<PAGE>
PROSPECTUS
October 21, 1997
WARBURG PINCUS
GROWTH & INCOME FUND
WARBURG PINCUS
BALANCED FUND
[Logo]
<PAGE>
PROSPECTUS October 21, 1997
Warburg Pincus Funds are a family of open-end mutual funds that offer investors
a variety of investment opportunities. Two funds are described in this
Prospectus:
WARBURG PINCUS GROWTH & INCOME FUND seeks long-term growth of capital and income
and a reasonable current return by investing primarily in equity securities.
WARBURG PINCUS BALANCED FUND seeks maximum total return through a combination of
long-term growth of capital and current income consistent with preservation of
capital by investing in a diversified portfolio of equity and debt investments
managed using a multi-manager approach.
NO LOAD CLASS OF COMMON SHARES
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Each Fund offers two classes of shares, one of which, the Common Shares, is
offered by this Prospectus (i) directly from the Funds' distributor, Counsellors
Securities Inc., and (ii) through various brokerage firms including Charles
Schwab & Company, Inc. Mutual Fund OneSourceTM Program; Fidelity Brokerage
Services, Inc. FundsNetworkTM Program; Jack White & Company, Inc.; and
Waterhouse Securities, Inc.
This Prospectus briefly sets forth certain information about the Funds that
investors should know before investing. Investors are advised to read this
Prospectus carefully and retain it for future reference. Additional information
about each Fund, contained in a Statement of Additional Information, has been
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') in a document
entitled 'Statement of Additional Information' and is available for reference,
along with other related materials, on the SEC Internet Web site
(http://www.sec.gov). The Statement of Additional Information is also available
upon request and without charge by calling Warburg Pincus Funds at (800)
927-2874. Information regarding the status of shareholder accounts may also be
obtained by calling Warburg Pincus Funds at the same number. Warburg Pincus
Funds maintain a Web site at www.warburg.com. The Statements of Additional
Information relating to the Funds, as amended or supplemented from time to time,
bear the same date as this Prospectus and are incorporated by reference in their
entirety into this Prospectus.
LOW MINIMUM INVESTMENT
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The minimum initial investment in each Fund is $1,000 ($500 for an IRA or
Uniform Transfers/Gifts to Minors Act account) and the minimum subsequent
investment is $100. Through the Automatic Monthly Investment Plan, subsequent
investment minimums may be as low as $50. See 'How to Purchase Shares.'
SHARES OF THE FUNDS ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF OR GUARANTEED OR ENDORSED
BY ANY BANK, AND SHARES ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT
INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD OR ANY OTHER AGENCY.
INVESTMENTS IN SHARES OF THE FUNDS INVOLVE INVESTMENT RISKS, INCLUDING THE
POSSIBLE LOSS OF THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT INVESTED.
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THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON
THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO
THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
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<PAGE>
THE FUNDS' EXPENSES
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Warburg Pincus Growth & Income Fund and Warburg Pincus Balanced Fund (each a
'Fund' and together, the 'Funds') currently offer two separate classes of
shares: Common Shares and Advisor Shares. For a description of Advisor Shares
see 'General Information.' Common Shares of the Balanced Fund pay the Fund's
distributor a 12b-1 fee. See 'Management of the Funds -- Distributor.'
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Growth &
Income Balanced
Fund Fund
-------- --------
<S> <C> <C>
Shareholder Transaction Expenses:
Maximum Sales Load Imposed on Purchases
(as a percentage of offering price).......................... 0 0
Annual Fund Operating Expenses:
(as a percentage of average net assets)
Management Fees (after fee waivers)............................ .75% .39%`D'
12b-1 Fees..................................................... .00% .25%
Other Expenses (after expense reimbursements).................. .46% .71%`D'
-------- ---
Total Fund Operating Expenses (after fee waivers
and expense reimbursements).................................. 1.21% 1.35%`D'
EXAMPLE
You would pay the following expenses
on a $1,000 investment, assuming (1) 5% annual return
and (2) redemption at the end of each time period:
1 year......................................................... $ 12 $ 14
3 years........................................................ $ 38 $ 43
5 years........................................................ $ 66 $ 74
10 years....................................................... $ 147 $ 162
</TABLE>
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`D' Absent the waiver of fees by the Funds' investment adviser and
co-administrator, Management Fees for the Balanced Fund would equal .90%,
Other Expenses would equal .85%, and Total Fund Operating Expenses would
equal 2.00%.
---------------------------
The expense table shows the costs and expenses that an investor will bear
directly or indirectly as a Common Shareholder of each Fund. Certain broker-
dealers and financial institutions also may charge their clients fees in
connection with investments in a Fund's Common Shares, which fees are not
reflected in the table. The Example should not be considered a representation of
past or future expenses; actual Fund expenses may be greater or less than those
shown. Moreover, while the Example assumes a 5% annual return, each Fund's
actual performance will vary and may result in a return greater or less than 5%.
Long-term shareholders of the Balanced Fund may pay more than the economic
equivalent of the maximum front-end sales charges permitted by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the 'NASD').
2
<PAGE>
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
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(FOR A SHARE OUTSTANDING THROUGHOUT EACH PERIOD)
The tables below set forth certain information concerning the investment
results of shares of the Warburg Pincus Growth & Income and Balanced Funds
(formerly investment portfolios of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the 'RBB Fund')) for the
periods indicated. The financial data included in this table for the six months
ended February 28, 1997 is unaudited. The financial data included in this table
for the year ended August 31, 1996 has been audited by Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P.,
independent accountants, whose report dated October 18, 1996 is incorporated by
reference to the Statements of Additional Information. The financial data for
each of the years ended August 31, 1992 through 1995 are a part of the RBB
Fund's financial statements, which have also been audited by Coopers & Lybrand
L.L.P., the RBB Fund's independent accountants. The financial data for the Funds
for the years ended August 31, 1991 and 1990 and the period ended August 31,
1989 is part of previous financial statements also audited by Coopers & Lybrand
L.L.P. Further information about the performance of the Funds is contained in
the Funds' semiannual report dated February 28, 1997 and annual report dated
August 31, 1996, copies of which may be obtained without charge by calling
Warburg Pincus Funds at (800) 927-2874.
WARBURG PINCUS GROWTH & INCOME FUND(d)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
For the Six
Months Ended For the Years Ended August 31,
February 28, 1997 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Unaudited) 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990
----------------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------ -------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net asset value,
beginning of
period.............. $ 14.90 $ 16.40 $ 14.56 $ 16.72 $11.99 $ 12.11 $11.00 $ 11.53
----- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------ -------
Income from
Investment
Operations:
Net investment
income............ 0.0291 0.1116 0.2224 .0785 .0464 .1912 .3744 .3574
Net gains (losses)
on securities
(both realized and
unrealized)....... 1.1116 (0.6633) 1.9834 1.8151 4.8499 .0402 1.6891 (.1856)
----- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------ ------
Total from
investment
operations........ 1.1407 (0.5517) 2.2058 1.8936 4.8963 .2314 2.0635 .1718
----- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------ ------
Less Distributions:
Dividends (from net
investment
income)........... (0.0166) (0.1350) (0.1824) (.0785) (.0875) (.1871) (.4043) (.3951)
Distributions (from
capital gains).... 0.0000 (0.8133) (0.1834) (3.9751) (.0788) (.1643) (.5492) (.3067)
----- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------ ------
Total
distributions..... (0.0166) (0.9483) (0.3658) (4.0536) (.1663) (.3514) (.9535) (.7018)
----- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------ ------
Net asset value, end
of period........... $ 16.02 $ 14.90 $ 16.40 $ 14.56 $16.72 $ 11.99 $12.11 $ 11.00
----- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------ ------
----- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------ ------
Total Returns........ 7.64%(c) (3.54%) 15.62% 14.41% 41.17%(e) 1.99%(e) 19.91%(e) 1.48%(e)
Ratios/Supplemental
Data:
Net assets, end of
period (000)...... $456,269 $727,627 $1,038,193 $410,658 $60,689 $28,976 $24,726 $ 1,396
Ratios of expenses
to average net
assets............ 1.21%(b) 1.21% 1.22% 1.28%(a) 1.14%(a) 1.25%(a) 1.30%(a) 1.40%(a)
Ratios of net
investment income
to average net
assets............ 0.28%(b) 0.69% 1.64% .41% .30% 1.66% 3.42% 3.32%
Portfolio turnover
rate................ 131%(c) 94% 109% 150% 344% 175% 41% 98%
Average commission
rate................ $ .0585(f) $ .0596(f) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
<CAPTION>
For the
Period
October 6,
1988
(Commencement
of
Operations)
to August 31,
1989
-------------
<S> <C>
Net asset value,
beginning of
period......... $ 10.00
-----
Income from
Investment
Operations:
Net investment
income....... .3876
Net gains
(losses) on
securities
(both
realized and
unrealized)... 1.4225
-----
Total from
investment
operations... 1.8101
-----
Less
Distributions:
Dividends (from
net
investment
income)...... (0.2833)
Distributions
(from capital
gains)....... --
-----
Total
distributions... (.2833)
-----
Net asset value,
end of
period......... $ 11.53
-----
-----
Total Returns... 18.48%(c)(e)
Ratios/Supplemental
Data:
Net assets, end
of period
(000)........ $1,150
Ratios of
expenses to
average net
assets....... 1.40%(a)(b)
Ratios of net
investment
income to
average net
assets....... 4.32%(b)
Portfolio
turnover
rate........... 111%(c)
Average
commission
rate........... N/A
</TABLE>
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(a) Without the waiver of advisory and administration fees and without the
reimbursement of certain operating expenses, the ratios of expenses to
average net assets for the Warburg Pincus Growth & Income Fund would have
been 1.28%, 1.14%, 1.28%, 2.17% and 3.81% for the years ended August 31,
1994, 1993, 1992, 1991 and 1990, respectively, and 2.82% annualized for the
period ended August 31, 1989.
(b) Annualized.
(c) Non-annualized.
(d) Financial Highlights, other than for the six months ended February 28, 1997
and for the year ended August 31, 1996, relate solely to the Common Shares
of the Warburg Pincus Growth & Income Fund investment portfolio of the RBB
Fund. Prior to December 1992, the Warburg Pincus Growth & Income Fund
investment portfolio of the RBB Fund was advised by PNC Institutional
Management Corporation.
(e) Sales load not reflected in total return. The sales load was eliminated
effective July 29, 1993.
(f) Computed by dividing the total amount of commissions paid by the total
number of shares purchased and sold during the period for which there was a
commission charged.
3
<PAGE>
WARBURG PINCUS BALANCED FUND(d)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
For the Six
Months Ended For the Years Ended August 31,
February 28, 1997 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Unaudited) 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990
----------------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net asset value,
beginning of
period......... $ 11.94 $ 11.12 $ 11.01 $ 11.71 $ 12.04 $ 12.05 $ 10.60 $ 11.32
----- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Income from
Investment
Operations:
Net investment
income....... 0.1080 0.1573 0.2080 .4132 .5555 .4408 .4213 .4080
Net gains
(losses) on
securities
(both
realized and
unrealized)... 1.0053 0.9389 1.7225 .3248 1.1253 .5155 1.7196 (.2785)
----- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Total from
investment
operations... 1.1133 1.0962 1.9305 .7380 1.6808 .9563 2.1409 .1295
----- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Less
Distributions:
Dividends (from
net
investment
income)...... (0.1080) (0.1300) (0.3136) (0.4586) (0.5412) (0.3713) (0.4128) (0.4296)
Distributions
(from capital
gains)....... (0.1511) (0.1462) (1.5069) (.9794) (1.4696) (.5950) (.2781) (.4199)
----- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Total
distributions... (0.2591) (0.2762) (1.8205) (1.4380) (2.0108) (.9663) (.6909) (.8495)
----- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Net asset value,
end of
period......... $ 12.79 $ 11.94 $ 11.12 $ 11.01 $ 11.71 $ 12.04 $ 12.05 $ 10.60
----- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
----- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Total Returns... 9.37%(c) 9.99% 21.56% 6.86%(e) 15.27%(e) 8.07%(e) 21.18%(e) 1.09%(e)
Ratios/Supplemental
Data:
Net assets, end
of period
(000)........ $35,530 $30,853 $5,342 $808 $762 $1,026 $1,290 $1,373
Ratios of
expenses to
average net
assets....... 1.35%(a)(b) 1.53%(a) 1.53%(a) 0%(a) 0%(a) .67%(a) 1.40%(a) 1.40%(a)
Ratios of net
investment
income to
average net
assets....... 1.65%(b) 1.66% 2.30% 3.76% 4.13% 3.68% 3.58% 3.80%
Portfolio
turnover
rate........... 76%(c) 108% 107% 32% 30% 93% 76% 95%
Average
commission
rate........... $ .0345(f) $ .0453(f) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
<CAPTION>
For the
Period
October 6,
1988
(Commencement
of
Operations)
to August 31,
1989
-------------
<S> <C>
Net asset value,
beginning of
period......... $ 10.00
-----
Income from
Investment
Operations:
Net investment
income....... .4371
Net gains
(losses) on
securities
(both
realized and
unrealized)... 1.2239
-----
Total from
investment
operations... 1.6610
-----
Less
Distributions:
Dividends (from
net
investment
income)...... (0.3419)
Distributions
(from capital
gains)....... --
-----
Total
distributions... (.3419)
-----
Net asset value,
end of
period......... $ 11.32
-----
-----
Total Returns... 17.03%(c)(e)
Ratios/Supplemental
Data:
Net assets, end
of period
(000)........ $1,128
Ratios of
expenses to
average net
assets....... 1.40%(a)(b)
Ratios of net
investment
income to
average net
assets....... 4.90%(b)
Portfolio
turnover
rate........... 35%(c)
Average
commission
rate........... N/A
</TABLE>
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(a) Without the waiver of advisory and administration fees and without the
reimbursement of certain operating expenses, the ratios of expenses to
average net assets for the Warburg Pincus Balanced Fund would have been
2.00% (annualized) for the six months ended February 28, 1997 and 2.43%,
6.04%, 5.46%, 5.37%, 3.88%, 3.89% and 3.76% for the years ended August 31,
1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991 and 1990, respectively, and 2.83%
(annualized) for the period ended August 31, 1989.
(b) Annualized.
(c) Non-annualized.
(d) Financial Highlights, other than for the six months ended February 28, 1997
and for the year ended August 31, 1996, relate solely to the Common Shares
of the Warburg Pincus Balanced Fund investment portfolio of the RBB Fund.
Prior to October 1, 1994, the Warburg Pincus Balanced Fund investment
portfolio of the RBB Fund was advised by PNC Institutional Management
Corporation.
(e) Sales load not reflected in total return. The sales load was eliminated
effective August 31, 1994.
(f) Computed by dividing the total amount of commissions paid by the total
number of shares purchased and sold during the period for which there was a
commission charged.
4
<PAGE>
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
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Each Fund's investment objective(s) and policies are non-fundamental policies
and may be changed by the Fund's Board of Directors (the 'Board') without first
obtaining the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of that Fund. Any
changes may result in the Fund having investment objectives different from those
an investor may have considered at the time of investment. Any investment
involves risk and, therefore, there can be no assurance that any Fund will
achieve its investment objective. See 'Portfolio Investments' and 'Certain
Investment Strategies' for descriptions of certain types of investments the
Funds may make.
GROWTH & INCOME FUND
The Growth & Income Fund's investment objectives are to seek long-term growth
of capital and income and a reasonable current return. The Fund is a diversified
management investment company that pursues its objectives by investing primarily
in equity securities. The policy of the Fund is to invest, under normal market
conditions, substantially all of its assets in equity securities that Warburg
Pincus Asset Management, Inc., the Funds' investment adviser ('Warburg'),
considers to be relatively undervalued. Warburg will determine whether a company
is undervalued based upon research and analysis, taking into account, among
other factors, price/earnings ratio, price/book ratio, price/cash flow ratio,
earnings growth, debt/capital ratio and multiples of earnings of comparable
securities. Other relevant factors, including a company's asset value, franchise
value and quality of management, will also be considered. These factors are not
applied to prospective investments in a mechanical way; rather, Warburg analyzes
each security individually, taking all relevant factors into account. Equity
securities include common stocks, securities which are convertible into common
stocks and readily marketable securities, such as rights and warrants, which
derive their value from common stock.
The Fund may hold securities of any size, but currently expects to focus on
companies with market capitalizations of $1 billion or greater at the time of
initial purchase. The Fund seeks to achieve its income objective by investing in
dividend-paying equity securities. The amount of income generated from the Fund
will fluctuate, and investments in common stock in general are subject to market
risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Therefore, an
investment in the Fund may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear
the risk of these fluctuations.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in securities of foreign
issuers and may hold from time to time various foreign currencies pending
investment in foreign securities or conversion into U.S. dollars. The Fund may
also purchase without limitation dollar-denominated American Depository Receipts
('ADRs'). ADRs are issued by domestic banks and evidence ownership of underlying
foreign securities.
5
<PAGE>
BALANCED FUND
The Balanced Fund's investment objective is to seek to maximize total return
through a combination of long-term growth of capital and current income
consistent with preservation of capital. The Fund is a diversified management
investment company that pursues its objective through a policy of diversified
investment in common stocks, convertible and non-convertible preferred stocks
and debt securities, such as corporate, U.S. government, municipal, bank and
commercial obligations and asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. At all
times, the Fund will have a minimum of 25% of its assets in equity securities
and a minimum of 25% in fixed income securities. The Fund may invest up to 15%
of its total assets in securities of foreign issuers. Compliance with these
percentage requirements may limit the ability of the Fund to maximize total
return. With respect to convertible senior securities, only that portion of the
value of such securities attributable to their fixed income characteristics will
be used for purposes of determining the percentage of the assets of the Fund
that are invested in fixed income securities. The actual percentage of assets
invested in equity and fixed income securities will vary from time to time,
depending on the judgment of Warburg, as to general market and economic
conditions, trends and yields and interest rates and changes in fiscal and
monetary policies.
The Fund will be managed by a team of senior managers of Warburg. Two
managers are designated overall portfolio strategists and are responsible for
determining the portion of the Fund allocated between equity and fixed income
securities and the allocation among the various equity sectors. See 'Management
of the Funds -- Portfolio Managers' for information about the portfolio
managers.
EQUITY INVESTMENT. Each of the equity portfolio managers will manage an
allocated portion of the equity holdings of the Fund. Each manager will manage
his/her portion with a different investment emphasis or approach, but in each
case consistent with the overall objective of long-term growth of capital for
the Balanced Fund's equity portion.
The four sectors in the equity portion are:
U.S. Value Sector invests primarily in stocks whose acquisition price
represents low absolute or relative value, based on historical and financial
analysis and compared to other stocks and sectors of the Standard & Poor's 500
universe of common stocks and other indexes.
U.S. Small Company Sector invests primarily in common stocks and warrants of
small capitalization and emerging growth U.S. companies that represent
attractive opportunities for maximum capital appreciation. Emerging growth
companies are small- and medium-sized companies that have passed their start-up
phase and that show positive earnings and prospects for achieving significant
profit and gain in a relatively short period of time. Small capitalization
companies may be purchased for their growth potential or because Warburg
believes they are undervalued.
6
<PAGE>
U.S. Large Company Sector invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of
common stocks, warrants and convertible securities of 'large capitalization'
U.S. companies, i.e., companies having stock market capitalizations of $1
billion or greater at the time of initial purchase.
International Equity Sector invests primarily in a broadly diversified
portfolio of equity securities of companies that, wherever organized, have their
principal business activities and interests outside the United States. The
international equity managers intend to invest principally in the securities of
financially strong companies with opportunities for growth within growing
international economies and markets through increased earnings power and
improved utilization or recognition of assets. Investments may be made in equity
securities of companies of any size, whether traded on or off a national
securities exchange.
FIXED INCOME INVESTMENT. The fixed income portion invests primarily in debt
instruments such as corporate, U.S. government, municipal, bank and commercial
obligations and asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities.
PORTFOLIO INVESTMENTS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEBT SECURITIES. The Growth & Income and Balanced Funds may each invest in
debt securities and preferred stocks. Debt obligations of corporations in which
the Funds may invest include corporate bonds, debentures, debentures convertible
into common stocks and notes. The interest income to be derived may be
considered as one factor in selecting debt securities for investment by Warburg.
The market value of debt obligations may be expected to vary depending upon,
among other factors, interest rates, the ability of the issuer to repay
principal and interest, any change in investment rating and general economic
conditions.
Up to 10% of a Fund's net assets may be invested in debt securities rated
below investment grade, including convertible debt securities. A security will
be deemed to be investment grade if it is rated within the four highest grades
by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ('Moody's') or Standard & Poor's Ratings
Services ('S&P') or, if unrated, is determined to be of comparable quality by
Warburg. Bonds rated in the fourth highest grade may have speculative
characteristics and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are
more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make principal and interest
payments than is the case with higher grade bonds. A Fund's holdings of debt
securities rated below investment grade (commonly referred to as 'junk bonds')
may be rated as low as C by Moody's or D by S&P at the time of purchase, or may
be unrated securities considered to be of equivalent quality. Securities that
are rated C by Moody's comprise the lowest rated class and can be regarded as
having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Debt rated D by S&P is in default or is expected to default upon maturity or
payment date. In selecting debt securities for a Fund, Warburg will review and
monitor the creditworthiness of each issuer and issue, in addition to relying on
ratings assigned by Moody's or S&P. Interest rate trends and specific
developments which may affect individual
7
<PAGE>
issuers will also be analyzed. Subsequent to its purchase by a Fund, an issue of
securities may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced. Neither event
will require sale of such securities, although Warburg will consider such event
in its determination of whether a Fund should continue to hold the securities.
When Warburg believes that a defensive posture is warranted, a Fund may
invest temporarily without limit in investment grade debt obligations and in
domestic and foreign money market obligations, incuding repurchase agreements.
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
government in which a Fund may invest include: direct obligations of the U.S.
Treasury and obligations issued by U.S. government agencies and
instrumentalities. Included among direct obligations of the United States are
Treasury Bills, Treasury Notes and Treasury Bonds, which differ principally in
terms of their maturities. Treasury Bills have maturities of less than one year,
Treasury Notes have maturities of one to 10 years and Treasury Bonds generally
have maturities of greater than 10 years at the date of issuance. Included among
the obligations issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the United States
are: instruments that are supported by the full faith and credit of the United
States (such as certificates issued by the Government National Mortgage
Association); instruments that are supported by the right of the issuer to
borrow from the U.S. Treasury (such as securities of Federal Home Loan Banks);
and instruments that are supported by the credit of the instrumentality (such as
Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
bonds).
MONEY MARKET OBLIGATIONS. Each Fund is authorized to invest, under normal
market conditions, up to 20% of its assets in domestic and foreign short-term
(one year or less remaining to maturity) money market obligations. Money market
instruments consist of obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government
or a foreign government, their agencies or instrumentalities; bank obligations
(including certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers' acceptances of
domestic or foreign banks, domestic savings and loans and similar institutions)
that are high quality investments; commercial paper rated no lower than A-2 by
S&P or Prime-2 by Moody's or the equivalent from another major rating service
or, if unrated, of an issuer having an outstanding, unsecured debt issue then
rated within the three highest rating categories; and repurchase agreements with
respect to the foregoing.
