12-04/30/13(b)  

Redmont Resolute Fund I

          

 

 

Class A

          

Actual

       $ 1,000.00               $ 1,061.70           2.30%       $ 11.76           

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

       $ 1,000.00               $ 1,013.39           2.30%       $ 11.48           

    

          

 

 

Class I

          

Actual

       $ 1,000.00               $ 1,061.10           1.90%       $ 9.71           

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

       $ 1,000.00               $ 1,015.37           1.90%       $ 9.49           

Redmont Resolute Fund II

          

 

 

Class I

          

Actual

       $ 1,000.00               $ 1,075.50           0.19%       $ 0.98           

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

       $ 1,000.00               $ 1,023.85           0.19%       $ 0.95           

 

(a)

Annualized, based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half year expenses.

(b)

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half year (181), then divided by 365.

 

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Table of Contents
Redmont Resolute Fund I    Schedule of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

                        Value          
Description            Shares      (Note 2)  

 

 

OPEN-END MUTUAL FUNDS (99.95%)

       

AQR Multi Strategy Alternative Fund, Class I

       39,209       $ 398,362   

AQR Risk Parity Fund, Class I

       32,978         404,310   

ASG Diversifying Strategies Fund, Class A(a)

       17,594         160,102   

ASG Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Class A

       16,609         166,427   

BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc., Class I

       13,701         289,630   

Diamond Hill Long-Short Fund, Class Y

       13,932         280,033   

FPA Crescent Fund

       9,428         288,861   

MainStay Marketfield Fund

       16,772         279,757   

PIMCO Global Multi-Asset Fund, Institutional Class

       33,175         387,158   

Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Institutional Class

       21,777         280,707   

Turner Spectrum Fund, Institutional Class(a)

       25,261         279,383   
       

 

 

 
          3,214,730   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL OPEN-END MUTUAL FUNDS

(Cost $3,040,037)

          3,214,730   

 

 
                Value  
     7-Day Yield       Shares      (Note 2)  

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (0.11%)

       

Dreyfus Treasury Cash Management Fund, Institutional Class

   0.010%     3,507         3,507   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

       

(Cost $3,507)

          3,507   

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (100.06%)

       

(Cost $3,043,544)

        $ 3,218,237   

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets (-0.06%)

          (1,843)   

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

        $ 3,216,394   

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

Common Abbreviations:

AQR - AQR Capital Management LLC.

ASG - AlphaSimplex Group LLC.

FPA - First Pacific Advisors LLC.

PIMCO - Pacific Investment Management Company.

Holdings are subject to change.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    9


Table of Contents
Redmont Resolute Fund II    Schedule of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

                        Value          
Description            Shares      (Note 2)  

 

 

OPEN-END MUTUAL FUNDS (98.44%)

       

AQR Multi Strategy Alternative Fund, Class I

       6,582,781       $ 66,881,056   

AQR Risk Parity Fund, Class I

       5,491,425         67,324,876   

ASG Diversifying Strategies Fund, Class Y(a)

       228,446         2,090,278   

ASG Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Class Y

       1,807,474         18,110,893   

BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc., Class I

       1,879,003         39,722,114   

Diamond Hill Long-Short Fund, Class Y

       1,896,678         38,123,226   

FPA Crescent Fund

       1,290,196         39,531,607   

MainStay Marketfield Fund

       2,298,290         38,335,484   

PIMCO Global Multi-Asset Fund, Institutional Class

       4,571,745         53,352,269   

Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Institutional Class

       2,961,382         38,172,220   

Turner Spectrum Fund, Institutional Class(a)

       3,408,883         37,702,243   
       

 

 

 
          439,346,266   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL OPEN-END MUTUAL FUNDS

(Cost $415,949,288)

          439,346,266   

 

 
                Value  
     7-DayYield           Shares      (Note 2)  

 

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (0.02%)

       

Dreyfus Treasury Cash Management Fund, Institutional Class

   0.010%     99,527         99,527   
       

 

 

 

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

       

(Cost $99,527)

          99,527   

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (98.46%)

       

(Cost $416,048,815)

        $ 439,445,793   

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (1.54%)

          6,873,462   

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

        $ 446,319,255   

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

Common Abbreviations:

AQR - AQR Capital Management LLC.

ASG - AlphaSimplex Group LLC.

FPA - First Pacific Advisors LLC.

PIMCO - Pacific Investment Management Company.

Holdings are subject to change.

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

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Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Statements of Assets and Liabilities
   April 30, 2013

 

 

     REDMONT RESOLUTE
FUND I
    REDMONT RESOLUTE
FUND II
 
  

 

 

 

ASSETS

    

Investments, at value

   $ 3,218,237      $ 439,445,793   

Receivable for shares sold

            7,000,000   

Receivable due from adviser

     6,205          

Receivable for dividends

            2   

Other assets

     13,348        4,225   

 

 

Total assets

     3,237,790        446,450,020   

 

 

LIABILITIES

    

Distributions and service fees payable

     21          

Trustee fees and expenses payable

     82        10,707   

Chief compliance officer fee payable

     35        3,797   

Principal financial officer fees payable

     6        828   

Administration fees payable

     253        19,205   

Transfer agent fees payable

     6,450        5,500   

Audit fees payable

     12,360        18,743   

Custody fees payable

     1,281        9,988   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     908        61,997   

 

 

Total liabilities

     21,396        130,765   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 3,216,394      $ 446,319,255   

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

    

Paid-in capital (Note 5)

   $ 3,053,206      $ 422,038,892   

Accumulated net investment income/(loss)

     (12,111     466,558   

Accumulated net realized gain on investments

     606        416,827   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     174,693        23,396,978   

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 3,216,394      $ 446,319,255   

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 3,043,544      $ 416,048,815   

 

 

PRICING OF SHARES

    

Class A:

    

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share(a)

   $ 10.63        N/A   

Net Assets

   $ 21,426        N/A   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     2,016        N/A   

Maximum offering price per share ((NAV/0.9450), based on maximum sales charge of 5.50% of the offering price)

   $ 11.25        N/A   

Class I:

    

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 10.65      $ 11.05   

Net Assets

   $ 3,194,968      $ 446,319,255   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

     299,893        40,383,121   

 

(a) 

Redemption price per share may be reduced for any applicable contingent deferred sales charge. For a description of a possible sales charge, please see the Fund’s Prospectus.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    11


Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Statements of Operations
   For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

    

REDMONT

RESOLUTE FUND I

    

REDMONT

RESOLUTE FUND II

 
  

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

     

Dividends

   $ 31,629       $ 3,420,273   

 

 

Total investment income

     31,629         3,420,273   

 

 

EXPENSES

     

Investment advisory fees

     20,822         2,872,491   

Administration fees

     2,545         203,710   

Transfer agency fees

     40,491         37,684   

Distribution and service fees

     

Class A

     267           

Legal fees

     364         58,589   

Audit fees

     12,379         19,092   

Custody fees

     5,104         28,861   

Reports to shareholders and printing fees

     4,654         16,371   

Trustee fees and expenses

     134         19,940   

Registration/filing fees

     18,292         54,131   

Chief compliance officer fees

     335         44,746   

Principal financial officer fees

     73         9,927   

Offering costs

     1,818         82,820   

Other

     3,848         12,491   

 

 

Total expenses before waivers

     111,126         3,460,853   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor

     

Class A

     (2,780)           

Class I

     (72,257)         (2,872,491)   

 

 

Total net expenses

     36,089         588,362   

 

 

NET INVESTMENT INCOME/(LOSS)

     (4,460)         2,831,911   

 

 

Net realized loss on investments

     (10,443)         (986,160)   

Long-term capital gain distributions from other investment companies

     11,634         1,545,786   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     163,454         21,817,523   

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

     164,645         22,377,149   

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 160,185       $ 25,209,060   

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Statements of Changes in Net Assets
  

 

     REDMONT RESOLUTE FUND I  
  

 

 

 
     For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    For the Period Ended
April 30, 2012 (a)
 

OPERATIONS

    

Net investment loss

   $ (4,460   $ (3,080

Net realized loss on investments

     (10,443     (482

Long-term capital gain distributions from other investment companies

     11,634          

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     163,454        11,239   

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     160,185        7,677   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     (275       

Class I

     (7,274       

Net realized gains on investments

    

Class A

     (5       

Class I

     (98       

 

 

Net decrease in net assets from distributions

     (7,652       

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 5)

    

Shares sold

    

Class A

     142,500        1,051   

Class I

     2,373,333        943,710   

Dividends reinvested

    

Class A

     280          

Class I

     7,372          

Shares redeemed, net of redemption fees

    

Class A

     (127,534     (44

Class I

     (284,445     (39

 

 

Net increase in net assets derived from beneficial interest transactions

     2,111,506        944,678   

 

 

Net increase in Net Assets

     2,264,039        952,355   

NET ASSETS:

    

Beginning of period

     952,355          

 

 

End of period*

   $ 3,216,394      $ 952,355   

 

 

* Includes accumulated net investment loss of:

   $ (12,111   $ (2,939

 

(a) 

The Fund’s inception was December 30, 2011.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    13


Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Statements of Changes in Net Assets
  

 

     REDMONT RESOLUTE FUND II  
  

 

 

 
     For the Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    For the Period Ended
April 30, 2012 (a)
 

OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income/(loss)

   $ 2,831,911      $ (140,063

Net realized loss on investments

     (986,160     (142,799

Long-term capital gain distributions from other investment companies

     1,545,786          

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     21,817,523        1,579,455   

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     25,209,060        1,296,593   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

    

Net investment income

    

Class I

     (2,358,905       

 

 

Net decrease in net assets from distributions

     (2,358,905       

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 5)

    

Shares sold

    

Class I

     347,412,602        77,201,010   

Dividends reinvested

    

Class I

     2,358,905          

Shares redeemed, net of redemption fees

    

Class I

     (4,800,000     (10

 

 

Net increase in net assets derived from beneficial interest transactions

     344,971,507        77,201,000   

 

 

Net increase in Net Assets

     367,821,662        78,497,593   

NET ASSETS:

    

Beginning of period

     78,497,593          

 

 

End of period*

   $ 446,319,255      $ 78,497,593   

 

 

* Includes accumulated net investment income/(loss) of:

   $ 466,558      $ (103,442

 

(a) 

The Fund’s inception was December 30, 2011.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

14    www.redmontfunds.com


Table of Contents
Redmont Resolute Fund I    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

 

      CLASS A  
     For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    For the
Period Ended
April 30, 2012 (a)
 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 10.17      $ 10.00   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment loss(b)

     (0.04)        (0.07)   

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     0.52        0.24   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

     0.48        0.17   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS

    

Net investment income

     (0.03)          

Net realized gain on investments

     (0.00)(c)          
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Distributions

     (0.03)          
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID IN CAPITAL

     0.01          
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     0.46        0.17   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 10.63      $ 10.17   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

     4.81     1.70

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

    

Net assets, End of Period (000s)

   $ 21      $ 1   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

    

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver(e)

     6.47     689.76 %(f) 

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver(e)

     2.30     2.30 %(f) 

Net investment loss including reimbursement/waiver(e)

     (0.38)     (2.21) %(f) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     25     13 %(g) 

    

                

 

 

 

(a)

The Fund’s inception was December 30, 2011.

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d) 

Total investment return is calculated assuming a purchase of a common share at the opening of the first day and a sale at closing on the last day of each period reported. Dividends and distributions, if any, are assumed for purposes of this calculation to be reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Total investment returns do not reflect brokerage commissions, if any, and are not annualized.

(e) 

The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented in the Schedule of Investments.

(f) 

Annualized.

(g) 

Not Annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    15


Table of Contents
Redmont Resolute Fund I    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

 

      CLASS I  
     For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    For the
Period Ended
April 30, 2012 (a)
 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 10.18      $ 10.00   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment loss(b)

     (0.02     (0.06

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     0.52        0.24   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

     0.50        0.18   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS

    

Net investment income

     (0.03)          

Net realized gain on investments

     (0.00)(c)          
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Distributions

     (0.03)          
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     0.47        0.18   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 10.65      $ 10.18   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

     4.96     1.80

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

    

Net assets, End of Period (000s)

   $ 3,195      $ 951   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

    

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver(e)

     5.87     19.86 %(f) 

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver(e)

     1.90     1.90 %(f) 

Net investment loss including reimbursement/waiver(e)

     (0.23 )%      (1.78 )%(f) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

     25     13 %(g) 
                  

 

 

 

(a) 

The Fund’s inception was December 30, 2011.

(b) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d) 

Total investment return is calculated assuming a purchase of a common share at the opening of the first day and a sale at closing on the last day of each period reported. Dividends and distributions, if any, are assumed for purposes of this calculation to be reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Total investment returns do not reflect brokerage commissions, if any, and are not annualized.

(e)

The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented in the Schedule of Investments.

(f) 

Annualized.

(g) 

Not Annualized.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

16    www.redmontfunds.com


Table of Contents
Redmont Resolute Fund II    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

 

 

 

     CLASS I  
    For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2013
    For the
Period Ended
April 30, 2012 (a)
 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

  $ 10.34      $ 10.00   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS

   

Net investment income/(loss)(b)

    0.11        (0.03)   

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

    0.68        0.37   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from Investment Operations

    0.79        0.34   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS

   

Net investment income

    (0.08)          
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Distributions

    (0.08)          
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

    0.71        0.34   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

  $ 11 .05      $ 10 .34   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(c)

    7.65     3.40

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

   

Net assets, End of Period (000s)

  $ 446,319      $ 78,498   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

   

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver(d)

    1.32     1.63% (e)  

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver(d)

    0.22     1.13% (e) 

Net investment income/(loss) including reimbursement/waiver(d)

    1.08     (0.97)% (e) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

    51     18% (f) 

    

               

 

(a)

The Fund’s inception was December 30, 2011.

(b)

Calculated using the average shares method.

(c)

Total investment return is calculated assuming a purchase of a common share at the opening of the first day and a sale at closing on the last day of each period reported. Dividends and distributions, if any, are assumed for purposes of this calculation to be reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Total investment returns do not reflect brokerage commissions, if any, and are not annualized.

(d)

The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented in the Schedule of Investments.

(e)

Annualized.

(f) 

Not Annualized.

 

 

See   Notes to Financial Statements.

  
Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    17


Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

1. ORGANIZATION

 

Financial Investors Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). As of April 30, 2013, the Trust has 26 registered funds. This annual report describes the Redmont Resolute Fund I and Redmont Resolute Fund II (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”). The Funds seek to provide long-term total return with reduced volatility and reduced correlation to the conventional stock and bond markets. The Funds pursue their objectives primarily by allocating their assets among (i) investment sub-advisers (the “Sub-Advisers”) who manage alternative or hedging investment strategies, and (ii) other open-end investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) that use alternative or hedging strategies. The Redmont Resolute Fund I offers Class A and Class I shares and the Redmont Resolute Fund II offers Class I shares. All classes of shares of a particular Fund have identical rights to earnings, assets and voting privileges, except for class specific expenses and exclusive rights to vote on matters affecting only individual classes.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Funds in preparation of their financial statements.

Investment Valuation: The Funds generally value their securities based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading.

For equity securities and mutual funds that are traded on an exchange, the market price is usually the closing sale or official closing price on that exchange. In the case of equity securities not traded on an exchange, or if such closing prices are not otherwise available, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices on such day. Redeemable securities issued by open-end registered investment companies are valued at the investment company’s applicable net asset value, with the exception of exchange-traded open-end investment companies, which are priced as equity securities.

The market price for debt obligations is generally the price supplied by an independent third-party pricing service approved by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”), which may use a matrix, formula or other objective method that takes into consideration quotations from dealers, market transactions in comparable investments, market indices and yield curves. If vendors are unable to supply a price, or if the price supplied is deemed to be unreliable, the market price may be determined using quotations received from one or more brokers–dealers that make a market in the security. Short–term debt obligations that will mature in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, unless it is determined that using this method would not reflect an investment’s fair value.

When such prices or quotations are not available, or when the Fair Value Committee appointed by the Board believes that they are unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board.

Fair Value Measurements: The Funds disclose the classification of their fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Funds’ investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1

     Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Funds have the ability to access at the measurement date;

 

18    www.redmontfunds.com


Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

 

 

Level 2

 

   Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

Level 3

     Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Funds’ own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Funds’ investments as of April 30, 2013:

Redmont Resolute Fund I

 

Investments in Securities at Value  

Level 1 -

Quoted Prices

   

Level 2 -

Other Significant
Observable Inputs

   

Level 3 -

Significant

Unobservable Inputs

     Total  

 

 

Open-End Mutual Funds

  $ 3,214,730      $      $       $ 3,214,730   

Short Term Investments

    3,507                       3,507   

 

 

Total

  $ 3,218,237      $      $       $ 3,218,237   

 

 

Redmont Resolute Fund II

 

Investments in Securities at Value   Level 1 -
Quoted Prices
   

Level 2 -

Other Significant
Observable Inputs

   

Level 3 -

Significant
Unobservable Inputs

     Total  

 

 

Open-End Mutual Funds

  $ 439,346,266      $      $       $ 439,346,266   

Short Term Investments

    99,527                       99,527   

 

 

Total

  $ 439,445,793      $      $       $ 439,445,793   

 

 

The Funds recognize transfers between levels as of the end of the period. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. There were no Level 3 securities held during the period.

Trust Expenses: Some expenses of the Trust can be directly attributed to the Funds. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed to the Funds are apportioned among all funds in the Trust based on average net assets of each fund.

Fund and Class Expenses: Expenses that are specific to a Fund or class of shares of a Fund are charged directly to that Fund or share class. Expenses that are common to all Funds generally are allocated among the Funds in proportion to their average daily net assets. Fees provided under the distribution (Rule 12b-1) and/or shareholder service plans for a particular class of the Fund are charged to the operations of such class.

Offering Costs: Offering costs, including costs of printing initial prospectuses, legal and registration fees, are being amortized over twelve months from the inception date of the Funds. As of April 30, 2013, no offering costs remain to be amortized for the Funds.

Federal Income Taxes: The Funds comply with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies and intend to distribute substantially all of their net taxable income and net capital gains, if any, each year so that the Funds will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. The Funds are not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made.

As of and during the year ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Funds file U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The Funds’ tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return for federal purposes and four years for most state returns. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the investments are purchased or sold (trade date basis). Net realized gains and losses from investment transactions are reported on an identified cost basis. Interest income, which includes accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums, is accrued and recorded as earned. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date or for certain foreign securities, as soon as information is available to the Funds. All of the realized and unrealized gains and losses and net investment income, are allocated daily to each class in proportion its average daily net assets.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    19


Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Principal Investment Strategies of each Fund: The Funds pursue their objective primarily by allocating their assets among (i) investment sub-advisers (the “Sub-Advisers”) who manage alternative or hedging investment strategies, and (ii) other open-end investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) that use alternative or hedging strategies. The Funds may also invest in closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded notes, which provide exposure to hedging or alternative strategies. Collectively, the open-end funds, closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds in which the Funds may invest are referred to as “Underlying Funds.”

Hedging strategies used by the Sub-Advisers and the Underlying Funds may include, among other techniques, the use of short selling, options, futures, derivatives or similar instruments. Alternative investment strategies may include, among others, long/short, market neutral and arbitrage strategies; commodities or commodity-linked investments; leverage; derivatives; distressed securities; and other investment techniques that are expected to achieve the Funds’ investment objective.

Distributions to Shareholders: Each Fund normally pays dividends and distributes capital gains, if any, on an annual basis. Income dividend distributions are derived from interest and other income each Fund receives from their investments, including distributions of short term capital gains. Capital gain distributions are derived from gains realized when each Fund sells a security it has owned for more than a year. Each Fund may make additional distributions and dividends at other times if its portfolio manager or managers believe doing so may be necessary for each Fund to avoid or reduce taxes.

3. TAX BASIS INFORMATION

 

Reclassifications: As of April 30, 2013, permanent differences in book and tax accounting were reclassified. These differences had no effect on net assets and were primarily attributed to minor differences between book and tax characterizations of distributions to shareholders and non deductible expenses. The reclassifications were as follows:

 

     

Undistributed Net

Investment Income

    

Accumulated Net

Realized Gain/(Loss)

on Investments

     Paid-in Capital  

Redmont Resolute Fund I

   $ 2,837       $       $ (2,837

Redmont Resolute Fund II

     96,994                 (96,994

Tax Basis of Investments: As of April 30, 2013, the aggregate cost of investments, gross unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) and net unrealized appreciation for Federal tax purposes were as follows:

 

     Gross Appreciation
(excess of value
over tax cost)
    Gross Depreciation
(excess of tax cost
over value)
   

Net Unrealized

Appreciation/(Depreciation)

    Cost of Investments
for Income Tax
Purposes
 

Redmont Resolute Fund I

  $ 173,601      $ (5,040   $ 168,561      $ 3,049,676   

Redmont Resolute Fund II

    23,027,569        (67,213     22,960,356        416,485,437   

Components of Earnings: As of April 30, 2013, components of distributable earnings were as follows:

 

      Accumulated Capital
Gain Undistributed
     Ordinary Income
Undistributed
     Net Unrealized
Appreciation
     Other Cumulative
Effect of Timing
Differences
 

Redmont Resolute Fund I

   $ 6,738       $ 958       $ 168,561       $ (13,069)   

Redmont Resolute Fund II

     853,449         466,558         22,960,356           

As of April 30, 2013, the Redmont Resolute Fund I elected to defer to the year ending April 30, 2014, late year ordinary losses in the amount of $13,069.

Capital Losses: As of April 30, 2013, the Funds have no accumulated capital loss carrryforwards.

Tax Basis of Distributions to Shareholders: The character of distributions made during the year from net investment income or net realized gains may differ from its ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Also, due to the timing of dividend distributions, the fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the fiscal year in which the income or realized gain were recorded by the Funds.

 

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Redmont Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

The tax character of distributions paid by the Funds for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2013, were as follows:

 

         Ordinary Income      

 

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I

   $ 7,652   

Redmont Resolute Fund II

     2,358,905   

There were no distributions paid by the Funds for the period ended April 30, 2012.

4. SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

Purchases and sales of securities, excluding short-term securities during the year ended April 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

Fund        Purchases of Securities              Proceeds From Sales of Securities      

 

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I

   $ 2,777,014       $ 464,200   

Redmont Resolute Fund II

     476,284,568         133,375,000   

5. BENEFICIAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

 

The capitalization of the Trust consists of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value per share. Holders of the shares of the Funds of the Trust have one vote for each share held and a proportionate fraction of a vote for each fractional share. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and are non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive rights.

Transactions in common shares were as follows:

Redmont Resolute Fund I

 

     For the         
     Year Ended      For the Period Ended  
Class A:    April 30, 2013      April 30, 2012(a)  

 

 

Common Shares Outstanding - Beginning of Period

     101           

Common Shares Sold

     14,144         105   

Common Shares Issued as Reinvestment of Dividends

     27           

Common Shares Redeemed

     (12,256)         (4)   

 

 

Common Shares Outstanding - End of Period

     2,016         101   

 

 
     For the         
     Year Ended      For the Period Ended  
Class I:    April 30, 2013      April 30, 2012(a)  

 

 

Common Shares Outstanding - Beginning of Period

     93,449           

Common Shares Sold

     233,443         93,453   

Common Shares Issued as Reinvestment of Dividends

     724           

Common Shares Redeemed

     (27,723)         (4)   

 

 

Common Shares Outstanding - End of Period

     299,893         93,449   

 

 
Redmont Resolute Fund II      
     For the         
     Year Ended      For the Period Ended  
Class I:    April 30, 2013      April 30, 2012(a)  

 

 

Common Shares Outstanding - Beginning of Period

     7,591,661           

Common Shares Sold

     33,012,452         7,591,662   

Common Shares Issued as Reinvestment of Dividends

     225,485           

Common Shares Redeemed

     (446,477)         (1)   

 

 

Common Shares Outstanding - End of Period

     40,383,121         7,591,661   

 

 

 

(a) 

The Fund’s inception was December 30, 2011.

 

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Redmont Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Shares redeemed within 30 days of purchase may incur a 2% short-term redemption fee deducted from the redemption amount. Redemption fees are reflected in the “Shares redeemed, net of redemption fees” in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets. For the year ended April 30, 2013 and the period ended April 30, 2012, the Funds retained fees as follows:

 

Fund   For the year ended April 30, 2013   For the period ended April 30, 2012

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I

  $51  

Redmont Resolute Fund II

   

6. MANAGEMENT AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Investment Advisory

Highland Associates, Inc. (“Highland” or the Adviser”), subject to the authority of the Board, is responsible for the overall management and administration of the Funds’ business affairs. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser is entitled to an investment advisory fee, computed daily and payable monthly of 1.50% of the average daily net assets for each Fund. Prior to December 5, 2012, the Adviser was entitled to an investment advisory fee, computed daily and payable monthly of 0.50% of the average daily net assets for each Fund.

As of April 1, 2013 the Adviser adopted two Investment Sub-Advisory Agreements (the “Sub-Advisory Agreements”) with Robeco Investment Management, Inc. and Turner Investments, L.P. (each a “Sub-Adviser” and collectively the “Sub-Advisers”) in accordance with the Funds’ investment objective, policies and limitations and investment guidelines established jointly by the Adviser and the Board. The Adviser determines the allocation of each Fund’s assets among the various Sub-Advisers and Underlying Funds. The Funds are not required to invest with any minimum number of Sub-Advisers or Underlying Funds, and do not have minimum or maximum limitations with respect to allocations of assets to any Sub-Adviser, investment strategy or market sector. Highland may change the allocation of each of the Fund’s assets among the available investment options, and may add or remove Sub-Advisers, at any time. Each Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of its allocated portion of Fund assets. Highland has ultimate responsibility, subject to the oversight of the Board of the Funds, to oversee the Sub-Advisers, and to recommend their hiring, termination and replacement.

Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreements, the Adviser pays each sub-adviser an annual sub-advisory management fee which is based on each Fund’s average quarterly market value of the assets managed by each Sub-Advisor. The Adviser is required to pay all fees due to each sub-adviser out of the management fee the Adviser receives from each Fund. The following table reflects the Funds’ contractual sub-advisory fee rates.

 

     Average Daily    Contractual
Sub-Adviser    Market Value of the Fund    Sub-Advisory Fee

 

   First $50 Million    1.25%

Robeco Investment Management, Inc.

   Over $50 Million    1.00%

Turner Investments, L.P.

   All Asset Levels    1.20%

Prior to December 5, 2012, the Adviser had contractually agreed to waive fees with respect to each class of the Redmont Resolute Fund I so that the Total Annual Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures that are capitalized in accordance with GAAP, other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, and amounts, if any, payable pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act) will not exceed 1.90% of average daily net assets. Pursuant to this agreement, the Fund will reimburse the Adviser for any fee waivers and expense reimbursements made by the Adviser, provided that any such reimbursements made by the Fund to the Adviser will not cause the Fund’s expense limitation to exceed expense limitations in existence at the time the expense was incurred, or at the time of the reimbursement, whichever is lower, and the reimbursement is made within three years after the expenses were incurred. Subsequently to December 5, 2012, the effective date of the amended agreement, the Adviser has agreed, with respect to Redmont Resolute Fund I’s Class A and Class I shares, contractually to waive the portion of its 1.50% Management Fee in excess of the sum of 0.50% plus any sub-advisory fees paid by the Adviser to Sub-Advisors, and/or reimburse the Fund (or class, as applicable) by the amount of such excess. In addition, after giving effect to the foregoing fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement for the Redmont Resolute Fund I’s Class A and Class I shares, to the extent the total annual expenses (exclusive of Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees, Shareholder Services Fees, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, Sub-Advisory Fees, brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and extraordinary expenses) exceed 1.90% of the average daily net assets, the Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce the fee payable with respect to Redmont Resolute Fund I by the extent of such excess, and/or shall reimburse the Fund (or class, as applicable) by the amount of such excess. The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the Fund are in effect through August 31, 2017. Pursuant to the December 5, 2012 agreement, the Fund will reimburse the Adviser for any fee waivers and expense reimbursements in relation to the expense limit of 1.90% of the average net assets, made by the Adviser, provided that any such reimbursements

 

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Redmont Funds    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

made by the Fund to the Adviser will not cause the Fund’s expense limitation to exceed expense limitations in existence at the time the expense was incurred, or at the time of the reimbursement, whichever is lower, and the reimbursement is made within three years after the expenses were incurred.

For the year ended April 30, 2013, the fee waivers and/or reimbursements were as follows:

 

Fund  

Fees Waived/Reimbursed

By Advisor

 

Recoupment of Previously

Waived Fees by Advisor

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I – Class A

  $        2,780  

Redmont Resolute Fund I – Class I

          72,257  

As of April 30, 2013, the balances of recoupable expenses for each Fund were as follows:

 

Fund    4/30/13      4/30/12      Total  

 

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I – Class A

   $ 2,377       $ 2,270       $ 4,647   

Redmont Resolute Fund I – Class I

     61,265         30,963         92,228   

The Adviser has agreed, with respect to the Redmont Resolute Fund II Class I shares, to waive the portion of its 1.50% Management Fee in excess of any sub-advisory fees paid by the Adviser to Sub-Advisors. This agreement is in effect through August 31, 2017. Prior to December 5, 2012, the Adviser had agreed contractually to waive the total amount of Redmont Resolute Fund II’s 0.50% management fees.

Fund Accounting Fees and Expenses

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS” and the “Administrator”) (an affiliate of ALPS Distributors, Inc.) provides administrative, fund accounting and other services to the Funds under the Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement with the Trust. Prior to the April 1, 2013 initiation of the Sub-Advisory Agreement, ALPS was paid fees, accrued on a daily basis and billed on a monthly basis in total and allocated to each Fund, based on the greater of (a) an annual total fee for both Funds of $200,000 from the first to the last, or projected last, day of the then current year of service under the Agreement; or (b) following basis point fee schedule:

 

Average Total Net Assets    Contractual Fee    

 

Between $0-$500M

   0.05%  

$500M-$1B

   0.03%  

Above $1B

   0.02%  

The minimum annual total fee of $200,000 was increased to $234,000 with the initiation of the Sub-Advisory Agreements on April 1, 2013.

The Administrator is also reimbursed by the Funds for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Transfer Agent

ALPS serves as transfer, dividend paying and shareholder servicing agent for the Funds under a Transfer Agency and Services Agreement with the Trust. Under this Agreement, ALPS is paid an annual base fee of $25,000 per Fund plus fees for open accounts and is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Compliance Services

ALPS provides services that assist the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer in monitoring and testing the policies and procedures of the Trust in conjunction with requirements under Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act under the Chief Compliance officer Services Agreement. Prior to the April 1, 2013 initiation of the Sub-Advisory Agreement, ALPS was paid an annual base fee for both Funds of $45,000 which was thereafter increased to $46,000. ALPS is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses. The annual fee is billed monthly in total and allocated to each Fund.