Repurchase Agreements. Each Fund may invest in repurchase agreement
transactions with member banks of the Federal Reserve System and certain
non-bank dealers. Repurchase agreements are contracts under which the buyer of a
security simultaneously commits to resell the security to the seller at an
agreed-upon price and date. Under the terms of a typical repurchase agreement, a
Fund would acquire any underlying security for a relatively short period
(usually not more than one week) subject to an obligation of the
8
<PAGE>
seller to repurchase, and the Fund to resell, the obligation at an agreed-upon
price and time, thereby determining the yield during the Fund's holding period.
This arrangement results in a fixed rate of return that is not subject to market
fluctuations during the Fund's holding period. The value of the underlying
securities will at all times be at least equal to the total amount of the
purchase obligation, including interest. The Fund bears a risk of loss in the
event that the other party to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligations
or becomes bankrupt and the Fund is delayed or prevented from exercising its
right to dispose of the collateral securities, including the risk of a possible
decline in the value of the underlying securities during the period while the
Fund seeks to assert this right. Warburg, acting under the supervision of each
Fund's Board, monitors the creditworthiness of those bank and non-bank dealers
with which the Fund enters into repurchase agreements to evaluate this risk. A
repurchase agreement is considered to be a loan under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended (the '1940 Act').
Money Market Mutual Funds. Where Warburg believes that it would be beneficial
to a Fund and appropriate considering the factors of return and liquidity, a
Fund may invest up to 5% of its assets in securities of money market mutual
funds that are unaffiliated with the Fund, Warburg or the Fund's
co-administrator, PFPC Inc. ('PFPC'). As a shareholder in any mutual fund, a
Fund will bear its ratable share of the mutual fund's expenses, including
management fees, and will remain subject to payment of the Fund's administration
fees and other expenses with respect to assets so invested.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. Convertible securities in which a Fund may invest,
including both convertible debt and convertible preferred stock, may be
converted at either a stated price or stated rate into underlying shares of
common stock. Because of this feature, convertible securities enable an investor
to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock.
Convertible securities provide higher yields than the underlying equity
securities, but generally offer lower yields than non-convertible securities of
similar quality. The value of convertible securities fluctuates in relation to
changes in interest rates like bonds and, in addition, fluctuates in relation to
the underlying common stock. Up to 10% of a Fund's net assets may be invested in
convertible securities rated below investment grade at the time of purchase (as
low as C by Moody's or D by S&P) or deemed by Warburg to be of equivalent
quality.
WARRANTS. A Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets in warrants.
Warrants are securities that give the holder the right, but not the obligation,
to purchase equity issues of the company issuing the warrants, or a related
company, at a fixed price either on a date certain or during a set period.
ASSET-BACKED AND MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES. A Fund may purchase asset-backed
and mortgage-backed securities.
Asset-backed securities are collateralized by interests in pools of consumer
loans, with interest and principal payments ultimately depending on
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payments in respect of the underlying loans by individuals (or a financial
institution providing credit enhancement). Because market experience in these
securities is limited, the market's ability to sustain liquidity through all
phases of the market cycle has not been tested. In addition, there is no
assurance that the security interest in the collateral can be realized. The
remaining maturity of any asset-backed security a Fund invests in will be 397
days or less. A Fund may purchase asset-backed securities that are unrated.
Mortgage-backed securities are collateralized by mortgages or interests in
mortgages and may be issued by government or non-government entities.
Non-government issued mortgage-backed securities may offer higher yields than
those issued by government entities, but may be subject to greater price
fluctuations. The value of mortgage-backed securities may change due to shifts
in the market's perceptions of issuers, and regulatory or tax changes may
adversely affect the mortgage securities market as a whole. Prepayment, which
occurs when unscheduled or early payments are made on the underlying mortgages,
may shorten the effective maturities of these securities and may lower their
returns.
RISK FACTORS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
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Investing in securities is subject to the inherent risk of fluctuations in
prices. For certain additional risks relating to each Fund's investments, see
'Portfolio Investments' beginning at page 7 and 'Certain Investment Strategies'
beginning at page 13.
NON-PUBLICLY TRADED SECURITIES; RULE 144A SECURITIES. Each Fund may purchase
securities that are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the 'Securities Act'), but that can be sold to 'qualified institutional buyers'
in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act ('Rule 144A Securities').
An investment in Rule 144A Securities will be considered illiquid and therefore
subject to each Fund's limitation on the purchase of illiquid securities, unless
the Fund's Board determines on an ongoing basis that an adequate trading market
exists for the security. In addition to an adequate trading market, the Boards
will also consider factors such as trading activity, availability of reliable
price information and other relevant information in determining whether a Rule
144A Security is liquid. This investment practice could have the effect of
increasing the level of illiquidity in the Funds to the extent that qualified
institutional buyers become uninterested for a time in purchasing Rule 144A
Securities. The Board of each Fund will carefully monitor any investments by the
Fund in Rule 144A Securities. The Boards may adopt guidelines and delegate to
Warburg the daily function of determining and monitoring the liquidity of Rule
144A Securities, although each Board will retain ultimate responsibility for any
determination regarding liquidity.
Non-publicly traded securities (including Rule 144A Securities) may involve a
high degree of business and financial risk and may result in substantial losses.
These securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities, and a Fund
may take longer to liquidate these positions than
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would be the case for publicly traded securities. Although these securities may
be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized on such
sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund. Further, companies
whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure
and other investor protection requirements applicable to companies whose
securities are publicly traded. A Fund's investment in illiquid securities is
subject to the risk that should the Fund desire to sell any of these securities
when a ready buyer is not available at a price that is deemed to be
representative of their value, the value of the Fund's net assets could be
adversely affected.
BELOW INVESTMENT GRADE SECURITIES. Medium- and lower-rated debt securities
and comparable unrated securities (commonly referred to as 'junk bonds') (i)
will likely have some quality and protective characteristics that, in the
judgment of the rating organizations, are outweighed by large uncertainties or
major risk exposures to adverse conditions and (ii) are predominately
speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest and repay
principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. The market values of
certain of these securities also tend to be more sensitive to individual
corporate developments and changes in economic conditions than higher-quality
securities. In addition, medium- and lower-rated securities and comparable
unrated securities generally present a higher degree of credit risk. The risk of
loss due to default by such issuers is significantly greater because medium- and
lower-rated securities and unrated securities generally are unsecured and
frequently are subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness.
The market value of securities in these ratings categories is more volatile
than that of higher quality securities. In addition, a Fund may have difficulty
disposing of certain of these securities because there may be a thin trading
market. The lack of a liquid secondary market for certain securities may have an
adverse impact on the Funds' ability to dispose of particular issues and may
make it more difficult for a Fund to obtain accurate market quotations for
purposes of valuing the Funds and calculating their respective net asset values.
For a complete description of rating systems of Moody's and S&P, see the
appendix to the Statement of Additional Information for each Fund.
WARRANTS. At the time of issue, the cost of a warrant is substantially less
than the cost of the underlying security itself, and price movements in the
underlying security are generally magnified in the price movements of the
warrant. This leveraging effect enables the investor to gain exposure to the
underlying security with a relatively low capital investment. This leveraging
increases an investor's risk, however, in the event of a decline in the value of
the underlying security and can result in a complete loss of the amount invested
in the warrant. In addition, the price of a warrant tends to be more volatile
than, and may not correlate exactly to, the price of the underlying security. If
the market price of the underlying security is below the exercise
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price of the warrant on its expiration date, the warrant will generally expire
without value.
BALANCED FUND
EMERGING GROWTH AND SMALL COMPANIES. Investing in securities of emerging
growth and small- and medium-sized companies may involve greater risks, since
these securities may have limited marketability and, thus, may be more volatile
than securities of larger, more established companies or the market in general.
Because small- and medium-sized companies normally have fewer shares outstanding
than larger companies, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell
significant amounts of such shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing
prices. Small-sized companies may have limited product lines, markets or
financial resources and may lack management depth. In addition, small- and
medium-sized companies are typically subject to a greater degree of changes in
earnings and business prospects than are larger, more established companies.
There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and
medium-sized companies than for larger, more established ones. Although
investing in securities of emerging growth companies offers potential for
above-average returns if the companies are successful, the risk exists that the
companies will not succeed and the prices of the companies' shares could
significantly decline in value. Therefore, the Balanced Fund's U.S. Small
Company Sector may involve a greater degree of risk than investment in
better-known, larger companies.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND TURNOVER RATE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Fund will attempt to purchase securities with the intent of holding them
for investment but may purchase and sell portfolio securities whenever Warburg
believes it to be in the best interests of the relevant Fund. A Fund will not
consider portfolio turnover rate a limiting factor in making investment
decisions consistent with its investment objective and policies. It is not
possible to predict the Funds' portfolio turnover rates. High portfolio turnover
rates (100% or more) may result in dealer markups or underwriting commissions as
well as other transaction costs, including correspondingly higher brokerage
commissions. In addition, short-term gains realized from portfolio turnover may
be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. The Balanced Fund's portfolio
turnover policy is the same for both the common stock and non-common stock
portions of its portfolio. See 'Dividends, Distributions and Taxes -- Taxes'
below and 'Investment Policies -- Portfolio Transactions' in each Fund's
Statement of Additional Information.
All orders for transactions in securities or options on behalf of a Fund are
placed by Warburg with broker-dealers that it selects, including Counsellors
Securities Inc., the Funds' distributor ('Counsellors Securities'). A Fund may
utilize Counsellors Securities in connection with a purchase or sale of
securities when Warburg believes that the charge for the transaction does not
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exceed usual and customary levels and when doing so is consistent with
guidelines adopted by the Fund's Board.
CERTAIN INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although there is no current intention of doing so during the coming year,
each Fund is authorized to engage in the following investment strategies: (i)
lending portfolio securities and (ii) entering into reverse repurchase
agreements. Detailed information concerning each Fund's strategies and related
risks is contained below and in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
STRATEGIES AVAILABLE TO BOTH FUNDS
FOREIGN SECURITIES. There are certain risks involved in investing in
securities of companies and governments of foreign nations which are in addition
to the usual risks inherent in U.S. investments. These risks include those
resulting from fluctuations in currency exchange rates, revaluation of
currencies, future adverse political and economic developments and the possible
imposition of currency exchange blockages or other foreign governmental laws or
restrictions, reduced availability of public information concerning issuers, the
lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and other
regulatory practices and requirements that are often generally less rigorous
than those applied in the United States. Moreover, securities of many foreign
companies may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of
securities of comparable U.S. companies. Certain foreign countries are known to
experience long delays between the trade and settlement dates of securities
purchased or sold. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there
is the possibility of expropriation, nationalization, confiscatory taxation and
limitations on the use or removal of funds or other assets of the Funds,
including the withholding of dividends. Foreign securities may be subject to
foreign government taxes that would reduce the net yield on such securities.
Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from
the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of
inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of
payments positions. Investment in foreign securities will also result in higher
operating expenses due to the cost of converting foreign currency into U.S.
dollars, the payment of fixed brokerage commissions on foreign exchanges, which
generally are higher than commissions on U.S. exchanges, higher valuation and
communications costs and the expense of maintaining securities with foreign
custodians.
DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS. Certain of the above risks may be involved with ADRs,
European Depositary Receipts ('EDRs') and International Depositary Receipts
('IDRs'), instruments that evidence ownership in underlying securities issued by
a foreign corporation. ADRs, EDRs and IDRs may not necessarily be denominated in
the same currency as the securities whose ownership they represent. ADRs are
typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust
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company. EDRs (sometimes referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts) are
issued in Europe, and IDRs (sometimes referred to as Global Depositary Receipts)
are issued outside the United States, each typically by non-U.S. banks and trust
companies.
STRATEGIC AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS. At the discretion of Warburg, a Fund may,
but is not required to, engage in a number of strategies involving options,
futures and forward currency contracts. These strategies, commonly referred to
as 'derivatives,' may be used (i) for the purpose of hedging against a decline
in value of a Fund's current or anticipated portfolio holdings, (ii) as a
substitute for purchasing or selling portfolio securities or (iii) except with
respect to currency exchange transactions, to seek to generate income to offset
expenses or increase return. TRANSACTIONS THAT ARE NOT CONSIDERED HEDGING SHOULD
BE CONSIDERED SPECULATIVE AND MAY SERVE TO INCREASE A FUND'S INVESTMENT RISK.
Transaction costs and any premiums associated with these strategies, and any
losses incurred, will affect a Fund's net asset value and performance.
Therefore, an investment in a Fund may involve a greater risk than an investment
in other mutual funds that do not utilize these strategies. The Funds' use of
these strategies may be limited by position and exercise limits established by
securities and commodities exchanges and other applicable regulatory
authorities.
Securities and Stock Index Options. Each Fund may write covered call options
and put options and purchase put and call options on securities and stock
indexes and will realize fees (referred to as 'premiums') for granting the
rights evidenced by the options. Such options may be traded on an exchange or
may trade over-the-counter ('OTC'). The purchaser of a put option on a security
has the right to compel the purchase by the writer of the underlying security,
while the purchaser of a call option on a security has the right to purchase the
underlying security from the writer. A stock index measures the movement of a
certain group of stocks by assigning relative values to the stocks included in
the index.
The potential loss associated with purchasing an option is limited to the
premium paid, and the premium would partially offset any gains achieved from its
use. However, for an option writer the exposure to adverse price movements in
the underlying security or index is potentially unlimited during the exercise
period. Writing securities options may result in substantial losses to a Fund,
force the sale or purchase of portfolio securities at inopportune times or at
less advantageous prices, limit the amount of appreciation the Fund could
realize on its investments or require the Fund to hold securities it would
otherwise sell.
Futures Contracts and Related Options. Each Fund may enter into foreign
currency, interest rate and stock index futures contracts and purchase and write
(sell) related options that are traded on an exchange designated by the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the 'CFTC') or, if consistent with CFTC
regulations, on foreign exchanges. These futures contracts are standardized
contracts for the future delivery of an interest rate sensitive
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security or, in the case of index futures contracts, are settled in cash with
reference to a specified multiplier times the change in the specified interest
rate or index. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in
return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract.
Aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish positions other
than those considered by the CFTC to be 'bona fide hedging' will not exceed 5%
of a Fund's net asset value, after taking into account unrealized profits and
unrealized losses on any such contracts. Although the Funds are limited in the
amount of assets that may be invested in futures transactions, there is no
overall limit on the percentage of Fund assets that may be at risk with respect
to futures activities.
Currency Exchange Transactions. A Fund will conduct its currency exchange
transactions either (i) on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the rate prevailing in
the currency exchange market, (ii) through entering into futures contracts or
options on futures contracts (as described above), (iii) through entering into
foward contracts to purchase or sell currency or (iv) by purchasing exchange-
traded currency options. A forward currency contract involves an obligation to
purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time
of the contract. An option on a foreign currency operates similarly to an option
on a security. Risks associated with currency forward contracts and purchasing
currency options are similar to those described in this Prospectus for futures
contracts and securities and stock index options. In addition, the use of
currency transactions could result in losses from the imposition of foreign
exchange controls, suspension of settlement or other governmental actions or
unexpected events.
Hedging Considerations. A hedge is designed to offset a loss on a portfolio
position with a gain in the hedge position; at the same time, however, a
properly correlated hedge will result in a gain in the portfolio position being
offset by a loss in the hedge position. As a result, the use of options and
futures contracts and currency exchange transactions for hedging purposes could
limit any potential gain from an increase in value of the position hedged. In
addition, the movement in the portfolio position hedged may not be of the same
magnitude as movement in the hedge. A Fund will engage in hedging transactions
only when deemed advisable by Warburg, and successful use of hedging
transactions will depend on Warburg's ability to correctly predict movements in
the hedge and the hedged position and the correlation between them, which could
prove to be inaccurate. Even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful to some
degree because of unexpected market behavior or trends.
Additional Considerations. To the extent that a Fund engages in the
strategies described above, the Fund may experience losses greater than if these
strategies had not been utilized. In addition to the risks described above,
these instruments may be illiquid and/or subject to trading limits, and the Fund
may be unable to close out an option or futures position without
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incurring substantial losses, if at all. A Fund is also subject to the risk of a
default by a counterparty to an off-exchange transaction.
Asset Coverage. Each Fund will comply with applicable regulatory requirements
designed to eliminate any potential for leverage with respect to options written
by that Fund on securities and indexes; currency, interest rate and stock index
futures contracts and options on these futures contracts; and forward currency
contracts. The use of these strategies may require that the Fund maintain cash
or liquid securities in a segregated account with its custodian or a designated
sub-custodian to the extent the Fund's obligations with respect to these
strategies are not otherwise 'covered' through ownership of the underlying
security or financial instrument or by other portfolio positions or by other
means consistent with applicable regulatory policies. Segregated assets cannot
be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place
or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. As a result, there is a
possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund's assets could
impede portfolio management or the Fund's ability to meet redemption requests or
other current obligations.
SHORT SALES AGAINST THE BOX. Each Fund may enter into a short sale of
securities such that when the short position is open the Fund owns an equal
amount of the securities sold short or owns preferred stocks or debt securities,
convertible or exchangeable without payment of further consideration, into an
equal number of securities sold short. This kind of short sale, which is
referred to as one 'against the box,' may be entered into by a Fund to, for
example, lock in a sale price for a security the Fund does not wish to sell
immediately. A Fund will deposit, in a segregated account with its custodian or
a qualified subcustodian, the securities sold short or convertible or
exchangeable preferred stocks or debt securities in connection with short sales
against the box. Not more than 10% of a Fund's net assets (taken at current
value) may be held as collateral for short sales against the box at any one
time.
WHEN-ISSUED SECURITIES AND DELAYED-DELIVERY TRANSACTIONS. A Fund may utilize
up to 20% of its total assets to purchase securities on a when-issued or
delayed-delivery basis. In these transactions, payment for and delivery of the
securities occur beyond the regular settlement dates, normally within 30-45 days
after the transaction. The payment obligation and the interest rate that will be
received in when-issued and delayed-delivery transactions are fixed at the time
the buyer enters into the commitment. Due to fluctuations in the value of
securities purchased on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, the yields
obtained on such securities may be higher or lower than the yields available in
the market on the dates when the investments are actually delivered to the
buyers. When-issued securities may include securities purchased on a 'when, as
and if issued' basis, under which the issuance of the security depends on the
occurrence of a subsequent event, such as approval of a merger, corporate
reorganization or debt restructuring. Each
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Fund is required to segregate assets equal to the amount of its when-issued and
delayed-delivery purchase commitments.
STRATEGY AVAILABLE TO THE GROWTH & INCOME FUND
REITS. The Growth & Income Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets in
real estate investment trusts ('REITs'), which are pooled investment vehicles
that invest primarily in income-producing real estate or real estate related
loans or interests. Like regulated investment companies such as the Fund, REITs
are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with
several requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
'Code'). By investing in a REIT, the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate
share of any expenses paid by the REIT in addition to the expenses of the Fund.
Investing in REITs involves certain risks. A REIT may be affected by changes
in the value of the underlying property owned by such REIT or by the quality of
any credit extended by the REIT. REITs are dependent on management skills, are
not diversified (except to the extent the Code requires), and are subject to the
risks of financing projects. REITs are subject to heavy cash flow dependency,
default by borrowers, self-liquidation, the possibilities of failing to qualify
for the exemption for tax for distributed income under the Code and failing to
maintain their exemptions from the 1940 Act. REITs are also subject to interest
rate risks.
STRATEGY AVAILABLE TO THE BALANCED FUND
MUNICIPAL OBLIGATIONS. The Balanced Fund may invest up to 15% of its total
assets in obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and
possessions of the United States, the District of Columbia and their political
subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities and authorities ('Municipal
Obligations'), the interest on which, in the opinion of bond counsel or counsel
to the issuer, as the case may be, is exempt from regular federal income tax.
The two principal types of Municipal Obligations, in terms of the source of
payment of debt service on the bonds, are general obligation bonds and revenue
securities, and the Fund may hold both in any proportion. General obligation
bonds are secured by the issuer's pledge of its full faith, credit and taxing
power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue securities are payable
only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities
or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific
revenue source but not from the general taxing power.
To the extent the Fund's assets are concentrated in Municipal Obligations
that are payable from the revenues of economically related projects or
facilities or whose issuers are located in the same state, the Fund will be
subject to the peculiar risks presented by the laws and economic conditions
relating to such states or projects or facilities to a greater extent than it
would be if its assets were not so concentrated.
Private Activity Bonds; Alternative Minimum Tax Bonds. The Fund may invest in
'Alternative Minimum Tax Bonds,' which are certain private activity
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bonds issued after August 7, 1986 to finance certain non-governmental
activities. While the income from Alternative Minimum Tax Bonds is exempt from
regular federal income tax, it is a tax preference item for purposes of the
federal individual and corporate 'alternative minimum tax.' The alternative
minimum tax is a special tax that applies to a limited number of taxpayers who
have certain adjustments or tax preference items. Available returns on
Alternative Minimum Tax Bonds acquired by the Fund may be lower than those from
other Municipal Obligations acquired by a Fund due to the possibility of
federal, state and local alternative minimum or minimum income tax liability on
Alternative Minimum Tax Bonds.
Variable Rate Notes. Municipal Obligations purchased by the Fund may include
variable rate demand notes issued by industrial development authorities and
other governmental entities. Variable rate demand notes are tax exempt Municipal
Obligations that provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on
the notes. While there may be no active secondary market with respect to a
particular variable rate demand note purchased by the Fund, the Fund may, upon
notice as specified in the note, demand payment of the principal of and accrued
interest on the note at any time or during specified periods not exceeding one
year (depending on the instrument involved) and may resell the note at any time
to a third party. The absence of such an active secondary market, however, could
make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of the variable rate demand note
involved, in the event the issuer of the note defaulted on its payment
obligations and during the periods that the Fund is not entitled to exercise its
demand rights. The Fund could, for this or other reasons, suffer a loss to the
extent of the default plus any expenses involved in an attempt to recover the
investment.
Variable rate demand notes are frequently not rated by credit rating
agencies, but unrated notes purchased by the Fund will have been determined by
Warburg to be of comparable quality at the time of the purchase to rated
instruments purchasable by the Fund. Warburg monitors the continuing
creditworthiness of issuers of such notes to determine whether the Fund should
continue to hold such notes.
Ratings. The Fund may invest in Municipal Obligations which are determined by
Warburg to present minimal credit risks and which at the time of purchase are
considered to be 'high grade' -- e.g., rated 'A' or higher by S&P or Moody's in
the case of bonds; rated 'SP-1' by S&P or 'MIG-2' by Moody's in the case of
notes; rated 'VMIG-2' by Moody's in the case of variable rate demand notes. The
Fund may also purchase securities that are unrated at the time of purchase
provided that the securities are determined to be of comparable quality by
Warburg. The applicable Municipal Obligations ratings are described in the
Appendix to the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
ZERO COUPON SECURITIES. The Balanced Fund may invest up to 15% of its assets
in 'zero coupon securities.' Zero coupon securities pay no cash income to their
holders until they mature and are issued at substantial discounts from
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their value at maturity. When held to maturity, their entire return comes from
the difference between their purchase price and their maturity value. Because
interest on zero coupon securities is not paid on a current basis, the values of
securities of this type are subject to greater fluctuations than are the values
of securities that distribute income regularly and may be more speculative than
such other securities. Accordingly, the values of these securities may be highly
volatile as interest rates rise or fall. Redemption of shares of the Fund that
require it to sell zero coupon securities prior to maturity may result in
capital gains or losses that may be substantial. In addition, a Fund's
investment in zero coupon securities will result in special tax consequences,
which are described under 'Dividends, Distributions and Taxes -- Taxes.'
INVESTMENT GUIDELINES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in securities with
contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that are not
readily marketable ('illiquid securities'), including (i) securities issued as
part of a privately negotiated transaction between an issuer and one or more
purchasers; (ii) repurchase agreements with maturities greater than seven days;
(iii) time deposits maturing in more than seven calendar days; and (iv) certain
Rule 144A Securities. Each Fund may borrow from banks for temporary or emergency
purposes, such as meeting anticipated redemption requests, provided that reverse
repurchase agreements and any other borrowing by the Fund may not exceed 30% of
its total assets at the time of borrowing. Each Fund may also pledge its assets
in connection with borrowings up to 125% of the amount borrowed. Whenever
borrowings (including reverse repurchase agreements) exceed 5% of the value of
the Fund's total assets, the Fund will not make any additional investments
(including roll-overs). Except for the limitations on borrowing, the investment
guidelines set forth in this paragraph may be changed at any time without
shareholder consent by vote of the Board of each Fund, subject to the
limitations contained in the 1940 Act. A complete list of investment
restrictions that each Fund has adopted identifying additional restrictions that
cannot be changed without the approval of the majority of the Fund's outstanding
shares is contained in each Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
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INVESTMENT ADVISER. Each Fund employs Warburg as its investment adviser.
Warburg, subject to the control of each Fund's officers and the Board, manages
the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Funds in accordance with
each Fund's investment objective and stated investment policies. Warburg makes
investment decisions for each Fund and places orders to purchase or sell
securities on behalf of each such Fund. Warburg also employs a support staff of
management personnel to provide services to the Funds and furnishes each Fund
with office space, furnishings and equipment.
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For the services provided by Warburg, the Growth & Income Fund and the
Balanced Fund each pay Warburg a fee calculated at an annual rate of .75% and
.90%, respectively, of the Fund's average daily net assets. Warburg and each
Fund's co-administrators may voluntarily waive a portion of their fees from time
to time and temporarily limit the expenses to be paid by the Fund.
Warburg is a professional investment counselling firm which provides
investment services to investment companies, employee benefit plans, endowment
funds, foundations and other institutions and individuals. As of September 30,
1997, Warburg managed approximately $21.1 billion of assets, including
approximately $12.5 billion of investment company assets. Incorporated in 1970,
Warburg is indirectly controlled by Warburg, Pincus & Co., Inc. ('WP&Co.'),
which has no business other than being a holding company of Warburg and its
affiliates. Lionel I. Pincus, the managing partner of WP&Co., may be deemed to
control both WP&Co. and Warburg. Warburg's address is 466 Lexington Avenue, New
York, New York 10017-3147.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS. GROWTH & INCOME FUND. Brian S. Posner, a Managing
Director of Warburg, has been the Portfolio Manager of the Fund since January 9,
1997. Prior to joining Warburg in January 1997, Mr. Posner was an employee of
Fidelity Investments ('Fidelity') from 1987 until December 1996. He was the vice
president and portfolio manager of the Fidelity Equity-Income II Fund
(1992-December 1996); the portfolio manager of the Fidelity Value Fund
(1990-1992); assistant portfolio manager of the Fidelity Equity-Income Fund
(1989-1990); assistant portfolio manager of the Fidelity Capital Appreciation
Fund (1989); portfolio manager of the Fidelity Select Property-Casualty
Insurance Portfolio (1987-1990) and an equity analyst (1987). Prior to joining
Fidelity, Mr. Posner was a research associate at John Nuveen and Co. and an
analyst at Feldman Securities Corp. in Chicago.
BALANCED FUND. As described above, the Fund is managed using a multi-manager
approach where different managers are responsible for sectors of the Fund's
portfolio. Anthony G. Orphanos and Dale C. Christensen are the overall portfolio
strategists for the Fund and are responsible for determining the portion of the
Fund's portfolio to be allocated among sectors.
U.S. Value Sector. The U.S. Value Sector is managed by Anthony G. Orphanos.
Mr. Orphanos, a Managing Director of Warburg, has been with Warburg since 1977.
U.S. Small Company Sector. Elizabeth B. Dater, Stephen J. Lurito and Kyle F.
Frey manage the U.S. Small Company Sector. Ms. Dater, a Senior Managing Director
of Warburg, has been a Portfolio Manager of Warburg since 1978. Mr. Lurito, a
Managing Director of Warburg, has been with Warburg since 1987. Mr. Frey is a
Senior Vice President of Warburg and has been with Warburg since 1989.
U.S. Large Company Sector. George U. Wyper and Susan L. Black, Senior
Managing Directors of Warburg, manage the U.S. Large Company Sector. Mr. Wyper
joined Warburg in August 1994, before which time he was chief
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investment officer of White River Corporation and president of Hanover Advisors,
Inc. (1993-August 1994) and chief investment officer of Fund American
Enterprises, Inc. (1990-1993). Ms. Black has been with Warburg since 1985.
International Equity Sector. Richard H. King and Nancy Nierman manage the
International Equity Sector. Mr. King, a Senior Managing Director of Warburg,
has been with Warburg since 1988. Ms. Nierman is a Vice President of Warburg and
has been with Warburg since April 1996, before which time she was an analyst
with Fiduciary Trust Company International.
Fixed Income Sector. Dale C. Christensen, a Managing Director of Warburg,
manages the Fixed Income Sector and has been with Warburg since 1989.
CO-ADMINISTRATORS. The Funds employ Counsellors Funds Service, Inc.
('Counsellors Service'), a wholly owned subsidiary of Warburg, as a co-
administrator. As co-administrator, Counsellors Service provides shareholder
liaison services to the Funds, including responding to shareholder inquiries and
providing information on shareholder investments. Counsellors Service also
performs a variety of other services, including furnishing certain executive and
administrative services, acting as liaison between the Funds and their various
service providers, furnishing corporate secretarial services, which include
preparing materials for meetings of the Funds' Boards, preparing proxy
statements and annual, semiannual and quarterly reports, assisting in the
preparation of tax returns and monitoring and developing compliance procedures
for the Funds. As compensation, the Growth & Income Fund pays Counsellors
Service a fee calculated at an annual rate of .05% of the Fund's first $125
million of average daily net assets and .10% of average daily net assets over
$125 million, and the Balanced Fund pays Counsellors Service a fee calculated at
an annual rate of .10% of the Fund's average daily net assets.
Each Fund employs PFPC, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of PNC Bank
Corp., as a co-administrator. As a co-administrator, PFPC calculates the Fund's
net asset value, provides all accounting services for the Fund and assists in
related aspects of the Fund's operations. As compensation, the Funds each pay
PFPC a fee calculated at an annual rate of .15% of the Fund's first $1 billion
of average daily net assets and .05% of average daily net assets over $1
billion. PFPC has its principal offices at 400 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington,
Delaware 19809.
CUSTODIANS. PNC Bank, National Association ('PNC') serves as custodian of the
U.S. assets of the Funds and State Street Bank and Trust Company ('State
Street') serves as custodian of the Funds' non-U.S. assets. Like PFPC, PNC is a
subsidiary of PNC Bank Corp. and its principal business address is 1600 Market
Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. State Street's principal business
address is 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110.
TRANSFER AGENT. State Street also serves as shareholder servicing agent,
transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent for the Funds. State Street has
delegated to Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., a 50% owned subsidiary
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('BFDS'), responsibility for most shareholder servicing functions. BFDS's
principal business address is 2 Heritage Drive, North Quincy, Massachusetts
02171.
DISTRIBUTOR. Counsellors Securities serves as distributor of the shares of
the Funds. Counsellors Securities is a wholly owned subsidiary of Warburg and is
located at 466 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017-3147. No compensation
is payable by the Growth & Income Fund to Counsellors Securities for
distribution services. Counsellors Securities receives a fee at an annual rate
equal to .25% of the average daily net assets of the Balanced Fund's Common
Shares for distribution services, pursuant to a shareholder servicing and
distribution plan (the '12b-1 Plan') adopted by the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1
under the 1940 Act. Amounts paid to Counsellors Securities under a 12b-1 Plan
may be used by Counsellors Securities to cover expenses that are primarily
intended to result in, or that are primarily attributable to, (i) the sale of
the Common Shares, (ii) ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of
Common Shareholders of the Fund and (iii) sub-transfer agency services,
sub-accounting services or administrative services related to the sale of the
Common Shares, all as set forth in the 12b-1 Plan. Payments under the 12b-1 Plan
are not tied exclusively to the distribution expenses actually incurred by
Counsellors Securities and the payments may exceed distribution expenses
actually incurred. The Board of the Balanced Fund evaluates the appropriateness
of the 12b-1 Plan on a continuing basis and in doing so consider all relevant
factors, including expenses paid by Counsellors Securities and amounts received
under the 12b-1 Plan.
Warburg or its affiliates may, at their own expense, provide promotional
incentives for qualified recipients who support the sale of shares of a Fund,
consisting of securities dealers who have sold Fund shares or others, including
banks and other financial institutions, under special arrangements. Incentives
may include oportunities to attend business meetings, conferences, sales or
training programs for recipients' employees or clients and other programs or
events and may also include opportunities to participate in advertising or sales
campaigns and/or shareholder services and programs regarding one or more Warburg
Pincus Fund. Warburg or its affiliates may pay for travel, meals and lodging in
connection with these promotional activities. In some instances, these
incentives may be offered only to certain institutions whose representatives
provide services in connection with the sale or expected sale of significant
amounts of the Fund's shares.
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. The officers of each Fund manage its day-to-day
operations and are directly responsible to its Board. The Boards set broad
policies for each Fund and choose the Fund's officers. A list of the Directors
and officers of each Fund and a brief statement of their present positions and
principal occupations during the past five years is set forth in the Statement
of Additional Information of each Fund.
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HOW TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT
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In order to invest in a Fund, an investor must first complete and sign an
account application. To obtain an application, an investor may telephone Warburg
Pincus Funds at (800) 927-2874. An investor may also obtain an account
application by writing to:
Warburg Pincus Funds
P.O. Box 9030
Boston, Massachusetts 02205-9030
Completed and signed account applications should be mailed to Warburg Pincus
Funds at the above address.
RETIREMENT PLANS AND UTMA/UGMA ACCOUNTS. For information (i) about investing
in the Funds through a tax-deferred retirement plan, such as an Individual
Retirement Account ('IRA') or a Simplified Employee Pension IRA ('SEP-IRA'), or
(ii) about opening a Uniform Transfers to Minors Act ('UTMA') account or Uniform
Gifts to Minors Act ('UGMA') account, an investor should telephone Warburg
Pincus Funds at (800) 927-2874 or write to Warburg Pincus Funds at the address
set forth above. Investors should consult their own tax advisers about the
establishment of retirement plans and UTMA or UGMA accounts.
CHANGES TO ACCOUNT. For information on how to make changes to an account,
including changes to account registration and/or address an investor should
telephone Warburg Pincus Funds at (800) 927-2874. Shareholders are responsible
for maintaining current account registration and addresses with a Fund. No
interest will be paid on amounts represented by uncashed distribution or
redemption checks.
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Shares of each Fund may be purchased either by mail or, with special
advance instructions, by wire.
The minimum initial investment in each Fund is $1,000 and the minimum
subsequent investment is $100, except that subsequent minimum investments can be
as low as $50 under the Automatic Monthly Investment Plan described below. For
retirement plans and UTMA/UGMA accounts, the minimum initial investment is $500.
The Fund reserves the right to change investment minimum requirements at any
time. The investment minimums may be waived for accounts in which employees of
Warburg or its affiliates have an interest or for investors maintaining advisory
accounts with Warburg or brokerage accounts with Counsellors Securities.
Existing investors will be given 15 days' notice by mail of any increase in
investment minimum requirements.
After an investor has made his initial investment, additional shares may be
purchased at any time by mail or by wire in the manner outlined below. Wire
payments for initial and subsequent investments should be preceded by an order
placed with the Fund and should clearly indicate the investor's account number
and the name of the Fund in which shares are being purchased. In
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the interest of economy and convenience, physical certificates representing
shares in the Funds are not normally issued.
BY MAIL. If the investor desires to purchase Common Shares by mail, a check
or money order made payable to the Fund or Warburg Pincus Funds (in U.S.
currency) should be sent along with the completed account application to Warburg
Pincus Funds at the address set forth above. Checks payable to the investor and
endorsed to the order of the Fund or Warburg Pincus Funds will not be accepted
as payment and will be returned to the sender. If payment is received in proper
form by the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the
'NYSE') (currently 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on a day that the Fund calculates
its net asset value (a 'business day'), the purchase will be made at the Fund's
net asset value calculated at the end of that day. If payment is received after
the close of regular trading on the NYSE, the purchase will be effected at the
Fund's net asset value determined for the next business day after payment has
been received. Checks or money orders that are not in proper form or that are
not accompanied or preceded by a complete account application will be returned
to the sender. Shares purchased by check or money order are entitled to receive
dividends and distributions beginning on the day after payment has been
received. Checks or money orders in payment for shares of more than one Warburg
Pincus Fund should be made payable to Warburg Pincus Funds and should be
accompanied by a breakdown of amounts to be invested in each fund. If a check
used for purchase does not clear, the Fund will cancel the purchase and the
investor may be liable for losses or fees incurred. For a description of the
manner of calculating the Fund's net asset value, see 'Net Asset Value' below.
BY WIRE. Investors may also purchase Common Shares in a Fund by wiring funds
from their banks. Telephone orders by wire will not be accepted until a
completed account application in proper form has been received and an account
number has been established. Investors should place an order with the Fund prior
to wiring funds by telephoning (800) 927-2874. Federal funds may be wired to
using the following wire address:
State Street Bank and Trust Co.
225 Franklin St.
Boston, MA 02101
ABA# 0110 000 28
Attn: Mutual Funds/Custody Dept.
[Insert Warburg Pincus Fund name(s) here]
DDA# 9904-649-2
[Shareowner name]
[Shareowner account number]
If a telephone order is received by the close of regular trading on the NYSE
and payment by wire is received on the same day in proper form in accordance
with instructions set forth above, the shares will be priced according to the
net asset value of the Fund on that day and are entitled to
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<PAGE>
dividends and distributions beginning on that day. If payment by wire is
received in proper form by the close of the NYSE without a prior telephone
order, the purchase will be priced according to the net asset value of the Fund
on that day and is entitled to dividends and distributions beginning on that
day. However, if a wire in proper form that is not preceded by a telephone order
is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, the payment will be
held uninvested until the order is effected at the close of business on the next
business day. Payment for orders that are not accepted will be returned to the
prospective investor after prompt inquiry. If a telephone order is placed and
payment by wire is not received on the same day, the Fund will cancel the
purchase and the investor may be liable for losses or fees incurred.
PURCHASES THROUGH INTERMEDIARIES. Common Shares of each Fund are available
through the Charles Schwab & Company, Inc. Mutual Fund OneSourceTM Program;
Fidelity Brokerage Services, Inc. Funds NetworkTM Program; Jack White & Company,
Inc.; and Waterhouse Securities, Inc. Generally, these programs require
customers to pay either no or low transaction fees in connection with purchases
or redemptions. The Fund is also available through certain broker-dealers,
financial institutions and other industry professionals (including the brokerage
firms offering the programs described above, collectively, 'Service
Organizations'). Certain features of the Funds, such as the initial and
subsequent investment minimums, redemption fees and certain trading
restrictions, may be modified or waived by Service Organizations. Service
Organizations may impose transaction or administrative charges or other direct
fees, which charges or fees would not be imposed if Fund shares are purchased
directly from the Funds. Therefore, a client or customer should contact the
Service Organization acting on his behalf concerning the fees (if any) charged
in connection with a purchase or redemption of Fund shares and should read this
Prospectus in light of the terms governing his accounts with the Service
Organization. Service Organizations will be responsible for promptly
transmitting client or customer purchase and redemption orders to the Funds in
accordance with their agreements with clients or customers.
Service Organizations or, if applicable, their designees, that have entered
into agreements with a Fund or its agent may enter confirmed purchase or
redemption orders on behalf of clients and customers, with payment to follow no
later than the Funds' pricing on the following business day. If payment is not
received by such time, the Service Organization could be held liable for
resulting fees or losses. A Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or
redemption order when a Service Organization, or, if applicable, its authorized
designee, accepts the order. Orders received by a Fund in proper form will be
priced at the Fund's net asset value next computed after they are accepted by
the Service Organization or its authorized designee.
For administration, subaccounting, transfer agency and/or other services,
Warburg, Counsellors Securities or their affiliates may pay Service
Organizations and certain recordkeeping organizations with whom they have
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<PAGE>
entered into agreements a fee of up to .35% (the 'Service Fee') of the average
annual value of accounts with the Funds maintained by such Service Organizations
or recordkeepers. A portion of the Service Fee may be borne by the Funds as a
transfer agency fee. In addition, a Service Organization or recordkeeper may
directly or indirectly pay a portion of its Service Fee to the Fund's custodian
or transfer agent for costs related to accounts of its clients or customers. The
Service Fee payable to any one Service Organization or recordkeeper is
determined based upon a number of factors, including the nature and quality of
the services provided, the operations processing requirements of the
relationship and the standardized fee schedule of the Service Organization or
recordkeeper.
AUTOMATIC MONTHLY INVESTING. Automatic monthly investing allows shareholders
to authorize a Fund to debit their bank account monthly ($50 minimum) for the
purchase of Fund shares on or about either the tenth or twentieth calendar day
of each month. To establish the automatic monthly investing option, obtain a
separate application or complete the 'Automatic Investment Program' section of
the account applications and include a voided, unsigned check from the bank
account to be debited. Only an account maintained at a domestic financial
institution which is an automated clearing house member may be used.
Shareholders using this service must satisfy the initial investment minimum for
the Fund prior to or concurrent with the start of any Automatic Investment
Program. Please refer to an account application for further information, or
contact Warburg Pincus Funds at (800) 927-2874 for information or to modify or
terminate the program. Investors should allow a period of up to 30 days in order
to implement an automatic investment program. The failure to provide complete
information could result in further delays.
GENERAL. Each Fund reserves the right to reject any specific purchase order,
including certain purchases made by exchange (see 'How to Redeem and Exchange
Shares -- Exchange of Shares' below). Purchase orders may be refused if, in
Warburg's opinion, they are of a size that would disrupt the management of a
Fund. A Fund may discontinue sales of its shares if management believes that a
substantial further increase in assets may adversely affect that Fund's ability
to achieve its investment objective. In such event, however, it is anticipated
that existing shareholders would be permitted to continue to authorize
investment in such Fund and to reinvest any dividends or capital gains
distributions.
HOW TO REDEEM AND EXCHANGE SHARES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REDEMPTION OF SHARES. An investor in a Fund may redeem (sell) his shares on
any day that the Fund's net asset value is calculated (see 'Net Asset Value'
below).
Common Shares of the Funds may either be redeemed by mail or by telephone.
Investors should realize that in using the telephone redemption and exchange
option, you may be giving up a measure of security that you may have if you were
to redeem or exchange your shares in writing. If an
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<PAGE>
investor desires to redeem his shares by mail, a written request for redemption
should be sent to Warburg Pincus Funds at the address indicated above under 'How
to Open an Account.' An investor should be sure that the redemption request
identifies the Fund, the number of shares to be redeemed and the investor's
account number. In order to change the bank account or address designated to
receive the redemption proceeds, the investor must send a written request (with
signature guarantee of all investors listed on the account when such a change is
made in conjunction with a redemption request) to Warburg Pincus Funds. Each
mail redemption request must be signed by the registered owner(s) (or his legal
representative(s)) exactly as the shares are registered. If an investor has
applied for the telephone redemption feature on his account application, he may
redeem his shares by calling Warburg Pincus Funds at (800) 927-2874 between 9:00
a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on any business day. An investor making a
telephone withdrawal should state (i) the name of the Fund, (ii) the account
number of the Fund, (iii) the name of the investor(s) appearing on the Fund's
records, (iv) the amount to be withdrawn and (v) the name of the person
requesting the redemption.
After receipt of the redemption request by mail or by telephone, the
redemption proceeds will, at the option of the investor, be paid by check and
mailed to the investor of record or be wired to the investor's bank as indicated
in the account application previously filled out by the investor. No Fund
currently imposes a service charge for effecting wire transfers but each Fund
reserves the right to do so in the future. During periods of significant
economic or market change, telephone redemptions may be difficult to implement.
If an investor is unable to contact Warburg Pincus Funds by telephone, an
investor may deliver the redemption request to Warburg Pincus Funds by mail at
the address shown above under 'How to Open an Account.' Although each Fund will
redeem shares purchased by check or through the Automatic Investment Program
before the check or funds clear, payments of the redemption proceeds will be
delayed for up to five days (for funds received through the Automatic Investment
Program) or up to ten days (for check purchases) from the date of purchase.
Investors should consider purchasing shares using a certified or bank check or
money order if they anticipate an immediate need for redemption proceeds.
If a redemption order is received by a Fund or its agent, prior to the close
of regular trading on the NYSE, the redemption order will be effected at the net
asset value per share as determined on that day. If a redemption order is
received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, the redemption order
will be effected at the net asset value as next determined. Except as noted
above, redemption proceeds will normally be mailed or wired to an investor on
the next business day following the date a redemption order is effected. If,
however, in the judgment of Warburg, immediate payment would adversely affect a
Fund, each Fund reserves the right to pay the redemption proceeds within seven
days after the redemption order is effected. Furthermore, each
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<PAGE>
Fund may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment upon
redemption (as well as suspend or postpone the recordation of an exchange of
shares) for such periods as are permitted under the 1940 Act.
The proceeds paid upon redemption may be more or less than the amount
invested depending upon a share's net asset value at the time of redemption. If
an investor redeems all the shares in his account, all dividends and
distributions declared up to and including the date of redemption are paid along
with the proceeds of the redemption.
If, due to redemptions, the value of an investor's account drops to less than
$500, each Fund reserves the right to redeem the shares in that account at net
asset value. Prior to any redemption, the Fund will notify an investor in
writing that this account has a value of less than the minimum. The investor
will then have 60 days to make an additional investment before a redemption will
be processed by the Fund.