Principal Financial Officer

ALPS receives an annual fee for both Funds of $10,000 for providing Principal Financial Officer (“PFO”) services to the Trust. The annual fee is billed monthly in total and allocated to each Fund.

 

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   April 30, 2013

 

Distributor

ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI” or the “Distributor”) (an affiliate of ALPS) acts as the distributor of the Funds’ shares pursuant to a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. Shares are sold on a continuous basis by ADI as agent for the Funds, and ADI has agreed to use its best efforts to solicit orders for the sale of Funds’ shares, although it is not obliged to sell any particular amount of shares. ADI is not entitled to any compensation for its services as Distributor. ADI is registered as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Redmont Resolute Fund I has adopted a Distribution and Services Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act for Class A shares. The Plan allows the Fund to use Class A assets to pay fees in connection with the distribution and marketing of Class A shares and/or the provision of shareholder services to Class A shareholders. The Plan permits payment for services in connection with the administration of plans or programs that use Class A shares of the Fund, if any, as their funding medium and for related expenses. The Plan permits the Fund to make total payments at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to its Class A shares. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s Class A assets, if any, on an ongoing basis, over time they will increase the cost of an investment in Class A shares, if any, and Plan fees may cost an investor more than other types of sales charges.

The Redmont Resolute Fund I has adopted a shareholder services plan (“Shareholder Services Plan”) for Class A shares. Under the Shareholder Services Plan the Fund is authorized to pay banks and their affiliates and other institutions, including broker-dealers and Fund affiliates (“Participating Organizations”), an aggregate fee in an amount not to exceed on an annual basis 0.15% for Class A shares of the average daily net asset value of the Class A shares, respectively, attributable to or held in the name of a Participating Organization for its clients as compensation for providing shareholder service activities, which do not include distribution services, pursuant to an agreement with a Participating Organization. Shareholder Services plan fees are included with distribution and service fees on the Statement of Operations.

7. INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that may contain general indemnification clauses which may permit indemnification to the extent permissible under applicable law. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

 

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Redmont Funds   

Report of Independent Registered Public

Accounting Firm

   April 30, 2013

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of Financial Investors Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the schedules of investments, of Redmont Resolute Fund I and Redmont Resolute Fund II (the “Funds”), two of the funds constituting Financial Investors Trust, as of April 30, 2013, and the related statements of operations for the year then ended, and the statements of changes in net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended and for the period from December 30, 2011 (inception) to April 30, 2012. 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 their internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of April 30, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Redmont Resolute Fund I and Redmont Resolute Fund II of Financial Investors Trust as of April 30, 2013, the results of their operations for the year then ended, and the changes in their net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended and for the period from December 30, 2011 (inception) to April 30, 2012, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

June 27, 2013

 

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Redmont Funds    Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1. FUND HOLDINGS

 

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the period. Copies of the Funds’ Form N-Q are available without charge on the SEC website at http:// www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy the Form N-Q at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. For more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room, please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

2. FUND PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SUMMARIES

 

Fund policies and procedures used in determining how to vote proxies and information regarding how each of the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent prior 12-month period ending June 30 are available without charge, (1) upon request, by calling (toll-free) (866) 759-5679 and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

3. TAX DESIGNATIONS

 

The Funds designate the following as a percentage of taxable ordinary income distributions, or up to the maximum amount allowable, for the calendar year ended December 31, 2012:

 

     Qualified Dividend Income   Dividend Received Deduction

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I

   69.58%   2.61%

Redmont Resolute Fund II

   30.60%   1.68%

4. DISCLOSURE REGARDING APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO FUND ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I and Redmont Resolute Fund II (the “Redmont Funds”)

On November 2, 2012, a Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Redmont Funds was held at which an amended Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Redmont Advisory Agreement”) between the Trust and Highland Associates, Inc. (“Highland”) was approved. The Board of Trustees previously met in person to discuss, among other things, the approval of the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement, in accordance with Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act, and its recommendation that shareholders vote in favor of the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement. At that time, the Independent Trustees met with independent legal counsel during executive session and discussed the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement and other related materials.

In approving the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement with Highland to increase the advisory fees for the Redmont Funds and recommending that the shareholders of the Redmont Funds approve such amended Redmont Advisory Agreement, the Board, including the Independent Trustees, considered the following factors with respect to the Redmont Funds:

Investment Advisory Fee Rate: The Board reviewed and considered the contractual annual advisory fee to be paid by the Trust, on behalf of the Redmont Funds, to Highland of 1.50% of each of the Redmont Fund’s daily net assets, in light of the extent and quality of the advisory services provided by Highland to the Redmont Funds.

The Board considered information they received comparing the Redmont Funds’ contractual annual advisory fees and overall expenses with those of funds in both the relevant expense group and universe of funds provided by an independent provider of investment company data.

The Board also considered the initial application for exemptive relief from the SEC, pursuant to which the Highland would have the authority to engage, retain and terminate sub-advisers for the Redmont Funds, subject to approval of the Board, but without obtaining approval from the Redmont Funds’ shareholders. Under this arrangement, the total aggregate fees paid to all sub-advisers by each Redmont Fund would be equal to or less than 0.75% of each Redmont Fund’s average daily net assets.

In light of the SEC’s determination not to grant the initial application for exemptive relief, the Board also considered the revised application for exemptive relief and the rationales for the proposed increase in advisory fee rate. The Board noted Highland’s view that, if the amended advisory fee rate were to be approved and exemptive relief were to be obtained from the SEC, the amount potentially allocable to sub-advisers would provide Highland with the requisite flexibility to manage the Redmont Funds’ portfolios with minimal allocations to underlying funds if deemed in the interests of shareholders. The Board also noted Highland’s view that the potentially allocable amount would permit Highland to consider a wider spectrum of sub-advisers, including sub-advisers managing alternative products or strategies that may be more cost effectively accessed through a separate account rather than through a pooled investment vehicle.

 

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   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Based on such information, the Board further determined that the contractual annual advisory fees of 1.50% of each of the Redmont Funds, the total expense ratio of 1.90% (after limitations and expense waivers/reimbursements) for each of Class A and Class I of the Redmont Fund I and Highland’s contractual agreement to waive the portion of the Redmond Fund II’s 1.50% advisory fee in excess of any sub-advisory fees paid to the Fund’s sub-adviser, are comparable to others within the Stonebridge Fund’s peer universe.

Nature, Extent and Quality of the Services Provided: The Board considered the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by Highland in light of the investment objective of each Redmont Fund. The Board reviewed the background and experience of the current Highland’s personnel responsible for the evaluation and monitoring for each Redmond Fund and Highland’s history as asset manager, its performance, the amount of assets currently under management, the research and decision-making processes utilized by investment professionals, and the methods adopted to seek to achieve compliance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions.

The Board also reviewed Highland’s compliance-related materials and noted that it had received a report on these services and compliance issues from Highland at each regular Board meeting since the Redmont Funds’ inception on December 29, 2011 related to the services rendered by Highland to the Redmont Funds.

The Board concluded that the nature, extent and quality of the services to be provided by Highland to the Redmont Funds were appropriate and consistent with the terms of the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement and that each Redmont Fund was likely to benefit from services provided under the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement. The Board also concluded that the quality of the services provided by the senior advisory personnel employed by Highland had been consistent with or superior to quality norms in the industry and that Highland had sufficient personnel, with the appropriate education and experience, to serve each Redmont Fund effectively. The Board also concluded that the structure of Highland’s operations was sufficient to retain and properly motivate the Redmont Funds’ current senior advisory personnel. Finally, the Board concluded that the financial condition of Highland was sound.

Investment Performance: The Board reviewed the recent investment performance of each Redmont Fund. This review included a comparison of each Redmont Fund’s performance with the performance of a group of comparable funds selected by an independent provider of investment company data and the HFRX Global Index, the Redmont Funds’ benchmark. The Board observed that the Redmont Funds had limited performance history data available at the time of the meeting, due to the Redmont Funds’ inception date of December 29, 2011.

Costs of the Services to be Provided to the Redmont Funds and the Projected Profits to be Realized by Highland from its Relationship with the Redmont Funds. The Board reviewed the fees to be paid by each Redmont Fund to Highland under the current Redmont Advisory Agreement and the proposed new fees to be paid by each Redmont Fund to Highland under the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement. The Board reviewed comparative fee information of the Redmont Funds’ advisory contract, including information about (i) the rates of compensation paid to investment advisers, and overall expense ratios, for funds comparable in size, character and investment strategy to the Redmont Funds and (ii) the fees charged by Highland to its other client accounts. In its consideration of the Redmont Funds’ proposed new advisory fees under the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement and overall expenses compared with those of funds in both the relevant expense group and universe of funds, the Board reviewed information provided by an independent provider of investment company data.

The Board reviewed the proposed new advisory fees under the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement and expense ratios in light of the proposed contractual waivers by Highland. The Board, while acknowledging the challenges of comparing the Redmont Funds’ proposed hybrid fund-of-funds and manager-of-managers structure, also noted that the proposed new advisory fees for the Redmont Funds, after giving effect to waivers, were generally comparable to the fees charged to similar funds within the respective fund-of-funds or the manager-of-managers universes. Where a Redmont Fund’s fees or expenses were higher than the median of the funds compared, the Board noted that such fees or expenses were within an acceptable range. The Board also took note of the fact that any sub-advisers engaged by Highland Associates on behalf of the Redmont Funds would be paid by Highland from its advisory fees and not by the Redmont Funds. The Board also noted Highland’s view that the Redmont Funds were anticipated to, in the future, experience a reduction in acquired fund fees and expenses through the use of sub-advisers, but that Highland’s ability to realize those reductions were subject to, among other factors, the receipt of exemptive relief from the SEC and the ability to identify and engage appropriate sub-advisers within the expected timeframe. In renewing the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement, the Board concluded that the proposed new advisory fees payable by each Redmont Fund to Highland were reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services expected to be provided, taking into account the fees charged by other advisers for managing comparable funds with similar strategies, the particular performance considerations with respect to each Redmont Fund, the contractual waivers in place, and the fees Highland charges to other clients.

Projected Profitability and Costs of Services to Highland: The Board reviewed reports of the financial position of Highland. The Board considered the projected profitability of Highland’s overall relationship with the Redmont Funds, which included the proposed new advisory fees payable to Highland by the Redmont Funds, and concluded that the projected costs of providing services to each Redmont Fund pursuant to the amended

 

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Redmont Funds    Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Redmont Advisory Agreement were not excessive. The Board reviewed the losses realized by Highland in connection with the operation of the Redmont Funds. The Board also considered Highland’s statements regarding its continuing commitment to the Redmont Funds despite these losses. The Board also considered the potential “fall-out” benefits (including the receipt of research products and services from unaffiliated brokers) that Highland might receive in connection with their association with the Redmont Funds.

The Board was provided with updated information regarding the projected profitability of Highland. The Board took note of the above factors previously considered during its initial approval of the current Redmont Advisory Agreement on December 13, 2011.

Extent of Economies of Scale as the Redmont Funds Grow and Whether Fee Levels Reflect Economies of Scale: The Board reviewed the Redmont Funds’ current financial information provided by Highland, and concluded that, to the extent any economies of scale could be realized as the assets of each Redmont Fund increase, such economies would likely be insignificant at the current time.

In connection with its review of the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement, the Board reviewed the information previously considered during the initial approval of the current Redmont Advisory Agreement on December 13, 2011.

In light of the considerations noted above, the Board, at its September 11, 2012 meeting, approved the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement for the maximum period permissible under the 1940 Act. Based on its evaluation, the Board unanimously concluded that the proposed new advisory fees payable to Highland by the Redmont Funds under the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement are reasonable, fair and in the best interests of the Redmont Funds and their shareholders. The Board believes that the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement will enable each Redmont Fund to continue to enjoy the high-quality investment management services it has received in the past from Highland, at higher management fee rates than the current rates but with total annual operating expenses on a pro-forma basis for each Redmont Fund anticipated to be lower than the corresponding current total annual operating expenses, which the Board deems appropriate, reasonable and in the best interests of each Redmont Fund and its shareholders. Based on its evaluation of the aforementioned considerations, the Board unanimously voted to approve and to recommend to the shareholders of each Redmont Fund that they approve the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement.

In approving the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement and in connection with the Board’s recommendation that shareholders of the Redmont Funds approve the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement, the Board considered the following factors discussed below, but without identifying any single factor as all-important or controlling:

 

   

the assurances from Highland that the manner in which the Redmont Funds’ assets are managed will not change if the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement is approved, that the same people who currently manage the Redmont Funds’ assets will continue to do so after approval, and that there is not expected to be any diminution in the nature, quality and extent of services provided to the Redmont Funds;

   

the rationale for the proposed increase to each Redmont Fund’s annual advisory fee rate, in light of the SEC’s determination not to issue exemptive relief under the terms of the Trust’s and Highland’s initial application for exemptive relief dated February 12, 2012;

   

the material terms of the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement are the same as the terms of the Redmont Funds’ current Redmont Advisory Agreement but for the proposed new advisory fee rates payable to Highland by each of the Redmont Funds;

   

the assurances from Highland that it will enter into a new fee waiver agreement for both of the Redmont Funds on the terms presented to the Board;

   

the favorable history, reputation, qualification and background of Highland;

   

the qualifications of Highland’s personnel who provide advisory services to the Redmont Funds;

   

Highland’s financial condition; and

   

the potential adverse effects on Highland, and indirectly, on the Redmont Funds, in the event the amended Redmont Advisory Agreement with the new advisory fees is not approved.

Based on the Board’s deliberations and their evaluation of the information described above, the Board, including all of the Independent Trustees, concluded that Highland’s proposed compensation for investment advisory services is consistent with the best interests of the Redmont Funds and their shareholders.

 

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   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

5. DISCLOSURE REGARDING APPROVAL OF FUND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS

 

Redmont Resolute Fund I and Redmont Resolute Fund II (the “Redmont Funds”)

On March 12, 2013, the Trustees met in person to discuss, among other things, the approval of the Sub-Advisory Agreement among the Trust, Highland Associates, Inc. (“Highland”) and Turner Investments, L.P. (“Turner”), and the Sub-Advisory Agreement among the Trust, Highland and Robeco Investment Management, Inc. (“Robeco”) (each, a “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) in accordance with Section15(c) of the 1940 Act. The Independent Trustees met with independent legal counsel during executive session and discussed each Sub-Advisory Agreement and other related materials.

In approving the Sub-Advisory Agreement with Turner and the Sub-Advisory Agreement with Robeco, the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, considered the following factors with respect to the Redmont Funds:

Investment Advisory Fee Rate: The Trustees reviewed and considered the contractual annual advisory fee rate paid (a) by the Trust, on behalf of each Redmont Fund, to Highland of 1.50% of each Redmont Fund’s daily average net assets, and (b) the contractual annual sub-advisory fee to be paid by Highland to Turner of 1.20% of each Redmont Fund’s daily average net assets allocated to Turner and (c) the contractual annual sub-advisory fee to be paid by Highland to Robeco of 1.25% of the first $50 million of each Redmont Fund’s daily average net assets allocated to Robeco, and 1.00% of each Redmont Fund’s daily average net assets allocated to Robeco above $50 million, in light of the extent and quality of the advisory services to be provided by each to the Redmont Funds.

The Trustees considered the information they received comparing each Redmont Fund’s contractual annual advisory fee and overall expenses with those of funds in both the relevant expense group and universe of funds provided by an independent provider of investment company data.

Based on such information, the Trustees further determined that the contractual annual advisory fee of 1.50% and the estimated total expense ratio of 3.17% and 3.57% for the Class I and Class A Shares of the Redmont Resolute Fund I, respectively, taking into account the contractual fee waiver in place, and the estimate total expense ratio of 2.40% for the Class I Shares of the Redmont Resolute Fund II, taking into account the contractual fee waiver in place, are comparable to others within each Redmont Fund’s anticipated peer universe.

Nature, Extent and Quality of the Services under the Sub-Advisory Agreements: The Trustees received and considered information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services to be provided to the Redmont Funds under the Sub-Advisory Agreements with Turner and Robeco. The Trustees reviewed certain background materials supplied by Turner and Robeco in their presentations, including their Forms ADV.

The Trustees reviewed and considered Turner’s and Robeco’s investment advisory personnel, their history as asset managers and their performance and the amount of assets currently under management by each. The Trustees also reviewed the research and decision-making processes utilized by Turner and Robeco, including the methods adopted to seek to achieve compliance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of each Redmont Fund.

The Trustees considered the background and experience of Turner’s and Robeco’s management in connection with the Redmont Funds, including reviewing the qualifications, backgrounds and responsibilities of the management team primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Redmont Funds assets allocated to each and the extent of the resources devoted to research and analysis of actual and potential investments.

The Trustees also reviewed, among other things, Turner’s and Robeco’s insider trading policies and procedures and their Code of Ethics.

Performance: The Trustees noted that since Turner and Robeco had not yet begun to manage their respective portion of each Redmont Fund, there is no fund performance to be reviewed or analyzed at this time. The Trustees also considered the limitations on the comparability of performance information for certain related funds and accounts managed by each sub-adviser. The Trustees considered Turner’s and Robeco’s reputations generally and their investment techniques, risk management controls and decision-making processes.

The Adviser’s Profitability: The Trustees received and considered a projected profitability analysis prepared by Turner and Robeco based on the fees payable under each Sub-Advisory Agreement. The Trustees considered the profits, if any, anticipated to be realized by Turner and Robeco in connection with the operation of the Redmont Funds. The Board then reviewed and discussed Turner’s and Robeco’s financial statements in order to analyze the financial condition and stability and profitability of each adviser.

 

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Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Economies of Scale: The Trustees considered whether economies of scale in the provision of services to the Redmont Funds will be passed along to the shareholders under the proposed agreements.

Other Benefits to the Sub-Advisers: The Trustees reviewed and considered any other incidental benefits derived or to be derived by Turner and Robeco from their relationship with the Redmont Funds, including soft dollar arrangements.

The Board summarized its deliberations with respect to the Sub-Advisory Agreements with Turner and Robeco. In selecting Turner and Robeco and the fees charged under the Sub-Advisory Agreements, the Trustees concluded that no single factor reviewed by the Trustees was identified by the Trustees to be determinative as the principal factor in whether to approve the Sub-Advisory Agreements. Further, the Independent Trustees were advised by separate independent legal counsel throughout the process. The Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees, concluded that:

 

   

the investment advisory fees received by Highland with respect to each Redmont Fund were unchanged as a result of entering into these sub-advisory agreements;

   

the nature, extent and quality of services to be rendered by Turner and Robeco under the respective Sub-Advisory Agreements were adequate;

   

there was no performance history for each of Turner and Robeco with respect to the Redmont Funds for the Board to consider;

   

the terms of the fee waiver and expense limitation agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Redmont Funds, and Highland, were not unreasonable;

   

the profit, if any, anticipated to be realized by Turner or Robeco in connection with the operation of the Redmont Funds is not unreasonable to the Fund; and

   

there were no material economies of scale or other incidental benefits accruing to Turner or Robeco in connection with their relationship with the Redmont Funds.

Based on the Trustees’ deliberations and their evaluation of the information described above, the Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees, concluded that Turner’s and Robeco’s compensation for sub-investment advisory services is consistent with the best interests of each Redmont Fund and its shareholders.

 

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Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES        

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

 

Number of
Funds in

Fund

Complex
Overseen by
Trustee****

 

Other
Directorships
Held by

Trustee During

Past 5 Years

 

Mary K. Anstine,

age 72

  Trustee   Ms. Anstine was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/Director of AV Hunter Trust and Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.   26   Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (4 funds); Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund); and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

 

John R. Moran, Jr.,

age 82

  Trustee   Mr. Moran was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Moran is formerly President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, a private foundation serving the health and hospital community in the state of Colorado. An attorney, Mr. Moran was formerly a partner with the firm of Kutak Rock & Campbell in Denver, Colorado and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. Currently, Mr. Moran is a member of the Treasurer’s Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Colorado.   26   None.

 

Jeremy W.

Deems,

age 36

  Trustee   Mr. Deems was appointed as a Trustee at the March 11, 2008 meeting of the Board of Trustees and elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, an investment management company, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, a liquidity resourcing company, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company (from 2004 to June 2007). Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.   26   Mr. Deems is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds) and Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund).

 

Jerry G.

Rutledge,

age 68

  Trustee   Mr. Rutledge was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Rutledge is the President and owner of Rutledge’s Inc., a retail clothing business. Mr. Rutledge is currently Director of the American National Bank. He was from 1994 to 2007 a Regent of the University of Colorado.   26   Mr. Rutledge is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund), Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund) and Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund).

 

Michael “Ross”

Shell ,

age 42

  Trustee   Mr. Shell was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Shell is Founder and CEO* of Red Idea, LLC, a strategic consulting/early stage venture firm (since June 2008). From 1999 to 2009, he was a part-owner and Director of Tesser, Inc., a brand agency. From December 2005 to May 2008, he was Director, Marketing and Investor Relations, of Woodbourne, a REIT/real estate hedge fund and private equity firm. Prior to this, from May 2004 to November 2005, he worked as a business strategy consultant; from June 2003 to April 2004, he was on the Global Client Services team of IDEO, a product design/innovation firm; and from 1999 to 2003, he was President of Tesser, Inc. Mr. Shell graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science.   26   None.

 

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Highland Associates, Inc. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Table of Contents
Redmont Funds    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE        

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

 

Principal Occupation (s)

During Past 5 Years***

 

Number of
Funds in

Fund

Complex
Overseen by
Trustee****

  Other
Directorships
Held by Trustee

 

Edmund J. Burke,

age 52

  Trustee,
Chairman and
President
  Mr. Burke was elected as Chairman at the August 28, 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Burke was elected as Trustee at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009. Mr. Burke was elected President of the Trust at the December 17, 2002 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Mr. Burke is Chief Executive Officer and a Director of ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”) (since 2005) and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”), ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”) and FTAM Distributors, Inc. (“FDI”) and from 2001-2008, was President of AAI, ADI, AFS and FDI. Because of his positions with AHI, AAI, ADI, AFS and FDI, Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Burke is Trustee and President of the Clough Global Allocation Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2004); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Equity Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2005); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (since 2006); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund; and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.   26   Mr. Burke is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (1 fund); and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (1 fund).

 

 

OFFICERS

       

 

Name,
Address*

& Age

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
 

Term of Office

And Length of
Time Served**

  Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years***    

 

Kimberly R.

Storms,

age 40

  Treasurer   Ms. Storms was elected Treasurer of the Trust at the March 12, 2013 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Ms. Storms is Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration of ALPS. Ms. Storms joined ALPS in 1998 as Assistant Controller. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Storms is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Storms is also Treasurer of BPV Family of Funds and ALPS Series Trust; Assistant Treasurer of Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of Tilson Funds; and Chief Financial Officer of The Arbitrage Funds.

 

David T. Buhler,

age 41

  Secretary   Mr. Buhler was elected Secretary of the Trust at the September 11, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Mr. Buhler joined ALPS in June 2010, and is currently Vice President and Associate Counsel of ALPS, AAI, ADI and APSD. Prior to joining ALPS, Mr. Buhler served as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Founders Asset Management LLC from 2006 to 2009. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Buhler is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Buhler is also the Secretary of ALPS Variable Investment Trust and Westcore Trust.

 

Ted Uhl,

age 37

  Chief

Compliance

Officer
(“CCO”)

  Mr. Uhl was appointed CCO of the Trust at the June 8, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees.   Mr. Uhl joined ALPS in October 2006, and is currently Deputy Compliance Officer of ALPS. Prior to his current role, Mr. Uhl served as Senior Risk Manager for ALPS from October 2006 until June 2010. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Uhl served a Sr. Analyst with Enenbach and Associates (RIA), and a Sr. Financial Analyst at Sprint. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Uhl is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Uhl is also CCO of the Clough Global Funds, Reaves Utility Income Fund, Drexel Hamilton Funds and the Transparent Value Trust.

 

 

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Highland Associates, Inc. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

32    www.redmontfunds.com


Table of Contents

LOGO

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Letter to Shareholders

     1   

Portfolio Review

     6   

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

     17   

Portfolio of Investments

     18   

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     23   

Statement of Operations

     24   

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     25   

Financial Highlights

     27   

Notes to Financial Statements

     29   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     38   

Additional Information

     39   

Trustees & Officers

     40   


Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

   Letter to Shareholders
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

LETTER TO SHAREHOLDERS

May 15, 2013

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

I am pleased to address you on behalf of the Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund, which as of April 30 completed its first full fiscal year.1

During that year, the Fund’s Investor and Institutional share classes gained 18.24% and 18.33%, respectively. By comparison, the Fund’s benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Total Return Index,2 rose 4.34%; and by way of broader comparison, the S&P 500 Index climbed 16.88%.

At the beginning of the fiscal year, the Fund had $2.8 million in assets under management; it finished with $37.8 million. The net asset value per share of the Investor class rose from $10.18 to $11.91, and during the year the class paid approximately $0.11 in distributions to shareholders.

At the Fund’s inception, Seafarer Capital Partners was pleased to provide a contractual obligation to the Fund that limited expenses on its Investor and Institutional share classes to 1.60% and 1.45%, respectively. The Fund’s subsequent growth allowed it to achieve some modest economies of scale; Seafarer was therefore pleased to offer in January an additional voluntary waiver that effectively capped expenses at 1.40% and 1.25% for the Investor and Institutional share classes, respectively. Seafarer’s intention is to convert the voluntary waiver into a new contractual obligation that will commence in September, concurrent with the annual release of the Fund’s prospectus.

The team at Seafarer is proud to report this progress to you. Nonetheless, we are acutely aware that our work has only just begun. If the Fund is to achieve anything of lasting worth for its shareholders, its success or failure will be measured in terms of decades, not individual years.

Something Different

Shareholder letters from fund companies typically discuss the state of affairs for financial markets, and they provide some sort of outlook for the future. My letters mostly follow convention – and this letter will conclude with the obligatory outlook. Yet I want to use most of the letter to do something different: I want to explain Seafarer’s investment approach, which is practiced “from the bottom up.”

If you finish this letter and you are still hungry for some practical details on the Fund, or you want insights on specific markets, please visit Seafarer’s website (seafarerfunds.com). You will find a large library of resources there.

Investing “From the Bottom Up”

Seafarer invests “from the bottom up.” I will explain what that phrase means, and why I believe it is essential to invest that way. Before I do so, a caveat: please note the following remarks apply only to the process of selecting individual securities for the purpose of portfolio construction. My comments do not pertain to “asset allocation,” which is a distinct and complex topic, and one that I will not address here.

Investing “from the bottom up” means selecting individual securities for your portfolio based on their unique merits. It is the opposite of investing “from the top down,” in which security selection is determined via macro-economic analysis or broad secular themes. In the former approach, you select securities because you have researched each one individually, and you have come to the conclusion they meet your risk and reward criteria. In the latter process, you usually perform some basic research on securities, but your primary emphasis is on getting the “big picture” themes and trends correct, and then translating those ideas to a basket of securities that are likely to benefit.

Each approach has its merits and drawbacks. However, I believe “top down” is ultimately more fallible, mainly because it is so difficult to implement a successful strategy of this sort consistently, over time.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Letter to Shareholders
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

“Bottom up” is not inherently superior; instead, “top down” is terribly problematic, and thus “bottom up” is the only game in town.

The Trouble With the “Top Down”

Let me illustrate the difficulty with a “top down” approach. One year ago, the macro-economic outlook for the world was murky at best, and downright awful at worst. There were fears that the Eurozone would disintegrate violently, that China would face a “hard landing,” and that the U.S. would face a severe fiscal crisis, fall into recession,or both. If you adopted a “top down” approach, you most likely opted for cash, or went short.3

One year later, little has changed: the macro outlook is still murky, and most economies around the world remain in poor shape. The U.S. economy appears rehabilitated – few accurately predicted its rapid recovery! – but even so, there are plenty of critics who suggest its fiscal and monetary policies place it on thin ice. Thus a portfolio built on “top down” principles would be nearly unchanged; yet the interim twelve months offered an excellent opportunity to grow one’s financial capital. What accounts for this discrepancy?

The problem is not that returns from stocks were predictable (they were not), or that the U.S. recovery was obvious (it was not). The problem lies in the idea that anyone can make a consistent, accurate forecast about something as large and complex as an economy, even when holding to a short time horizon (e.g., six months). Even for a short-run forecast, the intricacy of a large economy is so great that it requires construction of a complex, multi-factor model (which means the model must incorporate many different variables – essentially moving pieces). Obviously, it is challenging to get such a model right – you have to specify all the variables correctly (tough!) and then you have to make the right assumptions about all the input values for each variable (even tougher).

Once that forecast exceeds anything beyond the shortest possible horizon – anything longer than a few months, really – I believe the complexity of the model rapidly approaches infinity. There are too many moving pieces; there are too many potential outcomes, some of which are known with varying probabilities, and some of which are unknowable until they unfold. This near-infinite complexity means the model’s predictive capacity rapidly falls to zero.

If you try to extend the model to incorporate other economies and their interactions with each other, I will believe you will transgress the boundaries of the near-infinite and slip into the realm of the impossible. How can your model possibly specify this complex, multi-economy environment accurately, with correct assumptions about all the underlying variables? And even if you miraculously do all of this, do you really think a model of this complexity will render practical, consistent, and timely investment advice? It seems to me that if the resulting “top down” portfolio performs well, it is by little more than random chance.

The trouble with such models and the forecasts they produce is that they are so darn appealing. They prey on our human frailties: they purport to explain everything, which alleviates our innate fear of the unknown; they are (superficially) logically consistent, and thus appeal to our sense of intellectual pride; and they often come with pithy slogans – witness the “New Normal“4 – which exploit our preference for simplicity over complexity. These models even tap into our tendency to favor action over stasis. They appear to provide the means to react to various macro-indicators and economic signals; they seem to give us tools that allow us to “do something” about the frustrating and confusing world around us. In my experience though, those tools are illusions that only amplify our natural exuberance and fear.

Ultimately, the “top down” approach appeals because it helps you convince yourself that you know something about the big picture, and what matters to your portfolio. This is a fallacy in my view; unfortunately, you have fooled yourself, albeit with the best intentions. In truth, the big picture is unknowable – or at least, it is beyond anyone’s ability to make timely, consistent and clear forecasts for the purpose of investment advice.