AUTOMATIC CASH WITHDRAWAL PLAN. Each Fund offers investors an automatic cash
withdrawal plan under which investors may elect to receive periodic cash
payments of at least $1,000 monthly or quarterly. To establish this service,
complete the 'Automatic Withdrawal Plan' section of the account application and
attach a voided check from the bank account to be credited. For further
information regarding the automatic cash withdrawal plan or to modify or
terminate the plan, investors should contact Warburg Pincus Funds at (800)
927-2874.
EXCHANGE OF SHARES. An investor may exchange Common Shares of a Fund for
Common Shares of another Fund or for Common Shares of another Warburg Pincus
Fund at their respective net asset values. Exchanges may be effected by mail or
by telephone in the manner described under 'Redemption of Shares' above. If an
exchange request is received by Warburg Pincus Funds or their agent prior to the
close of regular trading on the NYSE, the exchange will be made at each Fund's
net asset value determined at the end of that business day. Exchanges will be
effected without a sales charge but must satisfy the minimum dollar amount
necessary for new purchases. Currently, exchanges may be made among the Funds
and with the following other funds:
WARBURG PINCUS CASH RESERVE FUND -- a money market fund investing in
short-term, high quality money market instruments;
WARBURG PINCUS NEW YORK TAX EXEMPT FUND -- a money market fund investing in
short-term, high quality municipal obligations designed for New York investors
seeking income exempt from federal, New York State and New York City income
tax;
WARBURG PINCUS NEW YORK INTERMEDIATE MUNICIPAL FUND -- an intermediate-term
municipal bond fund designed for New York investors seeking income exempt from
federal, New York State and New York City income tax;
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WARBURG PINCUS INTERMEDIATE MATURITY GOVERNMENT FUND -- an intermediate-term
bond fund investing in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government,
its agencies or instrumentalities;
WARBURG PINCUS FIXED INCOME FUND -- a bond fund seeking current income and,
secondarily, capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of
fixed-income securities;
WARBURG PINCUS GLOBAL FIXED INCOME FUND -- a bond fund investing in a
portfolio consisting of investment grade fixed-income securities of
governmental and corporate issuers denominated in various currencies, including
U.S. dollars;
WARBURG PINCUS CAPITAL APPRECIATION FUND -- an equity fund seeking long-term
capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of domestic
companies;
WARBURG PINCUS STRATEGIC VALUE FUND -- an equity fund seeking capital
appreciation by investing in undervalued companies and market sectors;
WARBURG PINCUS EMERGING GROWTH FUND -- an equity fund seeking maximum capital
appreciation by investing in emerging growth companies;
WARBURG PINCUS SMALL COMPANY VALUE FUND -- an equity fund seeking long-term
capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of small
companies;
WARBURG PINCUS SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND -- an equity fund seeking capital
growth by investing in equity securities of small-sized domestic companies;
WARBURG PINCUS HEALTH SCIENCES FUND -- an equity fund seeking capital
appreciation by investing primarily in equity and debt securities of health
sciences companies;
WARBURG PINCUS POST-VENTURE CAPITAL FUND -- an equity fund seeking long-term
growth of capital by investing principally in equity securities of issuers in
their post-venture capital stage of development;
WARBURG PINCUS GLOBAL POST-VENTURE CAPITAL FUND -- an equity fund seeking
long-term growth of capital by investing principally in equity securities of
U.S. and foreign issuers in their post-venture capital stage of development;
WARBURG PINCUS INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUND -- an equity fund seeking long-term
capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of non-United
States issuers;
WARBURG PINCUS EMERGING MARKETS FUND -- an equity fund seeking growth of
capital by investing primarily in securities of non-United States issuers
consisting of companies in emerging securities markets;
WARBURG PINCUS JAPAN GROWTH FUND -- an equity fund seeking long-term growth
of capital by investing primarily in equity securities of Japanese issuers; and
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WARBURG PINCUS JAPAN OTC FUND -- an equity fund seeking long-term capital
appreciation by investing in a portfolio of securities traded in the Japanese
over-the-counter market.
The exchange privilege is available to shareholders residing in any state in
which the Common Shares being acquired may legally be sold. When an investor
effects an exchange of shares, the exchange is treated for federal income tax
purposes as a redemption. Therefore, the investor may realize a taxable gain or
loss in connection with the exchange. Investors wishing to exchange Common
Shares of a Fund for Common Shares in another Warburg Pincus Fund should review
the prospectus of the other fund prior to making an exchange. For further
information regarding the exchange privilege or to obtain a current prospectus
for another Warburg Pincus Fund, an investor should contact Warburg Pincus Funds
at (800) 927-2874.
Due to the costs involved in effecting exchanges, each Fund reserves the
right to refuse to honor more than three exchange requests by a shareholder in
any 30-day period. Accounts under common ownership or control, including
accounts with the same taxpayer identification number may be counted together
for purposes of the three exchange limit.
The Funds reserve the right to refuse exchange purchases by any person or
group if, in Warburg's judgment, a Fund would be unable to invest the money
effectively in accordance with its investment objective and policies, or would
otherwise potentially be adversely affected. Exchanges may also be restricted or
refused if a Fund receives or anticipates simultaneous orders affecting
significant portions of the Fund's assets. In particular, a pattern of exchanges
that coincides with a 'market timing' strategy may be disruptive to a Fund.
Although the Funds will attempt to give prior notice whenever it is reasonably
able to do so, it may impose these restrictions at any time. The Funds reserve
the right to terminate or modify the exchange privilege at any time upon 30
days' notice to shareholders.
TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS. In order to request exchange and redemptions by
telephone, investors must have completed and returned to Warburg Pincus Funds an
account application containing a telephone election. The election to request
exchanges and redemptions by telephone may be made subsequently by writing to
Warburg Pincus Funds at the address set forth under 'How to Open an Account in
the Fund.' Neither a Fund nor its agents will be liable for following
instructions communicated by telephone that it reasonably believes to be
genuine. Reasonable procedures will be employed on behalf of each Fund
designated to give reasonable assurance that instructions communicated by
telephone are genuine. Such procedures include providing written confirmation of
telephone transactions, tape recording telephone instructions and requiring
specific personal information prior to acting upon telephone instructions.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS. Each Fund calculates its dividends from net
investment income. Net investment income includes interest accrued and
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dividends earned on a Fund's portfolio securities for the applicable period
(which includes amortization of market discounts) less amortization of market
premiums and applicable expenses. The Funds each declare and pay their dividends
from their net investment income quarterly. Each Fund declares distributions of
its net realized short-term and long-term capital gains annually and pays them
in the calendar year in which they are declared, generally in November or
December. Net investment income earned on weekends and when the NYSE is not open
will be computed as of the next business day. Unless an investor instructs a
Fund to pay dividends or distributions in cash, dividends and distributions will
automatically be reinvested in additional Common Shares of the relevant Fund at
net asset value. The election to receive dividends in cash may be made on the
account application or, subsequently, by writing to Warburg Pincus Funds at the
address set forth under 'How to Open an Account' or by calling Warburg Pincus
Funds at (800) 927-2874.
A Fund may be required to withhold for U.S. federal income taxes 31% of all
distributions payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their
correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or
who have been notified by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service that they are
subject to backup withholding.
TAXES. Each Fund intends to qualify each year as a 'regulated investment
company' within the meaning of the Code. As regulated investment companies, the
Funds will be subject to a 4% non-deductible excise tax measured with respect to
certain undistributed amounts of ordinary income and capital gain. The Funds
expect to pay such dividends and to make such distributions as are necessary to
avoid the application of this tax.
Dividends paid from net investment income and distributions of net realized
short-term capital gains are taxable to investors as ordinary income, and
distributions derived from net realized long-term capital gains are taxable to
investors as long-term capital gains, in each case regardless of how long the
shareholder has held Fund shares and whether received in cash or reinvested in
additional Fund shares. As a general rule, an investor's gain or loss on a sale
or redemption of his Fund shares will be long-term capital gain or loss if he
has held his shares for more than one year and will be short - term capital gain
or loss if he has held his shares for one year or less. However, any loss
realized upon the sale or redemption of shares within six months from the date
of their purchase will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of
any amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gain during such
six-month period with respect to such shares.
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 made certain changes to the Code with respect
to taxation of long-term capital gains earned by taxpayers other than a
corporation. In general, for sales made after May 6, 1997, the maximum tax rate
for individual taxpayers on net long-term capital gains is lowered to 20% for
most assets (including long-term capital gains recognized by shareholders on the
sale or redemption of Fund shares that were held as capital assets).
31
<PAGE>
This 20% rate applies to sales on or after July 29, 1997 only if the asset was
held for more than 18 months at the time of disposition. Capital gains on the
disposition of assets on or after July 29, 1997 held for more than one year and
up to 18 months at the time of disposition will be taxed as 'mid-term gain' at a
maximum rate of 28%. A rate of 18% instead of 20% will apply after December 31,
2000 for assets held for more than 5 years. However, the 18% rate applies only
to assets acquired after December 31, 2000 unless the taxpayer elects to treat
an asset held prior to such date as sold for fair market value on January 1,
2001. In the case of individuals whose ordinary income is taxed at a 15% rate,
the 20% rate is reduced to 10% and the 10% rate for assets held for more than 5
years is reduced to 8%. The Funds will provide information relating to that
portion of a 'capital gain dividend' that may be treated by investors as
eligible for the reduced capital gains rate for capital assets held for more
than 18 months.
Investors may be proportionately liable for taxes on income and gains of the
Funds, but investors not subject to tax on their income will not be required to
pay tax on amounts distributed to them. The Funds' investment activities,
including short sales of securities, will not result in unrelated business
taxable income to a tax-exempt investor. The Funds will designate that portion
of each Fund's dividends that will qualify for the federal dividends received
deduction for corporations. The Funds' investments in foreign securities may
subject them to certain withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries
with respect to dividends, interest, capital gains and other income. It is not
expected that the payment of such taxes by the Funds will give rise to a direct
credit or deduction available to the Funds' shareholders.
Special Tax Matters Relating to the Balanced Fund. The investment by the
Balanced Fund in zero coupon securities may create special tax consequences.
Zero coupon securities do not make interest payments; however, a portion of the
difference between a zero coupon security's maturity value and its purchase
price is imputed as income to the Fund each year even though the Fund receives
no cash distribution until maturity. Under the U.S. federal tax laws applicable
to mutual funds, the Fund will not be subject to tax on this income if it pays
dividends to its shareholders substantially equal to all the income received
from, or imputed with respect to, their investments during the year, including
their zero coupon securities. These dividends will ordinarily constitute taxable
income to the shareholders of the Fund.
GENERAL. Statements as to the tax status of each investor's dividends and
distributions are mailed annually. Each investor will also receive, if
applicable, various written notices after the close of a Fund's prior taxable
year with respect to certain dividends and distributions that were paid (or that
were treated as having been paid) by the Fund during the Fund's prior taxable
year. Investors should consult their own tax advisers with specific reference to
their own tax situations, including their state and local tax liabilities.
32
<PAGE>
NET ASSET VALUE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Each Fund's net asset value per share is calculated as of the close of
regular trading on the NYSE (currently 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each business
day, Monday through Friday, except on days when the NYSE is closed. The NYSE is
currently scheduled to be closed on New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and on the preceding Friday or subsequent
Monday when one of these holidays falls on a Saturday or Sunday, respectively.
The net asset value per share of each Fund generally changes each day.
The net asset value per Common Share of each Fund is computed by adding the
Common Shares' pro rata share of the value of the Fund's assets, deducting the
Common Shares' pro rata share of the Fund's liabilities and the liabilities
specifically allocated to Common Shares and then dividing the result by the
total number of outstanding Common Shares.
Securities listed on a U.S. securities exchange (including securities traded
through the NASDAQ National Market System) or foreign securities exchange or
traded in an over-the-counter market will be valued at the most recent sale
price when the valuation is made. Options and futures contracts will be valued
similarly. Debt obligations that mature in 60 days or less from the valuation
date are valued on the basis of amortized cost, unless a Fund's Board determines
that using this valuation method would not reflect the investments' value.
Securities, options and futures contracts for which market quotations are not
readily available and other assets will be valued at their fair value as
determined in good faith pursuant to consistently applied procedures established
by a Fund's Board. Further information regarding valuation policies is contained
in the Statements of Additional Information.
PERFORMANCE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Funds quote the performance of Common Shares separately from Advisor
Shares. The net asset value of Common Shares is listed in The Wall Street
Journal each business day under the heading 'Warburg Pincus Funds.' From time to
time, each Fund may advertise yield and average annual total return of its
Common Shares over various periods of time. The yield refers to net investment
income generated by the Common Shares over a specified thirty-day period, which
is then annualized. Total return figures show the average percentage change in
value of an investment in the Common Shares from the beginning of the measuring
period to the end of the measuring period. The figures reflect changes in the
price of the Common Shares assuming that any income dividends and/or capital
gain distributions made by the Fund during the period were reinvested in Common
Shares of the Fund. Total return will be shown for recent one-, five- and
ten-year periods, and may be shown for other periods as well (such as from
commencement of the Fund's operations or on a year-by-year, quarterly or current
year-to-date basis). Performance quotations of a Fund will include performance
of a predecessor fund.
33
<PAGE>
When considering average total return figures for periods longer than one
year, it is important to note that the annual total return for one year in the
period might have been greater or less than the average for the entire period.
When considering total return figures for periods shorter than one year,
investors should bear in mind that each Fund seeks long-term appreciation and
that such return may not be representative of any Fund's return over a longer
market cycle. Each Fund may also advertise aggregate total return figures of its
Common Shares for various periods, representing the cumulative change in value
of an investment in the Common Shares for the specific period (again reflecting
changes in share prices and assuming reinvestment of dividends and
distributions). Aggregate and average total returns may be shown by means of
schedules, charts or graphs and may indicate various components of total return
(i.e., change in value of initial investment, income dividends and capital gain
distributions).
Investors should note that yield, tax-equivalent yield and total return
figures are based on historical earnings and are not intended to indicate future
performance. Each Fund's Statement of Additional Information describes the
method used to determine the yield, tax-equivalent yield and total return.
Current total return figures may be obtained by calling Warburg Pincus Funds at
(800) 927-2874.
In reports or other communications to investors or in advertising material, a
Fund may describe general economic and market conditions affecting the Fund. The
Fund may compare its performance (i) with that of other mutual funds as listed
in the rankings prepared by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. or similar
investment services that monitor the performance of mutual funds or as set forth
in the publications listed below; (ii) with the S&P 500 Index; or (iii) with
other appropriate indexes of investment securities or with data developed by
Warburg derived from such indexes. A Fund may include evaluations of the Fund
published by nationally recognized ranking services and by financial
publications that are nationally recognized, such as Barron's, Business Week,
Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, Inc., Institutional Investor, Investor's
Business Daily, Money, Morningstar, Inc., Mutual Fund Magazine, Smart Money and
The Wall Street Journal. Morningstar, Inc. rates funds in broad categories based
on risk/reward analyses over various time periods. In addition, each Fund may
from time to time compare the expense ratio of its Common Shares to that of
investment companies with similar objectives and policies, based on data
generated by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. or similar investment services
that monitor mutual funds.
In reports or other communications to investors or in advertising, each Fund
may discuss relevant economic and market conditions affecting the Fund. In
addition, a Fund and its portfolio managers may render updates of Fund
investment activity, which may include, among other things, discussion or
quantitive statistical or comparative analysis of portfolio composition and
significant portfolio holdings including analyses of holdings by sector,
industry, country or geographic region, credit quality and other
34
<PAGE>
characteristics. Each Fund may also describe the general biography, work
experience and/or investment philosophy or style of the portfolio managers of
the Fund and may include quotations attributable to the portfolio managers
describing approaches taken in managing the Fund's investments, research
methodology underlying stock selection or the Fund's investment objectives. Each
Fund may also discuss measures of risk, including those based on statistical or
econometric analyses, the continuum of risk and return relating to different
investments and the potential impact of foreign stocks on a portfolio otherwise
composed of domestic securities.
GENERAL INFORMATION
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ORGANIZATION. The Funds were incorporated on January 29, 1996 under the laws
of the State of Maryland under the names 'Warburg, Pincus Growth & Income Fund,
Inc.' and 'Warburg, Pincus Balanced Fund, Inc.' On May 3, 1996, each Fund
acquired all of the assets and liabilities of the investment portfolio of the
RBB Fund with a similar name.
The charter of each Fund authorizes its Board to issue three billion full and
fractional shares of capital stock, $.001 par value per share, of which one
billion shares are designated Common Shares and two billion shares are
designated Advisor Shares. Under each Fund's charter documents, the Board has
the power to classify or reclassify any unissued shares of the Fund into one or
more additional classes by setting or changing in any one or more respects their
relative rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends,
qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption. The Board may similarly
classify or reclassify any class of its shares into one or more series and,
without shareholder approval, may increase the number of authorized shares of
the Fund.
MULTI-CLASS STRUCTURE. Each Fund offers a separate class of shares, the
Advisor Shares, pursuant to a separate prospectus. Individual investors may only
purchase Advisor Shares through institutional shareholders of record,
broker-dealers, financial institutions, depository institutions, retirement
plans and financial intermediaries. Shares of each class represent equal pro
rata interests in the respective Fund and accrue dividends and calculate net
asset value and performance quotations in the same manner. Because of the higher
fees paid by the Advisor Shares, the total return on such shares can be expected
to be lower than the total return on Common Shares. Investors may obtain
information concerning the Advisor Shares from their investment professional or
by calling Counsellors Securities at (800) 369-2728.
VOTING RIGHTS. Investors in a Fund are entitled to one vote for each full
share held and fractional votes for fractional shares held. Shareholders of a
Fund will vote in the aggregate except where otherwise required by law and
except that each class will vote separately on certain matters pertaining to its
distribution and shareholder servicing arrangements. There will normally be no
meetings of investors for the purpose of electing members of the Board unless
and until such time as less than a majority of the members holding office have
been elected by investors. Any Director of a Fund may be
35
<PAGE>
removed from office upon the vote of shareholders holding at least a majority of
the relevant Fund's outstanding shares, at a meeting called for that purpose. A
meeting will be called for the purpose of voting on the removal of a Board
member at the written request of holders of 10% of the outstanding shares of a
Fund.
SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS. Each investor will receive a quarterly statement
of his account, as well as a statement of his account after any transaction that
affects his share balance or share registration (other than the reinvestment of
dividends or distributions or investment made through the Automatic Investment
Program). Each Fund will also send to its investors a semiannual report and an
audited annual report, each of which includes a list of the investment
securities held by the Fund and a statement of the performance of the Fund.
Periodic listings of the investment securities held by a Fund, as well as
certain statistical characteristics of the Fund, may be obtained by calling
Warburg Pincus Funds at (800) 927-2874.
The prospectuses of the Funds are combined in this Prospectus. Each Fund
offers only its own shares, yet it is possible that a Fund might become liable
for a misstatement, inaccuracy or omission in this Prospectus with regard to
another Fund.
---------------------------------
NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY
REPRESENTATIONS OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS, EACH FUND'S
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR THE FUNDS' OFFICIAL SALES LITERATURE IN
CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING OF SHARES OF THE FUNDS, AND IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH
OTHER INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN
AUTHORIZED BY THE FUNDS. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE
COMMON SHARES OF THE FUNDS IN ANY STATE IN WHICH, OR TO ANY PERSON TO WHOM, SUCH
OFFER MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.
36
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
The Funds' Expenses..................................................... 2
Financial Highlights.................................................... 3
Investment Objectives and Policies...................................... 5
Portfolio Investments................................................... 7
Risk Factors and Special Considerations................................. 10
Portfolio Transactions and Turnover Rate................................ 12
Certain Investment Strategies........................................... 13
Investment Guidelines................................................... 19
Management of the Funds................................................. 19
How to Open an Account.................................................. 23
How to Purchase Shares.................................................. 23
How to Redeem and Exchange Shares....................................... 26
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes...................................... 30
Net Asset Value......................................................... 33
Performance............................................................. 33
General Information..................................................... 35
</TABLE>
[Logo]
P.O. BOX 9030, BOSTON, MA 02205-9030
WARBURG (800-927-2874)
WWW.WARBURG.COM
COUNSELLORS SECURITIES INC., DISTRIBUTOR. WPGBT-1-1097
<PAGE>
Prospectus
Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds October 21, 1997
G
GROWTH &
INCOME FUND
WARBURG PINCUS
ASSET MANAGEMENT
<PAGE>
PROSPECTUS October 21, 1997
Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds are a family of open-end mutual funds that are
offered to investors who wish to buy shares through an investment professional,
to financial institutions investing on behalf of their customers and to
retirement plans that elect to make one or more Advisor Funds an investment
option for participants in the plans. One Advisor Fund is described in this
Prospectus:
WARBURG PINCUS GROWTH & INCOME FUND seeks long-term growth of capital and income
and a reasonable current return by investing primarily in equity securities.
The Fund currently offers two classes of shares, one of which, the Advisor
Shares, is offered pursuant to this Prospectus. The Advisor Shares of the Fund,
as well as Advisor Shares of certain other Warburg Pincus-advised funds, are
sold under the name 'Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds.' Individual investors may
purchase Advisor Shares only through institutional shareholders of record,
broker-dealers, financial institutions, depository institutions, retirement
plans and other financial intermediaries ('Institutions'). The Advisor Shares
impose a 12b-1 fee of .50% per annum, which is the economic equivalent of a
sales charge. The Fund's Common Shares are available for purchase by individuals
directly and are offered by a separate prospectus.
NO MINIMUM INVESTMENT
___________________________________________________________
There is no minimum amount of initial or subsequent purchases of shares imposed
on Institutions. See 'How to Purchase Shares.'
This Prospectus briefly sets forth certain information about the Fund that
investors should know before investing. Investors are advised to read this
Prospectus and retain it for future reference. Additional information about the
Fund contained in a Statement of Additional Information, has been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') in a document entitled 'Statement
of Additional Information' and is available for reference, along with other
related materials, on the SEC Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov). The
Statement of Additional Information is also available upon request and without
charge by calling Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds at (800) 369-2728. Information
regarding the status of shareholder accounts may also be obtained by calling
Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds at the same number. Warburg Pincus Funds maintain a
Web site at www.warburg.com. The Statement of Additional Information relating to
the Fund, as amended or supplemented from time to time, bears the same date as
this Prospectus and is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this
Prospectus.
SHARES OF THE FUND ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF OR GUARANTEED OR ENDORSED
BY ANY BANK, AND SHARES ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT
INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, OR ANY OTHER AGENCY.
INVESTMENTS IN SHARES OF THE FUND INVOLVE INVESTMENT RISKS, INCLUDING THE
POSSIBLE LOSS OF THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT INVESTED.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION
PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY
REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>
THE FUND'S EXPENSES
_____________________________________________________________
Warburg Pincus Growth & Income Fund (the 'Fund') currently offers two
separate classes of shares: Common Shares and Advisor Shares. See 'General
Information.' Because of the higher fees paid by Advisor Shares, the total
return on such shares can be expected to be lower than the total return on
Common Shares.