For proof of the fallacy, consider what happens when such models fail, publicly. If the forecasters are still in business – which is rare – they are usually engaged in convoluted efforts to re-purpose their

 

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Table of Contents
Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Letter to Shareholders
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

models, employing tons of jargon to disguise the inconvenient fact that their analysis failed to capture the breadth and complexity of reality. At such moments, the “top down” model is exposed for what it is: a concept with little substantive basis. At the same time, it is obvious that the forecaster’s contorted attempts to defend the model are only self-delusion.

A Little Bit Is Better Than Nothing At All

Investing “from the bottom up” is the opposite exercise, as the name suggests. A “bottom up” approach means you start and finish with the unique merits of individual investments. Importantly, if you truly inhabit this process, you must mostly abandon the idea that you know how the big picture will play out, or which themes will work. Essentially, you must embrace a perspective rooted in humility: you don’t pretend you know a lot about everything, but realize clearly that you know almost nothing at all.

Naturally, knowing almost nothing is frightening. However, as a bottom up investor, you enjoy two advantages that can alleviate this fear. First, you have the ability to arm yourself with tangible facts about the risks and rewards afforded by the individual investment under consideration. Second, because you are cognizant of your own ignorance, you are highly attuned to the potential for loss, and are thus more likely to undertake practical solutions to guard against such loss.

First, you have the advantage of basing your decisions on discrete, empirical facts rather than an abstract, untested hypothesis. Unlike a massive, complex macro-economy, a single company is just small enough that a human being can understand it, and wrap their mind around it. With effort, you can grasp a company’s financial position, its risks, its opportunities, its frailties. You can know a company’s assets; its revenues; its products; its operations; its competitors. These are tangible things you can measure, or see, or sometimes touch.

There are of course severe limitations to the knowledge you can accumulate. You are not an insider; and there is a constant risk of fraud and deception. Even if fraud is not part of the picture, shocks are frequent, and businesses fail for unexpected reasons. Yet even with all of these shortcomings, your bottom up research is a very valuable tool: at least you can discern and analyze real facts. If you do your homework, you will know a little bit about something with some certainty; you will no longer know nothing at all.

A quick clarification is in order. The bottom-up investor does not abandon the macro for the micro when researching an individual investment. Quite the contrary: it is healthy to develop a basic perspective about where the macro fault lines might lie. Just make sure that you constantly question that view, and never lean on it too much. Meanwhile, the key is to use the individual company as a tangible, real-world frame of reference to digest your macro thesis. Your beliefs will be sharpened in the process: you will abandon the grand but abstract framework in favor of facts drawn from the real world.

Thus the bottom up investor asks: how will this macro event affect my individual investment? What frailties (or opportunities) will it expose? What can I do within my portfolio to control the associated risks, and maximize the potential rewards? The beauty of this approach is that you remain grounded in a practical reality. Also, as your approach is necessarily empirical, you often collect data that force you to retool your macro hypothesis. Certainly, you run the risk that your data set is not representative, thereby falling prey to anecdotal evidence. Yet even with this risk, I think it is still more scientific to formulate my “macro” perspectives from the bottom up. Otherwise it is all too easy to twist the data to suit my macro theory, rather than the other way around.

Accepting (And Then Controlling) Risk

The second advantage of a bottom up approach lies in your awareness of how little you know. Armed with that knowledge, you are naturally vigilant against risk, and highly attuned to the potential for loss, as you assume nothing, and take nothing for granted. Managing risk within your portfolio thus takes on central importance.

 

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Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Letter to Shareholders
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Before you manage risk within your portfolio, though, you must first accept it. Whether you are an equity investor trying to capture growth, or a fixed income investor harvesting illiquidity premia from creditors, you are necessarily exposed to risks. You must accept that the biggest risks are beyond prediction, and even mundane risks are difficult to predict in a consistent and timely manner.

However, once you have passed over this scary threshold, the knowledge is liberating: you quickly realize that just as you can’t control such risks, no one else can, either. Anyone who suggests they can radically reduce portfolio risk is engaged in fabrication (e.g., exaggerated risk management skills), or they are selling you something that is so expensive that it will do damage to your portfolio (e.g., products that offer a guaranteed return), or they are obscuring their own financial frailties (e.g., hidden counterparty risks). This awareness represents another small but vital piece of knowledge.

So, how does one take every reasonable precaution against the unknown, and the unknowable? In my view, there are only two time-tested, cost-effective means to do so. First, you must make efforts to control risk from the bottom up, by vetting your individual investments carefully. You must do your homework, and “look under the hood” to understand what you are getting for your money. In the process you will develop firsthand knowledge of the real frailties of the investment, as opposed to what the salesperson told you. Imagine relying on investment slogans and second-hand analysis during a time of financial crisis – now that is a scary thought!

Second, you must diversify. History has shown that diversification is cheap and effective. If you have done your homework from the bottom up, you will find it is surprisingly useful, as you will have direct knowledge about how to offset the important risks against each other. The approach is time-tested, and though it is not perfect, it works as well as any fancy risk management model, at lower cost.

Obviously, these two methods reduce risk, but they still leave your portfolio exposed to considerable hazards. Unfortunately, I do not have an answer to this; and no one else does – or if they do, the answer is not legal, or they have not shared it. This realization is again frightening. Yet in this fear, do not lose hope. Keep pushing yourself to find opportunity. Here’s why: there is only one constant in markets, and that is change. Where change exists, there is at least the opportunity to make progress; and progress is what begets growth (and financial profits). Change and the potential for progress always exist, even in the darkest and most confusing markets. Thus there is almost always an opportunity to invest, and grow your capital – if you are patient, disciplined, and invest “from the bottom up.”

A Brief Outlook, As Promised

For those of you who followed Seafarer’s various portfolio reviews and shareholder calls during the past year, you know I have expressed concern about whether the pace of earnings growth in the emerging markets would live up to investors’ elevated (and misplaced) expectations.

I noted last fall that the rapid gains in valuations seemed out of step with reality – a reality that would likely be characterized by a slower (but still reasonably good!) rate of growth. This has come to pass. Corporate profits have fallen below expectations in the first four months of this year. In my own opinion, the lackluster performance of emerging equities is largely attributable to the market’s belated recognition of this fact.

However, as of mid-May, the market landscape is once again different. A good deal of the valuation excesses that were apparent last year have been wrung out of the markets – with the caveat that some absurdly high valuations persist within the consumer sector. Meanwhile, corporate earnings continue to expand at a reasonably good (albeit slower) rate. As usual, I see plenty of specific issues to worry about in various countries throughout the emerging world, but nothing that appears immediate or fatal. Indeed, my research on individual companies leads me to be optimistic that growth might accelerate, just a bit.

Of course, a number of major “macro” issues cloud the picture. Will Japan collapse, or will Europe implode? Will quantitative easing beget hyperinflation?5 Will fixed income markets melt down? I can speculate about all of these things, but I will know none with any certainty. However, I do know there are plenty of prospective investments that satisfy the risk and return criteria the Fund seeks, and thus I am an enthusiastic investor.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Letter to Shareholders
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Thank you for entrusting us with your capital. As usual, the future is murky, and I do not know whether the year ahead will bring success to the Fund. However, I do know one small thing, with certainty: we are very serious about our job.

We are honored to act as your investment adviser.

Andrew Foster

Chief Investment Officer

Seafarer Capital Partners, LLC

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the Fund or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. Seafarer does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

 

1 

Please note: the Fund’s inception was February 15, 2012.

 

2 

The MSCI Emerging Markets Total Return Index, Standard (Large+Mid Cap) Core, Gross (dividends reinvested), USD is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index designed to measure equity market performance of emerging markets. The MSCI Emerging Markets Total Return Index consists of the following 21 emerging market country indices: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey. Index code: GDUEEGF. It is not possible to invest directly in this or any index.

 

3 

Short selling is the practice of borrowing securities in order to sell them shortly thereafter. The short seller’s intention is to speculate on a subsequent decline in the price of the security. The short seller might profit by repurchasing the same securities (“covering”) at a lower price, and then returning those securities to the original lender. Conversely, the short seller will incur a loss in the event that the price of a shorted instrument should rise prior to repurchase.

 

4 

“New Normal” is a slogan for an investment theme propagated by PIMCO, a large fixed income investment manager. For more information on this topic, please see PIMCO’s latest discussion of the “New Normal,” titled “New Normal . . . Morphing” (May 2013): www.pimco.com/EN/Insights/Pages/Secular-Outlook-El-Erian-2013.aspx

 

5 

Quantitative easing is the attempt by a central bank to inject more money into the economy and to keep long-term interest rates low through the purchase of large amounts of assets, often held by financial institutions. Hyperinflation occurs when a country experiences very high, accelerating, and possibly “unstoppable” rates of inflation. In such a condition, the general price level within an economy rapidly increases as the currency loses real value.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Portfolio Review
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

PORTFOLIO REVIEW

May 15, 2013

On April 30, the Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund completed its first fiscal year of operations. 1

During the year, the Fund’s Investor and Institutional share classes gained 18.24% and 18.33%, respectively. By comparison, the Fund’s benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Total Return Index, rose 4.34%; and by way of broader comparison, the S&P 500 Index climbed 16.88%.

Performance During the First Half of the Fiscal Year

During the first half of the Fund’s fiscal year (May 1, 2012 – October 31, 2012), the Fund gained 7.13% and 7.16% for the Investor and Institutional classes, respectively. The Fund’s benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Total Return Index, fell -1.01% during the same period. By way of broader comparison, the S&P 500 Index gained 2.16%. During the period, the Fund distributed $0.04995 and $0.03484 per share for the Investor and Institutional classes, respectively.

During the period, stock markets in the developing world experienced substantial swings. They declined sharply between May and June, and then rose swiftly between July and September, before declining slightly once more in October. The net effect of all those gyrations is that markets finished the six-month period just shy of where they began (as measured by the benchmark index).

A number of factors drove the volatility in emerging equities. Markets stumbled in May due to renewed concerns over Greece’s ability to remain a member of the Eurozone, fears over Spain’s solvency, and worries that China’s economic growth would falter. However, by July stocks began to march upwards again; in my view, these gains occurred primarily because of three interrelated events. First, markets recognized that, as grave as the situation in Western Europe was (and is), the substantial decline priced into stocks was overdone. Second, markets anticipated extended stimulus on the part of the world’s major central banks. Indeed, both the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank maintained relaxed monetary policies through the summer. Third, equities gained because valuations were quite depressed in June, and yet second quarter corporate profits generally exceeded the (low) expectations of investors.

As markets fell through June, the Fund also declined, but less so than the benchmark index; and as markets recovered lost ground between July and October, the Fund managed to slightly outpace the benchmark. During the six-month period, about two-thirds of the Fund’s positions contributed positively to the Fund’s performance. The Fund’s gains were relatively concentrated, though. The ten positions with the greatest contribution to performance were collectively responsible for over 80% of the Fund’s return.

The following holdings made substantial contributions to the Fund’s gains over the first half of the fiscal year:

 

   

The top contributor to the Fund was a mid-capitalization company called Aselsan Elektronik. Aselsan is a Turkish firm that produces electronic systems and communication equipment for military and civilian markets. The company has existed for several decades, yet it has only recently undertaken efforts to operate on a truly commercial basis. In the past, the company operated essentially as a captive supplier to (and subsidiary of) the Turkish Army; consequently, Aselsan’s financial performance took a back seat. However, the company has recently begun to improve upon its commercial potential, expanding into new markets and accelerating its growth. Aselsan’s shares rose ostensibly in reflection of the company’s improved performance.

 

   

The Fund’s holdings in a small-capitalization company called Kingdee International also contributed to gains. Kingdee provides “enterprise management” software to small and mid-sized companies based in China. This software helps companies manage their

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Portfolio Review
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

accounts, track inventory and sales, and engage in online commerce. Kingdee has historically been a leader within its chosen niche. However, the company embarked upon an ill-fated expansion approximately two years ago, one which left the company’s finances stretched thin in light of slowing growth within the Chinese market. This caused the shares to drop nearly four-fifths between April 2011 and July 2012.2 Seafarer’s research confirmed that the company’s fundamental position has deteriorated, and that its near-term profitability is materially compromised. However, Seafarer also judged the extent of the correction overdone, and as such, the Fund began to acquire shares in the company in June 2012. The shares have since recovered a portion of their former value, to the Fund’s benefit.

 

   

Another notable positive contribution to the Fund came from its holding in Cerebos Pacific, a Singapore-based purveyor of food and beverage products across Southeast Asia and Australia. The company was a closely-held subsidiary of the Japanese beverage company Suntory. In August, Suntory announced its intent to purchase the roughly 15% of Cerebos that it did not already own; Suntory agreed to pay a premium price in order to take the company private, and the transaction was consummated in late 2012.

 

   

The Fund’s two holdings in Mexico, Grupo Herdez and Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, also made prominent contributions to the Fund’s gains during the period. Their gains were likely attributable not only to strong financial performance, but also to the market’s belated recognition that the Mexican economy is much healthier than headlines convey.

The following holding detracted the most from performance during the first half of the fiscal year:

 

   

Market Vectors Vietnam ETF was responsible for the largest drag on performance. Vietnam saw its stock market lurch lower during the period as a series of scandals and reforms impacted its banking sector. Like China, its large neighbor to the north, Vietnam’s government has propagated a substantial number of uncompetitive, state-backed enterprises; and as in China, those entities have borrowed excessively from compliant local banks. Some of the debts have come due, and the state-backed debtors have been either unwilling or unable to repay. This outcome has led to criticism and scandal within the country’s banking sector and throughout its various political circles. Vietnam appears to be redoubling its efforts to reform the sector, yet the market stumbled amid the political and economic strife.

Performance During the Second Half of the Fiscal Year

During the second half of the Fund’s fiscal year (October 31, 2012 – April 30, 2013), the Fund’s Investor and Institutional share classes gained 10.37% and 10.42%, respectively. By comparison, the Fund’s benchmark rose 5.40%, and the S&P 500 Index climbed 14.41%. In December, the Fund paid a second distribution to shareholders, $0.06080 and $0.08710 per share for the Investor and Institutional classes, respectively. This second distribution brought the fiscal year total to $0.11075 and $0.12194 per share for the Investor and Institutional classes, respectively.

The past six months proved to be a tumultuous period for stocks in the developing world. Emerging market equities surged from November 2012 through early January 2013; however, by late January the trend reversed and emerging markets underwent a moderate but broad-based decline. This reversal occurred despite impressive gains from U.S. equities during the same period. Investors in the emerging markets have long hoped their performance would “decouple” from the developed world; unfortunately, decoupling was all too evident, but not in a manner that was beneficial to short-run returns.

There are competing explanations as to why emerging markets saw their performance taper off. The list includes weak growth in China; a sharp, cyclical decline in commodity markets; major shifts in economic policy in Brazil; and elevated inflation in some of the largest markets, such as China, India and Brazil. However, in my view, the most important causal factor was identified in Seafarer’s semi-annual shareholder letter last fall,3 and again in our shareholder conference call in January4 : namely, that growth in corporate profits was likely to fall below the market’s elevated (and misplaced)

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Portfolio Review
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

expectations. As of late February, Bloomberg News reported that over 60% of the companies tracked within the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the Fund’s benchmark) reported fourth quarter results that fell short of forecasts.5 I am convinced that the resulting disappointment was directly responsible for the volatility and poor performance that ensued. The same report stated that the equivalent ratio for the MSCI World Index – which includes most developed markets – was just over 30%, suggesting growth in the developed world was far more resilient.

Against this rocky backdrop, the Fund performed reasonably well; I am pleased the portfolio outpaced its benchmark. A number of the Fund’s mid-sized stocks performed well. The following holdings contributed the most to the Fund’s gains during the second half of the fiscal year, ranked in order of the greatest contribution:

 

   

Aselsan, a Turkish company that specializes in electronics and communications systems, contributed the most to the Fund’s gains. The company’s shares rose as its order flow saw renewed activity from domestic and foreign customers, for both military and civilian applications.

   

Citic Telecom, a small telecommunication services company based in Hong Kong, saw its shares vault as it struck a deal to acquire Macau Telecom, the monopoly phone company in the former Portuguese colony.

   

Bangkok Bank, one of Thailand’s largest financial institutions, saw its shares steadily gain ground, as the economy in Thailand performed very well, despite ongoing political intrigues there.

Of course, there were also notable losses during the second half of the fiscal year. The following holdings detracted the most from performance, ranked in order of the largest detraction:

 

   

Digital China was one of the largest holdings of the Fund during the period. It is a technology company that provides software and services to corporate and government customers. Its shares plummeted on news that the company’s main shareholder was selling a large stake to cover a mysterious financial debt. The shares further retreated on news that a small subsidiary had failed to comply with strict parameters on a government project tender. I realized that, while I still hold some optimism for the company’s future, the position was a mistake, not least because of its extreme volatility, and the Fund has exited the shares. The losses incurred during the period consumed roughly half the gains generated by Aselsan.

   

Kingdee, another Hong Kong software company, saw its shares slump during the six-month period. The story here is a bit different, as Kingdee was one of the Fund’s biggest contributors during the first half of the fiscal year (as noted above). Kingdee is struggling with a tough business climate in which its profitability has been compromised, and this has led its shares to become exceedingly volatile. I remain positive about its prospects, though, and as of mid-May (after the end of the fiscal period), Kingdee had recovered a large portion of its losses.

   

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile, or “SQM,” created the third largest drag on returns. SQM is a dominant and highly specialized producer of certain commodities such as lithium, iodine and potassium. Unfortunately, my short-run timing on adding this stock to the portfolio has proved to be poor: I initiated a position in the Fund at the stock’s near-term peak, last fall. It has been in steady decline ever since, largely in sympathy with the global retreat in commodity prices. However, I remain very enthusiastic about this position; there is more on this topic below.

Allocation

As I survey global stock markets, it seems to me that a number of dramatic shifts are underway. This is an obvious truism: markets are never constant, and change is always at work. Yet at this moment, the shifts strike me as being of greater magnitude and consequence than is usually the case.

One notable shift is that within the emerging markets, the commodities / materials sector has grossly underperformed most other sectors since the fall of 2011. At that time, markets around the world were

 

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Table of Contents
Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Portfolio Review
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

under strain due to fears over the sustainability of the Eurozone, and shares in all sectors were depressed. However, by early 2012, most developed and emerging markets staged a partial recovery; but not so for emerging market commodity stocks, which remained depressed throughout the year. Early performance in 2013 has only sustained this trend: growth in China has decelerated, and commodity stocks everywhere have swooned in sympathy, even as other sectors have held up reasonably well.

I cannot yet explain this disconnect between commodities and the rest – Seafarer is currently researching the issue – but I find it intriguing, because for the better part of the past decade, investors bought commodity stocks aggressively as a means to “play” growth in the emerging world. The sector was previously considered to be “high beta”: if emerging markets were set to perform well, investors reflexively assumed commodities would perform all the better.6 That strategy is now on the rocks. In the past, I have shunned such businesses because I have not been able to make sense of the elevated valuations that investors have placed on their shares. I find it difficult to value businesses that are so deeply cyclical and volatile.

Yet now that valuations have receded so sharply, I believe that value is emerging. As a consequence, the Fund is adding to its exposure to commodities, albeit cautiously and in a very focused manner. To be sure, the Fund remains underweight the materials sector, with a 7% weighting versus 11% in the benchmark index. (Note: non-energy-related commodity businesses are classified as “materials” by the benchmark index.) Further still, I believe the stated 7% allocation for the Fund overstates its true exposure to commodities: the Fund holds only two stocks that are “pure” commodities companies (SQM and Vale, a new holding), both of which are focused on extraction of raw materials. Those two names together account for 5% of the Fund’s 7% allocation.7 The Fund’s modest allocation to extraction-based businesses is nevertheless the highest weighting I have ever placed on the sector in my career. To date, it has been the wrong bet: both SQM and Vale have detracted from performance, in line with the sector overall. Yet I am optimistic about the valuations of these two stocks, and despite their cyclicality, I believe both might deliver the sort of long-term sustainable growth that the Fund seeks.

Another major change in global markets is the drastic shift in monetary policy now underway in Japan. As I discussed in greater depth in my Tokyo Field Notes,8 I am deeply divided about what is occurring in Japan. On the one hand, I firmly believe that aggressive monetary policy is the correct prescription for what ails the country most: deflation. On the other hand, I think there is a material chance that Japan’s monetary policies will stoke intense speculation in a narrow group of financial assets. Indeed I believe a number of “mini-bubbles” are already forming, with distorted valuations evident for certain stocks and REITs (real estate investment trusts). If those mini-bubbles burst violently, I fear Japan’s new monetary policies will be discredited and withdrawn before they can induce needed change. If that happens, all the major policy options I can envision for the country will be exhausted. Thus there is a certain “go-for-broke” quality to the new policy construct that leaves little room for error. The Fund remains invested in Japan for the time being because of the individual merits of its holdings there; yet I am wary over what is likely to be a very wild ride.

Lastly, the deceleration in China’s growth rate has created yet another notable shift in global markets. I have commented at length about the causes and consequences of the deceleration, so I will not revisit the issue here.9 However, I note that within the span of the past few months, market sentiment has shifted sharply toward the negative. In the early weeks of 2013, emerging markets were ebullient; there was great hope that China’s growth would accelerate and cause an expansion in corporate profits. Now the pendulum has swung the other way – too far in my view – and valuations in some of the larger emerging markets have grown more attractive (especially in China). As a consequence, the Fund has established new positions within China whose depressed valuations seem at odds with their long-term growth prospects.

Andrew Foster

Chief Investment Officer

Seafarer Capital Partners, LLC

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Portfolio Review
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the Fund or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. Seafarer does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

 

1 

Please note: the Fund’s inception was February 15, 2012.

2 

Kingdee International shares closed at HKD 5.07 on April 27, 2011; and closed at HKD 0.85 on July 30, 2012. Source: Factset.

3 

Please see seafarerfunds.com/fund/shareholder-letter/2012/10/semi-annual

4 

Please see seafarerfunds.com/shareholders/call/2013/01

5 

Bloomberg News, “Emerging Stocks Cheapen as Profits Disappoint,” 24 February 2013.

6 

Beta is the covariance of a stock’s price movements in relation to the price movements of the market overall. It is effectively a measure of relative volatility, and a “high beta” security or sector is considered to be more volatile than the market.

7 

The other 2% of the 7% in the materials sector is attributable to Taiwan Hon Chuan (THC), a producer of plastic bottles for the Asian beverage industry. THC produces plastics, and thus it is officially classified as a “materials” stock. However, I think that designation is debatable. Most companies in the materials sector produce highly commoditized products. By contrast, THC produces very specialized bottles and packaging, designed for consumer use. Its customers are bottlers, and THC is often highly integrated with its clientele, with production lines embedded within its clients’ premises. I think these features distinguish THC’s business from generic plastics companies, and as a consequence I personally believe the company is economically aligned with the consumer staples sector.

8 

Please see seafarerfunds.com/field-notes/tokyo/2013/Q1

9 

For more information on this topic, please see the following commentaries and presentations available at seafarerfunds.com/archives: Letter to Shareholders (Annual Report for the period ended April 30, 2012), Inaugural Shareholder Conference Call (July 2012), Letter to Shareholders (Semi-Annual Report for the period ended October 31, 2012).

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund Performance

 

Total Return

(for the year ended April 30, 2013)

   1 Year   

Since

Inception* -

Annualized

   Net Expense
Ratio**

 Investor Class (SFGIX)

   18.24%    16.62%    1.49%

 Institutional Class (SIGIX)

   18.33%    16.70%    1.35%

 MSCI Emerging Markets Total Return Index^

   4.34%    1.42%     

Gross expense ratio: 2.82% for Investor Class; 2.88% for Institutional Class**

Assumes reinvestment of all dividends and/or distributions before taxes. The performance data quoted represents past performance and does not guarantee future results. Future returns may be lower or higher. The investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of the Fund redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase are subject to a 2% redemption fee. Performance does not reflect this fee, which if deducted would reduce an individual’s return. To obtain the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit seafarerfunds.com or call (855) 732-9220.

 

  *

Inception Date: February 15, 2012.

**

Seafarer Capital Partners, LLC (the “Adviser”) has agreed contractually to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver / Expense Reimbursements (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses) to 1.60% and 1.45% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the Investor and Institutional share classes, respectively. This agreement is in effect through August 31, 2013. In addition to the

 

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   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

Adviser’s agreement to contractually waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses, the Adviser has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of its management fee payable by the Fund so that such fee is reduced to 0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Further, after giving effect to this voluntary agreement to waive a portion of its management fee, the Adviser has also agreed to voluntarily waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses of the Fund in order to limit total annual fund operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses) to 1.40% and 1.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the Investor and Institutional share classes, respectively. The Adviser intends to continue these voluntary arrangements through at least August 31, 2013 (the date the existing contractual agreement expires), at which point they may be extended further. However, the Adviser may reduce or terminate these voluntary arrangements at any time without notice.

^

The MSCI Emerging Markets Total Return Index, Standard (Large+Mid Cap) Core, Gross (dividends reinvested), USD is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index designed to measure equity market performance of emerging markets. The MSCI Emerging Markets Total Return Index consists of the following 21 emerging market country indices: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey. Index code: GDUEEGF. It is not possible to invest directly in this or any index.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Portfolio Review
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of a $10,000 Investment Since Inception

 

LOGO

 

*

Inception Date: February 15, 2012.

The chart shown above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund’s Investor Class shares for the period from inception to April 30, 2013. All returns reflect reinvested dividends and/or distributions, but do not reflect the deduction of taxes that an investor would pay on distributions or redemptions.

The Fund also offers Institutional Class shares, performance for which is not reflected in the chart above. The performance of Institutional Class shares may be higher or lower than the performance of the Investor Class shares shown above based upon differences in fees paid by shareholders investing in the Investor Class shares and Institutional Class shares.

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation along with some current income. The Fund seeks to mitigate adverse volatility in returns as a secondary objective.

Strategy

The Fund invests primarily in the securities of companies located in developing countries. The Fund invests in several asset classes including dividend-paying common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible bonds, and fixed-income securities.

The Fund seeks to offer investors a relatively stable means of participating in a portion of developing countries’ growth prospects, while providing some downside protection compared to a portfolio that invests only in the common stocks of those countries.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Portfolio Review
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Fund Characteristics

 

Inception Date

     February 15, 2012   

Net Assets

     $37.8M   

Portfolio Turnover1

     39%   

 

      Investor Class    Institutional Class

Ticker

   SFGIX    SIGIX

NAV

   $11.91    $11.91

30-Day SEC Yield

   1.78%    1.95%

Fund Distribution Yield

   0.93%    1.02%

Net Expense Ratio

   1.40%    1.25%

Redemption Fee (within 90 calendar days)

   2.00%    2.00%

Minimum Initial Investment

   $2,500    $100,000

Minimum Initial Investment (Retirement Account)

   $1,000    $100,000

Underlying Portfolio Holdings

 

Number of Holdings

     48   

% of Net Assets in Top 10 Holdings

     35%   

Weighted Average Market Cap

     $13.0B   

Market Cap of Portfolio Median

     $4.6B   

Gross Portfolio Yield2,3

     3.2%   

Price / Book Value2

     1.8   

Price / Earnings2

     13.5   

Forecast EPS Growth2

     19%   

Sources: ALPS Fund Services, Inc., FactSet Research Systems, Inc., Seafarer.

The “Underlying Portfolio Holdings” table presents indicative values only; Seafarer does not warrant the data’s accuracy, and disclaims any responsibility for its use for investment purposes.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

 

1 

For the year ended April 30, 2013.

2 

Calculated as a harmonic average of the underlying portfolio holdings. A harmonic average is the reciprocal of the arithmetic mean of the reciprocals. Harmonic averages are generally preferable to weighted averages or other techniques when measuring the fundamental characteristics (e.g., earnings per share, book value per share) of a portfolio of securities. For more information, see the presentation “Index Calculation Primer,” by Roger J. Bos, CFA, Senior Index Analyst at Standard & Poor’s, 17 July 2000.

3

Gross Portfolio Yield = gross yield for the underlying portfolio, estimated based on the dividend yield for common and preferred stocks and yield to maturity for bonds. This measure of yield does not account for offsetting Fund expenses and other costs, and consequently it should not be construed as the yield that an investor in the Fund would receive.

Price / Book Value: the value of a company’s common shares, divided by the company’s book value.

Price / Earnings: the market price of a company’s common shares divided by the earnings per common share as forecast for this year.

Forecast EPS Growth: forecast growth rate of earnings per common share this year, expressed as a percentage.

 

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  Portfolio Review
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Top 10 Holdings

 

Holding    Sector    Country   

% Net

Assets

   Issuer Mkt
Cap ($B)
   Yield1   

Price /

Book

  

Price /

Earnings

   Forecast
EPS
Growth

Sindoh Co. Ltd.2

   Information Technology    South Korea    4.8%    $0.7    3.2%    0.9      

PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA

   Utilities    Poland    4.4%    $9.8    5.2%    0.8    11    -6%

SIA Engineering Co., Ltd.

   Industrials    Singapore    4.3%    $4.6    4.3%    4.6    20    5%

Ajinomoto Co. Inc

   Consumer Staples    Japan    3.5%    $8.6    1.2%    1.4    18    2%

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS

   Industrials    Turkey    3.1%    $2.9    1.5%    4.2    17    17%

Bank Pekao SA

   Financials    Poland    3.1%    $12.6    5.5%    1.7    15    9%

NTT DOCOMO, Inc.

   Telecom Services    Japan    3.1%    $69.3    3.7%    1.2    13    5%

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile ADR

   Materials    Chile    3.0%    $13.6    2.0%    6.1    19    11%

Odontoprev SA

   Health Care    Brazil    3.0%    $2.6    3.3%    7.7    28    19%

Bangkok Bank PCL NVDR

   Financials    Thailand    2.9%    $14.4    2.9%    1.6    11    13%

 

Cumulative Weight of Top 10 Holdings:

     35

Total Number of Holdings:

     48   

Portfolio holdings are subject to change.

Sources: ALPS Fund Services, Inc., FactSet Research Systems, Inc., Seafarer.

1 

Yield = dividend yield for common and preferred stocks and yield to maturity for bonds.

2 

Sindoh Co. Ltd., a small capitalization company located in South Korea, is not followed by enough brokerage analysts so as to have public “consensus” forecasts for its earnings or EPS growth.