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Shareholder Transaction Expenses
Maximum Sales Load Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering
price)................................................................ 0
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (as a percentage of average net assets)
Management Fees......................................................... .75%
12b-1 Fees.............................................................. .50%*
Other Expenses.......................................................... .32%
--------
Total Fund Operating Expenses........................................... 1.57%
--------
--------
EXAMPLE
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming (1) 5% annual
return and (2) redemption at the end of each time period:
1 year................................................................. $ 16
3 years................................................................ $ 50
5 years................................................................ $ 86
10 years................................................................ $187
</TABLE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Current 12b-1 fees are .50% out of a maximum of .75% authorized under the
Advisor Shares' Distribution Plan. At least a portion of these fees should be
considered by the investor to be the economic equivalent of a sales charge.
---------------------------
The expense table shows the costs and expenses that an investor will bear
directly or indirectly as an Advisor Shareholder of the Fund. Certain broker-
dealers and financial institutions also may charge their clients fees in
connection with investments in the Fund's Advisor Shares, which fees are not
reflected in the table. The Example should not be considered a representation of
past or future expenses; actual Fund expenses may be greater or less than those
shown. Moreover, while the Example assumes a 5% annual return, the Fund's actual
performance will vary and may result in a return greater or less than 5%.
Long-term shareholders of Advisor Shares may pay more than the economic
equivalent of the maximum front-end sales charges permitted by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the 'NASD').
2
<PAGE>
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
____________________________________________________________
(FOR AN ADVISOR SHARE OUTSTANDING THROUGHOUT EACH PERIOD)
The table below sets forth certain information concerning the investment
results of shares of the Fund (formerly an investment portfolio of The RBB Fund,
Inc. (the 'RBB Fund')) for the periods indicated. The financial data included in
this table for the six months ended February 28, 1997 is unaudited. The
financial data included in this table for the year ended August 31, 1996 has
been audited by Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., independent accountants, whose report
dated October 18, 1996 is incorporated by reference to the Statement of
Additional Information. The financial data included in this table for the period
from May 15, 1995 to August 31, 1995 are part of the RBB Fund's financial
statements, which have also been audited by Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. Further
information about the performance of the Fund is contained in the Fund's
semiannual report dated February 28, 1997 and the annual report, dated August
31, 1996, copies of which may be obtained without charge by calling Warburg
Pincus Funds at (800) 369-2728.
WARBURG PINCUS GROWTH & INCOME FUND (C)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
For the Period
For the Six For the May 15, 1995
Months Ended Year (Commencement
February 28, 1997 Ended of Operations) to
(Unaudited) August 31, 1996 August 31, 1995
----------------- ----------------- -----------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Net Asset Value, Beginning of
Period.......................... $ 14.88 $ 16.38 $ 14.87
------ ------ ------
Income From Investment
Operations
Net Investment Income......... (0.0077) .0800 0.0236
Net Gains (Losses) on
Securities (both realized
and unrealized)............. 1.1194 (.6931) 1.5323
------ ------ ------
Total from Investment
Operations.................. 1.1117 (.6131) 1.5559
------ ------ ------
Less Distributions
Dividends (from net investment
income)..................... (0.0029) (.0736) (0.0459)
Distributions (from capital
gains)...................... 0.0000 (.8133) 0.0000
------ ------ ------
Total Distributions........... (0.0029) (.8869) (0.0459)
------ ------ ------
Net Asset Value, End of Period... $ 15.99 $ 14.88 $ 16.38
------ ------ ------
------ ------ ------
Total Returns.................... 7.48%(b) (3.92%) 10.49%(b)
Ratios/Supplemental Data
Net Assets, End of Period
(000)........................... $ 72,879 $79,565 $56,902
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net
Assets.......................... 1.57%(a) 1.59% 1.92%(a)
Ratio of Net Investment Income to
Average Net Assets.............. (.06%)(a) .28% 0.43%(a)
Portfolio Turnover Rate.......... 131%(b) 94% 109%(b)
Average commission rate.......... $ .0585(d) $ .0596(d) N/A
</TABLE>
- ------------
(a) Annualized.
(b) Not Annualized.
(c) Financial Highlights for the period from May 15, 1995 to August 31, 1995,
relate solely to the Advisor Shares of the Warburg Pincus Growth & Income
Fund investment portfolio of the RBB Fund.
(d) Computed by dividing the total amount of commissions paid by the total
number of shares purchased and sold during the period for which there was a
commission charged.
3
<PAGE>
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
______________________________________________
The Fund's investment objectives are to seek long-term growth of capital and
income and a reasonable current return. The Fund's objectives and policies are
non-fundamental policies and may be changed without first obtaining the approval
of a majority of the outstanding shares of that Fund. Any changes may result in
the Fund having investment objectives different from those an investor may have
considered at the time of investment. Any investment involves risk and,
therefore, there can be no assurance that any Fund will achieve its investment
objective. See 'Portfolio Investments' and 'Certain Investment Strategies' for
descriptions of certain types of investments the Fund may make.
The Fund is a diversified management investment company that pursues its
objectives by investing primarily in equity securities. The policy of the Fund
is to invest, under normal market conditions, substantially all of its assets in
equity securities that Warburg Pincus Asset Management, Inc., the Fund's
investment adviser ('Warburg'), considers to be relatively undervalued. Warburg
will determine whether a company is undervalued based upon research and
analysis, taking into account, among other factors, price/earnings ratio,
price/book ratio, price/cash flow ratio, earnings growth, debt/capital ratio and
multiples of earnings of comparable securities. Other relevant factors,
including a company's asset value, franchise value and quality of management,
will also be considered. These factors are not applied to prospective
investments in a mechanical way; rather, Warburg analyzes each security
individually, taking all relevant factors into account. Equity securities
include common stocks, securities which are convertible into common stocks and
readily marketable securities, such as rights and warrants, which derive their
value from common stock. The Fund may hold securities of any size, but currently
expects to focus on companies with market capitalizations of $1 billion or
greater at the time of initial purchase. The Fund seeks to achieve its income
objective by investing in dividend-paying equity securities. The amount of
income generated from the Fund will fluctuate, and investments in common stock
in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate
over time. Therefore, an investment in the Fund may be more suitable for
long-term investors who can bear the risk of these fluctuations.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in securities of foreign
issuers and may hold from time to time various foreign currencies pending
investment in foreign securities or conversion into U.S. dollars. The Fund may
also purchase without limitation dollar-denominated American Depository Receipts
('ADRs'). ADRs are issued by domestic banks and evidence ownership of underlying
foreign securities.
PORTFOLIO INVESTMENTS
___________________________________________________________
DEBT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in debt securities and preferred stocks.
Debt obligations of corporations in which the Fund may invest include corporate
bonds, debentures, debentures convertible into common stocks and notes. The
interest income to be derived may be considered as one factor in selecting debt
securities for investment by Warburg. The market value of debt obligations may
4
<PAGE>
be expected to vary depending upon, among other factors, interest rates, the
ability of the issuer to repay principal and interest, any change in investment
rating and general economic conditions.
Up to 10% of the Fund's net asset may be invested in debt securities rated
below investment grade, including convertible debt securities. A security will
be deemed to be investment grade if it is rated within the four highest grades
by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ('Moody's') or Standard & Poor's Ratings
Services ('S&P') or, if unrated, is determined to be of comparable quality by
Warburg. Bonds rated in the fourth highest grade may have speculative
characteristics and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are
more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make principal and interest
payments than is the case with higher grade bonds. The Fund's holdings of debt
securities rated below investment grade (commonly referred to as 'junk bonds')
may be rated as low as C by Moody's or D by S&P at the time of purchase, or may
be unrated securities considered to be of equivalent quality. Securities that
are rated C by Moody's comprise the lowest rated class and can be regarded as
having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Debt rated D by S&P is in default or is expected to default upon maturity or
payment date. In selecting debt securities for the Fund, Warburg will review and
monitor the creditworthiness of each issuer and issue, in addition to relying on
ratings assigned by Moody's or S&P. Interest rate trends and specific
developments which may affect individual issuers will also be analyzed.
Subsequent to its purchase by the Fund, an issue of securities may cease to be
rated or its rating may be reduced. Neither event will require sale of such
securities, although Warburg will consider such event in its determination of
whether the Fund should continue to hold the securities.
When Warburg believes that a defensive posture is warranted, the Fund may
invest temporarily without limit in investment grade debt obligations and in
domestic and foreign money market obligations, including repurchase agreements.
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
government in which a Fund may invest include: direct obligations of the U.S.
Treasury and obligations issued by U.S. government agencies and
instrumentalities. Included among direct obligations of the United States are
Treasury Bills, Treasury Notes and Treasury Bonds, which differ principally in
terms of their maturities. Treasury Bills have maturities of less than one year,
Treasury Notes have maturities of one to 10 years and Treasury Bonds generally
have maturities of greater than 10 years at the date of issuance. Included among
the obligations issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the United States
are: instruments that are supported by the full faith and credit of the United
States (such as certificates issued by the Government National Mortgage
Association); instruments that are supported by the right of the issuer to
borrow from the U.S. Treasury (such as securities of Federal Home Loan Banks);
and instruments that are supported by the credit of the instrumentality (such as
Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
bonds).
5
<PAGE>
MONEY MARKET OBLIGATIONS. The Fund is authorized to invest, under normal
market conditions, up to 20% of its assets in domestic and foreign short-term
(one year or less remaining to maturity) money market obligations. Money market
instruments consist of obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government
or a foreign government, their agencies or instrumentalities; bank obligations
(including certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers' acceptances of
domestic or foreign banks, domestic savings and loans and similar institutions)
that are high quality investments; commercial paper rated no lower than A-2 by
S&P or Prime-2 by Moody's or the equivalent from another major rating service
or, if unrated, of an issuer having an outstanding, unsecured debt issue then
rated within the three highest rating categories; and repurchase agreements with
respect to the foregoing.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may invest in repurchase agreement
transactions with member banks of the Federal Reserve System and certain non-
bank dealers. Repurchase agreements are contracts under which the buyer of a
security simultaneously commits to resell the security to the seller at an
agreed-upon price and date. Under the terms of a typical repurchase agreement,
the Fund would acquire any underlying security for a relatively short period
(usually not more than one week) subject to an obligation of the seller to
repurchase, and the Fund to resell, the obligation at an agreed-upon price and
time, thereby determining the yield during the Fund's holding period. This
arrangement results in a fixed rate of return that is not subject to market
fluctuations during the Fund's holding period. The value of the underlying
securities will at all times be at least equal to the total amount of the
purchase obligation, including interest. The Fund bears a risk of loss in the
event that the other party to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligations
or becomes bankrupt and the Fund is delayed or prevented from exercising its
right to dispose of the collateral securities, including the risk of a possible
decline in the value of the underlying securities during the period while the
Fund seeks to assert this right. Warburg, acting under the supervision of the
Fund's Board, monitors the creditworthiness of those bank and non-bank dealers
with which the Fund enters into repurchase agreements to evaluate this risk. A
repurchase agreement is considered to be a loan under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended (the '1940 Act').
Money Market Mutual Funds. Where Warburg believes that it would be beneficial
to the Fund and appropriate considering the factors of return and liquidity, the
Fund may invest up to 5% of its assets in securities of money market mutual
funds that are unaffiliated with the Fund, Warburg or the Fund's co-
administrator, PFPC Inc. ('PFPC'). As a shareholder in any mutual fund, the Fund
will bear its ratable share of the mutual fund's expenses, including management
fees, and will remain subject to payment of the Fund's administration fees and
other expenses with respect to assets so invested.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. Convertible securities in which the Fund may invest,
including both convertible debt and convertible preferred stock, may be
converted at either a stated price or stated rate into underlying shares of
common
6
<PAGE>
stock. Because of this feature, convertible securities enable an investor to
benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock.
Convertible securities provide higher yields than the underlying equity
securities, but generally offer lower yields than non-convertible securities of
similar quality. The value of convertible securities fluctuates in relation to
changes in interest rates like bonds and, in addition, fluctuates in relation to
the underlying common stock. Up to 10% of the Fund's net assets may be invested
in convertible securities rated below investment grade at the time of purchase
(as low as C by Moody's or D by S&P) or deemed by Warburg to be of equivalent
quality.
WARRANTS. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets in warrants.
Warrants are securities that give the holder the right, but not the obligation,
to purchase equity issues of the company issuing the warrants, or a related
company, at a fixed price either on a date certain or during a set period.
RISK FACTORS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
_________________________________________
Investing in securities is subject to the inherent risk of fluctuations in
prices. For certain additional risks relating to the Fund's investments, see
'Portfolio Investments' beginning at page 4, and 'Certain Investment Strategies'
beginning at page 9.
NON-PUBLICLY TRADED SECURITIES; RULE 144A SECURITIES. The Fund may purchase
securities that are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the 'Securities Act'), but that can be sold to 'qualified institutional buyers'
in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act ('Rule 144A Securities').
An investment in Rule 144A Securities will be considered illiquid and therefore
subject to the Fund's limitation on the purchase of illiquid securities, unless
the Board determines on an ongoing basis that an adequate trading market exists
for the security. In addition to an adequate trading market, the Board will also
consider factors such as trading activity, availability of reliable price
information and other relevant information in determining whether a Rule 144A
Security is liquid. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing
the level of illiquidity in the Fund to the extent that qualified institutional
buyers become uninterested for a time in purchasing Rule 144A Securities. The
Board will carefully monitor any investments by the Fund in Rule 144A
Securities. The Board may adopt guidelines and delegate to Warburg the daily
function of determining and monitoring the liquidity of Rule 144A Securities,
although the Board will retain ultimate responsibility for any determination
regarding liquidity.
Non-publicly traded securities (including Rule 144A Securities) may involve a
high degree of business and financial risk and may result in substantial losses.
These securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities, and the
Fund may take longer to liquidate these positions than would be the case for
publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately
negotiated transactions, the prices realized on such sales could be less than
those originally paid by the Fund. Further, companies whose securities are not
publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor
protection
7
<PAGE>
requirements applicable to companies whose securities are publicly traded. The
Fund's investment in illiquid securities is subject to the risk that should the
Fund desire to sell any of these securities when a ready buyer is not available
at a price that is deemed to be representative of their value, the value of the
Fund's net assets could be adversely affected.
BELOW INVESTMENT GRADE SECURITIES. Medium- and lower-rated debt securities
and comparable unrated securities (commonly referred to as 'junk bonds') (i)
will likely have some quality and protective characteristics that, in the
judgment of the rating organizations, are outweighed by large uncertainties or
major risk exposures to adverse conditions and (ii) are predominantly
speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest and repay
principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. The market values of
certain of these securities also tend to be more sensitive to individual
corporate developments and changes in economic conditions than higher-quality
securities. In addition, medium- and lower-rated securities and comparable
unrated securities generally present a higher degree of credit risk. The risk of
loss due to default by such issuers is significantly greater because medium- and
lower-rated securities and unrated securities generally are unsecured and
frequently are subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness.
The market value of securities in these ratings categories is more volatile
than that of higher quality securities. In addition, the Fund may have
difficulty disposing of certain of these securities because there may be a thin
trading market. The lack of a liquid secondary market for certain securities may
have an adverse impact on the Fund's ability to dispose of particular issues and
may make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations for
purposes of valuing the Fund and calculating its net asset value.
For a complete description of rating systems of Moody's and S&P, see the
appendix to the Statement of Additional Information for the Fund.
WARRANTS. At the time of issue, the cost of a warrant is substantially less
than the cost of the underlying security itself, and price movements in the
underlying security are generally magnified in the price movements of the
warrant. This leveraging effect enables the investor to gain exposure to the
underlying security with a relatively low capital investment. This leveraging
increases an investor's risk, however, in the event of a decline in the value of
the underlying security and can result in a complete loss of the amount invested
in the warrant. In addition, the price of a warrant tends to be more volatile
than, and may not correlate exactly to, the price of the underlying security. If
the market price of the underlying security is below the exercise price of the
warrant on its expiration date, the warrant will generally expire without value.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND TURNOVER RATE
________________________________________
The Fund will attempt to purchase securities with the intent of holding them
for investment but may purchase and sell portfolio securities whenever Warburg
believes it to be in the best interests of the Fund. The Fund will not consider
portfolio turnover rate a limiting factor in making investment decisions
consistent with its investment objective and policies. It is not possible to
predict
8
<PAGE>
the Fund's portfolio turnover rates. High portfolio turnover rates (100% or
more) may result in dealer markups or underwriting commissions as well as other
transaction costs, including correspondingly higher brokerage commissions. In
addition, short-term gains realized from portfolio turnover may be taxable to
shareholders as ordinary income. See 'Dividends, Distributions and Taxes --
Taxes' below and 'Investment Policies -- Portfolio Transactions' in the
Statement of Additional Information.
All orders for transactions in securities or options on behalf of the Fund
are placed by Warburg with broker-dealers that it selects, including Counsellors
Securities Inc., the Fund's distributor ('Counsellors Securities'). The Fund may
utilize Counsellors Securities in connection with a purchase or sale of
securities when Warburg believes that the charge for the transaction does not
exceed usual and customary levels and when doing so is consistent with
guidelines adopted by the Board.
CERTAIN INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
___________________________________________________
Although there is no current intention of doing so during the coming year,
the Fund is authorized to engage in the following investment strategies: (i)
lending portfolio securities and (ii) entering into reverse repurchase
agreements. Detailed information concerning the Fund's strategies and related
risks is contained below and in the Statement of Additional Information.
FOREIGN SECURITIES. There are certain risks involved in investing in
securities of companies and governments of foreign nations which are in addition
to the usual risks inherent in U.S. investments. These risks include those
resulting from fluctuations in currency exchange rates, revaluation of
currencies, future adverse political and economic developments and the possible
imposition of currency exchange blockages or other foreign governmental laws or
restrictions, reduced availability of public information concerning issuers, the
lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and other
regulatory practices and requirements that are often generally less rigorous
than those applied in the United States. Moreover, securities of many foreign
companies may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of
securities of comparable U.S. companies. Certain foreign countries are known to
experience long delays between the trade and settlement dates of securities
purchased or sold. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there
is the possibility of expropriation, nationalization, confiscatory taxation and
limitations on the use or removal of funds or other assets of the Fund,
including the withholding of dividends. Foreign securities may be subject to
foreign government taxes that would reduce the net yield on such securities.
Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from
the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of
inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of
payments positions. Investment in foreign securities will also result in higher
operating expenses due to the cost of converting foreign currency into U.S.
dollars, the payment of fixed brokerage commissions on foreign exchanges, which
generally are higher than
9
<PAGE>
commissions on U.S. exchanges, higher valuation and communications costs and the
expense of maintaining securities with foreign custodians.
DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS. Certain of the above risks may be involved with ADRs,
European Depositary Receipts ('EDRs') and International Depositary Receipts
('IDRs'), instruments that evidence ownership in underlying securities issued by
a foreign corporation. ADRs, EDRs and IDRs may not necessarily be denominated in
the same currency as the securities whose ownership they represent. ADRs are
typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company. EDRs (sometimes referred to as
Continental Depositary Receipts) are issued in Europe, and IDRs (sometimes
referred to as Global Depositary Receipts) are issued outside the United States,
each typically by non-U.S. banks and trust companies.
STRATEGIC AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS. At the discretion of Warburg, the Fund may,
but is not required to, engage in a number of strategies involving options,
futures and forward currency contracts. These strategies, commonly referred to
as 'derivatives,' may be used (i) for the purpose of hedging against a decline
in value of the Fund's current or anticipated portfolio holdings, (ii) as a
substitute for purchasing or selling portfolio securities, or (iii) except with
respect to currency exchange transactions, to seek to generate income to offset
expenses or increase return. TRANSACTIONS THAT ARE NOT CONSIDERED HEDGING SHOULD
BE CONSIDERED SPECULATIVE AND MAY SERVE TO INCREASE THE FUND'S INVESTMENT RISK.
Transaction costs and any premiums associated with these strategies, and any
losses incurred, will affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.
Therefore, an investment in the Fund may involve a greater risk than an
investment in other mutual funds that do not utilize these strategies. The
Fund's use of these strategies may be limited by position and exercise limits
established by securities and commodities exchanges and other applicable
regulatory authorities.
Securities and Stock Index Options. The Fund may write covered call options
and put options and purchase put and call options on securities and stock
indexes and will realize fees (referred to as 'premiums') for granting the
rights evidenced by the options. Such options may be traded on an exchange or
may trade over-the-counter ('OTC'). The purchaser of a put option on a security
has the right to compel the purchase by the writer of the underlying security,
while the purchaser of a call option on a security has the right to purchase the
underlying security from the writer. A stock index measures the movement of a
certain group of stocks by assigning relative values to the stocks included in
the index.
The potential loss associated with purchasing an option is limited to the
premium paid, and the premium would partially offset any gains achieved from its
use. However, for an option writer the exposure to adverse price movements in
the underlying security or index is potentially unlimited during the exercise
period. Writing securities options may result in substantial losses to the Fund,
force the sale or purchase of portfolio securities at inopportune times or at
less advantageous prices, limit the amount of appreciation the Fund could
realize on its investments or require the Fund to hold securities it would
otherwise sell.
10
<PAGE>
Futures Contracts and Related Options. The Fund may enter into foreign
currency, interest rate and stock index futures contracts and purchase and write
(sell) related options that are traded on an exchange designated by the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the 'CFTC') or, if consistent with CFTC
regulations, on foreign exchanges. These futures contracts are standardized
contracts for the future delivery of an interest rate sensitive security or, in
the case of index futures contracts, are settled in cash with reference to a
specified multiplier times the change in the specified interest rate or index.
An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in return for the
premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract.
Aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish positions other
than those considered by the CFTC to be 'bona fide hedging' will not exceed 5%
of the Fund's net asset value, after taking into account unrealized profits and
unrealized losses on any such contracts. Although the Fund is limited in the
amount of assets that may be invested in futures transactions, there is no
overall limit on the percentage of Fund assets that may be at risk with respect
to futures activities.
Currency Exchange Transactions. The Fund will conduct its currency exchange
transactions either (i) on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the rate prevailing in
the currency exchange market, (ii) through entering into futures contracts or
options on futures contracts (as described above), (iii) through entering into
forward contracts to purchase or sell currency or (iv) by purchasing
exchange-traded currency options. A forward currency contract involves an
obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price
set at the time of the contract. An option on a foreign currency operates
similarly to an option on a security. Risks associated with currency forward
contracts and purchasing currency options are similar to those described in this
Prospectus for futures contracts and securities and stock index options. In
addition, the use of currency transactions could result in losses from the
imposition of foreign exchange controls, suspension of settlement or other
governmental actions or unexpected events.