The table above presents indicative values only; Seafarer does not warrant the data’s accuracy and disclaims any responsibility for its use for investment purposes.

 

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Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Portfolio Review
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Portfolio Composition

 

Region/Country    % Net Assets  

East & South Asia

     68   

China / Hong Kong

     15   

India

     2   

Indonesia

     3   

Japan

     7   

Malaysia

     5   

Singapore

     12   

South Korea

     9   

Taiwan

     5   

Thailand

     7   

Vietnam

     4   

Eastern Europe

     13   

Poland

     10   

Turkey

     3   

Latin America

     16   

Brazil

     7   

Chile

     5   

Mexico

     4   

Middle East & Africa

     2   

South Africa

     2   

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

     2   

Total

     100   
Asset Class    % Net Assets  

Common Stock

     84   

Preferred Stock

     6   

ADR

     6   

USD Convertible Bond

     1   

Foreign Currency Convertible Bond

     1   

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

     2   

Total

     100   

Market Capitalization of Issuer

     % Net Assets   

Large Cap (over $10 billion)

     32   

Mid Cap ($1 - $10 billion)

     49   

Small Cap (under $1 billion)

     17   

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

     2   

Total

     100   

Percentage values may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Sector    % Net Assets

Consumer Discretionary

   2

Consumer Staples

   10

Energy

   6

Financials*

   23

Health Care

   9

Industrials

   16

Information Technology

   13

Materials

   7

Telecommunication Services

   5

Utilities

   7

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

   2

Total

   100
*

The Fund’s concentration in the Financials sector includes holdings in property-related stocks, which are classified within the “Financials sector” according to the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) methodology utilized herein. Property-related holdings comprised 5% of the Fund’s net assets as of April 30, 2013.

 

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013

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Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Portfolio Review
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Greatest Performance Contributors and Detractors

For the six months ended April 30, 2013

 

Contributors    % Net Assets1

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS

   3.1

Citic Telecom International Holdings, Ltd.

   1.7

Bangkok Bank PCL NVDR

   2.9

SIA Engineering Co., Ltd.

   4.3

Sindoh Co. Ltd.

   4.8

Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV, Class A

   1.8
Detractors    % Net Assets1

Dongfang Electric Corp. Ltd.

   2.6

Olam Intl 6.0% Cnv Bds 10/15/16 USD

   1.3

Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer Co., Ltd., Class H

   2.2

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA ADR

   3.0

Kingdee International Software Group Co. Ltd.

   2.1

Digital China Holdings, Ltd.2

      –

 

1

As of end of period

2 

As of April 30, 2013, the Fund had no economic interest in Digital China Holdings, Ltd.

Source: Bloomberg

The table above presents estimated values only; Seafarer does not warrant the data’s accuracy and disclaims any responsibility for its use for investment purposes.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund you will incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including applicable redemption fees; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. The following examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 invested on November 1, 2012 and held until April 30, 2013.

Actual Expenses. The first line of each table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes. The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio 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 mutual funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. The expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing Fund costs only and do not reflect transaction fees, such as redemption fees or exchange fees. Therefore, the second line of each table below is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and may not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     

Beginning

Account Value

11/01/12

  

Ending

Account Value

04/30/13

  

Expense

Ratio(a)

 

Expenses Paid

During Period

11/01/12 - 04/30/13(b)

 

Investor Class

          

Actual

   $  1,000.00    $  1,103.70    1.47%   $  7.67

Hypothetical

(5% return before expenses)

   $  1,000.00    $  1,017.50    1.47%   $  7.35

 

Institutional Class

          

Actual

   $  1,000.00    $  1,104.20    1.31%   $  6.83

Hypothetical

(5% return before expenses)

   $  1,000.00    $  1,018.30    1.31%   $  6.56

 

(a)

Annualized, based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half year expenses.

(b) 

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half year (181), then divided by 365.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013

     17   


Table of Contents
Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

      Currency    Shares    Value

COMMON STOCKS (90.3%)

              

Brazil (4.8%) 

              

Odontoprev SA

       BRL          225,700        $ 1,125,821  

Aliansce Shopping Centers SA

       BRL          62,000          700,027  
              

 

 

 

Total Brazil

                 1,825,848  
              

 

 

 

Chile (5.1%) 

              

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA ADR

       USD          23,000          1,138,270  

Corpbanca SA

       CLP          37,035,716          507,231  

Corpbanca SA/Chile ADR

       USD          13,376          273,940  
              

 

 

 

Total Chile

                 1,919,441  
              

 

 

 

China / Hong Kong (15.5%) 

              

Hang Lung Properties, Ltd.

       HKD          275,000          1,070,764  

Dongfang Electric Corp. Ltd.

       HKD          700,000          985,412  

Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer Co., Ltd., Class H

       HKD          879,000          846,747  

Kingdee International Software Group Co.,  Ltd.(a)

       HKD          4,806,000          794,637  

Citic Telecom International Holdings, Ltd.

       HKD          1,744,000          634,299  

Beijing Enterprises Holdings, Ltd.

       HKD          75,000          561,492  

Television Broadcasts, Ltd.

       HKD          70,000          527,906  

Vitasoy International Holdings, Ltd.

       HKD          356,000          431,482  
              

 

 

 

Total China / Hong Kong

                 5,852,739  
              

 

 

 

India (2.1%) 

              

Infosys, Ltd. ADR

       USD          18,600          776,364  
              

 

 

 

Total India

                 776,364  
              

 

 

 

Indonesia (2.7%) 

              

Perusahaan Gas Negara Persero Tbk PT

       IDR          1,610,000          1,035,595  
              

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

                 1,035,595  
              

 

 

 

Japan (6.5%) 

              

Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

       JPY          95,500          1,310,681  

NTT DOCOMO, Inc.

       JPY          700          1,159,129  
              

 

 

 

Total Japan

                 2,469,810  
              

 

 

 

Malaysia (4.9%) 

              

AMMB Holdings Bhd

       MYR          420,000          924,897  

 

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Table of Contents
Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

      Currency    Shares    Value

Malaysia (continued)

              

Hartalega Holdings Bhd

       MYR          530,000        $ 912,802  
              

 

 

 

Total Malaysia

                 1,837,699  
              

 

 

 

Mexico (4.0%) 

              

Grupo Herdez SAB de CV

       MXN          230,347          838,501  

Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV, Class A

       MXN          191,300          669,896  
              

 

 

 

Total Mexico

                 1,508,397  
              

 

 

 

Poland (9.6%) 

              

PGE SA

       PLN          323,000          1,678,624  

Bank Pekao SA

       PLN          24,500          1,175,388  

Asseco Poland SA

       PLN          58,000          787,213  
              

 

 

 

Total Poland

                 3,641,225  
              

 

 

 

Singapore (10.3%) 

              

SIA Engineering Co., Ltd.

       SGD          400,000          1,644,133  

Hong Leong Finance, Ltd.

       SGD          337,000          761,211  

Keppel Corp., Ltd.

       SGD          85,000          741,433  

Singapore Technologies Engineering, Ltd.

       SGD          200,000          715,810  

Keppel REIT

       SGD          17,000          20,864  
              

 

 

 

Total Singapore

                 3,883,451  
              

 

 

 

South Africa (1.5%) 

              

Life Healthcare Group Holdings, Ltd.

       ZAR          130,000          549,206  
              

 

 

 

Total South Africa

                 549,206  
              

 

 

 

South Korea (4.8%) 

              

Sindoh Co., Ltd.

       KRW          26,000          1,817,852  
              

 

 

 

Total South Korea

                 1,817,852  
              

 

 

 

Taiwan (4.5%) 

              

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

       TWD          248,000          920,435  

Taiwan Hon Chuan Enterprise Co., Ltd.

       TWD          282,000          784,079  
              

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

                 1,704,514  
              

 

 

 

Thailand (7.1%) 

              

Bangkok Bank PCL NVDR

       THB          140,000          1,080,344  

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013

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Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Portfolio of Investments
  April 30, 2013

 

      Currency    Shares      Value  

Thailand (continued)

        

PTT PCL

   THB      88,500       $ 985,306    

Thai Reinsurance PCL(a)

   THB      3,295,000         624,399    
        

 

 

 

Total Thailand

           2,690,049    
        

 

 

 

Turkey (3.1%) 

        

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS

   TRY      200,000         1,189,773    
        

 

 

 

Total Turkey

           1,189,773    
        

 

 

 

Vietnam (3.8%) 

        

PetroVietnam Drilling and Well Services JSC

   VND      315,000         599,558    

Bao Viet Holdings

   VND      190,000         424,073    

Nam Long Investment Corp.(a)

   VND      406,300         337,774    

Dry Cell & Storage Battery JSC

   VND      80,990         66,909    

Vietnam National Reinsurance Corp.

   VND      28,800         27,383    
        

 

 

 

Total Vietnam

           1,455,697    
        

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS 

(Cost $31,267,107) 

                   34,157,660    

PREFERRED STOCKS (6.0%)

        

Brazil (1.9%) 

        

Vale SA

   BRL      45,000         730,751    
        

 

 

 

Total Brazil

           730,751    
        

 

 

 

South Korea (4.1%) 

        

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd.

   KRW      9,832         791,048    

S-Oil Corp.

   KRW      14,000         754,661    
        

 

 

 

Total South Korea

           1,545,709    
        

 

 

 

TOTAL PREFERRED STOCKS

        

(Cost $2,259,300) 

                   2,276,460    

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Portfolio of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

      Currency    Rate   Maturity
Date
     Principal
Amount
     Value  

CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS (2.1%)

             

Singapore (1.3%)

             

Olam International, Ltd.

   USD    6.00%     10/15/16       $ 500,000       $ 492,500   

Total Singapore

                492,500   

South Africa (0.8%)

             

Steinhoff International Holdings, Ltd., Series SHF

   ZAR    9.63%     07/20/15         2,000,000         284,950   

Total South Africa

                284,950   

TOTAL CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS

(Cost $830,659)

                777,450   
                 Currency      Shares      Value  

WARRANTS (0.0%)(b)

             

Malaysia (0.0%)(b)

             

Hartalega Holdings, Strike Price 4.14 (expiration 05/29/15)(a)

          MYR         6,860         3,382   
                3,382   

TOTAL WARRANTS

(Cost $–)

                                3,382   

TOTAL INVESTMENTS

(Cost $34,357,066) (98.4%)

              $ 37,214,952   

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities (1.6%)

                                618,668   

NET ASSETS (100.0%)

                              $ 37,833,620   
                                     

 

(a)

Non-income producing security.

(b)

Less than 0.05%.

Certain securities were fair valued in good faith through consideration of other factors in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Board of Trustees (Note 2).

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013

     21   


Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Portfolio of Investments
  April 30, 2013

 

Currency Abbreviations

BRL

  -   

Brazil Real

CLP

  -   

Chile Peso

HKD

  -   

Hong Kong Dollar

IDR

  -   

Indonesia Rupiah

JPY

  -   

Japan Yen

KRW

  -   

South Korea Won

MXN

  -   

Mexico Peso

MYR

  -   

Malaysia Ringgit

PLN

  -   

Poland Zloty

SGD

  -   

Singapore Dollar

THB

  -   

Thailand Baht

TRY

  -   

Turkey Lira

TWD

  -   

Taiwan New Dollar

USD

  -   

United States Dollar

VND

  -   

Vietnam Dong

ZAR

  -   

South Africa Rand

Common Abbreviations:

ADR

  -   

American Depositary Receipt.

AS

  -   

Andonim Sirketi, Joint Stock Company in Turkey.

Bhd

  -   

Berhad, Public Limited Company in Malaysia.

JSC

  -   

Joint Stock Company.

Ltd.

  -   

Limited.

NVDR

  -   

Non-Voting Depository Receipt.

PCL

  -   

Public Company Limited.

PT

  -   

Perseroan Terbata, Limited Liability Company in Indonesia.

REIT

  -   

Real Estate Investment Trust.

SA

  -   

Generally designates corporations in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. This translates literally in all languages mentioned as anonymous company.

SAB de CV

  -   

A variable capital company.

Holdings are subject to change.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s geographical classifications refer to any one or more of the sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine sub-classifications for reporting ease. Geographical regions are shown as a percentage of net assets.

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Statement of Assets and Liabilities
   April 30, 2013

 

ASSETS:

  

Investments, at value

   $ 37,214,952   

Cash

     493,164  

Foreign currency, at value (Cost $284,533)

     284,612  

Receivable for shares sold

     98,500  

Receivable due from advisor

     8,164  

Interest and dividends receivable

     176,323  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     21,069  

 

 

Total Assets

     38,296,784  

 

 

LIABILITIES:

  

Payable for investments purchased

     295,410  

Foreign capital gains tax

     60,082  

Administrative fees payable

     15,083  

Co-administrative & shareholder servicing fees payable

     2,564  

Payable for shares redeemed

     33,068  

Shareholder service plan fees payable

     7,077  

Trustee fees and expenses payable

     943  

Audit and tax fees payable

     16,419  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     32,518  

 

 

Total Liabilities

     463,164  

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 37,833,620  

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF:

  

Paid-in capital (Note 5)

   $ 34,269,784  

Accumulated net investment income

     60,497  

Accumulated net realized gain on investments and foreign currency transactions

     705,472  

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies

     2,797,867  

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 37,833,620  

 

 

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 34,357,066  

PRICING OF SHARES

  

Investor Class:

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 11.91  

Net Assets

   $ 26,347,636  

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

     2,212,911  

Institutional Class: 

  

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 11.91  

Net Assets

   $ 11,485,984  

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

     964,185  

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013

     23   


Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Statement of Operations
  For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

  

Dividends

   $ 486,099  

Foreign taxes withheld on dividends

     (28,938)   

Interest and other income

     16,807   

 

 

Total investment income

     473,968   

 

 

EXPENSES:

  

Investment advisory fees

     163,996   

Administrative and transfer agency fees

     184,977   

Co-administrative & shareholder servicing fees

  

Investor Class

     13,999   

Institutional Class

     2,647   

Trustee fees and expenses

     1,418   

Registration/filing fees

     19,325   

Shareholder service plan fees

  

Investor Class

     20,909   

Institutional Class

     2,519   

Legal fees

     8,569   

Audit fees

     16,012   

Reports to shareholders and printing fees

     9,265   

Custody fees

     39,254   

Offering costs

     52,868   

Miscellaneous

     10,817   

 

 

Total expenses

     546,575   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor

  

Investor Class

     (185,143)   

Institutional Class

     (81,165)   

 

 

Total net expenses

     280,267   

 

 

NET INVESTMENT INCOME:

     193,701   

 

 

Net realized gain on investments

     735,187   

Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions

     (44,122)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments (net of foreign capital gains tax of $60,082)

     2,787,092   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currency transactions

     576   

 

 

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS AND FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATIONS

     3,478,733   

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 3,672,434   

 

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents
Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

    

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the Period

February 15, 2012

(Inception) to

April 30, 2012

 
  

 

 

 

OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income

   $ 193,701       $ 8,459   

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions

     691,065         (4,995)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments and foreign currency translations

     2,787,668         10,199   

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     3,672,434         13,663   

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

     

From net investment income

     

Investor Class

     (112,900)           

Institutional Class

     (49,868)           

From net realized gains on investments

     

Investor Class

     (867)           

Institutional Class

     (254)           

 

 

Net decrease in net assets from distributions

     (163,889)           

 

 

BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 5):

     

Shares sold

     

Investor

   $ 28,091,620       $ 1,449,187   

Institutional

     9,669,354         1,327,000   

Dividends reinvested

     

Investor

     110,846           

Institutional

     46,662           

Shares Redeemed, net of redemption fees

     

Investor

     (5,803,722)           

Institutional

     (579,535)           

 

 

Net increase in net assets derived from beneficial interest transactions

     31,535,225         2,776,187   

 

 

Net increase in net assets

   $ 35,043,770       $ 2,789,850   

NET ASSETS:

     

Beginning of period

     2,789,850           

 

 

End of period (including accumulated net investment income of $60,497 and $3,467, respectively)

   $ 37,833,620       $ 2,789,850   

 

 

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

    

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the Period

February 15, 2012

(Inception) to

April 30, 2012

 
  

 

 

 

Other Information:

     

SHARE TRANSACTIONS:

     

Investor Class

     

Sold

     2,566,567         141,869   

Distributions reinvested

     10,140           

Redeemed

     (505,665)           

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     2,071,042         141,869   

 

 

Institutional Class

     

Sold

     878,414         132,281   

Distributions reinvested

     4,298           

Redeemed

     (50,808)           

 

 

Net increase in shares outstanding

     831,904         132,281   

 

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding through the periods presented

 

Investor Class   

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

   

For the Period

February 15, 2012

(Inception) to

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 10.18      $ 10.00     

INCOME FROM OPERATIONS:

    

Net investment income(a)

     0.10        0.05     

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     1.74        0.13     

 

 

Total from investment operations

     1.84        0.18     

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

    

From net investment income

     (0.11)        –     

From net realized gains on investments

     (0.00 ) (b)      –     

 

 

Total distributions

     (0.11)        –     

 

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID IN CAPITAL

     0.00  (c)      –     

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     1.73        0.18     

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 11.91      $ 10.18     

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

     18.24%        1.80%     

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

    

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

   $ 26,348      $ 1,443     

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver

     2.82%        18.96%  (e) 

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver

     1.49%        1.60%  (e) 

Net investment income including reimbursement/waiver

     0.90%        2.61%  (e) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE(f)

     39%        5%     

 

(a)

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b)

Less than $(0.005) per share.

(c) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d) 

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(e) 

Annualized.

(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Financial Highlights
  For a share outstanding through the periods presented

 

Institutional Class   

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the Period

February 15, 2012

(Inception) to

April 30, 2012

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 10.18           $ 10.00     

INCOME FROM OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income(a)

     0.14             0.04     

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     1.71             0.14     

 

 

Total from investment operations

     1.85             0.18     

 

 

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

     

From net investment income

     (0.12)             –     

From net realized gains on investments

     (0.00) (b)         –     

 

 

Total distributions

     (0.12)             –     

 

 

REDEMPTION FEES ADDED TO PAID IN CAPITAL

     0.00 (c)         –     

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     1.73             0.18     

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 11.91           $ 10.18     

 

 

TOTAL RETURN(d)

     18.33%            1.80%     

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

     

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

   $ 11,486           $ 1,346     

Operating expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver

     2.88%            21.65%  (e) 

Operating expenses including reimbursement/waiver

     1.35%            1.45%  (e) 

Net investment income including reimbursement/waiver

     1.28%            2.00%  (e) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE(f)

     39%            5%   

 

(a) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(b)

Less than $(0.005) per share.

(c)

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d)

Total returns are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived during the period. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

(e)

Annualized.

(f)

Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized.

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Financial Investors Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). As of April 30, 2013, the Trust had 26 registered funds. This annual report describes the Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund (the “Fund”). The Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation along with some current income; it also seeks to mitigate adverse volatility in returns. The Fund offers Investor Class and Institutional Class shares. All classes of shares have identical rights to earnings, assets and voting privileges, except for class specific expenses and exclusive rights to vote on matters affecting only individual classes.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund in preparation of its financial statements.

Investment Valuation: The Fund generally values its securities based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading.

For equity securities and mutual funds that are traded on an exchange, the market price is usually the closing sale or official closing price on that exchange. In the case of equity securities not traded on an exchange, or if such closing prices are not otherwise available, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices on such day. Redeemable securities issued by open-end registered investment companies are valued at the investment company’s applicable net asset value, with the exception of exchange-traded open-end investment companies, which are priced as equity securities.

Equity securities that are primarily traded on foreign securities exchanges are valued at the closing values of such securities on their respective foreign exchanges, except when an event occurs subsequent to the close of the foreign exchange and the close of the NYSE that was likely to have changed such value. In such an event, the fair values of those securities are determined in good faith through consideration of other factors in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Fund will use a fair valuation model provided by an independent pricing service, which is intended to reflect fair value when a security’s value or a meaningful portion of the Fund’s portfolio is believed to have been materially affected by a valuation event that has occurred between the close of the exchange or market on which the security is traded and the close of the regular trading day on the NYSE. The Fund’s valuation procedures set forth certain triggers which instruct when to use the fair valuation model.

The market price for debt obligations is generally the price supplied by an independent third-party pricing service approved by the Board which may use a matrix, formula or other objective method that takes into consideration quotations from dealers, market transactions in comparable investments, market indices and yield curves. If vendors are unable to supply a price, or if the price supplied is deemed to be

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Notes to Financial Statements
  April 30, 2013

 

unreliable, the market price may be determined using quotations received from one or more broker–dealers that make a market in the security. Short–term debt obligations that will mature in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, unless it is determined that using this method would not reflect an investment’s fair value.

Forward currency exchange contracts have a market value determined by the prevailing foreign currency exchange daily rates and current foreign currency exchange forward rates. The foreign currency exchange forward rates are calculated using an automated system that estimates rates on the basis of the current day foreign currency exchange rates and forward foreign currency exchange rates supplied by a pricing service.

When such prices or quotations are not available, or when the Fair Value Committee appointed by the Board believes that they are unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board.

Certain foreign countries impose a tax on capital gains which is accrued by the Fund based on unrealized appreciation, if any, on affected securities. The tax is paid when the gain is realized.

Fair Value Measurements: The Fund discloses the classification of its fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1

   

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that a Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2

   

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

Level 3

   

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

The following is a summary of each input used to value the Fund as of April 30, 2013:

 

Investments in Securities at
Value
  

Level 1 -

Quoted Prices

    

Level 2 -

Other Significant
Observable
Inputs

    

Level 3 -

Significant

Unobservable
Inputs

     Total  

 

 

Common Stocks

           

Brazil

   $ 1,825,848       $       $       $ 1,825,848  

Chile

     1,919,441                         1,919,441  

China / Hong Kong

             5,852,739                 5,852,739  

India

     776,364                         776,364  

Indonesia

             1,035,595                 1,035,595  

Japan

             2,469,810                 2,469,810  

Malaysia

     1,837,699                         1,837,699  

Mexico

     1,508,397                         1,508,397  

Poland

             3,641,225                 3,641,225  

Singapore

             3,883,451                 3,883,451  

South Africa

     549,206                         549,206  

South Korea

     1,817,852                         1,817,852  

Taiwan

             1,704,514                 1,704,514  

Thailand

             2,690,049                 2,690,049  

Turkey

             1,189,773                 1,189,773  

Vietnam

     1,455,697                         1,455,697  

Preferred Stocks

           

Brazil

     730,751                         730,751  

South Korea

             1,545,709                 1,545,709  

Convertible Corporate

           

Bonds(a)

             777,450                 777,450  

Warrants(a)

     3,382                         3,382  

 

 

Total

   $ 12,424,637       $ 24,790,315       $       $ 37,214,952  

 

 

 

(a)

For detailed descriptions of countries, see the accompanying Portfolio of Investments.

The Fund recognizes transfers between levels as of the end of the period. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Fund did not have any securities that used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Notes to Financial Statements
  April 30, 2013

 

Security amounts the Fund transferred between Levels 1 and 2 at April 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

    

Level 1 -

Quoted Prices

    

Level 2 -

Other Significant Observable Inputs

 
     Transfers In      Transfers (Out)      Transfers In      Transfers (Out)  

 

 

Common Stocks

   $ 2,386,905       $       $       $ (2,386,905)   

Preferred Stocks

             (791,048)         791,048           

 

 

Total

   $ 2,386,905       $ (791,048)       $ 791,048       $ (2,386,905)   

 

 

The above transfers were due to the Fund utilizing a fair value evaluation service with respect to international securities with an earlier market closing than the Fund’s net asset value computation cutoff. When events trigger the use of the fair value evaluation service on a reporting date, it results in certain securities transferring from a Level 1 to a Level 2.

Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the investments are purchased or sold (trade date). Realized gains and losses from investment transactions are reported on an identified cost basis. Interest income, which includes accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums, is accrued and recorded as earned. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date or for certain foreign securities, as soon as information is available to the Fund. All of the realized and unrealized gains and losses and net investment income are allocated daily to each class in proportion to its average daily net assets.

Foreign Securities: The Fund may directly purchase securities of foreign issuers. Investing in securities of foreign issuers involves special risks not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers. The risks include possible reevaluation of currencies, the inability to repatriate foreign currency, less complete financial information about companies and possible future adverse political and economic developments. Moreover, securities of many foreign issuers and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of securities of comparable U.S. issuers.

Foreign Currency Translation: The books and records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Investment valuations and other assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies are converted each business day into U.S. dollars based upon current exchange rates. Prevailing foreign exchange rates may generally be obtained at the close of the NYSE (normally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). The portion of realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments due to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed and is included in realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments, when applicable.

Foreign Currency Spot Contracts: The Fund may enter into foreign currency spot contracts to facilitate transactions in foreign securities or to convert foreign currency receipts into U.S. dollars. A foreign currency spot contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell currencies at the current market rate, for settlement generally within two business days. The U.S. dollar value of the contracts is determined using current currency exchange rates supplied by a pricing service. The contract is marked-to-market daily for settlements beyond one day and any change in market value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. When the contract is closed, the Fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value on the open and close date. Losses may arise from changes in the value of the foreign currency, or if the counterparties do not perform under the contract’s terms. The maximum potential loss from such contracts is the aggregate face value in U.S. dollars at the time the contract was opened.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Trust Expenses: Some expenses of the Trust can be directly attributed to the Fund. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed to the Fund are apportioned among all funds in the Trust based on average net assets of each fund.

Fund and Class Expenses: Expenses that are specific to the Fund or class of shares of the Fund are charged directly to the Fund or share class. All expenses of the Fund, other than class specific expenses, are allocated daily to each class in proportion to its average daily net assets. Fees provided under the shareholder service plans for a particular class of the Fund are charged to the operations of such class.

Offering Costs: Offering costs, including costs of printing initial prospectuses, legal and registration fees, are being amortized over twelve months from the inception date of the Fund. As of April 30, 2013, all offering costs have been amortized by the Fund.

Federal Income Taxes: The Fund complies with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies and intends to distribute substantially all of its net taxable income and net capital gains, if any, each year so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. The Fund is not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made.

As of and during the year ended April 30, 2013, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund files U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The Fund’s tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return for federal purposes and four years for most state returns. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Distributions to Shareholders: The Fund normally pays dividends from net investment income, if any, on a semi-annual basis. The Fund normally distributes capital gains, if any, on an annual basis. Income dividend distributions are derived from interest and other income the Fund receives from its investments, including short term capital gains. Long term capital gain distributions are derived from gains realized when the Fund sells a security it has owned for more than one year. The Fund may make additional distributions and dividends at other times if the adviser believes doing so may be necessary for the Fund to avoid or reduce taxes.

3. TAX BASIS INFORMATION

Reclassifications: As of April 30, 2013, permanent differences in book and tax accounting were reclassified. These differences had no effect on net assets and were primarily attributed to non-deductible offering expenses, PFICs and foreign currency. The reclassifications were as follows:

 

     Paid-in Capital    

Accumulated net

Investment Income

    

Accumulated Net

Realized Gain on

Investments

 

 

 

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

   $ (40,504   $ 26,097       $ 14,407  

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Notes to Financial Statements
  April 30, 2013

 

Tax Basis of Investments: As of April 30, 2013, the aggregate cost of investments, gross unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) and net unrealized appreciation for Federal tax purposes were as follows:

 

      Cost of
Investments
   Gross
Unrealized
Appreciation
  

Gross
Unrealized

(Depreciation)

   Net
Depreciation
on Foreign
Currencies
   Net Unrealized
Appreciation

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

   $  34,730,674    $  3,506,436    $  (1,022,158)    $  (60,019)    $  2,424,259

Components of Earnings: As of April 30, 2013, components of distributable earnings were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

     $      1,077,436  

Accumulated capital gains

     63,316  

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     2,424,259  

Other cumulative effect of timing differences

     (1,175

Total distributable earnings

     $      3,563,836  
   

Capital Losses: As of April 30, 2013, the Fund has no accumulative capital loss carryforwards.

Tax Basis of Distributions to Shareholders: The character of distributions made during the year from net investment income or net realized gains may differ from its ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Also, due to the timing of dividend distributions, the fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the fiscal year in which the income or realized gain is recorded by the Fund.

The tax character of distributions paid by the Fund for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2013, were as follows:

 

     Ordinary Income      Long-Term Capital
Gain
 

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

     $              163,889         $                     –  

During the period ended April 30, 2012, the Fund did not make any distributions.

4. SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of securities excluding short term securities during the year ended April 30, 2013, were as follows:

 

      Purchases of
Securities
     Proceeds From Sales
of Securities
 

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

     $      38,421,861         $      7,402,057  

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

5. SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST

The capitalization of the Trust consists of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value per share. Holders of the shares of the Fund of the Trust have one vote for each share held and a proportionate fraction of a vote for each fractional share. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and are non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive rights.

Shares redeemed within 90 days of purchase may incur a 2% short-term redemption fee deducted from the redemption amount. The redemption fee is reflected in the “Shares redeemed, net of redemption fees” in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets. During the year ended April 30, 2013 and the period ended April 30, 2012, the Fund retained the following redemption fees:

 

Fund    For the
year ended
April 30, 2013
     For the
period ended
April 30, 2012
 

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund – Investor Class

   $ 5,490           

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund – Institutional Class

   $ 928           

6. MANAGEMENT AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Seafarer Capital Partners, LLC (“Seafarer” or the “Adviser”), subject to the authority of the Board, is responsible for the overall management and administration of the Fund’s business affairs. The Adviser manages the investments of the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, policies and limitations and investment guidelines established jointly by the Adviser and the Trustees. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser an annual management fee of 0.85%, based on the Fund’s average daily net assets. The management fee is paid on a monthly basis. Effective January 15, 2013, the Adviser voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of its management fee payable by the Fund so that such fee is reduced to 0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Adviser intends to continue this voluntary arrangement through at least August 31, 2013 (the date the existing Advisory Agreement expires).

The Adviser has contractually agreed to limit certain Fund expenses to 1.60% of the Fund’s average daily net assets in the Investor Class shares and 1.45% of the Fund’s average daily net assets in the Institutional Class shares until August 31, 2013. Effective January 15, 2013, the Adviser has also agreed to voluntarily waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses of the Fund in order to limit total annual fund operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses) to 1.40% and 1.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the Investor and Institutional share classes, respectively. The Adviser intends to continue this voluntary arrangement through at least August 31, 2013 (the date the existing Advisory Agreement expires), at which point it may be extended further. The Fund may have to repay some of these waivers and reimbursements to the Adviser in the following three years. Pursuant to this agreement, the Fund will reimburse the Adviser for any contractual fee waivers and expense reimbursements made by the Adviser, provided that any such reimbursements made by the Fund to the Adviser will not cause the Fund’s expense limitation to exceed expense limitations in existence at the time the expense was incurred, or at the time of the reimbursement, whichever is lower, and the reimbursement is made within three years after the end of the fiscal year in which fees or expenses were incurred.