Hedging Considerations. A hedge is designed to offset a loss on a portfolio
position with a gain in the hedge position; at the same time, however, a
properly correlated hedge will result in a gain in the portfolio position being
offset by a loss in the hedge position. As a result, the use of options and
futures contracts and currency exchange transactions for hedging purposes could
limit any potential gain from an increase in value of the position hedged. In
addition, the movement in the portfolio position hedged may not be of the same
magnitude as movement in the hedge. The Fund will engage in hedging transactions
only when deemed advisable by Warburg, and successful use of hedging
transactions will depend on Warburg's ability to correctly predict movements in
the hedge and the hedged position and the correlation between them, which could
prove to be inaccurate. Even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful to some
degree because of unexpected market behavior or trends.
11
<PAGE>
Additional Considerations. To the extent that the Fund engages in the
strategies described above, the Fund may experience losses greater than if these
strategies had not been utilized. In addition to the risks described above,
these instruments may be illiquid and/or subject to trading limits, and the Fund
may be unable to close out an option or futures position without incurring
substantial losses, if at all. The Fund is also subject to the risk of a default
by a counterparty to an off-exchange transaction.
Asset Coverage. The Fund will comply with applicable regulatory requirements
designed to eliminate any potential for leverage with respect to options written
by the Fund on securities and indexes; currency, interest rate and stock index
futures contracts and options on these futures contracts; and forward currency
contracts. The use of these strategies may require that the Fund maintain cash
or liquid securities in a segregated account with its custodian or a designated
sub-custodian to the extent the Fund's obligations with respect to these
strategies are not otherwise 'covered' through ownership of the underlying
security or financial instrument or by other portfolio positions or by other
means consistent with applicable regulatory policies. Segregated assets cannot
be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place
or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. As a result, there is a
possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund's assets could
impede portfolio management or the Fund's ability to meet redemption requests or
other current obligations.
SHORT SALES AGAINST THE BOX. The Fund may enter into a short sale of
securities such that when the short position is open the Fund owns an equal
amount of the securities sold short or owns preferred stocks or debt securities,
convertible or exchangeable without payment of further consideration, into an
equal number of securities sold short. This kind of short sale, which is
referred to as one 'against the box,' may be entered into by the Fund to, for
example, lock in a sale price for a security the Fund does not wish to sell
immediately. The Fund will deposit, in a segregated account with its custodian
or a qualified subcustodian, the securities sold short or convertible or
exchangeable preferred stocks or debt securities in connection with short sales
against the box. Not more than 10% of the Fund's net assets (taken at current
value) may be held as collateral for short sales against the box at any one
time.
WHEN-ISSUED SECURITIES AND DELAYED-DELIVERY TRANSACTIONS. The Fund may
utilize up to 20% of its total assets to purchase securities on a when-issued or
delayed-delivery basis. In these transactions, payment for and delivery of the
securities occur beyond the regular settlement dates, normally within 30-45 days
after the transaction. The payment obligation and the interest rate that will be
received in when-issued and delayed-delivery transactions are fixed at the time
the buyer enters into the commitment. Due to fluctuations in the value of
securities purchased on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, the yields
obtained on such securities may be higher or lower than the yields available in
the market on the dates when the investments are actually delivered to the
buyers. When-issued securities may include securities purchased on a 'when, as
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<PAGE>
and if issued' basis, under which the issuance of the security depends on the
occurrence of a subsequent event, such as approval of a merger, corporate
reorganization or debt restructuring. Each Fund is required to segregate assets
equal to the amount of its when-issued and delayed-delivery purchase
commitments.
REITS. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets in real estate
investment trusts ('REITs'), which are pooled investment vehicles that invest
primarily in income-producing real estate or real estate related loans or
interests. Like regulated investment companies such as the Fund, REITs are not
taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with several
requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the 'Code'). By
investing in a REIT, the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of
any expenses paid by the REIT in addition to the expenses of the Fund.
Investing in REITs involves certain risks. A REIT may be affected by changes
in the value of the underlying property owned by such REIT or by the quality of
any credit extended by the REIT. REITs are dependent on management skills, are
not diversified (except to the extent the Code requires), and are subject to the
risks of financing projects. REITs are subject to heavy cash flow dependency,
default by borrowers, self-liquidation, the possibilities of failing to qualify
for the exemption for tax for distributed income under the Code and failing to
maintain their exemptions from the 1940 Act. REITs are also subject to interest
rate risks.
INVESTMENT GUIDELINES
___________________________________________________________
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in securities with
contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that are not
readily marketable ('illiquid securities'), including (i) securities issued as
part of a privately negotiated transaction between an issuer and one or more
purchasers; (ii) repurchase agreements with maturities greater than seven days;
(iii) time deposits maturing in more than seven calendar days; and (iv) certain
Rule 144A Securities. The Fund may borrow from banks for temporary or emergency
purposes, such as meeting anticipated redemption requests, provided that reverse
repurchase agreements and any other borrowing by the Fund may not exceed 30% of
its total assets at the time of borrowing. The Fund may also pledge its assets
in connection with borrowings up to 125% of the amount borrowed. Whenever
borrowings (including reverse repurchase agreements) exceed 5% of the value of
the Fund's total assets, the Fund will not make any additional investments
(including rollovers). Except for the limitations on borrowing, the investment
guidelines set forth in this paragraph may be changed at any time without
shareholder consent by vote of the Board of each Fund, subject to the
limitations contained in the 1940 Act. A complete list of investment
restrictions that the Fund has adopted identifying additional restrictions that
cannot be changed without the approval of the majority of the Fund's outstanding
shares is contained in the Statement of Additional Information.
13
<PAGE>
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
__________________________________________________________
INVESTMENT ADVISER. The Fund employs Warburg as its investment adviser.
Warburg, subject to the control of the Fund's officers and the Board, manages
the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund in accordance with the
Fund's investment objectives and stated investment policies. Warburg makes
investment decisions for the Fund and places orders to purchase or sell
securities on behalf of the Fund. Warburg also employs a support staff of
management personnel to provide services to the Fund and furnishes the Fund with
office space, furnishings and equipment.
For the services provided by Warburg, the Fund pays Warburg a fee calculated
at an annual rate of .75% of the Fund's average daily net assets. Warburg and
the Fund's co-administrators may voluntarily waive a portion of their fees from
time to time and temporarily limit the expenses to be paid by the Fund.
Warburg is a professional investment counselling firm which provides
investment services to investment companies, employee benefit plans, endowment
funds, foundations and other institutions and individuals. As of September 30,
1997, Warburg managed approximately $21.1 billion of assets, including
approximately $12.5 billion of investment company assets. Incorporated in 1970,
Warburg is indirectly controlled by Warburg, Pincus & Co., Inc. ('WP&Co.'),
which has no business other than being a holding company of Warburg and its
affiliates. Lionel I. Pincus, the managing partner of WP&Co., may be deemed to
control both WP&Co. and Warburg. Warburg's address is 466 Lexington Avenue, New
York, New York 10017-3147.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS. Brian S. Posner, a Managing Director of Warburg, has been
the Portfolio Manager of the Fund since January 9, 1997. Prior to joining
Warburg in January 1997, Mr. Posner was an employee of Fidelity Investments
('Fidelity') from 1987 until December 1996. He was the vice president and
portfolio manager of the Fidelity Equity-Income II Fund (1992-December 1996);
the portfolio manager of the Fidelity Value Fund (1990-1992); assistant
portfolio manager of the Fidelity Equity-Income Fund (1989-1990); assistant
portfolio manager of the Fidelity Capital Appreciation Fund (1989); portfolio
manager of the Fidelity Select Property-Casualty Insurance Portfolio (1987-1990)
and an equity analyst (1987). Prior to joining Fidelity, Mr. Posner was a
research associate at John Nuveen and Co. and an analyst at Feldman Securities
Corp. in Chicago.
CO-ADMINISTRATORS. The Fund employs Counsellors Funds Service, Inc.
('Counsellors Service'), a wholly owned subsidiary of Warburg, as a co-
administrator. As co-administrator, Counsellors Service provides shareholder
liaison services to the Fund including responding to shareholder inquiries and
providing information on shareholder investments. Counsellors Service also
performs a variety of other services, including furnishing certain executive and
administrative services, acting as liaison between the Fund and its various
service providers, furnishing corporate secretarial services, which include
preparing materials for meetings of the Board, preparing proxy statements and
annual, semiannual and quarterly reports, assisting in the preparation of tax
14
<PAGE>
returns and monitoring and developing compliance procedures for the Funds. As
compensation, the Fund pays Counsellors Service a fee calculated at an annual
rate of .05% of the Fund's first $125 million of average daily net assets and
.10% of average daily net assets over $125 million.
The Fund employs PFPC, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of PNC Bank
Corp., as a co-administrator. As a co-administrator, PFPC calculates the Fund's
net asset value, provides all accounting services for the Fund and assists in
related aspects of the Fund's operations. As compensation, the Fund pays PFPC a
fee calculated at an annual rate of .15% of the Fund's first $1 billion of
average daily net assets and .05% of average daily net assets over $1 billion.
PFPC has its principal offices at 400 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware
19809.
CUSTODIANS. PNC Bank, National Association ('PNC') serves as custodian of the
U.S. assets of the Fund and State Street Bank and Trust Company ('State Street')
serves as custodian of the Fund's non-U.S. assets. Like PFPC, PNC is a
subsidiary of PNC Bank Corp. and its principal business address is 1600 Market
Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. State Street's principal business
address is 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110.
TRANSFER AGENT. State Street also serves as shareholder servicing agent,
transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund. State Street has
delegated to Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., a 50% owned subsidiary
('BFDS'), responsibility for most shareholder servicing functions. BFDS's
principal business address is 2 Heritage Drive, North Quincy, Massachusetts
02171.
DISTRIBUTOR. Counsellors Securities serves as distributor of the shares of
the Fund. Counsellors Securities is a wholly owned subsidiary of Warburg and is
located at 466 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017-3147. No compensation
is payable by the Advisor Shares to Counsellors Securities for distribution
services.
Warburg or its affiliates may, at their own expense, provide promotional
incentives for qualified recipients who support the sale of shares of a Fund
consisting of securities dealers who have sold Fund shares or others, including
banks and other financial institutions, under special arrangements. Incentives
may include opportunities to attend business meetings, conferences, sales or
training programs for recipients' employees or clients and other programs or
events and may also include opportunities to participate in advertising or sales
campaigns and/or shareholder services and programs regarding one or more Warburg
Pincus Fund. Warburg or its affiliates may pay for travel, meals and lodging in
connection with these promotional activities. In some instances, these
incentives may be offered only to certain institutions whose representatives
provide services in connection with the sale or expected sale of significant
amounts of the Fund's shares.
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. The officers of the Fund manage its day-to-day
operations and are directly responsible to the Board. The Board sets broad
policies for the Fund and chooses its officers. A list of the Directors and
officers of the Fund and a brief statement of their present positions and
principal
15
<PAGE>
occupations during the past five years is set forth in the Statement of
Additional Information.
HOW TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT
__________________________________________________________
In order to invest in the Fund, an account application must first be
completed and signed. To obtain an application, telephone the Fund at (800)
369-2728. An application may also be obtained by writing to:
Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds
335 Madison Avenue, 15th Floor
New York, New York 10017
Attn: Institutional Services
Completed and signed applications should be mailed to the above address.
UTMA/UGMA ACCOUNTS. For information about opening a Uniform Transfers to
Minors Act ('UTMA') account or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act ('UGMA') account, an
Institution should telephone the Fund at (800) 369-2728 or write to the Fund at
the address set forth above. Individual investors should consult their own tax
advisors about the establishment of UTMA or UGMA accounts.
CHANGES TO ACCOUNT. For information on how to make changes to an account,
including changes to account registration and/or address, telephone the Fund at
(800) 369-2728. Institutions and their customers are responsible for maintaining
current account registrations and addresses with the Fund. No interest will be
paid on amounts represented by uncashed distribution or redemption checks.
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
__________________________________________________________
Individual investors may only purchase Warburg Pincus Advisor Fund shares
through Institutions. The Fund reserves the right to make Advisor Shares
available to other investors in the future. References in this Prospectus to
shareholders or investors are generally to Institutions as record holders of the
Advisor Shares.
Each Institution separately determines the rules applicable to its customers
investing in the Fund, including minimum initial and subsequent investment
requirements and the procedures to be followed to effect purchases, redemptions
and exchanges of Advisor Shares. There is no minimum amount of initial or
subsequent purchases of Advisor Shares imposed on Institutions, although the
Fund reserves the right to impose minimums in the future.
Orders for the purchase of Advisor Shares are placed with an Institution by
its customers. The Institution is responsible for the prompt transmission of the
order to the Fund or its agent.
16
<PAGE>
Institutions may purchase Advisor Shares by telephoning the Fund and sending
payment by wire. After telephoning (800) 369-2728 for instructions,
an Institution should then wire federal funds using the following wire address:
State Street Bank and Trust Co.
225 Franklin St.
Boston, MA 02101
ABA# 0110 000 28
Attn: Mutual Funds/Custody Dept.
Warburg Pincus Advisor Growth & Income Fund
DDA# 9904-649-2
[Shareowner name]
[Shareowner account number]
Orders by wire will not be accepted until a completed account application has
been received in proper form, and an account number has been established. If a
telephone order is received by the close of regular trading on the New York
Stock Exchange, Inc. (the 'NYSE') (currently 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) and
payment by wire is received on the same day in proper form in accordance with
instructions set forth above, the shares will be priced according to the net
asset value of the Fund on that day and are entitled to dividends and
distributions beginning on that day. If payment by wire is received in proper
form by the close of the NYSE without a prior telephone order, the purchase will
be priced according to the net asset value of the Fund on that day and is
entitled to dividends and distributions beginning on that day. However, if a
wire in proper form that is not preceded by a telephone order is received after
the close of regular trading on the NYSE, the payment will be held uninvested
until the order is effected at the close of business on the next business day.
Payment for orders that are not accepted will be returned after prompt inquiry.
Certain organizations or Institutions that have entered into agreements with the
Fund or its agent may enter confirmed purchase orders on behalf of customers,
with payment to follow no later than three business days following the day the
order is effected. If payment is not received by such time, the organization
could be held liable for resulting fees or losses.
After an investor has made his initial investment, additional shares may be
purchased at any time by mail or by wire in the manner outlined above. Wire
payments for initial and subsequent investments should be preceded by an order
placed with the Fund or its agent and should clearly indicate the investor's
account number. In the interest of economy and convenience, physical
certificates representing shares in the Fund are not normally issued.
The Fund understands that some broker-dealers (other than Counsellors
Securities), financial institutions, securities dealers and other industry
professionals may impose certain conditions on their clients or customers that
invest in the Fund, which are in addition to or different than those described
in this Prospectus, and may charge their clients or customers direct fees.
Certain features of the Fund, such as the initial and subsequent investment
minimums, redemption fees and certain trading restrictions, may be modified
17
<PAGE>
or waived in these programs, and administrative charges may be imposed for the
services rendered. Therefore, a client or customer should contact the
organization acting on his behalf concerning the fees (if any) charged in
connection with a purchase or redemption of Fund shares and should read this
Prospectus in light of the terms governing his account with the organization.
GENERAL. The Fund reserves the right to reject any specific purchase order.
Purchase orders may be refused if, in Warburg's opinion, they are of a size that
would disrupt the management of the Fund. The Fund may discontinue sales of its
shares if management believes that a substantial further increase in assets may
adversely affect the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. In such
event, however, it is anticipated that existing shareholders would be permitted
to continue to authorize investment in the Fund and to reinvest any dividends or
capital gains distributions.
HOW TO REDEEM AND EXCHANGE SHARES
_______________________________________________
REDEMPTION OF SHARES. An investor may redeem (sell) shares on any day that
the Fund's net asset value is calculated (see 'Net Asset Value' below). Requests
for the redemption (or exchange) of Advisor Shares are placed with an
Institution by its customers, which is then responsible for the prompt
transmission of the request to the Fund or its agent.
Institutions may redeem Advisor Shares by calling Warburg Pincus Advisor
Funds at (800) 369-2728 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on any
business day. An investor making a telephone withdrawal should state (i) the
name of the Fund, (ii) the account number of the Fund, (iii) the name of the
investor(s) appearing on the Fund's records, (iv) the amount to be withdrawn and
(v) the name of the person requesting the redemption.
After receipt of the redemption request the redemption proceeds will be wired
to the investor's bank as indicated in the account application previously filled
out by the investor. The Fund does not currently impose a service charge for
effecting wire transfers but reserves the right to do so in the future. During
periods of significant economic or market change, telephone redemptions may be
difficult to implement. If an investor is unable to contact Warburg Pincus
Advisor Funds by telephone, an investor may deliver the redemption request to
Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds by mail at Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds, P.O. Box
9030, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-9030.
If a redemption order is received by the Fund or its agent prior to the close
of regular trading on the NYSE, the redemption order will be effected at the net
asset value per share as determined on that day. If a redemption order is
received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, the redemption order
will be effected at the net asset value as next determined. Except as noted
above, redemption proceeds will normally be wired to an investor on the next
business day following the date a redemption order is effected. If, however, in
the judgment of Warburg, immediate payment would adversely affect the Fund, the
Fund reserves the right to pay the redemption proceeds within
18
<PAGE>
seven days after the redemption order is effected. Furthermore, the Fund may
suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption
(as well as suspend or postpone the recordation of an exchange of shares) for
such periods as are permitted under the 1940 Act.
The proceeds paid upon redemption may be more or less than the amount
invested, depending upon a share's net asset value at the time of redemption. If
an investor redeems all the shares in his account, all dividends and
distributions declared up to and including the date of redemption are paid along
with the proceeds of the redemption.
EXCHANGE OF SHARES. An Institution may exchange Advisor Shares of the Fund
for Advisor Shares of the other Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds at their respective
net asset values. Exchanges may be effected in the manner described under
'Redemption of Shares' above. If an exchange request is received by Warburg
Pincus Advisor Funds or its agent prior to the close of regular trading on the
NYSE, the exchange will be made at each fund's net asset value determined at the
end of that business day. Exchanges will be effected without a sales charge.
The exchange privilege is available to shareholders residing in any state in
which the Advisor Shares being acquired may legally be sold. When an investor
effects an exchange of shares, the exchange is treated for federal income tax
purposes as a redemption. Therefore, the investor may realize a taxable gain or
loss in connection with the exchange. Investors wishing to exchange Advisor
Shares of the Fund for shares in another Warburg Pincus Advisor Fund should
review the prospectus of the other fund prior to making an exchange. For further
information regarding the exchange privilege or to obtain a current prospectus
for another Warburg Pincus Advisor Fund, an investor should contact Warburg
Pincus Advisor Funds at (800) 369-2728.
Due to the costs involved in effecting exchanges, the Fund reserves the right
to refuse to honor more than three exchange requests in any 30-day period.
Accounts under common ownership or control, including accounts with the same
taxpayer identification number, may be counted together for purposes of the
three exchange limit.
The Fund reserves the right to refuse exchange purchases by any person or
group if, in Warburg's judgment, the Fund would be unable to invest the money
effectively in accordance with its investment objective and policies, or would
otherwise potentially be adversely affected. Exchanges may also be restricted or
refused if the Fund receives or anticipates simultaneous orders affecting
significant portions of the Fund's assets. In particular, a pattern of exchanges
that coincides with a 'market timing' strategy may be disruptive to the Fund.
Although the Fund will attempt to give prior notice whenever it is reasonably
able to do so, it may impose these restrictions at any time. The Fund reserves
the right to terminate or modify the exchange privilege at any time upon 30
days' notice to shareholders.
19
<PAGE>
TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS. In order to request redemptions and exchanges by
telephone, the account application must be completed and returned to the Fund
containing a telephone election. The election to request exchanges and
redemptions by telephone may be made subsequently by writing to the Fund at the
address set forth under 'How to Open an Account in the Fund.' Neither the Fund
nor its agents will be liable for following instructions communicated by
telephone that it reasonably believes to be genuine.
Reasonable procedures will be employed on behalf of the Fund designed to give
reasonable assurance that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine.
Such procedures include providing written confirmation of telephone
transactions, tape recording telephone instructions and requiring specific
personal information prior to acting upon telephone instructions.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
______________________________________________
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS. The Fund calculates its dividends from net
investment income. Net investment income includes interest accrued and dividends
earned on the Fund's portfolio securities for the applicable period (which
includes amortization of market discounts) less amortization of market premiums
and applicable expenses. The Fund declares and pays its dividends from its net
investment income quarterly. The Fund declares distributions of its net realized
short-term and long-term capital gains annually and pays them in the calendar
year in which they are declared, generally in November or December. Net
investment income earned on weekends and when the NYSE is not open will be
computed as of the next business day. Unless an investor instructs the Fund to
pay dividends or distributions in cash, dividends and distributions will
automatically be reinvested in additional Advisor Shares of the Fund at net
asset value. The election to receive dividends in cash may be made on the
account application or, subsequently, by writing to Warburg Pincus Funds at the
address set forth under 'How to Open an Account' or by calling Warburg Pincus
Funds at (800) 369-2728.
The Fund may be required to withhold for U.S. federal income taxes 31% of all
distributions payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their
correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or
who have been notified by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service that they are
subject to backup withholding.
TAXES. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a 'regulated investment
company' within the meaning of the Code. As a regulated investment company, the
Fund will be subject to a 4% non-deductible excise tax measured with respect to
certain undistributed amounts of ordinary income and capital gain. The Fund
expects to pay such dividends and to make such distributions as are necessary to
avoid the application of this tax.
Dividends paid from net investment income and distributions of net realized
short-term capital gains are taxable to investors as ordinary income, and
distributions derived from net realized long-term capital gains are
20
<PAGE>
taxable to investors as long-term capital gains, in each case regardless of how
long the shareholder has held Fund shares and whether received in cash or
reinvested in additional Fund shares. As a general rule, an investor's gain or
loss on a sale or redemption of his Fund shares will be long-term capital gain
or loss if he has held his shares for more than one year and will be short-term
capital gain or loss if he has held his shares for one year or less. However,
any loss realized upon the sale or redemption of shares within six months from
the date of their purchase will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the
extent of any amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gain during
such six-month period with respect to such shares.
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 made certain changes to the Code with respect
to taxation of long-term capital gains earned by taxpayers other than a
corporation. In general, for sales made after May 6, 1997, the maximum tax rate
for individual taxpayers on net long-term capital gains is lowered to 20% for
most assets (including long-term capital gains recognized by shareholders on the
sale or redemption of Fund shares that were held as capital assets). This 20%
rate applies to sales on or after July 29, 1997 only if the asset was held for
more than 18 months at the time of disposition. Capital gains on the disposition
of assets on or after July 29, 1997 held for more than one year and up to 18
months at the time of disposition will be taxed as 'mid-term gain' at a maximum
rate of 28%. A rate of 18% instead of 20% will apply after December 31, 2000 for
assets held for more than 5 years. However, the 18% rate applies only to assets
acquired after December 31, 2000 unless the taxpayer elects to treat an asset
held prior to such date as sold for fair market value on January 1, 2001. In the
case of individuals whose ordinary income is taxed at a 15% rate, the 20% rate
is reduced to 10% and the 10% rate for assets held for more than 5 years is
reduced to 8%. The Fund will provide information relating to that portion of a
'capital gain dividend' that may be treated by investors as eligible for the
reduced capital gains rate for capital assets held for more than 18 months.