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Notes to Financial Statements
  April 30, 2013

 

For the year ended April 30, 2013, the fee waivers and/or reimbursements were as follows:

 

Fund    Fees Waived/
Reimbursed
By Advisor
     Recoupment
of Previously
Waived Fees
By Advisor
     Total        

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

                               

Investor Class

     $185,143       $       $ 185,143        

Institutional Class

     81,165                 81,165        

As of April 30, 2013, the balances of recoupable expenses for each class were as follows:

 

Fund    Expires 2015      Expires 2016      Total        

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

                               

Investor Class

   $ 22,136         $177,710       $ 199,846        

Institutional Class

     51,869         78,354         130,223        

Fund Accounting Fees and Expenses

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS” and the “Administrator”) (an affiliate of ALPS Distributors, Inc.) provides administrative, fund accounting and other services to the Fund under the Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement with the Trust. Under this Agreement, ALPS is paid fees by the Fund, accrued on a daily basis and paid on a monthly basis following the end of the month, based on the greater of (a) an annual total fee of $123,000 in year 1 of operations and $143,000 in year 2 and forward from the first to the last, or projected last, day of the then-current year of services; or (b) the following fee schedule:

 

  Average Total Net Assets    Contractual Fee       

  Between $0-$500M

     0.05    

  $500M-$1B

     0.03    

  Above $1B

     0.02  

The Administrator is also reimbursed by the Fund for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Administrative and Shareholder Services

The Adviser provides administrative and shareholder services to the Fund under the Co-Administration and Shareholder Services Agreement with the Trust. Under this Agreement, the Adviser is paid fees, accrued on a daily basis and paid on a monthly basis following the end of the month, of 0.10% of the average daily net assets of the Investor Class and of 0.05% of the average daily net assets of the Institutional Class and is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Transfer Agent

ALPS serves as transfer, dividend paying and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund (“Transfer Agent”). ALPS is compensated based upon a $25,000 annual base fee for the Fund, and annually $9 per direct open account and $7 per open account through NSCC. The Transfer Agent is also reimbursed by the Fund for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Compliance Services

ALPS provides services that assist the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer in monitoring and testing the policies and procedures of the Trust in conjunction with requirements under Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act under the

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Notes to Financial Statements
  April 30, 2013

 

Chief Compliance Officer Services Agreement with the Trust. Under this Agreement, the Adviser pays ALPS an annual base fee of $30,000 and reimburses ALPS for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Principal Financial Officer

ALPS provides principal financial officer services to the Fund under the Principal Financial Officer Services Agreement with the Trust. Under this Agreement, the Adviser pays ALPS an annual base fee of $10,000 and reimburses ALPS for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Distributor

ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI” or the “Distributor”) (an affiliate of ALPS) acts as the distributor of the Fund’s shares pursuant to the Distribution Agreement with the Trust. Under this agreement, the Adviser pays ADI an annual base fee of $12,000 and reimburses ADI for certain out-of-pocket expenses. Shares are sold on a continuous basis by ADI as agent for the Fund, and ADI has agreed to use its best efforts to solicit orders for the sale of the Fund’s shares, although it is not obliged to sell any particular amount of shares. ADI is registered as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Shareholder Services Plan for Investor Class and Institutional Class Shares

The Fund has adopted a shareholder service plan (a “Service Plan”) for each of its share classes. Under the Service Plan, the Fund is authorized to enter into shareholder service agreements with investment advisors, financial institutions and other service providers (“Participation Organizations”) to maintain and provide certain administrative and servicing functions in relation to the accounts of shareholders. The Service Plan will cause the Fund to pay an aggregate fee, not to exceed on an annual basis 0.15% and 0.05% of the average daily net asset value of the Investor and Institutional classes, respectively. Such payment will be made on assets attributable to or held in the name of a Participating Organization, on behalf of its clients as compensation for providing service activities pursuant to an agreement with a Participating Organization. Any amount of such payment not paid during the Fund’s fiscal year for such service activities shall be reimbursed to the Fund as soon as practicable after the end of the fiscal year.

7. INDEMNIFICATIONS

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that may contain general indemnification clauses, which may permit indemnification to the extent permissible under the applicable law. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

 

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Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of Financial Investors Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio of investments, of Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund (the “Fund”), one of the funds constituting Financial Investors Trust, as of April 30, 2013, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, and the statements of changes in net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended and for the period from February 15, 2012 (inception) to April 30, 2012. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s 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 Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its 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 Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of April 30, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund of Financial Investors Trust as of April 30, 2013, the results of its operations for the year then ended, and the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended and for the period from February 15, 2012 (inception) to April 30, 2012, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

June 27, 2013

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1. FUND HOLDINGS

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the period. Copies of the Fund’s Form N-Q are available without charge on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy the Form N-Q at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. For more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room, please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

2. FUND PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SUMMARIES

The Fund’s policies and procedures used in determining how to vote proxies and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent prior 12-month period ending June 30 are available without charge, (1) upon request, by calling toll-free at (855) 732-9220 and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

3. TAX DESIGNATIONS

The Fund designates the following as a percentage of taxable ordinary income distributions, or up to the maximum amount allowable, for the calendar year ended December 31, 2012:

 

Dividends Received Deduction   Qualified Dividend Income

0.00%

  49.48%

In early 2013, if applicable, shareholders of record received this information for the distributions paid to them by the Fund during the calendar year 2012 via Form 1099. The Fund will notify shareholders in early 2014 of amounts paid to them by the Fund, if any, during the calendar year 2013.

Please consult a tax advisor if you have questions about federal or state income tax laws, or how to prepare your tax returns.

The Fund designates foreign taxes paid in the amount of $32,362 and foreign source income in the amount of $373,041 for federal income tax purposes for the year ended April 30, 2013.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013

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Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Trustees and Officers
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES 

 

Name,

Address* &

Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

 

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustee****

  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past

5 Years

Mary K.

Anstine,

age 72

   Trustee    Ms. Anstine was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/Director of AV Hunter Trust and Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.   26    Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund); and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

 

 

 

*   

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**   

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***   

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****   

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Seafarer Capital Partners, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES 

 

Name,

Address* &

Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustee****

 

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past

5 Years

John R. Moran, Jr., age 81    Trustee    Mr. Moran was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Moran is formerly President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, a private foundation serving the health and hospital community in the state of Colorado. An attorney, Mr. Moran was formerly a partner with the firm of Kutak Rock & Campbell in Denver, Colorado and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. Currently, Mr. Moran is a member of the Treasurer’s Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Colorado.    26   None.

 

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Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Trustees and Officers
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES 

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time

Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustee****

  

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee

During Past

5 Years

Jeremy W.

Deems,

age 36

   Trustee    Mr. Deems was appointed as a Trustee at the March 11, 2008 meeting of the Board of Trustees and elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   

Mr. Deems is the Co- Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, an investment management company, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, a liquidity resourcing company, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company (from 2004 to June 2007). Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.

 

   26    Mr. Deems is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds) and Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund).

 

 

 

*   

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**   

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected

***   

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****   

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Seafarer Capital Partners, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Trustees and Officers
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES 

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

 

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time

Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

 

Number of

Funds in

Fund
Complex

Overseen by

Trustee****

 

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee

During Past

5 Years

Jerry G. Rutledge,

age 68

       Trustee   Mr. Rutledge was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.   Mr. Rutledge is the President and owner of Rutledge’s Inc., a retail clothing business. Mr. Rutledge is currently Director of the American National Bank. He was from 1994 to 2007 a Regent of the University of Colorado.   26   Mr. Rutledge is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund), Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund) and Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund).

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Trustees and Officers
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES 

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

  Held with

     Fund

  

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time

Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

 

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustee****

 

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee

During Past

5 Years

Michael

“Ross”

Shell,

age 42

   Trustee    Mr. Shell was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Shell is Founder and CEO* of Red Idea, LLC, a strategic consulting/early stage venture firm (since June 2008). From 1999 to 2009, he was a part-owner and Director of Tesser, Inc., a brand agency. From December 2005 to May 2008, he was Director, Marketing and Investor Relations, of Woodbourne, a REIT/real estate hedge fund and private equity firm. Prior to this, from May 2004 to November 2005, he worked as a business strategy consultant; from June 2003 to April 2004, he was on the Global Client Services team of IDEO, a product design/innovation firm; and from 1999 to 2003, he was President of Tesser, Inc. Mr. Shell graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science.   26   None.

 

 

 

 

*   

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**   

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected

***   

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****   

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Seafarer Capital Partners, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund    Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEES 

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time

Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

 

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustee****

 

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee

Edmund

J. Burke,

age 52

   Trustee, Chairman and President    Mr. Burke was elected as Chairman at the August 28, 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Burke was elected as Trustee at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009. Mr. Burke was elected President of the Trust at the December 17, 2002 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Burke is President and a Director of ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”) (since 2005) and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”), ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and from 2001- 2008, was President of AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD. Because of his positions with AHI, AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD, Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Burke is Trustee and President of the Clough Global Allocation Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2004); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Equity Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2005); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (since 2006); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund; and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.   26   Mr. Burke is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (1 fund); and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (1 fund).

 

*   

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**   

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected

***   

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****   

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Seafarer Capital Partners, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013

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Table of Contents

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund

  Trustees and Officers
  April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

OFFICERS

 

Name,

Address* &

Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office and

Length of Time Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

Kimberly R.

Storms,

age 40

   Treasurer    Ms. Storms was elected Treasurer of the Trust at the March 12, 2013 meeting of the Board of Trustees.  

Ms. Storms is Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration of ALPS. Ms. Storms joined ALPS in 1998 as Assistant Controller. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Storms is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Storms is also Treasurer of BPV Family of Funds and ALPS Series Trust; Assistant Treasurer of Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of Tilson Funds; and Chief Financial Officer of The Arbitrage Funds.

 

David T.

Buhler,

age 41

   Secretary    Mr. Buhler was elected Secretary of the Trust at the September 11, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees.  

Mr. Buhler joined ALPS in June 2010, and is currently Vice President and Associate Counsel of ALPS, AAI, ADI and APSD. Prior to joining ALPS, Mr. Buhler served as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Founders Asset Management LLC from 2006 to 2009. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Buhler is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Buhler is also the Secretary of ALPS Variable Investment Trust and Westcore Trust.

 

Ted Uhl,

age 37

   Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)    Mr. Uhl was appointed CCO of the Trust at the June 8, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees.  

Mr. Uhl joined ALPS in October 2006, and is currently Deputy Compliance Officer of ALPS. Prior to his current role, Mr. Uhl served as Senior Risk Manager for ALPS from October 2006 until June 2010. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Uhl served a Sr. Analyst with Enenbach and Associates (RIA), and a Sr. Financial Analyst at Sprint. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Uhl is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Uhl is also CCO of the Clough Global Funds, Reaves Utility Income Fund, Drexel Hamilton Funds and Transparent Value Trust.

 

 

*   

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**   

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected

***   

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

 

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Page Intentionally Left Blank.


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Page Intentionally Left Blank.


Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOGO

Seafarer Funds distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc.

Must be accompanied or preceded by a prospectus.


Table of Contents

LOGO


Table of Contents

Table of Contents

 

April 30, 2013

 

 

Letter to Shareholders

     1   

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

     6   

Statement of Investments

     7   

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     11   

Statements of Operations

     12   

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     13   

Financial Highlights

     15   

Notes to Financial Statements

     16   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     23   

Additional Information

     24   

Trustees & Officers

     27   


Table of Contents
     Letter to Shareholders
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

May 15, 2013

 

OVERVIEW

 

Similar to the seasonal cycles of the last few years, the last six months of fiscal year 2013 saw strong performance in the equity markets. Identical to last year, most of the robust performance occurred in the first quarter of the calendar year. During this period, the Dow Jones Industrial Average returned 12%, the S&P 500® Index returned 11% and the Russell 2000® Index returned 12%. The Dow and S&P 500® again recorded one of their best quarterly returns over the last 15 years. Volatility continued to moderate as time elapsed as measures taken by the four horsemen (The Bank of England, The Bank of Japan, The European Central Bank and The U.S. Federal Reserve) further mitigates near-term financial risks.

The fiscal year started with some volatility in November amid concerns over a second Obama Administration and the associated risk of U.S Federal tax increases. In December, the equity markets rallied as the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announced plans to replace Operation Twist with a substantial asset purchase plan. Then, as we neared year-end, heightened concerns over the fiscal cliff drove the markets lower. As we entered the new calendar year, investors reacted favorably to a bill passed in Congress extending some tax cuts though reinstating the full payroll tax and raising the top marginal tax rate. In late January, Congress also voted to suspend enforcement of the federal debt limit through May, which further reduced potential near-term uncertainty. February saw modest gains as the U.S. economy generated mixed economic results and the election results in Italy resulted in a divided government. In assessing corporate earnings during the quarter, profit growth remained at subdued levels relative to prior years. Investment returns accelerated in March as the employment data exceeded the most optimistic forecasts. Europe returned to the forefront as Cyprus agreed to terms for a rescue package for its troubled banking sector.

Since we are fundamentally-driven investors, we are somewhat perplexed by the strong rally of the equity markets over the last six months. When one analyzes the ratio of negative to positive guidance from S&P 500® companies, the number of companies issuing negative guidance continues to increase. After further investigation of this trend, one notices that revenue growth remains anemic while earnings growth remains somewhat better only as a result of financial engineering (significant share repurchase programs). The answer may be found in which sectors have led the market over the past six months – consumer staples, financials, utilities and telecom – high dividend paying sectors! As such, the strong equity rally we’ve seen in 2013 may really be a result of the movement of funds from the bond market into companies paying above-average dividends that are reliable and growing (bond-substitutes) as opposed to fundamental strength in the U.S. Economy or Worldwide Economy.

Similar to the overall equity markets, the best performing economic sectors for the Fund during the 2013 fiscal year were the Financial and Consumer Staples sectors. We did not have any exposure to the telecom and utility sectors. As mentioned in prior letters to shareholders, we believed that strong investment performance was likely to come from the Fund’s technology and health care investments due to strong anticipated revenue and earnings growth. Unfortunately, the Fund was positioned as such and so did not perform as well as the relative benchmark over the last six months.

 

  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    1  


Table of Contents
Letter to Shareholders     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

STONEBRIDGE SMALL-CAP GROWTH FUND

 

For the fiscal year to date through April 30, 2013, the Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund rose 3.80%, less than the 16.60% rise in the Russell 2000® Growth Index. Through the end of January 2013, the Fund participated with the overall rally in the equity markets, but lagged the comparative index thereafter. This underperformance was due partially to its overweight exposure to technology and health care names as well as the Fund’s underweight position in consumer staples, financials and utilities. Further, several positions in the Fund did not perform well in February and March for a common reason; the company’s respective need to increase spending (Selling, General & Administrative Expense, Research & Development, etc.) in order to take advantage of future potential growth. In the short-run, these company investments do diminish earnings growth. However, this short-term stock price underperformance gives the Fund the opportunity to add to its investment position and potentially prosper from the future growth potential.

Over the last five years or so, the Fund had been cautious of tenuous discretionary consumer spending; however, we believe that consumer spending has likely hit bottom and may improve in the second half of 2013. As such, the Fund has increased its exposure to consumer cyclicals and has identified a few interesting consumer businesses with strong growth profiles and market-leading positions. Further, we remain exposed to industrial companies that maintain a technological edge in niche markets and have taken advantage of the recent lag in performance of this sector relative to the overall market to increase our exposure in the Fund. Last, we anticipate continued Mergers & Acquisitions activity as interest rates remain historically low and corporations retain significant cash positions.

 

Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (SBSGX) Sector Allocation

as a Percent of Net Assets as of April 30, 2013*

 

LOGO

 

* These allocations may not reflect the current or future position of the portfolio.

 

  2    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


Table of Contents
     Letter to Shareholders
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Change in value of a $10,000 investment in Stonebridge Small-Cap

Growth Fund (SBSGX) vs. the Russell 2000® Growth Index with Income

from April 30, 2003 to April 30, 2013

 

 

 

LOGO

Average Annual Total Returns for the Years Ended April 30, 2013

 

     1 Year    5 Years    10 Years

Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (SBSGX)

   3.43%    1.09%    3.49%

Russell 2000® Growth Index

   15.67%    7.81%    10.53%

Average annual total returns reflect reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions, any fee waivers in effect and any expense reimbursements. Without the fee waivers and expense reimbursements, the total return figures would be lower. Past performance is not indicative of future results and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate and shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The total returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. To obtain the most recent month-end performance, please call the Fund’s toll-free number at 1-800-639-3935.

Effective as of the close of business February 15, 2013, Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (SBAGX) (the “Acquired Fund”) and Stonebridge Institutional Small-Cap Growth Fund (SBSCX) (the “Acquiring Fund”), each a series of Stonebridge Funds Trust were reorganized into a newly created fund, which is named the Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (SBSGX) (the “Fund”), under the Financial Investors Trust. The Fund’s performance for periods prior to the close of business February 15, 2013 is that of the Acquired Fund.

As of the Prospectus dated February 28, 2012, the gross annual expense ratio for the Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund was 4.34%. At October 31, 2012, the Fund’s gross annual expense ratio was 4.93%.

 

 

  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    3  


Table of Contents
Letter to Shareholders     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

CONCLUSION

 

In managing the Fund in accordance with its strategy, we seek to identify strong businesses that we believe exhibit competitive advantages, growing market share, and healthy balance sheets, and that are poised to rapidly grow earnings in excess of market expectations. We are positioning the Fund toward those businesses and economic sectors that we believe contain the best opportunities for future growth and superior investment returns. Although we are most excited about the outlook for technology and health care companies, we believe that we will continue to find opportunities for the Funds across sectors that can deliver superior performance results for shareholders.

Sincerely,

Richard C. Barrett, CFA

Matthew W. Markatos, CFA

Portfolio Managers

Performance quoted above represents past performance. Past Performance does not guarantee future results.

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the Fund or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. The Fund does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

DEFINITIONS:

 

The Russell 2000® Growth Index is an unmanaged index that measures the performance of those Russell 2000® Index companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000® Index, which measures the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S. companies in terms of market capitalization. The Russell 2000® Growth Index is constructed to provide a comprehensive and unbiased barometer of the small-cap growth market. This is a total return index which reflects the reinvestment of income dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, but does not reflect fees, brokerage commissions, or other expenses of investing. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The S&P 500® Total Return Index is an unmanaged index of 500 common stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation. It is a market-value weighted index. The S&P 500® Total Return Index is not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index representing approximately 10%

 

  4    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


Table of Contents
     Letter to Shareholders
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq.

Fiscal Cliff

Combination of increased taxes and reduced government spending.

Operation Twist

A monetary process where the Federal Reserve buys and sells short-term and long-term bonds depending on their objective.

 

  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    5  


Table of Contents
Disclosure of Fund Expenses     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

As a shareholder of a Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs (such as the 2% fee on redemption of Fund shares made within 30 days of purchase); and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. The following examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in a Fund 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 invested on November 1, 2012 and held until April 30, 2013.

Actual Return — The first line of the following tables provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading “Expense Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical 5% Return — The second line of the following tables provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on each Fund’s actual expense ratio 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 a Fund and other mutual funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing Fund costs only and do not reflect transaction fees, such as redemption fees. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and may not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. If the transaction fees were included, your costs would be higher.

Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund

 

     

Beginning Account
Value at

11/01/12

  

Ending Account
Value at

4/30/13

   Expense Paid
During  Period*
11/01/12 to 4/30/13

Actual Fund Return

     $     1,000.00        $     1,038.00        $     19.51  

Hypothetical Fund Return
(5% return before expenses)

     $ 1,000.00        $ 1,005.65        $ 19.20  

 

*

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 3.86%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year (181)/365 (to reflect the half-year period).

 

  6    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


Table of Contents

Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (SBSGX)

   Statement of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

    

Shares

    

Market

Value

 

COMMON STOCKS (99.71%)

     

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY - (14.02%)

     

Consumer Electronics (3.76%)

     

Harman International Industries, Inc.

     15,000       $ 670,650  
     

 

 

 

Consumer Services: Misc. (3.37%)

     

Coinstar, Inc.**

     4,500         237,645  

Steiner Leisure Ltd.**

     7,500         363,225  
     

 

 

 
        600,870  
     

 

 

 

Education Services (2.18%)

     

Grand Canyon Education, Inc.**

     15,250         389,942  
     

 

 

 

Household Furnishings (1.99%)

     

Select Comfort Corp.**

     16,750         355,435  
     

 

 

 

Recreational Vehicles & Boats (1.25%)

     

Thor Industries, Inc.

     6,000         222,540  
     

 

 

 

Specialty Retail (1.47%)

     

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc.**

     6,000         262,080  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY

        2,501,517  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES - (1.00%)

     

Foods (1.00%)

     

Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc.**

     9,700         178,383  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL CONSUMER STAPLES

        178,383  
     

 

 

 

ENERGY - (8.57%)

     

Offshore Drilling & Other Services (2.04%)

     

Atwood Oceanics, Inc.**

     7,400         362,970  
     

 

 

 

Oil Well Equipment & Services (4.09%)

     

McDermott International, Inc.**

     41,500         443,220  

Superior Energy Services, Inc.**

     10,400         286,936  
     

 

 

 
        730,156  
     

 

 

 

Oil: Crude Producers (2.44%)

     

Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc.**

     3,250         78,715  

Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp.**

     45,500         356,265  
     

 

 

 
        434,980  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL ENERGY

        1,528,106  
     

 

 

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.   
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    7  


Table of Contents
Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (SBSGX)    Statement of Investments
April 30, 2013   

 

 

    

Shares

    

Market

Value

 

FINANCIAL SERVICES - (4.95%)

     

Asset Management & Custodial (0.52%)

     

Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc., Class A

     2,150       $ 92,171  
     

 

 

 

Financial Data & Systems (3.38%)

     

Higher One Holdings, Inc.**

     61,250         603,925  
     

 

 

 

Securities Brokerage & Services (1.05%)

     

FXCM, Inc., Class A

     13,850         187,667  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL FINANCIAL SERVICES

        883,763  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE - (22.74%)

     

Biotechnology (3.74%)

     

Genomic Health, Inc.**

     16,675         506,253  

ImmunoGen, Inc.**

     10,000         160,200  
     

 

 

 
        666,453  
     

 

 

 

Health Care Facilities (2.03%)

     

VCA Antech, Inc.**

     15,000         361,500  
     

 

 

 

Health Care Services (5.12%)

     

HMS Holdings Corp.**

     24,500         617,645  

IPC The Hospitalist Co., Inc.**

     6,500         296,530  
     

 

 

 
        914,175  
     

 

 

 

Medical & Dental Instruments & Supplies (5.64%)

     

Align Technology, Inc.**

     14,600         483,552  

Merit Medical Systems, Inc.**

     54,000         522,180  
     

 

 

 
        1,005,732  
     

 

 

 

Medical Equipment (6.21%)

     

Luminex Corp.**

     38,025         632,356  

Masimo Corp.

     23,750         476,425  
     

 

 

 
        1,108,781  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL HEALTH CARE

        4,056,641  
     

 

 

 

MATERIALS & PROCESSING - (4.07%)

     

Gold (3.63%)

     

Allied Nevada Gold Corp.**

     60,500         647,350  
     

 

 

 

Metal Fabricating (0.44%)

     

Dynamic Materials Corp.

     5,000         79,400  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL MATERIALS & PROCESSING

        726,750  
     

 

 

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

  
  8    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


Table of Contents

Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (SBSGX)

   Statement of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

    

Shares

    

Market

Value

 

PRODUCER DURABLES - (15.80%)

     

Back Office Support, HR, and Consulting (3.53%)

     

Ritchie Bros Auctioneers, Inc.

     31,250       $ 630,313  
     

 

 

 

Construction (3.42%)

     

Aegion Corp.**

     16,500         347,490  

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.

     38,000         262,960  
     

 

 

 
        610,450  
     

 

 

 

Engineering & Contracting Services (3.19%)

     

Mistras Group, Inc.**

     30,000         568,500  
     

 

 

 

Machinery: Agricultural (2.78%)

     

Titan International, Inc.

     22,200         495,282  
     

 

 

 

Machinery: Industrial (0.55%)

     

Chart Industries, Inc.**

     1,150         97,531  
     

 

 

 

Shipping (2.33%)

     

GulfMark Offshore, Inc.

     10,000         416,200  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL PRODUCER DURABLES

        2,818,276  
     

 

 

 

TECHNOLOGY - (28.56%)

     

Communication Technology (3.96%)

     

Riverbed Technology, Inc.**

     47,575         706,965  
     

 

 

 

Computer Services Software & Systems (10.87%)

     

BroadSoft, Inc.**

     7,000         178,920  

Jive Software, Inc.**

     25,500         346,545  

LogMeIn, Inc.**

     16,450         371,441  

PTC, Inc.**

     11,650         279,716  

Saba Software, Inc.**

     31,500         286,650  

Tangoe, Inc.**

     30,000         385,800  

Zix Corp.**

     23,800         89,488  
     

 

 

 
        1,938,560  
     

 

 

 

Computer Technology (2.39%)

     

Fusion-io, Inc.**

     22,750         427,245  
     

 

 

 

Electronic Components (3.14%)

     

Tech Data Corp.**

     12,000         560,760  
     

 

 

 

Electronic Entertainment (3.39%)

     

Dolby Laboratories, Inc., Class A

     18,400         604,440  
     

 

 

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    9  


Table of Contents
Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (SBSGX)    Statement of Investments
April 30, 2013   

 

 

     Shares     

Market

Value

 

Electronics (1.07%)

     

IPG Photonics Corp.

     3,000       $ 191,040  
     

 

 

 

Semiconductors & Components (3.74%)

     

EZchip Semiconductor Ltd.**

     24,900         567,969  

TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc.**

     17,000         99,280  
     

 

 

 
        667,249  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL TECHNOLOGY

        5,096,259  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

     

(Cost $ 17,490,590)

        17,789,695  
     

 

 

 

MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS (0.53%)

     

Fidelity® Institutional Money Market
Government  Portfolio - Class I
(0.01% 7 Day Yield)

     95,589         95,589  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS

     

(Cost $ 95,589)

        95,589  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (100.24%)

     

(Cost $ 17,586,179)

      $ 17,885,284  

LIABILITIES IN EXCESS OF OTHER ASSETS (-0.24%)

        (43,605 )
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

      $ 17,841,679  
     

 

 

 

 

** Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

Ltd. - Limited.

Holdings are subject to change.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

  
  10    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


Table of Contents
     Stonebridge Statement of Assets and Liabilities
   April 30, 2013

 

ASSETS:

  

Investments, at value

   $ 17,885,284  

Receivable for investments sold

     711,428  

Dividend receivable

     604  

Prepaid and other assets

     32,602  
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     18,629,918  
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES:

  

Payable for investments purchased

     670,852  

Advisory fees payable

     10,767  

Administration and fund accounting fees payable

     6,995  

Payable for transfer agent fees

     17,529  

Payable for legal fees

     29,752  

Payable for audit fees

     16,445  

Payable for trustee fees and expenses

     236  

Payable for chief compliance officer fees

     4,046  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     31,617  
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     788,239  
  

 

 

 

Net Assets

   $ 17,841,679  
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS:

  

Paid-in capital (Note 5)

   $ 17,938,851  

Accumulated net investment loss

     (151,799 )

Accumulated net realized loss on investments

     (244,478 )

Net unrealized appreciation in value of investments

     299,105  
  

 

 

 

Net Assets

   $ 17,841,679  
  

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE:

  

Net Assets

   $ 17,841,679  

Shares outstanding

     2,040,934  

Net asset value and redemption price per share*

   $ 8.74  
  

 

 

 

Investments, at cost

   $ 17,586,179  
  

 

 

 

 

* A charge of 2% is imposed on the redemption proceeds of shares held 30 days or less.

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    11  


Table of Contents
Stonebridge Statements of Operations     
For the Year Ended April 30, 2013   

 

      For the Six
Months Ended
April 30, 2013
    

For the

Year Ended
October 31, 2012

 

INCOME:

     

Dividends (Net Foreign Tax $(536) and $(162), respectively)

   $ 25,518       $ 37,866   
  

 

 

 

Total Income

     25,518         37,866   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES:

     

Investment advisory fees

     55,167         93,864   

Administration fees

     37,304         75,000   

Transfer agent fees

     40,697         68,808   

Fund accounting fees and expenses

     10,656         36,858   

Custodian fees

     4,111         8,130   

Legal fees

     15,422         72,094   

Printing fees

     4,977         16,211   

Registration fees

     7,356         8,928   

Audit fees

     16,445         20,100   

Trustee fees and expenses

     4,030         14,536   

Chief compliance officer fees

     4,045           

Proxy voting fees

     54,099         41,701   

Insurance

     26,912         28,032   

Other

     2,984         2,224   
  

 

 

 

Total Expenses

     284,205         486,486   
  

 

 

 

Net Investment Loss

     (258,687)         (448,620)   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN/(LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS:

     

Net realized gain on investments

     1,105,564         1,426,818   

Change in net unrealized depreciation of investments

     (599,341)         (192,178)   
  

 

 

 

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

     506,223         1,234,640   
  

 

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting From Operations

   $ 247,536       $ 786,020   
  

 

 

 

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.   
  12    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


Table of Contents
     Statements of Changes in Net Assets
   Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (SBSGX)

 

      For the Six
Months Ended
April 30, 2013
    

For the

Year Ended
October 31, 2012

    

For the

Year Ended
October 31, 2011

 

OPERATIONS:

        

Net investment loss

   $ (258,687)       $ (448,620)       $ (405,480)   

Net realized gain on investments

     1,105,564         1,426,818         1,294,239   

Change in net unrealized depreciation of investments

     (599,341)         (192,178)         (816,450)   
  

 

 

 

Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

     247,536         786,020         72,309   
  

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (NOTE 5):

        

Net Increase/(Decrease) in Shareholder Activity Derived from Beneficial Interest Transactions, net of redemption fees

     4,921,322         (569,776)         (1,108,202)   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

     5,168,858         216,244         (1,035,893)   

NET ASSETS:

        

Beginning of year

     12,672,821         12,456,577         13,492,470   
  

 

 

 

End of period*

   $ 17,841,679       $ 12,672,821       $ 12,456,577   
  

 

 

 

*Includes accumulated net investment loss of:

   $ (151,799)       $ (381,403)       $   

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    13  


Table of Contents
Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (SBSGX)     
For a share outstanding through the periods presented   

 

PER SHARE DATA      

Net asset value, beginning of period

  
INCOME/(LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:   

Net investment income/(loss)

  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

  

Total Income/(Loss) from Investment Operations

  
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:   

From net realized gain on investments

  

Total Distributions to Shareholders

  

Net Increase/(Decrease) in Net Asset Value

  

Net asset value, end of period

  
Total Return   
Ratios & Supplemental Data:   

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

  

Ratios to average net assets:

  

Expenses (excluding fee waivers)

  

Expenses (including fee waivers)

  

Net investment loss (including fee waivers)

  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

 

(1) 

Calculated using the average shares method.

(2)

Total return not annualized for periods less than one full year.

(3) 

Annualized.

(4)

Expense ratios before reductions for startup periods may not be representative of longer term operating periods.

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

  
  14    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


Table of Contents
     Financial Highlights
  

 

 

Six Months
Ended April 30,

2013

  

Year Ended
October 31,

2012

  

Year Ended
October 31,

2011

  

Year Ended
October 31,

2010

  

Year Ended
October 31,

2009

  

Year Ended
October 31,

2008

                                    
    $8.42          $7.90          $7.91          $6.38          $5.35          $11.62  
    (0.15)(1)          (0.30)          (0.26)          (0.24)          (0.18)          (0.21)  
    0.47          0.82          0.25          1.77          1.21          (5.02)  
    0.32          0.52          (0.01)          1.53          1.03          (5.23)  
                                    
                                                 (1.04)  
                                                 (1.04)  
    0.32          0.52          (0.01)          1.53          1.03          (6.27)  
    $8.74          $8.42          $7.90          $7.91          $6.38          $5.35  
                                                              
    3.80%(2)          6.58%          (0.13)%          23.98%          19.25%          (49.06)%  
                                                              
                                    
    $17,842          $12,673          $12,457          $13,492          $11,767          $10,583  
                                                              
                                    
    N/A          N/A          N/A          3.48%          N/A          N/A  
                                                              
    3.86%(4)          3.89%          3.36%          3.40%          3.85%          2.86%  
                                                              
    (3.52)%(3)          (3.58)%          (2.96)%          (3.19)%          (3.34)%          (2.43)%  
                                                              
    89%          222%          195%          115%          137%          145%  
                                                              

 

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    15  


Table of Contents
Stonebridge Notes to Financial Statements     
April 30, 2013   

 

1. ORGANIZATION

 

Financial Investors Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). As of April 30, 2013, the Trust had 26 registered funds. This annual report describes the Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (prior to the close of business on February 15, 2013 known as the Stonebridge Institutional Small-Cap Growth Fund) (the “Fund”). The Fund seeks long-term capital growth by investing primarily in common stocks of companies that Stonebridge Capital Management, Inc. (the “Adviser”), the investment adviser of the Fund, believes have good prospects for superior earnings growth.

The Fund is a successor to a previously operational fund which was a series of the Stonebridge Funds Trust, a Delaware statutory trust, and was organized into series of the Trust effective as of the close of business on February 15, 2013. As a result, the Fund’s fiscal year end changed from October 31st to April 30th.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund in preparation of its financial statements.

Investment Valuation: The Fund generally values its securities based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading.

For equity securities and mutual funds that are traded on an exchange, the market price is usually the closing sale or official closing price on that exchange. In the case of equity securities not traded on an exchange, or if such closing prices are not otherwise available, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices on such day. Redeemable securities issued by open-end registered investment companies are valued at the investment company’s applicable net asset value, with the exception of exchange-traded open-end investment companies, which are priced as equity securities.

Short–term debt obligations that will mature in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, unless it is determined that using this method would not reflect an investment’s fair value. Investments in non-exchange traded funds are fair valued at their respective net asset values.

When such prices or quotations are not available, or when the Fair Value Committee appointed by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) believes that they are unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board.

Fair Value Measurements: The Fund discloses the classification of its fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs

 

  
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Table of Contents
     Stonebridge Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity.

Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1

    

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2

    

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

Level 3

    

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following is a summary of each input used to value the Fund as of April 30, 2013:

 

     Valuation Inputs         
Investments in Securities at Value*    Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Common Stocks

   $   17,789,695       $       $       $   17,789,695   

Money Market Mutual Funds

     95,589                         95,589   

Total

   $ 17,885,284       $       $       $ 17,885,284   
                                     

*For detailed Industry descriptions, see the accompanying Statement of Investments.

The Fund recognizes transfers between levels as of the end of the period. For the period ended April 30, 2013, the Fund did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. For the period ended April 30, 2013, the Fund did not have any securities that used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the investments are purchased or sold (trade date). Realized gains and losses from investment transactions are reported on an identified cost basis. Interest income, which includes accretion of discounts, is accrued and recorded as earned. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date or for certain foreign securities, as soon as information is available to the Fund.

Trust Expenses: Some expenses of the Trust can be directly attributed to the Fund. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed to the Fund are apportioned among all funds in the Trust based on average net assets of each fund.

 

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    17  


Table of Contents
Stonebridge Notes to Financial Statements     
April 30, 2013   

 

Fund Expenses: Expenses that are specific to the Fund are charged directly to the Fund.

Federal Income Taxes: The Fund complies with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), applicable to regulated investment companies and intends to distribute substantially all of their net taxable income and net capital gains, if any, each year so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. The Fund is not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made.

As of and during the period ended April 30, 2013, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund files U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The Fund’s tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return for federal purposes and four years for most state returns. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Distributions to Shareholders: The Fund normally pays dividends and distributes capital gains, if any, on an annual basis. Income dividend distributions are derived from interest and other income the Fund receives from its investments, including short term capital gains. Long term capital gain distributions are derived from gains realized when the Fund sells a security it has owned for more than a year. The Fund may make additional distributions and dividends at other times if the portfolio manager believes doing so may be necessary for the Fund to avoid or reduce taxes.

3. TAX BASIS INFORMATION

 

Reclassifications: Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts for permanent tax differences to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryforwards) under income tax regulations. If, for any calendar year, the total distributions made under the distribution policy exceed the Fund’s net investment income and net realized capital gains, the excess will generally be treated as a non-taxable return of capital, reducing the shareholder’s adjusted basis in his or her shares. These reclassifications were as follows:

 

Undistributed Net Investment Income

   $       488,291   

Accumulated Net Losses on Investments

     (30,192

Paid-in Capital

     (458,099
          

Included in the amounts reclassified was a net operating loss offset to Paid-in Capital of $402,746.

Tax Basis of Investments: As of April 30, 2013, the aggregate cost of investments, gross unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) and net unrealized appreciation for Federal tax purposes was as follows:

 

Gross appreciation (excess of value over tax cost)

   $   1,486,973   

Gross depreciation (excess of tax cost over value)

     (1,291,215

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 195,758   
          

Cost of investments for income tax purposes

   $ 17,689,526   
          

 

  
  18    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


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     Stonebridge Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Components of Earnings: As of April 30, 2013, components of distributable earnings were as follows:

 

Accumulated captial losses

   $  (141,131

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     195,758   

Other cumulative effect of timing differences

     (151,799
          

Total

   $ (97,172
          

As of April 30, 2013, the Fund elected to defer to the fiscal year ending April 30, 2014, late year ordinary losses in the amount of $151,799.

Capital Losses: As of April 30, 2013 the Fund had capital loss carryforwards which may reduce its taxable income arising from future net realized gains on investments, if any, to the extent permitted by the Code and thus may reduce the amount of the distributions to shareholders which would otherwise be necessary to relieve the Fund of any liability for federal tax. Pursuant to the Code, such capital loss carryforwards will expire as follows:

Pre-Enactment Capital Losses:

 

     Amount  
          

Expiring 2016

   $ 141,131   

During the period ended April 30, 2013, $826,124 of capital loss carryforwards were utilized by the Fund.

Tax Basis of Distributions to Shareholders: The character of distributions made during the year from net investment income or net realized gains may differ from its ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Also, due to the timing of dividend distributions, the fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the fiscal year in which the income or realized gain was recorded by the Fund.

No distributions were paid during the period ended April 30, 2013, nor in the years ended October 31, 2012 and October 31, 2011.

4. SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of securities (excluding short-term securities) during the period ended April 30, 2013, was as follows:

 

         Purchases            Sales  
                     

Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund

   $     13,247,570         $     14,061,687   

5. SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST

 

The capitalization of the Trust consists of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value per share. Holders of the shares of the Fund of the Trust have one vote for each share held and a proportionate fraction of a vote for each fractional share. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and are non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive rights.

 

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    19  


Table of Contents
Stonebridge Notes to Financial Statements     
April 30, 2013   

 

Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund

 

     Six Months
Ended
April 30,
2013
Shares
    Six Months
Ended
April 30, 2013
Amount
    Year Ended
October 31,
2012
Shares
    Year Ended
October 31,
2012
Amount
    Year Ended
October 31,
2011
Shares
    Year Ended
October 31,
2011
Amount
 
                                                  

Shares Sold

     5,072      $ 42,935        83,169      $ 720,844        18,026      $ 139,492   

Acquisition (Note 8)

     625,439        5,698,600                               
                                                  

Total

     630,511        5,741,535        83,169        720,844        18,026        139,492   
                                                  

Less Shares Redeemed, Net of Redemption Fees

     (94,616     (820,213     (154,689     (1,290,620     (148,207     (1,247,694
                                                  

Net Increase/(Decrease)

     535,895      $ 4,921,322        (71,520   $ (569,776     (130,181   $ (1,108,202
                                                  

Shares redeemed within 30 days of purchase will incur a 2% short-term redemption fee deducted from the redemption amount. Redemption fees are reflected in the “Shares redeemed, net of redemption fees” in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets. For the period ended April 30, 2013 and October 31, 2012, the Funds retained fees as follows:

 

Fund    For the period
ended April 30, 2013
     For the year ended
October 31, 2012
             

Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth

   $            –      $            1

6. MANAGEMENT AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

The Trust has entered into an advisory agreement with Stonebridge Capital Management, Inc. (the “Adviser”) with respect to the Fund. The advisory agreement has been approved by the Board and shareholders. Pursuant to the advisory agreement with the Trust, the Adviser is entitled to investment advisory fees, computed daily and payable monthly at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

Fund Accounting Fees and Expenses

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS” and the “Administrator”) (an affiliate of ALPS Distributors, Inc.) serves as administrator to the Fund, and the Fund has agreed to pay expenses incurred in connection with its administrative activities. Pursuant to the Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement (the “Agreement”), ALPS will provide operational services to the Fund including, but not limited to fund accounting and fund administration and generally assist in the Fund’s operations.

 

  
  20    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


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     Stonebridge Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Annual Administrative Fee, billed monthly, in the amount of the greater of (a) the annual minimum $75,000 or (b) following basis point fee schedule:

 

Average Total Net Assets   Contractual Fee     

Between $0-$500M

  0.05%  

$500M-$1B

  0.03%  

Above $1B

  0.02%  

The Administrator is also reimbursed by the Fund for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Prior to December 31, 2012, the effective date of the new agreement, the Fund had an administration agreement with ALPS. The administration agreement provided that ALPS received a monthly administration fee equal to the annual rate of 0.10% of the average daily net assets in the Fund up to $250,000,000 and 0.075% of the average daily net assets of the Fund in excess of $250,000,000, and that ALPS’ fee will be no less than $6,250 per month per Fund.

Transfer Agent

ALPS serves as transfer, dividend paying and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund. Effective December 31, 2012, ALPS is compensated based upon a $25,000 annual base fee for the Fund, and annually $9 per direct open account and $7 per open account through the National Securities Clearing Corporation. ALPS is also reimbursed by the Fund for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Compliance Services

Effective December 31, 2012, ALPS provides services which assist the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer in monitoring and testing the policies and procedures of the Trust in conjunction with requirements under Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and receives an annual base fee of $20,000. ALPS is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Principal Financial Officer

Effective December 31, 2012, ALPS provides Principal Financial Officer (“PFO”) services to the Fund at no annual fee.

Distributor

ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI” or the “Distributor”) (an affiliate of ALPS) acts as the distributor of the Fund’s shares pursuant to a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. Shares are sold on a continuous basis by ADI as agent for the Fund, and ADI has agreed to use its best efforts to solicit orders for the sale of the Fund’s shares, although it is not obliged to sell any particular amount of shares. ADI is not entitled to any compensation for its services as Distributor. ADI is registered as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

7. INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that may contain general indemnification clauses, which may permit indemnification to the extent permissible under applicable law. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

 

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    21  


Table of Contents
Stonebridge Notes to Financial Statements     
April 30, 2013   

 

8. FUND REORGANIZATIONS

 

On February 15, 2013, Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (the “Acquired Fund”) and Stonebridge Institutional Small-Cap Growth Fund (the “Acquiring Fund”; together the “Predecessor Funds”), each a series of Stonebridge Funds Trust were reorganized into a newly created fund which is named the Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (the “Fund”), under the Financial Investors Trust (“FIT”). The purpose of the transaction was to combine two funds with similar investment objectives and principal investment strategies and substantially reduce the Predecessor Funds’ operating expenses. Immediately following the close of business on February 15, 2013, the assets of the Acquired Fund were acquired by the Acquiring Fund in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of the liabilities of the Acquired Fund. Upon the closing of the acquisition, the Acquiring Fund issued 625,439 shares in exchange for net assets of the Acquired Fund valued at $5,698,600. The investment portfolio of the Acquired Fund, with a fair value of $5,728,068 and identified cost of $5,356,242 at February 15, 2013, was the principal asset acquired by the Acquiring Fund. On February 19, 2013, the combined net asset value of the Acquired Fund (which included unrealized appreciation of $371,826) and the Acquiring Fund was $18,932,188. Immediately prior to the merger, the net assets of the Acquiring Fund were $13,233,588. The exchange of shares qualified as a tax-free reorganization for federal income tax purposes. The unused capital loss carryforward totaled $967,255 for potential utilization as of October 31, 2012. The Fund assumed all the operating history of the Acquiring Fund.

Assuming the acquisition had been completed on November 1, 2012, the beginning of the annual reporting period of the Acquiring Fund, the Acquiring Fund’s pro forma results of operations for the period ended April 30, 2013, are as follows:

 

Net Investment Loss

   $   (210,247

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

     905,447   

Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

   $ 695,200   
   

Because the combined investment portfolios have been managed as a single integrated portfolio since the acquisition was completed, it is not practicable to separate the amounts of revenue and earnings of the Acquired Fund that have been included in the Acquiring Fund’s Statement of Operations since February 19, 2013, as presented in the Funds Annual Report dated April 30, 2013.

 

  
  22    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


Table of Contents
     Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
  

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of Financial Investors Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the statement of investments, of Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (the “Fund”) (formerly known as “Stonebridge Institutional Small-Cap Growth Fund”), one of the funds of Financial Investors Trust, as of April 30, 2013, and the related statements of operations, changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for the period from November 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audit. The statement of operations for the year ended October 31, 2012, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period ended October 31, 2012, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period ended October 31, 2012 were audited by other auditors whose report, dated December 11, 2012, expressed an unqualified opinion on such financial statements and financial highlights.

We conducted our audit 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 Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit 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 Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of April 30, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers, where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund of Financial Investors Trust as of April 30, 2013, the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets, and the financial highlights for the period from November 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

June 27, 2013

 

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    23  


Table of Contents
Stonebridge Additional Information     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

1. FUND HOLDINGS

 

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the period. Copies of the Fund’s Form N-Q are available without charge on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy the Form N-Q at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. For more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room, please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

2. FUND PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SUMMARIES

 

The Fund’s policies and procedures used in determining how to vote proxies and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent prior 12-month period ending June 30 are available without charge, (1) upon request, by calling (toll-free) 800-639-3935 and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

3. DISCLOSURE REGARDING APPROVAL OF FUND ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund (the “Stonebridge Fund”)

On September 11, 2012, the Trustees met in person to discuss, among other things, the approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Stonebridge Capital Management, Incorporated (“Stonebridge Capital”) (the “Stonebridge Fund Advisory Agreement”) in accordance with Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act. The Independent Trustees met with independent legal counsel during executive session and discussed the Stonebridge Fund Advisory Agreement and other related materials.

In approving the Investment Advisory Agreement with Stonebridge Capital, the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, considered the following factors with respect to the Stonebridge Fund:

Investment Advisory Fee Rate: The Trustees reviewed and considered the contractual annual advisory fee to be paid by the Trust, on behalf of the Stonebridge Fund, to Stonebridge Capital of 0.75% of the Stonebridge Fund’s daily net assets, in light of the extent and quality of the advisory services provided by Stonebridge Capital to the Stonebridge Fund.

The Board received and considered information comparing the Stonebridge Fund’s contractual advisory fees and overall expenses with those of funds in both the relevant expense group and universe of funds provided by an independent provider of investment company data.

Based on such information, the Trustees further determined that the contractual annual advisory fees set forth above and the total expense ratio of 1.84% is comparable to others within the Stonebridge Fund’s peer universe.

Nature, Extent and Quality of the Services under the Investment Advisory Agreement: The Trustees received and considered information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Stonebridge Fund under the Stonebridge Fund Advisory Agreement. The Trustees reviewed certain background materials supplied by Stonebridge Capital in its presentation, including its Form ADV.

 

  
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Table of Contents
     Stonebridge Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

The Trustees reviewed and considered Stonebridge Capital’s investment advisory personnel, its history as an asset manager, its performance and the amount of assets currently under management by Stonebridge Capital. The Trustees also reviewed the research and decision-making processes utilized by Stonebridge Capital, including the methods adopted to seek to achieve compliance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Stonebridge Fund.

The Trustees considered the background and experience of Stonebridge Capital’s management in connection with the Stonebridge Fund, including reviewing the qualifications, backgrounds and responsibilities of the management team primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Stonebridge Fund and the extent of the resources devoted to research and analysis of actual and potential investments.

The Trustees also reviewed, among other things, Stonebridge Capital’s description of their Codes of Ethics.

Performance: The Trustees reviewed performance information for the Predecessor Funds of the Stonebridge Fund for various periods ended March 31, 2012. The Trustees also considered Stonebridge Capital’s performance and reputation generally and its investment techniques, risk management controls and decision-making processes.

The Advisers’ Profitability: The Trustees received and considered a profitability analysis prepared by Stonebridge Capital based on the fees payable under the Stonebridge Fund Advisory Agreement. The Trustees considered the profits, if any, anticipated to be realized by Stonebridge Capital in connection with the operation of the Stonebridge Fund. The Board then reviewed Stonebridge Capital’s financial statements in order to analyze the financial condition and stability and profitability of the adviser.

Economies of Scale: The Trustees considered whether economies of scale in the provision of services to the Stonebridge Fund would be passed along to the shareholders.

Other Benefits to the Adviser: The Trustees reviewed and considered any other incidental benefits derived or to be derived by Stonebridge Capital from its relationship with the Stonebridge Fund, including soft dollar arrangements.

In selecting Stonebridge Capital as the Stonebridge Fund’s investment adviser and approving the Stonebridge Fund Advisory Agreement and the fees charged under such agreement, the Trustees concluded that no single factor reviewed by the Trustees was identified by the Trustees to be determinative as the principal factor in whether to approve the Stonebridge Fund Advisory Agreement. Further, the Independent Trustees were advised by independent legal counsel throughout the process. The Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees, concluded that:

 

   

the investment advisory fees to be received by Stonebridge Capital with respect to the Stonebridge Fund were comparable to others within the Stonebridge Fund’s peer universe;

   

the nature, extent and quality of services to be rendered by Stonebridge Capital under the Stonebridge Fund Advisory Agreement were adequate;

   

the profit, if any, anticipated to be realized by Stonebridge Capital in connection with the operation of the Stonebridge Fund is fair to the Trust; and

 

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    25  


Table of Contents
Stonebridge Additional Information     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

   

there were no material economies of scale or other incidental benefits accruing to Stonebridge Capital in connection with its relationship with the Stonebridge Fund.

Based on the Trustees’ deliberations and their evaluation of the information described above, the Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees, concluded that Stonebridge Capital’s compensation for investment advisory services is consistent with the best interests of the Stonebridge Fund and its shareholders.

 

  
  26    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


Table of Contents
     Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of

Office and

Length of Time

Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s) During

Past 5 Years***

  

Number of

Funds in

Fund

Complex
Overseen

by

Trustee****

  

Other

Directorships Held
by Trustee During

Past 5 Years

Mary K. Anstine,

age 72

   Trustee    Ms. Anstine was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/Director of AV Hunter Trust and Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.    26    Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund); and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

John R. Moran, Jr.,

age 82

   Trustee    Mr. Moran was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re- elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Moran is formerly President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, a private foundation serving the health and hospital community in the state of Colorado. An attorney, Mr. Moran was formerly a partner with the firm of Kutak Rock & Campbell in Denver, Colorado and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. Currently, Mr. Moran is a member of the Treasurer’s Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Colorado.    26    None.

 

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    27  


Table of Contents
Trustees & Officers     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

 

Name,
Address*
& Age
   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of
Office and
Length of Time
Served**
   Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years***
   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
   Other
Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past 5
Years

Jeremy W. Deems,

age 36

   Trustee    Mr. Deems was appointed as a Trustee at the March 11, 2008 meeting of the Board of Trustees and elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, an investment management company, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, a liquidity resourcing company, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company (from 2004 to June 2007). Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.    26    Mr. Deems is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds) and Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund).

Jerry G. Rutledge,

age 68

   Trustee    Mr. Rutledge was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Rutledge is the President and owner of Rutledge’s Inc., a retail clothing business. Mr. Rutledge is currently Director of the American National Bank. He was from 1994 to 2007 a Regent of the University of Colorado.    26    Mr. Rutledge is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund), Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund) and Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund).

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Stonebridge Capital Management, Inc. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

  
  28    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


Table of Contents
     Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

 

Name,
Address*
& Age
   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of
Office and
Length of Time
Served**
   Principal Occupation(s) During
Past 5 Years***
   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
  Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee During
Past 5 Years

Michael “Ross” Shell,

age 42

   Trustee    Mr. Shell was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Shell is Founder and CEO* of Red Idea, LLC, a strategic consulting/early stage venture firm (since June 2008). From 1999 to 2009, he was a part-owner and Director of Tesser, Inc., a brand agency. From December 2005 to May 2008, he was Director, Marketing and Investor Relations, of Woodbourne, a REIT/real estate hedge fund and private equity firm. Prior to this, from May 2004 to November 2005, he worked as a business strategy consultant; from June 2003 to April 2004, he was on the Global Client Services team of IDEO, a product design/innovation firm; and from 1999 to 2003, he was President of Tesser, Inc. Mr. Shell graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science.    26   None.

 

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    29  


Table of Contents
Trustees & Officers     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE

 

Name,
Address*

& Age

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  

Term of

Office and

Length of Time
Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by
Trustee****
   Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past 5 Years

Edmund

J. Burke,

age 52

   Trustee, Chairman and President    Mr. Burke was elected as Chairman at the August 28, 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Burke was elected as Trustee at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009. Mr. Burke was elected President of the Trust at the December 17, 2002 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Burke is President and a Director of ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”) (since 2005) and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”), ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and from 2001-2008, was President of AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD. Because of his positions with AHI, AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD, Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Burke is Trustee and President of the Clough Global Allocation Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2004); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Equity Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2005); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (since 2006); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund; and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.    26    Mr. Burke is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (1 fund); and Director of the Liberty All- Star Growth Fund, Inc. (1 fund).

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Stonebridge Capital Management, Inc. provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

 

  
  30    Stonebridge Small-Cap Growth Fund  


Table of Contents
     Trustees & Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

OFFICERS

 

Name,
Address*

& Age

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  

Term of

Office and

Length of Time

Served**

   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years***

Kimberly R. Storms,

age 40

   Treasurer    Ms. Storms was elected Treasurer of the Trust at the March 12, 2013 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Ms. Storms is Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration of ALPS. Ms. Storms joined ALPS in 1998 as Assistant Controller. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Storms is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Storms is also Treasurer of BPV Family of Funds and ALPS Series Trust; Assistant Treasurer of Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of Tilson Funds; and Chief Financial Officer of The Arbitrage Funds.

David T. Buhler,

age 41

   Secretary    Mr. Buhler was elected Secretary of the Trust at the September 11, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Buhler joined ALPS in June 2010, and is currently Vice President and Associate Counsel of ALPS, AAI, ADI and APSD. Prior to joining ALPS, Mr. Buhler served as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Founders Asset Management LLC from 2006 to 2009. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Buhler is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Buhler is also the Secretary of ALPS Variable Investment Trust and Westcore Trust.

Ted Uhl,

age 37

   Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)    Mr. Uhl was appointed CCO of the Trust at the June 8, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Uhl joined ALPS in October 2006, and is currently Deputy Compliance Officer of ALPS. Prior to his current role, Mr. Uhl served as Senior Risk Manager for ALPS from October 2006 until June 2010. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Uhl served a Sr. Analyst with Enenbach and Associates (RIA), and a Sr. Financial Analyst at Sprint. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Uhl is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Uhl is also CCO of the Clough Global Funds, Reaves Utility Income Fund, Drexel Hamilton Funds and Transparent Value Trust.

 

* All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
*** Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

 

  
  Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    31  


Table of Contents
     
     
     
           
     
  

This report and of its the financial Fund. The statements report is are not submitted authorized for for the distribution general information to prospective of the investors in the Fund unless preceded or accompanied by a prospectus.

  
     
     
     
     
           
     
     
     


Table of Contents

LOGO

 


Table of Contents
Table of Contents     
  

 

CONTENTS    PAGE  

 

 

Shareholder Letter

     1   

Fund Overview

  

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

     6   

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

     9   

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

  

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

     8   

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

     11   

Statements of Investments

  

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

     12   

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

     15   

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     18   

Statements of Operations

     19   

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     20   

Financial Highlights

  

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

     22   

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

     23   

Notes to Financial Statements

     24   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     32   

Additional Information

     33   

Trustees and Officers

     36   

 

     www.vulcanvaluepartners.com


Table of Contents
     Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Dear Shareholders:

It is difficult not to be pleased with the strong results that we have enjoyed during the period ended April 30, 2013. Once again, Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund was the standout. As we have often said we place no weight on short-term results, good or bad, and neither should you. In fact, we will and have willingly made decisions that negatively impact short-term performance when we think we can improve our long-term returns and lower risk. We encourage you to place more weight on our longer term historical results and a great deal of weight on our long-term prospects. Within this context we are gratified that both the Vulcan Value Partners Fund and Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund received a 5-Star Overall Morningstar Rating™. (As of April 30, 2013 out of 1,485 Large Growth, and 606 Small Blend Funds, derived from a weighted average of the Fund’s three-, five– and ten– year (if applicable) Morningstar metrics, which are based on risk-adjusted return performance.)1

We are generally more concerned with risk than we are with return. We manage risk by limiting our investments to, what we believe are, extremely high quality companies with stable intrinsic values. Risk can be defined in many ways, but the margin of safety in terms of intrinsic value over price is our primary internal measure of risk. We further manage risk by demanding a discount to those stable values. Done correctly, our discipline allows us to take advantage of stock price volatility because our companies’ values are less volatile than their stock prices.

Unfortunately for us, stock price volatility has waned so far in 2013 as it did in 2012. We would characterize the environment we are in as “normal” where in the aggregate, prices are neither extraordinarily discounted as they were in 2008 nor extraordinarily elevated as they were in 2007. Our investment discipline requires that we increase the number of holdings in our strategies as the price to value ratio contracts. As a result, our portfolios have become slightly more diversified as prices have risen faster than our value estimates have compounded. We have reduced our weights or sold wonderful companies whose prices have risen closer to or reached our estimate of intrinsic value. At the same time, we have increased our positions in companies whose prices are more discounted in relation to our estimate of fair value. Consequently, our margin of safety is higher than it would be otherwise.

We will go into more detail in the individual portfolio reviews below, but the most extreme example of this process of managing risk through reallocating capital into companies with larger margins of safety from companies with lower margins of safety involves Apple and NASDAQ-OMX. NASDAQ-OMX rose nearly 30% during the first quarter of 2013. Its value did not change materially during this time so that its price to value ratio increased and its margin of safety decreased. At the same time, Apple, whose value was also stable, experienced steady price declines and was by far and away the largest negative contributor to our performance. As Apple’s stock declined roughly 16% during the first quarter of 2013 its price to value ratio became more and more attractive. Consequently, we reduced our position in NASDAQ-OMX from approximately 5% to 3.5% and steadily added to our position in Apple, taking its weight to approximately 6.5%, making Apple our largest position in Vulcan Value Partners Fund. This reallocation of capital and many other similar changes to our portfolios mitigates risk by improving our margin of safety and increasing our diversification as prices in general have risen faster than our values during the last 6 months.

The most important aspect to executing our portfolio management discipline is the mitigation of risk as illustrated above. NASDAQ-OMX announced a large acquisition and its stock price dropped

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    1


Table of Contents
Shareholder Letter     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

significantly. We were not as impacted as we might have been because we reduced our allocation to NASDAQ-OMX after its price had risen during the first quarter of 2013. Apple, on the other hand, continued to decline until they announced their fiscal second quarter results, with which we were very pleased. In addition to better than expected operational results, Apple announced plans to return $100 billion of capital to shareholders over the next three years with an emphasis on share repurchases. We believe this intelligent capital allocation decision by them should materially increase our value per share for Apple.

As you know we spend 90% of our time on bottom-up analysis of our companies. This analysis helps us form an opinion about macro-economic impacts to our investments. We spend 10% of our time on purely macroeconomic analysis. The two tend to reinforce each other and give us better insights overall. So, what are we seeing? The global economy remains weak, but it is growing. It is growing less than it should, but it is expanding. This sustained weak but positive growth is enabling our companies to produce satisfactory results overall. Valuation levels remain attractive but are not extremely discounted as they were in 2008. However, valuation levels in relation to bonds are extreme. As we have written before, bond valuations appear excessive. It is sad and ironic that many investors, attempting to manage risk, have pushed bond yields to levels that virtually ensure negative real returns and increase the risk of capital destruction. There were early signs that capital flows might be reversing into equities during the first quarter of 2013. As long-term investors we greatly prefer to own high quality companies with large margins of safety and high free cash flow yields to bonds of any kind today.