Investors may be proportionately liable for taxes on income and gains of the
Fund, but investor's not subject to tax on their income will not be required to
pay tax on amounts distributed to them. The Fund's investment activities,
including short sales of securities, will not result in unrelated business
taxable income to a tax-exempt investor. The Fund will designate that portion of
its dividends that will qualify for the federal dividends received deduction for
corporations. The Fund's investments in foreign securities may subject it to
certain withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries with respect to
dividends, interest, capital gains and other income. It is not expected that the
payment of such taxes by the Fund will give rise to a direct credit or deduction
available to the Fund's shareholders.
GENERAL. Statements as to the tax status of each investor's dividends and
distributions are mailed annually. Each investor will also receive, if
applicable, various written notices after the close of the Fund's prior taxable
year with respect to certain dividends and distributions that were paid (or
21
<PAGE>
that are treated as having been paid) by the Fund during the Fund's prior
taxable year. Investors should consult their own tax advisers with specific
reference to their own tax situations, including their state and local tax
liabilities.
NET ASSET VALUE
_________________________________________________________________
The Fund's net asset value per share is calculated as of the close of regular
trading on the NYSE (currently 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each business day,
Monday through Friday, except on days when the NYSE is closed. The NYSE is
currently scheduled to be closed on New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and on the preceding Friday or subsequent
Monday when one of these holidays falls on a Saturday or Sunday, respectively.
The net asset value per share of the Fund generally changes each day.
The net asset value per Advisor Share of the Fund is computed by adding the
Advisor Shares' pro rata share of the value of the Fund's assets, deducting the
Advisor Shares' pro rata share of the Fund's liabilities and the liabilities
specifically allocated to Advisor Shares and then dividing the result by the
total number of outstanding Advisor Shares.
Securities listed on a U.S. securities exchange (including securities traded
through the NASDAQ National Market System) or foreign securities exchange or
traded in an over-the-counter market will be valued at the most recent sale
price when the valuation is made. Options and futures contracts will be valued
similarly. Debt obligations that mature in 60 days or less from the valuation
date are valued on the basis of amortized cost, unless the Board determines that
using this valuation method would not reflect the investments' value.
Securities, options and futures contracts for which market quotations are not
readily available and other assets will be valued at their fair value as
determined in good faith pursuant to consistently applied procedures established
by the Board. Further information regarding valuation policies is contained in
the Statement of Additional Information.
PERFORMANCE
_____________________________________________________________________
The Fund quotes the performance of Advisor Shares separately from Common
Shares. The net asset value of the Advisor Shares is listed in The Wall Street
Journal each business day under the heading 'Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds.' From
time to time, the Fund may advertise yield and average annual total return of
its Advisor Shares over various periods of time. The yield refers to the net
investment income generated by the Advisor Shares over a specified thirty-day
period, which is then annualized. These total return figures show the average
percentage change in value of an investment in the Advisor Shares from the
beginning of the measuring period to the end of the measuring period. The
figures reflect changes in the price of the Advisor Shares assuming that any
income dividends and/or capital gain distributions made by the Fund during the
period were reinvested in Advisor
22
<PAGE>
Shares of the Fund. Total return will be shown for recent one-, five- and
ten-year periods, and may be shown for other periods as well (such as from
commencement of the Fund's operations or on a year-by-year, quarterly or current
year-to-date basis). Performance quotations of the Fund will include performance
of a predecessor fund.
When considering average total return figures for periods longer than one
year, it is important to note that the annual total return for one year in the
period might have been greater or less than the average for the entire period.
When considering total return figures for periods shorter than one year,
investors should bear in mind that the Fund seeks long-term appreciation and
that such return may not be representative of the Fund's return over a longer
market cycle. The Fund may also advertise aggregate total return figures of
Advisor Shares for various periods, representing the cumulative change in value
of an investment in the Advisor Shares for the specific period (again reflecting
changes in share prices and assuming reinvestment of dividends and
distributions). Aggregate and average total returns may be shown by means of
schedules, charts or graphs and may indicate various components of total return
(i.e., change in value of initial investment, income dividends and capital gain
distributions).
Investors should note that total return figures are based on historical
earnings and are not intended to indicate future performance. The Statement of
Additional Information describes the method used to determine the total return.
Current total return figures may be obtained by calling Warburg Pincus Advisor
Funds at (800) 369-2728.
In reports or other communications to investors or in advertising material,
the Fund may describe general economic and market conditions affecting the Fund.
The Fund may compare its performance (i) with that of other mutual funds as
listed in the rankings prepared by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. or similar
investment services that monitor the performance of mutual funds or as set forth
in the publications listed below; (ii) with the S&P 500 Index; or (iii) with
other appropriate indexes of investment securities or with data developed by
Warburg derived from such indexes. The Fund may include evaluations of the Fund
published by nationally recognized ranking services and by financial
publications that are nationally recognized, such as Barron's, Business Week,
Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, Inc., Institutional Investor, Investor's
Business Daily, Money, Morningstar, Inc., Mutual Fund Magazine, Smart Money and
The Wall Street Journal. Morningstar, Inc. rates funds in broad categories based
on risk/reward analyses over various time periods. In addition, the Fund may
from time to time compare its expense ratio to that of investment companies with
similar objectives and policies, based on data generated by Lipper Analytical
Services, Inc. or similar investment services that monitor mutual funds.
In reports or other communications to investors or in advertising, the Fund
may discuss relevant economic and market conditions affecting the Fund. In
addition, the Fund and its portfolio managers may render updates of Fund
23
<PAGE>
investment activity, which may include, among other things, discussion or
quantitative statistical or comparative analysis of portfolio composition and
significant portfolio holdings, including analyses of holdings by sector,
industry, country or geographic region, credit quality and other
characteristics. The Fund may also describe the general biography, work
experience and/or investment philosophy or style of the portfolio managers of
the Fund and may include quotations attributable to the portfolio managers
describing the Fund's investments objectives, approaches taken in managing the
Fund's investments or the research methodology underlying stock selection. The
Fund may also discuss various measures of risk, including those based on
statistical or econometric analyses, the continuum of risk and return relating
to different investments and the potential impact of foreign stocks on a
portfolio otherwise composed of domestic securities.
GENERAL INFORMATION
_____________________________________________________________
ORGANIZATION. The Fund was incorporated on January 29, 1996 under the laws of
the State of Maryland under the name 'Warburg, Pincus Growth & Income Fund,
Inc.' On May 3, 1996 the Fund acquired all of the assets and liabilities of the
corresponding investment portfolio of the RBB Fund with a similar name.
The charter of the Fund authorizes the Board to issue three billion full and
fractional shares of capital stock, $.001 par value per share, of which one
billion shares are designated Common Shares and two billion shares are
designated Advisor Shares. Under the Fund's charter documents, the Board has the
power to classify or reclassify any unissued shares of the Fund into one or more
additional classes by setting or changing in any one or more respects their
relative rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends,
qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption. The Board may similarly
classify or reclassify any class of its shares into one or more series and,
without shareholder approval, may increase the number of authorized shares of
the Fund.
MULTI-CLASS STRUCTURE. The Fund offers a separate class of shares, the Common
Shares, directly to individuals pursuant to a separate prospectus. Shares of
each class represent equal pro rata interests in the Fund and accrue dividends
and calculate net asset value and performance quotations in the same manner,
except that Advisor Shares bear fees payable by the Fund to Institutions for
services they provide to the beneficial owners of such shares and enjoy certain
exclusive voting rights on matters relating to these fees. Because of the higher
fees paid by the Advisor Shares, the total return on such shares can be expected
to be lower than the total return on Common Shares. Investors may obtain
information concerning the Common Shares from their investment professional or
by calling Counsellors Securities at (800) 927-2874.
VOTING RIGHTS. Investors in the Fund are entitled to one vote for each full
share held and fractional votes for fractional shares held. Shareholders of the
Fund will vote in the aggregate except where otherwise required by law and
24
<PAGE>
except that each class will vote separately on certain matters pertaining to its
distribution and shareholder servicing arrangements. There will normally be no
meetings of investors for the purpose of electing members of the Board unless
and until such time as less than a majority of the members holding office have
been elected by investors. Any member of the Board may be removed from office
upon the vote of shareholders holding at least a majority of the Fund's
outstanding shares, at a meeting called for that purpose. A meeting will be
called for the purpose of voting on the removal of a Board member at the written
request of holders of 10% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS. Each investor will receive a quarterly statement
of his account, as well as a statement of his account after any transaction that
affects his share balance or share registration (other than the reinvestment of
dividends or distributions or investment made through the Automatic Investment
Program). The Fund will also send to its investors a semiannual report and an
audited annual report, each of which includes a list of the investment
securities held by the Fund and a statement of the performance of the Fund.
Periodic listings of the investment securities held by the Fund, as well as
certain statistical characteristics of the Fund, may be obtained by calling
Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds at (800) 369-2728. Each Institution that is the
record owner of Advisor Shares on behalf of its customers will send a statement
to those customers periodically showing their indirect interest in Advisor
Shares, as well as providing other information about the Fund. See 'Shareholder
Servicing.'
The common share prospectus of another Warburg Pincus Fund is combined with
the Fund's Common Share Prospectus. Each fund offers only its own shares, yet it
is possible that the Fund may become liable for a misstatement, inaccuracy or
omission in that prospectus with regard to another fund.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING
___________________________________________________________
The Fund is authorized to offer Advisor Shares exclusively through
Institutions whose clients or customers (or participants in the case of
retirement plans) ('Customers') are owners of Advisor Shares. Either those
Institutions or companies providing certain services to Customers (together,
'Service Organizations') will enter into agreements ('Agreements') with the Fund
and/or Counsellors Securities pursuant to a Distribution Plan as described
below. Such entities may provide certain distribution, shareholder servicing,
administrative and/or accounting services for their Customers. Distribution
services would be marketing or other services in connection with the promotion
and sale of Advisor Shares. Shareholder services that may be provided include
responding to Customer inquiries, providing information on Customer investments
and providing other shareholder liaison services. Administrative and accounting
services related to the sale of Advisor Shares may include (i) aggregating and
processing purchase and redemption requests from Customers and placing net
purchase and redemption orders
25
<PAGE>
with the Fund's transfer agent, (ii) processing dividend payments from the Fund
on behalf of Customers and (iii) providing sub-accounting related to the sale of
Advisor Shares beneficially owned by Customers or the information to the Fund
necessary for sub-accounting. The Board has approved a Distribution Plan (the
'Plan') pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act under which each participating
Service Organization will be paid, out of the assets of the Fund (either
directly or by Counsellors Securities on behalf of the Fund), a negotiated fee
on an annual basis not to exceed .75% (up to a .25% annual service fee and a
.50% annual distribution and/or administration services fee) of the value of the
average daily net assets of its Customers invested in Advisor Shares. The
current 12b-1 fee is .50% per annum. The Board evaluates the appropriateness of
the Plan on a continuing basis and in doing so considers all relevant factors.
Counsellors Securities may pay CIGNA Securities, Inc. ('CIGNA') an annual fee
of up to .10% of the average daily net asset value of the Advisor Shares of the
Fund held by customers of CIGNA for providing certain services, such as:
developing materials for educating prospective investors about the Fund and
investment in mutual funds generally; conducting seminars, meetings and other
activities for CIGNA customers that are eligible to invest in the Fund; and
developing, maintaining and upgrading support services to CIGNA customers that
invest in the Fund.
Warburg, Counsellors Securities or their affiliates may, from time to time,
at their own expense, provide compensation to Service Organizations. To the
extent they do so, such compensation does not represent an additional expense to
the Fund or its shareholders. In addition, Warburg, Counsellors Securities or
their affiliates may, from time to time, at their own expense, pay certain Fund
transfer agent fees and expenses related to accounts of Customers. A Service
Organization may directly or indirectly use a portion of the fees paid pursuant
to the Plan to compensate the Fund's custodian or transfer agent for costs
related to accounts of Customers.
------------------------
NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY
REPRESENTATIONS OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS, THE FUND'S
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR THE FUND'S OFFICIAL SALES LITERATURE IN
CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING OF SHARES OF THE FUND, AND IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH
OTHER INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN
AUTHORIZED BY THE FUND. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE
ADVISOR SHARES IN ANY STATE IN WHICH, OR TO ANY PERSON TO WHOM, SUCH OFFER MAY
NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.
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<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
The Fund's Expenses..................................................... 2
Financial Highlights.................................................... 3
Investment Objectives and Policies...................................... 4
Portfolio Investments................................................... 4
Risk Factors and Special Considerations................................. 7
Portfolio Transactions and Turnover Rate................................ 8
Certain Investment Strategies........................................... 9
Investment Guidelines................................................... 13
Management of the Fund.................................................. 14
How to Open an Account.................................................. 16
How to Purchase Shares.................................................. 16
How to Redeem and Exchange Shares....................................... 18
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes...................................... 20
Net Asset Value......................................................... 22
Performance............................................................. 22
General Information..................................................... 24
Shareholder Servicing................................................... 25
</TABLE>
WARBURG PINCUS
ASSET MANAGEMENT
P.O. BOX 9030, BOSTON, MA 02205-9030
800-369-2728
WWW.WARBURG.COM
COUNSELLORS SECURITIES INC., DISTRIBUTOR. ADGRI-1-1097
<PAGE>
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
October 21, 1997
WARBURG PINCUS GROWTH & INCOME FUND
P.O. Box 9030, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-9030
For information, call (800) WARBURG
Contents
Page
----
Investment Objectives....................................................... 2
Investment Policies......................................................... 2
Management of the Fund...................................................... 26
Additional Purchase and Redemption Information.............................. 32
Exchange Privilege.......................................................... 33
Additional Information Concerning Taxes..................................... 33
Determination of Performance................................................ 39
Independent Accountants and Counsel......................................... 40
Miscellaneous............................................................... 41
Financial Statements........................................................ 41
Appendix - Description of Ratings...........................................A-1
This Statement of Additional Information is meant to be read
in conjunction with the combined Prospectus for the Common Shares of Warburg
Pincus Growth & Income Fund (the "Fund") and Warburg Pincus Balanced Fund and
with the Prospectus for the Advisor Shares of the Fund, each dated October 21,
1997, as amended or supplemented from time to time, and is incorporated by
reference in its entirety into those Prospectuses. Because this Statement of
Additional Information is not itself a prospectus, no investment in shares of
the Fund should be made solely upon the information contained herein. Copies of
the Fund's Prospectuses and information regarding the Fund's current performance
may be obtained by calling the Fund at (800) 927-2874. Information regarding the
status of shareholder accounts may be obtained by calling the Fund at (800)
927-2874 or by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9030, Boston, Massachusetts
02205-9030.
<PAGE>
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES
The investment objectives of the Fund are long-term growth of
capital and income and a reasonable current return.
INVESTMENT POLICIES
The following policies supplement the descriptions of the
Fund's investment objective and policies in the Prospectuses.
Options, Futures and Currency Exchange Transactions
Securities Options. The Fund may write covered call options
and put options on securities, and may purchase such options, that are traded on
exchanges, as well as over-the-counter ("OTC").
The Fund realizes fees (referred to as "premiums") for
granting the rights evidenced by the options it has written. A put option
embodies the right of its purchaser to compel the writer of the option to
purchase from the option holder an underlying security at a specified price for
a specified time period or at a specified time. In contrast, a call option
embodies the right of its purchaser to compel the writer of the option to sell
to the option holder an underlying security at a specified price for a specified
time period or at a specified time.
The principal reason for writing covered options on a security
is to attempt to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a greater return than
would be realized on the securities alone. In return for a premium, the Fund as
the writer of a covered call option forfeits the right to any appreciation in
the value of the underlying security above the strike price for the life of the
option (or until a closing purchase transaction can be effected). Nevertheless,
the Fund as a put or call writer retains the risk of a decline in the price of
the underlying security. The size of the premiums that the Fund may receive may
be adversely affected as new or existing institutions, including other
investment companies, engage in or increase their option-writing activities.
If security prices rise, a put writer would generally expect
to profit, although its gain would be limited to the amount of the premium it
received. If security prices remain the same over time, it is likely that the
writer will also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a
lower price. If security prices fall, the put writer would expect to suffer a
loss. This loss should be less than the loss from purchasing the underlying
instrument directly, however, because the premium received for writing the
option should mitigate the effects of the decline.
In the case of options written by the Fund that are deemed
covered by virtue of the Fund's holding convertible or exchangeable preferred
stock or debt securities, the time required to convert or exchange and obtain
physical delivery of the underlying common stock
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with respect to which the Fund has written options may exceed the time within
which the Fund must make delivery in accordance with an exercise notice. In
these instances, the Fund may purchase or temporarily borrow the underlying
securities for purposes of physical delivery. By so doing, the Fund will not
bear any market risk, since the Fund will have the absolute right to receive
from the issuer of the underlying security an equal number of shares to replace
the borrowed securities, but the Fund may incur additional transaction costs or
interest expenses in connection with any such purchase or borrowing.
Additional risks exist with respect to certain of the
securities for which the Fund may write covered call options. For example, if
the Fund writes covered call options on mortgage-backed securities, the
mortgage-backed securities that it holds as cover may, because of scheduled
amortization or unscheduled prepayments, cease to be sufficient cover. If this
occurs, the Fund will compensate for the decline in the value of the cover by
purchasing an appropriate additional amount of mortgage-backed securities.
Options written by the Fund will normally have expiration
dates between one and nine months from the date written. The exercise price of
the options may be below, equal to or above the market values of the underlying
securities at the times the options are written. In the case of call options,
these exercise prices are referred to as "in-the-money," "at-the-money" and
"out-of-the-money," respectively. The Fund may write (i) in-the-money call
options when Warburg Pincus Asset Management, Inc., the Fund's investment
adviser ("Warburg") expects that the price of the underlying security will
remain flat or decline moderately during the option period, (ii) at-the-money
call options when Warburg expects that the price of the underlying security will
remain flat or advance moderately during the option period and (iii)
out-of-the-money call options when Warburg expects that the premiums received
from writing the call option plus the appreciation in market price of the
underlying security up to the exercise price will be greater than the
appreciation in the price of the underlying security alone. In any of the
preceding situations, if the market price of the underlying security declines
and the security is sold at this lower price, the amount of any realized loss
will be offset wholly or in part by the premium received. Out-of-the-money,
at-the-money and in-the-money put options (the reverse of call options as to the
relation of exercise price to market price) may be used in the same market
environments that such call options are used in equivalent transactions. To
secure its obligation to deliver the underlying security when it writes a call
option, the Fund will be required to deposit in escrow the underlying security
or other assets in accordance with the rules of the Options Clearing Corporation
(the "Clearing Corporation") and of the securities exchange on which the option
is written.
Prior to their expirations, put and call options may be sold
in closing sale or purchase transactions (sales or purchases by the Fund prior
to the exercise of options that it has purchased or written, respectively, of
options of the same series) in which the Fund may realize a profit or loss from
the sale. An option position may be closed out only where there exists a
secondary market for an option of the same series on a recognized securities
exchange or in the over-the-counter market. When the Fund has purchased an
option and engages in a closing sale transaction, whether the Fund realizes a
profit or loss will depend upon whether
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the amount received in the closing sale transaction is more or less than the
premium the Fund initially paid for the original option plus the related
transaction costs. Similarly, in cases where the Fund has written an option, it
will realize a profit if the cost of the closing purchase transaction is less
than the premium received upon writing the original option and will incur a loss
if the cost of the closing purchase transaction exceeds the premium received
upon writing the original option. The Fund may engage in a closing purchase
transaction to realize a profit, to prevent an underlying security with respect
to which it has written an option from being called or put or, in the case of a
call option, to unfreeze an underlying security (thereby permitting its sale or
the writing of a new option on the security prior to the outstanding option's
expiration). The obligation of the Fund under an option it has written would be
terminated by a closing purchase transaction, but the Fund would not be deemed
to own an option as a result of the transaction. So long as the obligation of
the Fund as the writer of an option continues, the Fund may be assigned an
exercise notice by the broker-dealer through which the option was sold,
requiring the Fund to deliver the underlying security against payment of the
exercise price. This obligation terminates when the option expires or the Fund
effects a closing purchase transaction. The Fund can no longer effect a closing
purchase transaction with respect to an option once it has been assigned an
exercise notice.
There is no assurance that sufficient trading interest will
exist to create a liquid secondary market on a securities exchange for any
particular option or at any particular time, and for some options no such
secondary market may exist. A liquid secondary market in an option may cease to
exist for a variety of reasons. In the past, for example, higher than
anticipated trading activity or order flow or other unforeseen events have at
times rendered certain of the facilities of the Clearing Corporation and various
securities exchanges inadequate and resulted in the institution of special
procedures, such as trading rotations, restrictions on certain types of orders
or trading halts or suspensions in one or more options. There can be no
assurance that similar events, or events that may otherwise interfere with the
timely execution of customers' orders, will not recur. In such event, it might
not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular options. Moreover,
the Fund's ability to terminate options positions established in the
over-the-counter market may be more limited than for exchange-traded options and
may also involve the risk that securities dealers participating in
over-the-counter transactions would fail to meet their obligations to the Fund.
The Fund, however, intends to purchase over-the-counter options only from
dealers whose debt securities, as determined by Warburg, are considered to be
investment grade. If, as a covered call option writer, the Fund is unable to
effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able
to sell the underlying security until the option expires or it delivers the
underlying security upon exercise. In either case, the Fund would continue to be
at market risk on the security and could face higher transaction costs,
including brokerage commissions.
Securities exchanges generally have established limitations
governing the maximum number of calls and puts of each class which may be held
or written, or exercised within certain time periods by an investor or group of
investors acting in concert (regardless of whether the options are written on
the same or different securities exchanges or are held, written or exercised in
one or more accounts or through one or more brokers). It is possible that the
Fund and other clients of Warburg and certain of its affiliates may be
considered to be
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such a group. A securities exchange may order the liquidation of positions found
to be in violation of these limits and it may impose certain other sanctions.
These limits may restrict the number of options the Fund will be able to
purchase on a particular security.
Stock Index Options. The Fund may purchase and write
exchange-listed and OTC put and call options on stock indexes. A stock index
measures the movement of a certain group of stocks by assigning relative values
to the stocks included in the index, fluctuating with changes in the market
values of the stocks included in the index. Some index options are based on a
broad market index such as the NYSE Composite Index, or a narrower market index
such as the Standard & Poor's 100. Indexes may also be based on a particular
industry or market segment.
Options on stock indexes are similar to options on securities
except that (i) the expiration cycles of stock index options are monthly, while
those of stock options are currently quarterly, and (ii) the delivery
requirements are different. Instead of giving the right to take or make delivery
of stock at a specified price, an option on a stock index gives the holder the
right to receive a cash "exercise settlement amount" equal to (a) the amount, if
any, by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds (in the case of a
put) or is less than (in the case of a call) the closing value of the underlying
index on the date of exercise, multiplied by (b) a fixed "index multiplier."