If “the market” comes to the same conclusion, there will be a re-pricing of equities and bonds and those who thought they were taking less risk will be reminded, once again, how important valuation is to assessing risk. As we write our letters we always feel like we are “preaching to the choir.” We are extremely fortunate to be in partnership with intelligent, long-term investors. You make our jobs easier and much more enjoyable. We could not execute our investment philosophy as effectively if we worked for a different kind of client base. We are grateful for you and take our fiduciary duty to you very seriously. We look forward to working with you over the course of 2013 and in the years to come.

In the discussion that follows, we generally define material contributors and detractors as companies having a greater than 1% impact on the portfolio. We generally limit comment about top contributors and detractors to the top three.

Vulcan Value Partners Fund Review

There were three material contributors to performance; Walt Disney Company, Time Warner Inc. and Discovery Communications. There was one material detractor; Apple, to performance during the period ended April 30, 2013. Apple, Diageo and Fiserv were the three most significant detractors to performance, though Diageo and Fiserv had a less than 1% impact on the portfolio performance.

Disney’s core businesses are performing above our expectations and the company continues to produce ample amounts of free cash flow. Disney is growing its values steadily and we are pleased with the steps the management teams are taking to strengthen their business franchises and allocate capital intelligently.

 

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Table of Contents
     Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

We have long admired Time Warner’s media assets and since Mr. Bewkes took over as CEO, the company has positioned itself well to take advantage of digital distribution mediums and become much more shareholder friendly.

Discovery Communications generates strong free cash flow and is benefitting from strong ratings, steadily growing affiliate fees and an improving advertising climate.

We exited Diageo and Fiserv during the year. Fiserv provides financial services technology solutions worldwide. Diageo, based in the U.K., is a global company with very strong brands and excellent distribution. There was nothing wrong with these companies. Their stock prices compounded more rapidly than their values during the year so that our margin of safety was less attractive compared to the new positions we purchased with their proceeds. The timing of their purchases limited their total contribution to our portfolio.

One of the best examples of our process of managing risk through reallocating capital into companies with larger margins of safety involves Apple and NASDAQ-OMX. NASDAQ-OMX rose nearly 30% during the first quarter of 2013. Its value did not change materially during this time so that its price to value ratio increased and its margin of safety decreased. At the same time, Apple, whose value was also stable, experienced steady price declines and was by far and away the largest negative contributor to our performance. As Apple’s stock declined roughly 16% during the first quarter of 2013 its price to value ratio became more and more attractive. Consequently, we reduced our position in NASDAQ-OMX from approximately 5% to 3.5% and steadily added to our position in Apple, taking its weight to approximately 6.5%, making Apple our largest position in Vulcan Value Partners Fund. This reallocation of capital and many other similar changes to our portfolios mitigates risk by improving our margin of safety and increasing our diversification as prices in general have risen faster than our values during the last 6 months.

Subsequently, NASDAQ-OMX announced a large acquisition and its stock price dropped significantly. We were not as impacted as we might have been because we had reduced our allocation to NASDAQ-OMX after its price had risen during the first quarter of 2013. Apple, on the other hand, continued to decline until they announced their fiscal second quarter results, with which we were very pleased. In addition to better than expected operational results, Apple announced plans to return $100 billion of capital to shareholders over the next three years with an emphasis on share repurchases. We believe this intelligent capital allocation decision by them should materially increase our value per share for Apple.

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Review

We had a great deal of activity during the past twelve months. We sold several positions, one of which was taken away from us in a buyout and one of which rose to our estimate of fair value on buyout speculation. We also purchased several new positions with larger margins of safety to replace companies whose prices had risen closer to our estimate of fair value.

There were three material contributors to performance during the period ending April 30, 2013; Iconix Brand Group, Eaton Vance Corp. and Tupperware Brands. There were no material detractors. The three largest detractors were Boingo Wireless, Joseph A. Banks and Towers Watson.

 

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    3


Table of Contents
Shareholder Letter     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

Iconix Brand Group owns brands and licenses them to retailers who pay royalties to Iconix. Iconix manages the brands but does no manufacturing. Retailers like working with Iconix because they can earn brand name margins on “private label” items. The company has stable margins, high return on capital and produces consistently high levels of free cash flow.

Eaton Vance is an extremely well managed investment company that has steadily grown its value through both bull and bear markets.

Tupperware derives over 70% of its sales from outside North America and approximately 60% of its sales from emerging markets.

Eaton Vance’s stock price increased nearly 47% but its value did not change materially during the past six months, so that its price to value ratio increased and its margin of safety decreased. Consequently, we reduced our position in Eaton Vance from approximately 5% to 2%. Iconix Brand Group was similar with a greater than 55% stock price gain and a stable value. As with Eaton Vance, we reduced our weight in Iconix Brand Group. This reallocation of capital and many other similar changes to our portfolios mitigates risk by improving our margin of safety and increasing our diversification as prices in general have risen faster than values during the past six months. It is of interest to note that this process resulted in 25% name turnover but actual turnover of 35%. These differing turnover statistics indicate that while we are long-term investors but that we also actively seek to manage risk in our portfolios.

Contrary to our expectations, our estimate for Boingo Wireless’ value declined. As long as our values are stable or rising we welcome stock price volatility and will buy more as price to value ratios improve. Boingo Wireless’ value declined because their competitive advantage in terms of controlled real estate in airports was not as strong as we had thought. Consistent with our investment discipline we reassessed our investment case and sold the position.

Towers Watson is a global consulting and manufacturing company. We sold Towers Watson to redeploy capital into more discounted companies.

Joseph A. Banks has built a great brand based on service, value, accessibility and quality. We believe its intrinsic value is still significantly discounted to its share price.

Closing

At the risk of being repetitive, while we are pleased with strong results for the period ended April 30, 2013, we do not place any emphasis on short-term results and neither should you. We will willingly take actions that hurt our short-term results if we believe that doing so will mitigate risk and improve our prospects over our five-year time horizon. We know that you understand our investment philosophy and share our long-term time horizon. We have fantastic client partners and we are grateful for you.

Thank you for the confidence you have placed in us.

Sincerely,

C.T. Fitzpatrick

Chief Investment Officer

 

4    www.vulcanvaluepartners.com


Table of Contents
     Shareholder Letter
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1 

For each fund with at least a three-year history, Morningstar calculates a Morningstar Rating™ based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a fund’s monthly performance (including the effects of sales charges, loads, and redemption fees), placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of funds in each category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. (Each share class is counted as a fraction of one fund within this scale and rated separately, which may cause slight variations in the distribution percentages.) The Overall Morningstar Rating for a fund is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five- and ten-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics, as of April 30, 2013. Morningstar Rating is for the retail share class only; other classes may have different performance characteristics. © 2013 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Vulcan Value Partners (VVPLX) was rated 5 Stars out of 1485 for the 3-year period against Large Growth Funds. Vulcan Value Partners (VVPSX) was rated 5 Stars out of 606 for the 3-year period against Small Blend Funds. All information in this report is as of the date shown in the upper right hand corner unless otherwise indicated.

Intrinsic Value is our estimate of the price a willing buyer would pay and a willing seller would accept, assuming neither was compelled to enter into a transaction.

Margin of Safety is a favorable difference between the price of a company’s shares and the estimated intrinsic value of those shares.

Free Cash Flow is a measure of how much a business generates after accounting for capital expenditures. It is calculated as operating cash flow less capital expenditures.

The views and information discussed in this commentary are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect the writer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the Funds or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. The Funds do not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

The index is not actively managed and does not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    5


Table of Contents
Fund Overview     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

VULCAN VALUE PARTNERS FUND

Average Annual Total Returns (as of 4/30/13)

 

            Since      Expense Ratios  
   1 Year      Inception*      Gross      Net**  

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

     19.33%         14.62%         1.18%         1.18%   

S&P 500® Total Return Index***

     16.89%         13.42%         

Russell 1000® Value Index***

     21.80%         13.81%         

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. The Fund imposes a 2.00% redemption fee on shares held for less that 90 days. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-877-421-5078.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

 

*

Fund inception date of 12/30/09.

 

**

Vulcan Value Partners, LLC (“Vulcan” or the “Adviser”) has given a contractual agreement to the Fund that to the extent the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (as defined in Item 3 of Form N- 1A) with respect to the Fund (exclusive of Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (if any), brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and extraordinary expenses) (“Designated Annual Fund Operating Expenses”) exceed 1.25% (1.50% prior to September 1, 2012) of the Fund’s average daily net assets for a particular fiscal year of the Fund, the Adviser will reduce the Management Fee and/or Other Expenses otherwise payable to the Adviser with respect to the Fund for the fiscal year by an amount equal to such excess, and/or the Adviser shall reimburse the Fund by the amount of such excess. This agreement is in effect through August 31, 2013. Without this agreement, expenses could be higher. If the Adviser foregoes any fees and/or reimburses the Fund pursuant to this letter agreement with respect to a particular fiscal year, then the Adviser shall be entitled to recover from the Fund the amount foregone or reimbursed to the extent Designated Annual Fund Operating Expenses are less than 1.25% (1.50% prior to September 1, 2012) of the Fund’s average daily net assets if within three years after the expenses were incurred.

 

***

Indices are not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

 

 

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Table of Contents
     Fund Overview
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (for the period ended April 30, 2013)

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 

* Fund inception date of 12/30/09.

 

(1) 

The Russell 1000® Value Index measures the performance of the large-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 1000® companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower expected growth values.

 

(2)

The S&P 500® Total Return Index is an unmanaged index of 500 common stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation. It is a market-value weighted index.

Indices are not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

Investing in the Fund is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

Industry Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)

 

 

LOGO

 

 

Chart presents indicative values only.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    7


Table of Contents
Disclosure of Fund Expenses     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

As a shareholder of the Vulcan Value Partners Fund (the “Fund”), you will incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including applicable redemption fees; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. The following examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 invested on November 1, 2012 and held until April 30, 2013.

Actual Expenses. The first line of each table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes. The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio 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 mutual funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. The expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing Fund costs only and do not reflect transaction fees, such as redemption fees or exchange fees. Therefore, the second line of each table below is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and may not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

 

     

Beginning Account
Value

11/1/12

    

Ending Account
Value

4/30/13

     Expense
Ratio(a)
  

Expenses Paid

During period

11/1/12 - 4/30/13(b)

Actual

     $   1,000.00          $   1,153.50            1.14 %      $   6.09  

Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)

     $ 1,000.00          $ 1,019.14            1.14 %      $ 5.71  

 

(a)

The Fund’s expense ratios have been annualized based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half-year expenses.

(b)

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year (181)/365.

 

8    www.vulcanvaluepartners.com


Table of Contents
     Fund Overview
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

VULCAN VALUE PARTNERS SMALL CAP FUND

Average Annual Total Returns (as of 4/30/2013)

 

               Since      Expense Ratios
   1 Year      Inception*      Gross      Net**

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

       30.07 %          20.78 %          1.38 %          1.28 %

Russell 2000® Value Index***

       19.71 %          13.55 %              

Russell 2000® Index***

       17.69 %          14.36 %              

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. The Fund imposes a 2.00% redemption fee on shares held for less than 90 days. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data, please call 1-877-421-5078.

The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

 

*

Fund inception date of 12/30/09.

 

**

Vulcan Value Partners, LLC (“Vulcan” or the “Adviser”) has given a contractual agreement to the Fund that to the extent the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (as defined in Item 3 of Form N-1A) with respect to the Fund (exclusive of Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (if any), brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and extraordinary expenses) (“Designated Annual Fund Operating Expenses”) exceed 1.25% (1.50% prior to September 1, 2012) of such Fund’s average daily net assets for a particular fiscal year of the Fund, the Adviser will reduce the Management Fee and/or Other Expenses otherwise payable to the Adviser with respect to the Fund for such fiscal year by an amount equal to such excess, and/or the Adviser shall reimburse the Fund by the amount of such excess. This agreement is in effect through August 31, 2013. Without this agreement, expenses could be higher. If the Adviser foregoes any fees and/or reimburses the Fund pursuant to this letter agreement with respect to a particular fiscal year, then the Adviser shall be entitled to recover from the Fund the amount foregone or reimbursed to the extent Designated Annual Fund Operating Expenses are less than 1.25% (1.50% prior to September 1, 2012) of the Fund’s average daily net assets if within three years after the expenses were incurred.

 

*** Indices are not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    9


Table of Contents
Fund Overview     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

Performance of $10,000 Initial Investment (for the period ended April 30, 2013)

 

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund since inception. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 

* Fund inception date of 12/30/09.

 

(1) 

The Russell 2000® Value Index measures the performance of small-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 2000® companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

 

(2) 

The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® Index is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index representing approximately 8% of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership.

Indices are not actively managed and do not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. An investor may not invest directly in an index.

Investing in the Fund is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

Industry Allocation (as a % of Net Assets)

 

 

LOGO

 

 

Chart presents indicative values only.

 

10    www.vulcanvaluepartners.com


Table of Contents
     Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund (the “Fund”), you will incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including applicable redemption fees; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. The following examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 invested on November 1, 2012 and held until April 30, 2013.

Actual Expenses. The first line of each table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes. The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio 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 mutual funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. The expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing Fund costs only and do not reflect transaction fees, such as redemption fees or exchange fees. Therefore, the second line of each table below is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and may not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

 

     

Beginning Account
Value

11/1/12

    

Ending Account
Value

4/30/13

     Expense
Ratio(a)
  

Expenses Paid

During period

11/1/12 - 4/30/13(b)

Actual

     $ 1,000.00          $ 1,211.50            1.25 %      $ 6.85  

Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)

     $ 1,000.00          $ 1,018.60            1.25 %      $ 6.26  

 

(a)

The Fund’s expense ratios have been annualized based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half-year expenses.

(b)

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year (181)/365.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    11


Table of Contents
Statement of Investments    Vulcan Value Partners Fund
April 30, 2013   

 

      Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

COMMON STOCKS (91.69%)

     

Communications (16.46%)

     

Internet (2.48%)

     

Google, Inc., Class A(a)

     13,444       $     11,085,519   

Media (9.67%)

     

Discovery Communications, Inc., Class C(a)

     204,769         14,516,074   

Time Warner, Inc.

     141,129         8,436,692   

The Walt Disney Co.

     323,023         20,298,765   
        43,251,531   

Telecommunications (4.31%)

     

Cisco Systems, Inc.

     921,103         19,269,475   

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS

        73,606,525   

Consumer, Cyclical (4.45%)

     

Lodging (4.45%)

     

Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC, ADR

     674,055         19,918,337   

TOTAL CONSUMER, CYCLICAL

        19,918,337   

Consumer, Non-cyclical (13.02%)

     

Beverages (3.45%)

     

The Coca-Cola Co.

     364,989         15,449,984   

Commercial Services (3.92%)

     

Mastercard, Inc., Class A

     31,731         17,545,022   

Food (5.65%)

     

Tesco PLC

     3,290,683         18,559,452   

Unilever NV, New York Registry Shares

     157,636         6,696,378   
        25,255,830   

TOTAL CONSUMER, NON-CYCLICAL

        58,250,836   

Financial (28.72%)

     

Banks (4.86%)

     

The Bank of New York Mellon Corp.

     770,226         21,735,778   

Diversified Financial Services (16.53%)

     

CME Group, Inc.

     344,975         20,995,178   

Franklin Resources, Inc.

     140,973         21,802,884   

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.

     612,677         18,061,718   

 

12    www.vulcanvaluepartners.com


Table of Contents
Vulcan Value Partners Fund    Statement of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

      Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

Diversified Financial Services (continued)

     

Visa, Inc., Class A

     77,708       $     13,090,690   
        73,950,470   

Insurance (7.33%)

     

The Chubb Corp.

     143,583         12,645,355   

Everest Re Group, Ltd.

     149,084         20,124,849   
        32,770,204   

TOTAL FINANCIAL

        128,456,452   

Industrial (11.97%)

     

Aerospace/Defense (3.25%)

     

United Technologies Corp.

     159,421         14,553,543   

Miscellaneous Manufacturing (8.72%)

     

Dover Corp.

     281,400         19,410,972   

Parker Hannifin Corp.

     221,278         19,598,592   
        39,009,564   

TOTAL INDUSTRIAL

        53,563,107   

Technology (17.07%)

     

Computers (6.84%)

     

Apple, Inc.

     69,092         30,590,483   

Software (10.23%)

     

Check Point Software Technologies, Ltd.(a)

     316,900         14,773,878   

Microsoft Corp

     294,153         9,736,464   

Oracle Corp.

     648,439         21,255,831   
        45,766,173   

TOTAL TECHNOLOGY

        76,356,656   

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

(Cost $341,999,075)

              410,151,913   

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    13


Table of Contents
Statement of Investments    Vulcan Value Partners Fund
April 30, 2013   

 

      7-Day
Yield
  Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (7.28%)

       

Money Market Fund (7.28%)

       

Dreyfus Treasury Prime Cash Management Fund, Institutional Shares

   0.010%     32,549,253       $ 32,549,253   

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $32,549,253)

                  32,549,253   

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (98.97%)

(Cost $374,548,328)

        $ 442,701,166   

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (1.03%)

                  4,596,024   

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

                $     447,297,190   
                       

 

(a)

Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

ADR - American Depositary Receipt.

Ltd. - Limited.

NV - Naamloze Vennootschap is the Dutch term for a public limited liability corporation.

PLC - Public Limited Company.

Holdings are subject to change.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.

 

14    www.vulcanvaluepartners.com


Table of Contents
Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund    Statement of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

      Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

COMMON STOCKS (86.31%)

     

Basic Materials (3.47%)

     

Chemicals (3.47%)

     

KMG Chemicals, Inc.

     803,867       $     14,758,998   

TOTAL BASIC MATERIALS

        14,758,998   

Communications (10.93%)

     

Internet (4.48%)

     

ValueClick, Inc.(a)

     616,905         19,037,688   

Media (2.62%)

     

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Class A

     292,245         11,154,992   

Telecommunications (3.83%)

     

NeuStar, Inc., Class A(a)

     371,473         16,296,521   

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS

        46,489,201   

Consumer, Cyclical (9.50%)

     

Apparel (3.52%)

     

Iconix Brand Group, Inc.(a)

     522,923         14,981,744   

Leisure Time (0.70%)

     

Interval Leisure Group, Inc.

     155,742         2,968,442   

Retail (5.28%)

     

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc.(a)

     352,377         15,391,827   

Sonic Corp.(a)

     561,463         7,035,132   
        22,426,959   

TOTAL CONSUMER, CYCLICAL

        40,377,145   

Consumer, Non-cyclical (14.44%)

     

Commercial Services (10.57%)

     

Global Payments, Inc.

     156,918         7,280,995   

Heartland Payment Systems, Inc.

     585,297         19,250,418   

Universal Technical Institute, Inc.

     1,549,569         18,393,384   
        44,924,797   

Household Products/Wares (3.87%)

     

Jarden Corp.(a)

     127,234         5,726,803   

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    15


Table of Contents
Statement of Investments    Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund
April 30, 2013   

 

      Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

Household Products/Wares (continued)

     

Tupperware Brands Corp.

     133,511       $     10,720,933   
        16,447,736   

TOTAL CONSUMER, NON-CYCLICAL

        61,372,533   

Financial (20.65%)

     

Diversified Financial Services (8.01%)

     

Eaton Vance Corp.

     177,303         7,070,844   

Janus Capital Group, Inc.

     1,342,387         11,974,092   

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.

     509,700         15,025,956   
        34,070,892   

Insurance (12.64%)

     

Endurance Specialty Holdings, Ltd.

     330,602         16,189,580   

Everest Re Group, Ltd.

     111,757         15,086,077   

The Navigators Group, Inc.(a)

     276,478         16,002,546   

ProAssurance Corp.

     131,934         6,463,447   
        53,741,650   

TOTAL FINANCIAL

        87,812,542   

Industrial (13.93%)

     

Aerospace/Defense (2.60%)

     

Curtiss-Wright Corp.

     337,228         11,074,568   

Electronics (4.70%)

     

Ituran Location and Control, Ltd.

     671,343         10,714,634   

PerkinElmer, Inc.

     302,550         9,273,158   
        19,987,792   

Hand/Machine Tools (1.55%)

     

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.

     124,824         6,585,714   

Machinery-Diversified (2.92%)

     

Altra Holdings, Inc.

     188,826         5,032,213   

Nordson Corp.

     106,470         7,398,600   
        12,430,813   

Miscellaneous Manufacturing (2.16%)

     

Donaldson Co., Inc.

     251,878         9,163,322   

TOTAL INDUSTRIAL

        59,242,209   

 

16    www.vulcanvaluepartners.com


Table of Contents
Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund    Statement of Investments
   April 30, 2013

 

              Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

Technology (13.39%)

        

Software (13.39%)

        

ACI Worldwide, Inc.(a)

        157,106       $ 7,385,553   

Dun & Bradstreet Corp.

        210,628         18,630,047   

Fair Isaac Corp.

        296,292         13,801,281   

MSCI, Inc.(a)

        202,315         6,898,942   

Open Text Corp.

        155,867         10,192,143   
           56,907,966   

TOTAL TECHNOLOGY

           56,907,966   

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

(Cost $326,440,127)

                       366,960,594   
      7-Day
Yield
     Shares     

Value

(Note 2)

 

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (3.95%)

        

Money Market Fund (3.95%)

        

Dreyfus Treasury Prime Cash Management Fund, Institutional Shares

     0.010%         16,797,610         16,797,610   

TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

(Cost $16,797,610)

                       16,797,610   

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (90.26%)

(Cost $343,237,737)

         $ 383,758,204   

Other Assets In Excess Of Liabilities (9.74%)

                       41,394,000   

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

                     $     425,152,204   
                            

 

(a) 

Non-Income Producing Security.

Common Abbreviations:

Ltd. - Limited.

Holdings are subject to change.

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    17


Table of Contents
Statements of Assets and Liabilities     
April 30, 2013   

 

      Vulcan Value Partners
Fund
   Vulcan Value Partners
Small Cap Fund

ASSETS:

         

Investments, at value

     $ 442,701,166        $ 383,758,204  

Receivable for investments sold

                3,031,976  

Receivable for shares sold

       7,345,862          50,128,184  

Dividends receivable

       444,875          49,947  

Other assets

       16,282          20,207  

Total assets

       450,508,185          436,988,518  

LIABILITIES:

         

Payable to custodian

       4,722           

Payable for investments purchased

       2,631,559          11,386,868  

Payable for shares redeemed

       47,033          64,177  

Payable to adviser

       398,626          271,413  

Payable for administration fees

       16,983          12,530  

Payable for transfer agency fees

       10,845          14,826  

Payable for audit and tax fees

       17,827          17,544  

Payable for trustee fees and expenses

       11,795          7,486  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

       71,605          61,470  

Total liabilities

       3,210,995          11,836,314  
                       

NET ASSETS

     $                 447,297,190        $                 425,152,204  
                       

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF:

         

Paid-in capital (Note 5)

     $ 374,688,439        $ 371,178,510  

Accumulated net investment income/(loss)

       418,244          (348,823)  

Accumulated net realized gain on investments

       4,037,669          13,802,050  

Net unrealized appreciation in value of investments

       68,152,838          40,520,467  

NET ASSETS

     $ 447,297,190        $ 425,152,204  
                       

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

     $ 374,548,328        $ 343,237,737  

PRICING OF SHARES:

         

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

     $ 15.28        $ 16.97  

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding
(unlimited number of shares, no par value common stock authorized)

       29,270,595          25,057,609  

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.   
18    www.vulcanvaluepartners.com


Table of Contents
     Statements of Operations
   For the Year Ended April 30, 2013

 

      Vulcan Value Partners
Fund
   Vulcan Value Partners
Small Cap Fund

INVESTMENT INCOME:

         

Dividends

     $ 7,000,847        $ 2,501,213  

Foreign taxes withheld

       (58,553)           (77,793)   

Total investment income

       6,942,294           2,423,420   

EXPENSES:

         

Investment advisory fees (Note 6)

       3,106,747           1,936,846   

Administrative fees

       179,457           86,643   

Transfer agency fees

       58,131           66,758   

Legal and audit fees

       27,948           21,814   

Custodian fees

       33,036           19,156   

Trustee fees and expenses

       23,268           11,082   

Recoupment of previously waived fees

       101,609             

Other

       121,636           94,281   

Total expenses before waiver

       3,651,832           2,236,580   

Less fees waived/reimbursed by investment advisor

                 (161,158)   

Total net expenses

       3,651,832           2,075,422   

NET INVESTMENT INCOME

       3,290,462           347,998   

Net realized gain on investments

       16,601,840           15,172,626   

Net change in unrealized appreciation of investments

       46,424,045          35,892,359  

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

                       63,025,885                          51,064,985  

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

     $ 66,316,347        $ 51,412,983  
                       

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.   
Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    19


Table of Contents
Statements of Changes in Net Assets     
  

 

     Vulcan Value Partners Fund  
     

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the

Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income

   $ 3,290,462       $ 138,765   

Net realized gain on investments

     16,601,840         50,407   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     46,424,045         17,634,062   

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     66,316,347         17,823,234   

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS (Note 3):

     

From net investment income

     (2,967,613)         (44,343)   

From net realized gains on investments

     (2,972,698)         (815,977)   

Net decrease in net assets from distributions

     (5,940,311)         (860,320)   

SHARE TRANSACTIONS: (Note 5)

     

Proceeds from sales of shares

     346,215,896         61,081,687   

Issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions

     5,574,795         847,260   

Cost of shares redeemed, net of redemption fees

     (89,956,685)         (2,561,935)   

Net increase from share transactions

     261,834,006         59,367,012   

Net increase in net assets

     322,210,042         76,329,926   

NET ASSETS:

     

Beginning of year

     125,087,148         48,757,222   

End of year*

   $ 447,297,190       $ 125,087,148   
                   

*Includes accumulated net investment income of:

   $ 418,244       $ 95,395   

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.   
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Table of Contents
     Statements of Changes in Net Assets
  

 

     Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund  
   For the     For the  
   Year Ended     Year Ended  
   April 30,
2013
    April 30,
2012
 

OPERATIONS:

    

Net investment income

   $ 347,998      $ 52,729   

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments

     15,172,626        (90,126)   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     35,892,359        548,570   

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     51,412,983        511,173   

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS (Note 3):

    

From net investment income

     (764,307)          

From net realized gains on investments

     (1,181,796)        (1,992,792)   

Net decrease in net assets from distributions

     (1,946,103)        (1,992,792)   

SHARE TRANSACTIONS: (Note 5)

    

Proceeds from sales of shares

     355,116,824        17,760,668   

Issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions

     1,713,133        1,871,084   

Cost of shares redeemed, net of redemption fees

     (21,247,646)        (14,409,938)   

Net increase from share transactions

     335,582,311        5,221,814   

Net increase in net assets

     385,049,191        3,740,195   

NET ASSETS:

    

Beginning of year

     40,103,013        36,362,818   

End of year*

   $ 425,152,204      $ 40,103,013   
                  

*Includes accumulated net investment income/(loss) of:

   $ (348,823   $ 52,729   

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.   
Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    21


Table of Contents
Financial Highlights    Vulcan Value Partners Fund
For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented.   

 

      For the Year
Ended April 30,
2013
  For the Year
Ended April 30,
2012
  For the Year
Ended April 30,
2011
  For the Period
December 30,
2009
(Inception) to
April 30, 2010

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

     $   13.03        $   11.66        $   10.57        $   10.00   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS:

                

Net investment income/(loss)

       0.15  (a)         0.02  (a)         0.01  (a)         (0.00)  (b) 

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

       2.35          1.45          1.13          0.57   

Total from investment operations

       2.50          1.47          1.14          0.57   

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

                

From net investment income

       (0.12)          (0.01)          (0.01)            

Distributions from net realized gain on investments

       (0.13)          (0.09)          (0.04)            

Total distributions

       (0.25)          (0.10)          (0.05)            

Redemption fees added to paid-in capital

       0.00  (c)         0.00  (c)         0.00  (c)         0.00  (c)  

Increase in net asset value

       2.25          1.37          1.09          0.57   

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF YEAR

     $   15.28        $   13.03        $   11.66        $   10.57   
                                          

Total return

       19.33%          12.73%          10.82%          5.70%  (d) 

RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

                

Net assets, end of year (000’s)

     $   447,297        $   125,087        $   48,757        $   12,807   

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without fee waivers/reimbursements

       1.18%          1.51%          2.01%          4.97%  (e) 

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers/reimbursements

       1.18%          1.50%          1.50%          1.50%  (e) 

Net investment income/(loss) to average net assets including fee waivers/reimbursements

       1.06%          0.16%          0.07%          (0.06%)  (e) 

Portfolio turnover rate

       24%            49%            44%            24% (d)   

 

(a)

Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.

(b)

Less than $(0.005) per share.

(c) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d)

Not annualized.

(e)

Annualized.

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.   
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Table of Contents
Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund    Financial Highlights
   For a share outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

      For the Year
Ended April 30,
2013
  For the Year
Ended April 30,
2012
  For the Year
Ended April 30,
2011
 

For the Period
December 30,
2009

(Inception) to
April 30, 2010

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

     $   13.18        $   13.72        $   11.60        $   10.00   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS:

                

Net investment income/(loss)

       0.03  (a)         0.02  (a)         (0.09)  (a)        (0.00)  (b) 

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

       3.91          0.17          2.55          1.60   

Total from investment operations

       3.94          0.19          2.46          1.60   

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

                

From net investment income

       (0.06)                              

Distributions from net realized gain on investments

       (0.09)          (0.73)          (0.34)            

Total distributions

       (0.15)          (0.73)          (0.34)            

Redemption fees added to paid-in capital

       0.00  (c)         0.00  (c)        0.00  (c)           

Increase/(decrease) in net asset value

       3.79          (0.54)          2.12          1.60   

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF YEAR

     $   16.97        $   13.18        $   13.72        $   11.60   
                                          

Total return

       30.07%          2.10%          21.75%          16.00%  (d) 

RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

                

Net assets, end of year (000’s)

     $   425,152        $   40,103        $   36,363        $ 7,225   

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without fee waivers/reimbursements

       1.38%          1.86%          2.50%          7.31%  (e) 

Ratio of expenses to average net assets including fee waivers/reimbursements

       1.28%          1.50%          1.50%          1.50%  (e) 

Net investment income/(loss) to average net assets including fee waivers/reimbursements

       0.21%          0.15%          (0.71%)          (0.57%)  (e) 

Portfolio turnover rate

       57%            57%            60%            33% (d)   

 

(a) 

Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.

(b) 

Less than $(0.005) per share.

(c) 

Less than $0.005 per share.

(d) 

Not annualized.

(e) 

Annualized.

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.   
Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    23


Table of Contents
Notes to Financial Statements     
April 30, 2013   

 

1. ORGANIZATION

 

Financial Investors Trust (the “Trust”) is organized as a Delaware statutory trust and is registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). As of April 30, 2013, the Trust had 26 registered funds. This annual report describes the Vulcan Value Partners Fund and Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”). The Vulcan Value Partners Fund seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in publicly traded mid-and large-capitalization U.S. companies believed to be both undervalued and possessing a sustainable competitive advantage. The Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in publicly traded small-capitalization U.S. companies believed to be both undervalued and possessing a sustainable competitive advantage.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Funds in preparation of their financial statements.

Investment Valuation: The Funds generally value their securities based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading.

For equity securities and mutual funds that are traded on an exchange, the market price is usually the closing sale or official closing price on that exchange. In the case of equity securities not traded on an exchange, or if such closing prices are not otherwise available, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices on such day. Redeemable securities issued by open-end registered investment companies are valued at the investment company’s applicable net asset value.

The market price for debt obligations is generally the price supplied by an independent third-party pricing service approved by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”), which may use a matrix, formula or other objective method that takes into consideration quotations from dealers, market transactions in comparable investments, market indices and yield curves. If vendors are unable to supply a price, or if the price supplied is deemed to be unreliable, the market price may be determined using quotations received from one or more broker–dealers that make a market in the security. Short-term debt obligations that will mature in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, unless it is determined that using this method would not reflect an investment’s fair value.

 

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Table of Contents
     Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

When such prices or quotations are not available, or when the Fair Value Committee appointed by the Board believes that they are unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board.

Fair Value Measurements: A three-tier hierarchy has been established to classify fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available. Various inputs are used in determining the value of each Fund’s investments as of the reporting period end. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1 –

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Funds have the ability to access at the measurement date;

 

Level 2 –

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

 

Level 3 –

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Funds’ own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following is a summary of each input used to value each Fund’s investments as of April 30, 2013.

Vulcan Value Partners Fund:

 

Investments in Securities at Value   

Level 1 -

Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

    

Level 2 -
 Other

Significant

Observable

Inputs

    

Level 3 -

Significant

Unobservable

Inputs

     Total  

Common Stocks(a)

   $   410,151,913       $       $       $   410,151,913   

Short Term Investments

     32,549,253                         32,549,253   

TOTAL

   $ 442,701,166       $       $       $ 442,701,166   
                                     

 

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Table of Contents
Notes to Financial Statements     
April 30, 2013   

 

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund:

 

Investments in Securities at Value   

Level 1 -
Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

    

Level 2 - Other

Significant

Observable

Inputs

    

Level 3 -

Significant

Unobservable

Inputs

     Total  

Common Stocks(a)

   $   366,960,594       $       $       $   366,960,594   

Short Term Investments

     16,797,610                         16,797,610   

TOTAL

   $ 383,758,204       $       $       $ 383,758,204   
                                     

 

(a) 

For detailed descriptions, see the accompanying Statements of Investments.

The Funds recognize transfers between levels as of the end of period. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. For the year ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have any securities that used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the investments are purchased or sold (trade date). Realized gains and losses from investment transactions are reported on an identified cost basis, which is the same basis the Funds use for federal income tax purposes. Interest income, which includes accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums, is accrued and recorded as earned. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date or for certain foreign securities, as soon as information is available to the Funds. All of the realized and unrealized gains and losses and net investment income, are allocated daily to each class in proportion to its average daily net assets.

Foreign Securities: The Funds may directly purchase securities of foreign issuers. Investing in securities of foreign issuers involves special risks not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers. The risks include possible reevaluation of currencies, the inability to repatriate foreign currency, less complete financial information about companies and possible future adverse political and economic developments. Moreover, securities of many foreign issuers and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of securities of comparable U.S. issuers.

Trust Expenses: Some expenses of the Trust can be directly attributed to the Funds. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed are apportioned among all funds in the Trust based on average net assets of each fund.

Fund Expenses: Expenses that are specific to a Fund are charged directly to that Fund. Expenses that are common to both Funds generally are allocated among the Funds in proportion to their average daily net assets.

Federal Income Taxes: Each Fund complies with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies and intends to distribute substantially all of its net taxable income and net capital gains, if any, each year so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. The Funds are not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made.

 

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     Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

As of and during the year ended April 30, 2013, the Funds did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Funds file U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The Fund’s tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return for federal purposes and four years for most state returns. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Distributions to Shareholders: Each Fund normally pays dividends and distributes capital gains, if any, on an annual basis. Income dividend distributions are derived from interest and other income each Fund receives from its investments, including short-term capital gains. Long term capital gain distributions are derived from gains realized when each Fund sells a security it has owned for more than a year. Each Fund may make additional distributions and dividends at other times if the portfolio manager believes doing so may be necessary for each Fund to avoid or reduce taxes.

3. TAX BASIS INFORMATION:

 

Reclassifications: As of April 30, 2013, permanent differences in book and tax accounting were reclassified. These differences had no effect on net assets and were primarily attributed to minor differences between book and tax characterizations of distributions to shareholders and redemptions-in-kind. The reclassifications were as follows:

 

Fund    Paid-in Capital      Accumulated Net
Investment
Income/(Loss)
     Accumulated Net
Realized Gain on
Investments
 

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

   $ 9,591,391       $       $ (9,591,391

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

             14,757         (14,757

Tax Basis of Investments: As of April 30, 2013, the aggregate cost of investments, gross unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) and net unrealized appreciation for federal tax purposes was as follows:

 

      Vulcan Value Partners
Fund
     Vulcan Value Partners
Small Cap Fund
 

Gross appreciation (excess of value over tax cost)

   $ 72,955,299       $ 44,412,166   

Gross depreciation (excess of tax cost over value)

     (4,997,041)         (4,006,571)   

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 67,958,258       $ 40,405,595   
                   

Cost of investments for income tax purposes

   $ 374,742,908       $ 343,352,609   
                   

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    27


Table of Contents
Notes to Financial Statements     
April 30, 2013   

 

Components of Earnings: As of April 30, 2013, components of distributable earnings were as follows:

 

      Vulcan Value
Partners Fund
     Vulcan Value
Partners Small Cap
Fund
 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 2,708,061       $ 10,501,969   

Accumulated capital gains

     1,942,432         3,414,953   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     67,958,258         40,405,595   

Other cumulative effect of timing differences

             (348,823)   

Total

   $ 72,608,751       $ 53,973,694   
                   

As of April 30, 2013, the Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund elects to defer to the period April 30, 2014, late year ordinary losses in the amount of $348,823.

Capital Losses: As of April 30, 2013, the Funds have no accumulated capital loss carryforwards. Short-term capital loss carryover used by Vulcan Value Small Cap Fund during the period ended April 30, 2013 was $105, 658.

Tax Basis of Distributions to Shareholders: The character of distributions made during the year from net investment income or net realized gains may differ from its ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Also, due to the timing of dividend distributions, the fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the fiscal year in which the income or realized gain were recorded by each Fund.

The tax character of distributions paid by the Funds for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2013 and April 30, 2012, were as follows:

 

      Ordinary Income      Long-Term Capital Gain  

2013

     

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

   $ 5,269,193       $ 671,118   

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

     1,042,621         903,482   

2012

     

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

   $ 842,906       $ 17,414   

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

     1,921,509         71,283   

4. SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

During the year ended April 30, 2013, common stock holdings were redeemed in-kind. The intent of the transfers was to save on equity transaction costs both for the redeeming shareholder at the institution they transferred to and for the Fund on the sale of assets. The assets of one separate account in Vulcan Value Partners Fund were redeemed-in-kind out of the Fund in the amount of $61,109,244 with a realized gain of $9,603,063.

 

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     Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of securities (excluding short-term securities and transfers-in-kind) during the year ended April 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

Fund    Purchase of Securities     

Proceeds From Sales of

Securities

 

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

   $ 361,871,042       $ 70,504,295   

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

     368,656,585         90,925,285   

5. CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

 

The capitalization of the Trust consists of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value per share. Holders of the shares of the Funds of the Trust have one vote for each share held and a proportionate fraction of a vote for each fractional share. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and are non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive rights.

Shares redeemed within 90 days of purchase may incur a 2% short-term redemption fee deducted from the redemption amount. The Vulcan Value Partners Fund and the Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund retained $16,178 and $34,963, respectively, for the year ended April 30, 2013, and $179 and $894, respectively, for the year ended April 30, 2012, which is reflected in the “Cost of shares redeemed, net of redemption fees” in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets.

Transactions in shares of capital stock for the dates listed below were as follows:

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

 

     

For the Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

Shares Sold

     25,326,792         5,573,082   

Shares Issued in Reinvestment of Dividends

     402,869         75,929   

Less Shares Redeemed

     (6,062,055)         (227,861)   

Net Increase

     19,667,606         5,421,150   
                   

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

 

     

For the Year Ended

April 30, 2013

    

For the Year Ended

April 30, 2012

 

Shares Sold

     23,292,608         1,389,727   

Shares Issued in Reinvestment of Dividends

     117,898         160,884   

Less Shares Redeemed

     (1,395,277)         (1,158,259)   

Net Increase

     22,015,229         392,352   
                   

6. MANAGEMENT AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Vulcan Value Partners, LLC (“Vulcan” or the “Adviser”), subject to the authority of the Board, is responsible for the overall management and administration of the Funds’ business affairs. Vulcan manages the investments of the Funds in accordance with each Fund’s investment objective, policies and limitations and investment guidelines established jointly by the Adviser and the Board.

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    29


Table of Contents
Notes to Financial Statements     
April 30, 2013   

 

Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Funds pay Vulcan an annual management fee of 1.00% and 1.15% for Vulcan Value Partners Fund and Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund, respectively, based on each Fund’s average daily net assets. Prior to January 1, 2013, Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund’s management fee was 1.25%, based on the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Prior to September 1, 2012, Vulcan contractually agreed with the Funds to limit the amount of each Fund’s total annual expenses to 1.50% of each Fund’s average daily net assets. Vulcan has contractually agreed with the Funds to limit the amount of each Fund’s total annual expenses (exclusive of distribution and service (12b-1) fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and extraordinary expenses) to 1.25% of each Fund’s average daily net assets. This agreement is in effect through August 31, 2013 and is reevaluated on an annual basis. Without this agreement, expenses could be higher. The Adviser is permitted to recover expenses it has borne through the agreement described above to the extent that each Fund’s expenses in later periods fall below the annual rates set forth in the relevant agreement. If the Adviser foregoes any fees and/or reimburses the Funds pursuant to this agreement with respect to a particular fiscal year, then the Adviser shall be entitled to recover from the Funds the amount forgone or reimbursed to the extent annual fund operating expenses are less than 1.25% and, prior to September 1, 2012, 1.50%, of the Funds’ average daily net assets during any fiscal year following such fiscal year.

Pursuant to this agreement, each Fund will reimburse the Adviser for any fee waivers and expense reimbursements made by the Adviser, provided that any such reimbursements made by the Funds to the Adviser will not cause the Funds’ expense limitation to exceed expense limitations in existence at the time the expense was incurred, or at the time of the reimbursement, whichever is lower, and the reimbursement is made within three years after the expenses were incurred.

For the year ended April 30, 2013, the fee waivers and/or reimbursements were as follows:

 

Fund   

Fees
Waived/Reimbursed

By Advisor

    

Recoupment of
Previously Waived Fees

by Advisor

 

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

     $                –         $        101,609   

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

     161,158           

As of April 30, 2013, the balances of recoupable expenses for each Fund were as follows:

 

Fund    2013      2012      2011      Total  

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

   $       $       $       $   

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

     161,158         124,024         199,532         484,714   

Distributor: ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI” or the “Distributor”) (an affiliate of ALPS Fund Services, Inc.) acts as the distributor of each Fund’s shares pursuant to a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. Shares are sold on a continuous basis by ADI as agent for the Funds, and ADI has agreed to use its best efforts to solicit orders for the sale of each Fund’s shares, although it is not obliged to sell any particular amount of shares. ADI is not entitled to any compensation for its services as Distributor. ADI is registered as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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     Notes to Financial Statements
   April 30, 2013

 

Principal Financial Officer: ALPS receives an annual fee of $10,000 for both Funds for providing Principal Financial Officer services to the Funds. The annual fee is billed monthly in total and allocated to each Fund. Vulcan pays this fee on behalf of the Funds.

Compliance Services: ALPS provides services that assist the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer in monitoring and testing the policies and procedures of the Trust in conjunction with requirements under Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act under the Chief Compliance Officer Services Agreement with the Trust. Under this Agreement, ALPS is paid an annual base fee of $60,000 (subject to a 5% increase per annum) and is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses. Vulcan pays this fee on behalf of the Funds.

Transfer Agent: ALPS serves as transfer, dividend paying and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund (“Transfer Agent”). ALPS is compensated based upon a $25,000 annual base fee per Fund, and annually $9 per direct open account and $7 per open account through NSCC. The Transfer Agent is also reimbursed by the Fund for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

Administrator: ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS” and the “Administrator”) (an affiliate of ADI) serves as administrator to the Funds, and each Fund has agreed to pay expenses incurred in connection with its administrative activities. Pursuant to the Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement (the “Agreement”), ALPS will provide operational services to the Funds including, but not limited to fund accounting and fund administration and generally assist in each Fund’s operations.

Annual Administrative Fee, billed monthly in total and allocated to each Fund, in the amount of the greater of (a) $210,000 annual minimum for both Funds through May 2012, and $231,525 minimum thereafter (subject to a 5% increase per annum) or (b) following basis point fee schedule:

 

Average Total Net Assets    Contractual Fee      

Between $0-$500M

   0.05%   

$500M-$1B

   0.03%   

Above $1B

   0.02%   

The Administrator is also reimbursed by the Funds for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

7. INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its Officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that may contain general indemnification clauses which may permit indemnification to the extent permissible under applicable law. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

 

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Table of Contents
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of Financial Investors Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the statements of investments, of Vulcan Value Partners Fund and Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund (the “Funds”), two of the funds constituting Financial Investors Trust, as of April 30, 2013, and the related statements of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the three years in the period then ended and for the period from December 30, 2009 (inception) to April 30, 2010. 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 their internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of April 30, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Vulcan Value Partners Fund and Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund of Financial Investors Trust as of April 30, 2013, the results of their operations for the year then ended, the changes in their net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the three years in the period then ended and for the period from December 30, 2009 (inception) to April 30, 2010, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

June 27, 2013

 

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Table of Contents
     Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

1. FUND HOLDINGS

 

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the period. Copies of the Funds’ Form N-Q are available without charge on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy the Form N-Q at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. For more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room, please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

2. FUND PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SUMMARIES

 

Each Fund’s policies and procedures used in determining how to vote proxies and information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent prior 12-month period ending June 30 are available without charge, (1) upon request, by calling (toll-free) (866) 759-5679 and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

3. TAX DESIGNATIONS

 

The Funds designate the following for federal income tax purposes for the calendar year ended December 31, 2012:

 

     

Qualified Dividend

Income

 

Dividend Received

Deduction

Vulcan Value Partners Fund

       100.00 %       71.36 %

Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund

       100.00 %       100.00 %

Pursuant to Section 852(b)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, the Vulcan Value Small Cap Fund designated $903,482 and the Vulcan Value Partners Fund designated $671,118 as long-term capital gain dividends.

4. DISCLOSURE REGARDING APPROVAL OF FUND ADVISORY AGREEMENTS

 

Vulcan Value Partners Fund and Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund (the “Vulcan Funds”)

On December 11, 2012, the Trustees met in person to discuss, among other things, the approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Vulcan Value Partners, LLC (“Vulcan”) (the “Vulcan Funds Advisory Agreement”) in accordance with Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act. The Independent Trustees met with independent legal counsel during executive session and discussed the Vulcan Funds Advisory Agreement and other related materials.

In renewing and approving the Investment Advisory Agreement with Vulcan, the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, considered the following factors with respect to the Vulcan Funds:

Investment Advisory Fee Rate: The Trustees reviewed and considered the contractual annual advisory fee to be paid by the Trust, on behalf of the Vulcan Funds, to Vulcan of 1.00% and 1.15%

 

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Table of Contents
Additional Information     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

of the daily average net assets of Vulcan Value Partners Fund and the Vulcan Value Partners Small Cap Fund, respectively, in light of the extent and quality of the advisory services provided by the Vulcan to the Vulcan Funds.

The Board received and considered information comparing the Vulcan Funds’ contractual advisory fees and overall expenses with those of funds in both the relevant expense group and universe of funds provided by FUSE Research Network LLC, an independent provider of investment company data, as well as the Vulcan Funds’ direct competitors and similar products advised by Vulcan.

Based on such information, the Trustees further determined that the contractual annual advisory fees set forth above and the total expense ratio (after waivers) of 1.25% of each Vulcan Fund, taking into account the contractual fee waivers in place, is comparable to others within such Fund’s peer universe.

Nature, Extent and Quality of the Services under the Vulcan Funds Advisory Agreement: The Trustees received and considered information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Vulcan Funds under the Vulcan Funds Advisory Agreement. The Trustees reviewed certain background materials supplied by Vulcan in its presentation, including its Form ADV.

The Trustees reviewed and considered Vulcan’s investment advisory personnel, its history as asset manager and its performance and the amount of assets currently under management by Vulcan. The Trustees also reviewed the research and decision-making processes utilized by Vulcan, including the methods adopted to seek to achieve compliance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Vulcan Funds.

The Trustees considered the background and experience of Vulcan’s management in connection with the Vulcan Funds, including reviewing the qualifications, backgrounds and responsibilities of the management team primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Vulcan Funds and the extent of the resources devoted to research and analysis of actual and potential investments.

The Trustees also reviewed the accompanying compliance-related materials and further noted that they have received reports on these services and compliance issues from Vulcan at each regular Board meeting throughout the year related to the services rendered by Vulcan with respect to the Vulcan Funds.

Performance: The Trustees reviewed performance information for the Vulcan Funds for the three-month and 1-year periods ended September 30, 2012. That review included a comparison of the Vulcan Funds’ performance to the performance of a group of comparable funds selected by FUSE Research Network LLC. The Trustees noted the favorable performance of the Vulcan Funds over the three-month and 1-year periods ended September 30, 2012 compared against funds identified by FUSE Research Network LLC. The Trustees also considered Vulcan’s discussion of the Vulcan Funds’ underlying portfolio diversification categories, its top contributors and top detractors, as well as Vulcan’s performance and reputation generally and its investment techniques, risk management controls and decision-making processes.

 

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     Additional Information
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

The Adviser’s Profitability: The Trustees received and considered a projected profitability analysis prepared by Vulcan based on the fees payable under the Vulcan Funds Advisory Agreement. The Trustees noted that each of the Vulcan Fund’s total fees and expenses were within an acceptable range of the median expenses of comparable funds identified by FUSE Research Network LLC. The Board then reviewed and discussed Vulcan’s financial statements in order to analyze the financial condition and stability and profitability of the adviser.

Economies of Scale: The Trustees considered whether economies of scale in the provision of services to the Vulcan Funds were being passed along to the shareholders. The Trustees considered whether any economies of scale, fall-out benefits or any other direct or indirect benefits would accrue to Vulcan from its relationship with the Vulcan Funds.

Other Benefits to the Adviser: The Trustees reviewed and considered any other benefits derived or to be derived by Vulcan from its relationship with the Vulcan Funds, including soft-dollar arrangements.

The Board summarized its deliberations with respect to the Vulcan Funds Advisory Agreement with Vulcan. In selecting Vulcan and approving the investment advisory agreement and fees under such agreement, the Trustees concluded that no single factor reviewed by the Trustees was identified by the Trustees to be determinative as the principal factor in whether to approve the investment advisory agreement. Further, the Independent Trustees were advised by separate independent legal counsel throughout the process. The Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees, concluded that:

 

   

the investment advisory fees to be received by Vulcan with respect to the Vulcan Funds were comparable to others within such Fund’s peer universe, as well as similar products advised by Vulcan;

   

the nature, extent and quality of services rendered by Vulcan under the Vulcan Funds Advisory Agreement were adequate;

   

the performance of the Vulcan Funds was generally comparable to the performance of the funds in its FUSE Research Network LLC peer group;

   

the profit, if any, anticipated to be realized by Vulcan in connection with the operation of the Vulcan Funds is not unreasonable, especially in light of the fee waiver agreement between the Trust and Vulcan; and

   

there were no material or other benefits accruing to Vulcan in connection with its relationship with the Vulcan Funds.

Based on the Trustees’ deliberations and their evaluation of the information described above, all of the Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees in person at the Meeting, concluded that Vulcan’s compensation for investment advisory services is consistent with the best interests of the Vulcan Funds and their shareholders.

 

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Trustees and Officers     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

  

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5

Years

Mary K. Anstine,

age 72

   Trustee    Ms. Anstine was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/Director of AV Hunter Trust and Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee    26    Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund); and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

John R. Moran, Jr.,

age 82

   Trustee    Mr. Moran was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on March 21, 1997 and re-elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Moran is formerly President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, a private foundation serving the health and hospital community in the state of Colorado. An attorney, Mr. Moran was formerly a partner with the firm of Kutak Rock & Campbell in Denver, Colorado and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. Currently, Mr. Moran is a member of the Treasurer’s Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Colorado.    26    None.

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Vulcan Value Partners, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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     Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES (continued)

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5

Years

Jeremy W. Deems,

age 36

  Trustee    Mr. Deems was appointed as a Trustee at the March 11, 2008 meeting of the Board of Trustees and elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, an investment management company, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, a liquidity resourcing company, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company (from 2004 to June 2007). Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.   26    Mr. Deems is a Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (13 funds); ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 funds) and Reaves Utility Income Fund (1 fund).

Jerry G. Rutledge,

age 68

  Trustee    Mr. Rutledge was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Rutledge is the President and owner of Rutledge’s Inc., a retail clothing business. Mr. Rutledge is currently Director of the American National Bank. He was from 1994 to 2007 a Regent of the University of Colorado.   26    Mr. Rutledge is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund), Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund) and Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund).

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Vulcan Value Partners, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Trustees and Officers     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES (continued)

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years***

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee****
  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5

Years

Michael “Ross” Shell ,

age 42

  Trustee    Mr. Shell was elected at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009.    Mr. Shell is Founder and CEO* of Red Idea, LLC, a strategic consulting/early stage venture firm (since June 2008). From 1999 to 2009, he was a part-owner and Director of Tesser, Inc., a brand agency. From December 2005 to May 2008, he was Director, Marketing and Investor Relations, of Woodbourne, a REIT/real estate hedge fund and private equity firm. Prior to this, from May 2004 to November 2005, he worked as a business strategy consultant; from June 2003 to April 2004, he was on the Global Client Services team of IDEO, a product design/innovation firm; and from 1999 to 2003, he was President of Tesser, Inc. Mr. Shell graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science.   26    None.

 

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Vulcan Value Partners, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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     Trustees and Officers
   April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE (continued)

 

                 Number of    
                 Funds in    
                 Fund    
Name,   Position(s)   Term of Office        Complex   Other
Address*   Held with   and Length of    Principal Occupation(s)   Overseen by   Directorships
& Age   Fund   Time Served**    During Past 5 Years***   Trustee****   Held by Trustee

 

Edmund J. Burke,

age 52

  Trustee, Chairman and President   Mr. Burke was elected as Chairman at the August 28, 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Burke was elected as Trustee at a special meeting of shareholders held on August 7, 2009. Mr. Burke was elected President of the Trust at the December 17, 2002 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Burke is President and a Director of ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”) (since 2005) and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”), ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and from 2001-2008, was President of AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD. Because of his positions with AHI, AAI, ADI, AFS and APSD, Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Burke is Trustee and President of the Clough Global Allocation Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2004); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Equity Fund (Trustee since 2006; President since 2005); Trustee and President of the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (since 2006); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund; and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.   26   Mr. Burke is a Trustee of Clough Global Allocation Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Equity Fund (1 fund); Clough Global Opportunities Fund (1 fund); Trustee of the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (1 fund); and Director of the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (1 fund).

 

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Vulcan Value Partners, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

Annual Report  |  April 30, 2013    39


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Trustees and Officers     
April 30, 2013 (Unaudited)   

 

OFFICERS

 

Name,

Address*

& Age

 

Position(s)

Held with

Fund

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years**

 

Kimberly R.

Storms,

age 40

  Treasurer   Ms. Storms was elected Treasurer of the Trust at the March 12, 2013 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Ms. Storms is Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration of ALPS. Ms. Storms joined ALPS in 1998 as Assistant Controller. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Storms is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Storms is also Treasurer of BPV Family of Funds and ALPS Series Trust; Assistant Treasurer of Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of Tilson Funds; and Chief Financial Officer of The Arbitrage Funds.

 

David T. Buhler,

age 41

  Secretary   Mr. Buhler was elected Secretary of the Trust at the September 11, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Buhler joined ALPS in June 2010, and is currently Vice President and Associate Counsel of ALPS, AAI, ADI and APSD. Prior to joining ALPS, Mr. Buhler served as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Founders Asset Management LLC from 2006 to 2009. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Buhler is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Buhler is also the Secretary of ALPS Variable Investment Trust and Westcore Trust.

 

Ted Uhl,

age 37

  Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)   Mr. Uhl was appointed CCO of the Trust at the June 8, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees.    Mr. Uhl joined ALPS in October 2006, and is currently Deputy Compliance Officer of ALPS. Prior to his current role, Mr. Uhl served as Senior Risk Manager for ALPS from October 2006 until June 2010. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Uhl served a Sr. Analyst with Enenbach and Associates (RIA), and a Sr. Financial Analyst at Sprint. Because of his position with ALPS, Mr. Uhl is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Mr. Uhl is also CCO of the Clough Global Funds, Reaves Utility Income Fund, Drexel Hamilton Funds and Transparent Value Trust.

 

 

 

*

All communications to Trustees and Officers may be directed to Financial Investors Trust c/o 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee/Officer began serving the Trust. Each Trustee/Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected

***

Except as otherwise indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust (currently 26) and any other investment companies for which Vulcan Value Partners, LLC provides investment advisory services (currently none).

 

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Table of Contents

 

LOGO

 


Table of Contents
Item 2. Code of Ethics.

 

  (a)

The Registrant, as of the end of the period covered by this report, has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the Registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or any persons performing similar functions on behalf of the Registrant.

 

  (b)

Not applicable.

 

  (c)

During the period covered by this report, no amendments to the provisions of the code of ethics adopted in Item 2(a) above were made.

 

  (d)

During the period covered by this report, no implicit or explicit waivers to the provisions of the code of ethics adopted in Item 2(a) above were granted.

 

  (e)

Not applicable.

 

  (f)

The Registrant’s Code of Ethics is attached as an Exhibit to this report.

 

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

The Board of Trustees of the Registrant has determined that the Registrant has at least one Audit Committee Financial Expert serving on its audit committee. The Board of Trustees of the Registrant has designated Jeremy W. Deems as the Registrant’s “Audit Committee Financial Expert.” Mr. Deems is “independent” as defined in paragraph (a)(2) of Item 3 to Form N-CSR.

 

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

 

  (a)

Audit Fees: For the Registrant’s fiscal years ended April 30, 2013 and April 30, 2012, the aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the audit of the Registrant’s annual financial statements were $407,000 and $388,330, respectively.

 

  (b)

Audit-Related Fees: For the Registrant’s fiscal years ended April 30, 2013 and April 30, 2012, the aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the verification of the Registrant’s securities and similar investments in accordance with Rule 17f-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 were $0 and $0, respectively.


Table of Contents
  (c)

Tax Fees: For the Registrant’s fiscal years ended April 30, 2013 and April 30, 2012, the aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning were $104,120 and $84,760, respectively. The fiscal year 2013 and 2012 tax fees were for services for dividend calculation, excise tax preparation and tax return preparation.

 

  (d)

All Other Fees: For the Registrant’s fiscal years ended April 30, 2013 and April 30, 2012, no fees were billed to Registrant by the principal accountant for services other than the services reported in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item.

 

  (e)(1)

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures: All services to be performed by the Registrant’s principal accountant must be pre-approved by the Registrant’s audit committee.

 

  (e)(2)

No services described in paragraphs (b) through (d) of this Item were approved by the Registrant’s audit committee pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

 

  (f)

Not applicable.

 

  (g)

The aggregate non-audit fees billed by the Registrant’s accountant in each of the last two fiscal years of the Registrant were $314,120 in 2013 and $247,760 in 2012. These fees consisted of non-audit fees billed to (i) the Registrant of $104,120 in 2013 and $84,760 in 2012 as described in response to paragraph (c) above and (ii) to ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”), an entity under common control with ALPS Advisors, Inc., the Registrant’s investment adviser, of $210,000 in 2013 and $163,000 in 2012. The non-audit fees billed to AFS related to SSAE 16 services and other compliance-related matters.

 

  (h)

The Registrant’s audit committee has considered whether the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the Registrant’s investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the Registrant that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X, is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence. The Registrant’s audit committee determined that the provision of such non-audit services is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

 

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

Not applicable.

 

Item 6. Investments.


Table of Contents
  (a)

Schedule of Investments is included as part of the Reports to Stockholders filed under Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.

 

  (b)

Not applicable.

 

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

Not applicable to Registrant.

 

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

Not applicable to Registrant.

 

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

Not applicable to Registrant.

 

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

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrant’s Board of Trustees, where those changes were implemented after the Registrant last provided disclosure in response to the requirements of Item 407(c)(2)(iv) of Regulation S-K, or this Item.

 

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 controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report.

 

  (b)

There was no change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Item 12. Exhibits.

 

  (a)(1)

Registrant’s Code of Ethics for Principal Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers, which is the subject of the disclosure required by Item 2 of Form N-


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CSR, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 12(a)(1) to the Registrant’s Certified Shareholder Report on Form N-CSR, File No. 811-8194, filed on July 7, 2008.

 

  (a)(2)

The certifications required by Rule 30a-2(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are attached hereto as Exhibit 99.Cert.

 

  (a)(3)

Not applicable.

 

  (b)

The certifications by the Registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as required by Rule 30a-2(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are attached hereto as Exhibit 99.906Cert.


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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.

FINANCIAL INVESTORS TRUST

 

By:     

/s/ Edmund J. Burke

     Edmund J. Burke (Principal Executive Officer)
     President
Date:      July 8, 2013

 

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.

FINANCIAL INVESTORS TRUST

 

By:     

/s/ Edmund J. Burke

     Edmund J. Burke (Principal Executive Officer)
     President
Date:      July 8, 2013
By:     

/s/ Kimberly R. Storms

     Kimberly R. Storms (Principal Financial Officer)
     Treasurer
Date:      July 8, 2013