Receipt of this cash amount will depend upon the closing level of the stock
index upon which the option is based being greater than, in the case of a call,
or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the index and the
exercise price of the option times a specified multiple. The writer of the
option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of
this amount. Stock index options may be offset by entering into closing
transactions as described above for securities options.
OTC Options. The Fund may purchase OTC or dealer options or
sell covered OTC options. Unlike exchange-listed options where an intermediary
or clearing corporation, such as the Clearing Corporation, assures that all
transactions in such options are properly executed, the responsibility for
performing all transactions with respect to OTC options rests solely with the
writer and the holder of those options. A listed call option writer, for
example, is obligated to deliver the underlying stock to the clearing
organization if the option is exercised, and the clearing organization is then
obligated to pay the writer the exercise price of the option. If the Fund were
to purchase a dealer option, however, it would rely on the dealer from whom it
purchased the option to perform if the option were exercised. If the dealer
fails to honor the exercise of the option by the Fund, the Fund would lose the
premium it paid for the option and the expected benefit of the transaction.
Listed options generally have a continuous liquid market while
dealer options have none. Consequently, the Fund will generally be able to
realize the value of a dealer option it has purchased only by exercising it or
reselling it to the dealer who issued it. Similarly, when the Fund writes a
dealer option, it generally will be able to close out the option prior to its
expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer
to which the Fund originally wrote the option. Although the Fund will seek to
enter into dealer options only with dealers who will agree to and that are
expected to be capable of
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entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that
the Fund will be able to liquidate a dealer option at a favorable price at any
time prior to expiration. The inability to enter into a closing transaction may
result in material losses to the Fund. Until the Fund, as a covered OTC call
option writer, is able to effect a closing purchase transaction, it will not be
able to liquidate securities (or other assets) used to cover the written option
until the option expires or is exercised. This requirement may impair the Fund's
ability to sell portfolio securities at a time when such sale might be
advantageous. In the event of insolvency of the other party, the Fund may be
unable to liquidate a dealer option.
Futures Activities. The Fund may enter into foreign currency,
interest rate and stock index futures contracts and purchase and write (sell)
related options traded on exchanges designated by the Commodity Futures Trading
Commission (the "CFTC") or consistent with CFTC regulations on foreign
exchanges. These transactions may be entered into for "bona fide hedging"
purposes as defined in CFTC regulations and other permissible purposes including
hedging against changes in the value of portfolio securities due to anticipated
changes in interest rates and/or market conditions and increasing return.
The Fund will not enter into futures contracts and related
options for which the aggregate initial margin and premiums (discussed below)
required to establish positions other than those considered to be "bona fide
hedging" by the CFTC exceed 5% of the Fund's net asset value after taking into
account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such contracts it has
entered into. The Fund reserves the right to engage in transactions involving
futures contracts and options on futures contracts to the extent allowed by CFTC
regulations in effect from time to time and in accordance with the Fund's
policies. There is no overall limit on the percentage of Fund assets that may be
at risk with respect to futures activities.
Futures Contracts. A foreign currency futures contract
provides for the future sale by one party and the purchase by the other party of
a certain amount of a specified non-U.S. currency at a specified price, date,
time and place. An interest rate futures contract provides for the future sale
by one party and the purchase by the other party of a certain amount of a
specific interest rate sensitive financial instrument (debt security) at a
specified price, date, time and place. Securities indexes are capitalization
weighted indexes which reflect the market value of the securities listed on the
indexes. An index futures contract is an agreement to be settled by delivery of
an amount of cash equal to a specified multiplier times the difference between
the value of the index at the close of the last trading day on the contract and
the price at which the agreement is made.
No consideration is paid or received by the Fund upon entering
into a futures contract. Instead, the Fund is required to deposit in a
segregated account with its custodian an amount of cash or cash equivalents,
such as U.S. government securities or other liquid high-grade debt obligations,
equal to approximately 1% to 10% of the contract amount (this amount is subject
to change by the exchange on which the contract is traded, and brokers may
charge a higher amount). This amount is known as "initial margin" and is in the
nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract which is
returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all
contractual obligations have been satisfied.
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The broker will have access to amounts in the margin account if the Fund fails
to meet its contractual obligations. Subsequent payments, known as "variation
margin," to and from the broker, will be made daily as the financial instrument
or index underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short
positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as
"marking-to-market." The Fund will also incur brokerage costs in connection with
entering into futures transactions.
At any time prior to the expiration of a futures contract, the
Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will
operate to terminate the Fund's existing position in the contract. Positions in
futures contracts and options on futures contracts (described below) may be
closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into (or through a
linked exchange). No secondary market for such contracts exists. Although the
Fund intends to enter into futures contracts only if there is an active market
for such contracts, there is no assurance that an active market will exist at
any particular time. Most futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation
permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily
limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day
at a price beyond that limit or trading may be suspended for specified periods
during the day. It is possible that futures contract prices could move to the
daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading,
thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions at an advantageous
price and subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. In such event, and in the
event of adverse price movements, the Fund would be required to make daily cash
payments of variation margin. In such situations, if the Fund had insufficient
cash, it might have to sell securities to meet daily variation margin
requirements at a time when it would be disadvantageous to do so. In addition,
if the transaction is entered into for hedging purposes, in such circumstances
the Fund may realize a loss on a futures contract or option that is not offset
by an increase in the value of the hedged position. Losses incurred in futures
transactions and the costs of these transactions will affect the Fund's
performance.
Options on Futures Contracts. The Fund may purchase and write
put and call options on foreign currency, interest rate and index futures
contracts and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such options
to terminate existing positions. There is no guarantee that such closing
transactions can be effected; the ability to establish and close out positions
on such options will be subject to the existence of a liquid market.
An option on a currency, interest rate or index futures
contract, as contrasted with the direct investment in such a contract, gives the
purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a
futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time prior to the
expiration date of the option. The writer of the option is required upon
exercise to assume an offsetting futures position (a short position if the
option is a call and a long position if the option is a put). Upon exercise of
an option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to
the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated
balance in the writer's futures margin account, which represents the amount by
which the market price of the futures contract exceeds, in the case of a call,
or is less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option on the
futures contract. The
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<PAGE>
potential loss related to the purchase of an option on futures contracts is
limited to the premium paid for the option (plus transaction costs). Because the
value of the option is fixed at the point of sale, there are no daily cash
payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying
contract; however, the value of the option does change daily and that change
would be reflected in the net asset value of the Fund.
Currency Exchange Transactions. The value in U.S. dollars of
the assets of the Fund that are invested in foreign securities may be affected
favorably or unfavorably by changes in exchange control regulations, and the
Fund may incur costs in connection with conversion between various currencies.
Currency exchange transactions may be from any non-U.S. currency into U.S.
dollars or into other appropriate currencies. The Fund will conduct its currency
exchange transactions (i) on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the rate prevailing in
the currency exchange market, (ii) through entering into futures contracts or
options on such contracts (as described above), (iii) through entering into
forward contracts to purchase or sell currency or (iv) by purchasing
exchange-traded currency options.
Forward Currency Contracts. A forward currency contract
involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date,
which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract as agreed
upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts
are entered into in the interbank market conducted directly between currency
traders (usually large commercial banks and brokers) and their customers.
Forward currency contracts are similar to currency futures contracts, except
that futures contracts are traded on commodities exchanges and are standardized
as to contract size and delivery date.
At or before the maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may
either sell a portfolio security and make delivery of the currency, or retain
the security and fully or partially offset its contractual obligation to deliver
the currency by negotiating with its trading partner to purchase a second,
offsetting contract. If the Fund retains the portfolio security and engages in
an offsetting transaction, the Fund, at the time of execution of the offsetting
transaction, will incur a gain or a loss to the extent that movement has
occurred in forward contract prices.
Currency Options. The Fund may purchase exchange-traded put
and call options on foreign currencies. Put options convey the right to sell the
underlying currency at a price which is anticipated to be higher than the spot
price of the currency at the time the option is exercised. Call options convey
the right to buy the underlying currency at a price which is expected to be
lower than the spot price of the currency at the time the option is exercised.
Currency Hedging. The Fund's currency hedging will be limited
to hedging involving either specific transactions or portfolio positions.
Transaction hedging is the purchase or sale of forward currency with respect to
specific receivables or payables of the Fund generally accruing in connection
with the purchase or sale of its portfolio securities. Position hedging is the
sale of forward currency with respect to portfolio security positions.
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The Fund may not position hedge to an extent greater than the aggregate market
value (at the time of entering into the hedge) of the hedged securities.
A decline in the U.S. dollar value of a foreign currency in
which the Fund's securities are denominated will reduce the U.S. dollar value of
the securities, even if their value in the foreign currency remains constant.
The use of currency hedges does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying
prices of the securities, but it does establish a rate of exchange that can be
achieved in the future. For example, in order to protect against diminutions in
the U.S. dollar value of securities it holds, the Fund may purchase currency put
options. If the value of the currency does decline, the Fund will have the right
to sell the currency for a fixed amount in dollars and will thereby offset, in
whole or in part, the adverse effect on the U.S. dollar value of its securities
that otherwise would have resulted. Conversely, if a rise in the U.S. dollar
value of a currency in which securities to be acquired are denominated is
projected, thereby potentially increasing the cost of the securities, the Fund
may purchase call options on the particular currency. The purchase of these
options could offset, at least partially, the effects of the adverse movements
in exchange rates. The benefit to the Fund derived from purchases of currency
options, like the benefit derived from other types of options, will be reduced
by premiums and other transaction costs. Because transactions in currency
exchange are generally conducted on a principal basis, no fees or commissions
are generally involved. Currency hedging involves some of the same risks and
considerations as other transactions with similar instruments. Although currency
hedges limit the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of a hedged
currency, at the same time, they also limit any potential gain that might result
should the value of the currency increase. If a devaluation is generally
anticipated, the Fund may not be able to contract to sell a currency at a price
above the devaluation level it anticipates.
While the values of currency futures and options on futures,
forward currency contracts and currency options may be expected to correlate
with exchange rates, they will not reflect other factors that may affect the
value of the Fund's investments and a currency hedge may not be entirely
successful in mitigating changes in the value of the Fund's investments
denominated in that currency. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a
Yen-denominated bond against a decline in the Yen, but will not protect the Fund
against a price decline if the issuer's creditworthiness deteriorates.
Hedging. In addition to entering into options, futures and
currency exchange transactions for other purposes, including generating current
income to offset expenses or increase return, the Fund may enter into these
transactions as hedges to reduce investment risk, generally by making an
investment expected to move in the opposite direction of a portfolio position. A
hedge is designed to offset a loss in a portfolio position with a gain in the
hedged position; at the same time, however, a properly correlated hedge will
result in a gain in the portfolio position being offset by a loss in the hedged
position. As a result, the use of options, futures and currency exchange
transactions for hedging purposes could limit any potential gain from an
increase in the value of the position hedged. In addition, the movement in the
portfolio position hedged may not be of the same magnitude as movement in the
hedge. With respect to futures contracts, since the value of portfolio
securities will far exceed the
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<PAGE>
value of the futures contracts sold by the Fund, an increase in the value of the
futures contracts could only mitigate, but not totally offset, the decline in
the value of the Fund's assets.
In hedging transactions based on an index, whether the Fund
will realize a gain or loss from the purchase or writing of options on an index
depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market
generally or, in the case of certain indexes, in an industry or market segment,
rather than movements in the price of a particular stock. The risk of imperfect
correlation increases as the composition of the Fund's portfolio varies from the
composition of the index. In an effort to compensate for imperfect correlation
of relative movements in the hedged position and the hedge, the Fund's hedge
positions may be in a greater or lesser dollar amount than the dollar amount of
the hedged position. Such "over hedging" or "under hedging" may adversely affect
the Fund's net investment results if market movements are not as anticipated
when the hedge is established. Stock index futures transactions may be subject
to additional correlation risks. First, all participants in the futures market
are subject to margin deposit and maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting
additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts
through offsetting transactions which would distort the normal relationship
between the stock index and futures markets. Secondly, from the point of view of
speculators, the deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous
than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased
participation by speculators in the futures market also may cause temporary
price distortions. Because of the possibility of price distortions in the
futures market and the imperfect correlation between movements in a securities
index and movements in the price of index futures, a correct forecast of general
market trends by Warburg still may not result in a successful hedging
transaction.
The Fund will engage in hedging transactions only when deemed
advisable by Warburg, and successful use by the Fund of hedging transactions
will be subject to Warburg's ability to predict trends in currencies, interest
rates or securities markets, as the case may be, and to correctly predict
movements in the directions of the hedge and the hedged position and the
correlation between them, which predictions could prove to be inaccurate. This
requires different skills and techniques than predicting changes in the price of
individual securities, and there can be no assurance that the use of these
strategies will be successful. Even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful
to some degree because of unexpected market behavior or trends. Losses incurred
in hedging transactions and the costs of these transactions will affect the
Fund's performance.
Asset Coverage for Forward Contracts, Options, Futures and
Options on Futures. As described in the Prospectuses, the Fund will comply with
guidelines established by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC")
with respect to coverage of options written by the Fund on securities and
indexes and interest rate and index futures contracts and options on these
futures contracts. These guidelines may, in certain instances, require
segregation by the Fund of cash or liquid securities.
For example, a call option written by the Fund on securities
may require the Fund to hold the securities subject to the call (or securities
convertible into the securities
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<PAGE>
without additional consideration) or to segregate assets (as described above)
sufficient to purchase and deliver the securities if the call is exercised. A
call option written by the Fund on an index may require the Fund to own
portfolio securities that correlate with the index or to segregate assets (as
described above) equal to the excess of the index value over the exercise price
on a current basis. A put option written by the Fund may require the Fund to
segregate assets (as described above) equal to the exercise price. The Fund
could purchase a put option if the strike price of that option is the same or
higher than the strike price of a put option sold by the Fund. If the Fund holds
a futures or forward contract, the Fund could purchase a put option on the same
futures or forward contract with a strike price as high or higher than the price
of the contract held. The Fund may enter into fully or partially offsetting
transactions so that its net position, coupled with any segregated assets (equal
to any remaining obligation), equals its net obligation. Asset coverage may be
achieved by other means when consistent with applicable regulatory policies.
Additional Information on Other Investment Practices
U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in debt
obligations of varying maturities issued or guaranteed by the United States
government, its agencies or instrumentalities ("U.S. government securities").
Direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury include a variety of securities that
differ in their interest rates, maturities and dates of issuance. U.S.
government securities also include securities issued or guaranteed by the
Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Loan Administration, Export-Import
Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration, Government National
Mortgage Association ("GNMA"), General Services Administration, Central Bank for
Cooperatives, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Home
Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"), Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal
Land Banks, Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA"), Maritime
Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, District of Columbia Armory Board
and Student Loan Marketing Association. The Fund may also invest in instruments
that are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury
and instruments that are supported by the credit of the instrumentality. Because
the U.S. government is not obligated by law to provide support to an
instrumentality it sponsors, the Fund will invest in obligations issued by such
an instrumentality only if Warburg determines that the credit risk with respect
to the instrumentality does not make its securities unsuitable for investment by
the Fund.
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<PAGE>
Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Fund may invest in
mortgage-backed securities issued by U.S. government entities, such as GNMA,
FNMA or FHLMC. In addition, the Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities
sponsored by U.S. and foreign issuers as well as non-governmental issuers.
Mortgage-backed securities represent direct or indirect participations in, or
are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans secured by real property. The
mortgages backing these securities include, among other mortgage instruments,
conventional 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, 15-year fixed-rate mortgages,
graduated payment mortgages and adjustable rate mortgages. Although there may be
government or private guarantees on the payment of interest and principal of
these securities, the guarantees do not extend to the securities' yield or
value, which are likely to vary inversely with fluctuations in interest rates,
nor do the guarantees extend to the yield or value of the Fund's shares. These
securities generally are "pass-through" instruments, through which the holders
receive a share of all interest and principal payments from the mortgages
underlying the securities, net of certain fees.
Yields on pass-through securities are typically quoted by
investment dealers and vendors based on the maturity of the underlying
instruments and the associated average life assumption. The average life of
pass-through pools varies with the maturities of the underlying mortgage loans.
A pool's term may be shortened by unscheduled or early payments of principal on
the underlying mortgages. The occurrence of mortgage prepayments is affected by
various factors, including the level of interest rates, general economic
conditions, the location, scheduled maturity and age of the mortgage and other
social and demographic conditions. Because prepayment rates of individual pools
vary widely, it is not possible to predict accurately the average life of a
particular pool. For pools of fixed-rate 30-year mortgages, a common industry
practice in the U.S. has been to assume that prepayments will result in a
12-year average life. At present, pools, particularly those with loans with
other maturities or different characteristics, are priced on an assumption of
average life determined for each pool. In periods of falling interest rates, the
rate of prepayment tends to increase, thereby shortening the actual average life
of a pool of mortgage-related securities. Conversely, in periods of rising rates
the rate of prepayment tends to decrease, thereby lengthening the actual average
life of the pool. However, these effects may not be present, or may differ in
degree, if the mortgage loans in the pools have adjustable interest rates or
other special payment terms, such as a prepayment charge. Actual prepayment
experience may cause the yield of mortgage-backed securities to differ from the
assumed average life yield. Reinvestment of prepayments may occur at higher or
lower interest rates than the original investment, thus affecting the Fund's
yield.
The rate of interest on mortgage-backed securities is lower
than the interest rates paid on the mortgages included in the underlying pool
due to the annual fees paid to the servicer of the mortgage pool for passing
through monthly payments to certificate holders and to any guarantor, such as
GNMA, and due to any yield retained by the issuer. Actual yield to the holder
may vary from the coupon rate, even if adjustable, if the mortgage-backed
securities are purchased or traded in the secondary market at a premium or
discount. In addition, there is normally some delay between the time the issuer
receives mortgage payments from the
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servicer and the time the issuer makes the payments on the mortgage-backed
securities, and this delay reduces the effective yield to the holder of such
securities.
Asset-Backed Securities. The Fund may also invest in
asset-backed securities, which represent participations in, or are secured by
and payable from, assets such as motor vehicle installment sales, installment
loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property and
receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements. Such assets are
securitized through the use of trusts and special purpose corporations. Payments
or distributions of principal and interest may be guaranteed up to certain
amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance
policy issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trust or
corporation.
Asset-backed securities present certain risks that are not
presented by other securities in which the Fund may invest. Automobile
receivables generally are secured by automobiles. Most issuers of automobile
receivables permit the loan servicers to retain possession of the underlying
obligations. If the servicer were to sell these obligations to another party,
there is a risk that the purchaser would acquire an interest superior to that of
the holders of the asset-backed securities. In addition, because of the large
number of vehicles involved in a typical issuance and technical requirements
under state laws, the trustee for the holders of the automobile receivables may
not have a proper security interest in the underlying automobiles. Therefore,
there is the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not, in
some cases, be available to support payments on these securities. Credit card
receivables are generally unsecured, and the debtors are entitled to the
protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which
give such debtors the right to set off certain amounts owed on the credit cards,
thereby reducing the balance due. Because asset-backed securities are relatively
new, the market experience in these securities is limited, and the market's
ability to sustain liquidity through all phases of the market cycle has not been
tested.
Below Investment Grade Securities. While the market values of
medium- and lower-rated securities and unrated securities of comparable quality
tend to react less to fluctuations in interest rate levels than do those of
higher-rated securities, the market values of certain of these securities also
tend to be more sensitive to individual corporate developments and changes in
economic conditions than higher-quality securities. In addition, medium- and
lower-rated securities and comparable unrated securities generally present a
higher degree of credit risk. Issuers of medium- and lower-rated securities and
unrated securities are often highly leveraged and may not have more traditional
methods of financing available to them so that their ability to service their
obligations during an economic downturn or during sustained periods of rising
interest rates may be impaired. The risk of loss due to default by such issuers
is significantly greater because medium- and lower-rated securities and unrated
securities generally are unsecured and frequently are subordinated to the prior
payment of senior indebtedness.
The market for medium- and lower-rated and unrated securities
is relatively new and has not weathered a major economic recession. Any such
recession could disrupt severely
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the market for such securities and may adversely affect the value of such
securities and the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal
and pay interest thereon.
The Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain of these
securities because there may be a thin trading market. Because there is no
established retail secondary market for many of these securities, the Fund
anticipates that these securities could be sold only to a limited number of
dealers or institutional investors. To the extent a secondary trading market for
these securities does exist, it generally is not as liquid as the secondary
market for higher-rated securities. The lack of a liquid secondary market, as
well as adverse publicity and investor perception with respect to these
securities, may have an adverse impact on market price and the Fund's ability to
dispose of particular issues when necessary to meet the Fund's liquidity needs
or in response to a specific economic event such as a deterioration in the
creditworthiness of the issuer. The lack of a liquid secondary market for
certain securities also may make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain
accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing the Fund and calculating its
net asset value.
The market value of securities in medium- and lower-rated
categories is more volatile than that of higher quality securities. Factors
adversely impacting the market value of these securities will adversely impact
the Fund's net asset value. The Fund will rely on the judgment, analysis and
experience of Warburg in evaluating the creditworthiness of an issuer. In this
evaluation, Warburg will take into consideration, among other things, the
issuer's financial resources, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends,
its operating history, the quality of the issuer's management and regulatory
matters. Normally, medium- and lower-rated and comparable unrated securities are
not intended for short-term investment. The Fund may incur additional expenses
to the extent it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of
principal or interest on its portfolio holdings of such securities. Recent
adverse publicity regarding lower-rated securities may have depressed the prices
for such securities to some extent. Whether investor perceptions will continue
to have a negative effect on the price of such securities is uncertain.
Securities of Other Investment Companies. The Fund may invest
in securities of other investment companies to the extent permitted under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). Presently, under
the 1940 Act, the Fund may hold securities of another investment company in
amounts which (i) do not exceed 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of such
company, (ii) do not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and (iii)
when added to all other investment company securities held by the Fund, do not
exceed 10% of the value of the Fund's total assets.
Lending of Portfolio Securities. The Fund may lend portfolio
securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations that meet
capital and other credit requirements or other criteria established by the
Fund's Board of Directors (the "Board"). The Fund will not lend portfolio
securities to Warburg or its affiliates unless it has applied for and received
specific authority to do so from the SEC. Loans of portfolio securities will be
collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, which
are maintained at all times in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current
market value of the loaned
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securities. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that
might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of the Fund.
From time to time, the Fund may return a part of the interest earned from the
investment of collateral received for securities loaned to the borrower and/or a
third party that is unaffiliated with the Fund and that is acting as a "finder."
By lending its securities, the Fund can increase its income by
continuing to receive interest and any dividends on the loaned securities as
well as by either investing the collateral received for securities loaned in
short-term instruments or obtaining yield in the form of interest paid by the
borrower when U.S. government securities are used as collateral. Although the
generation of income is not an investment objective of the Fund, income received
could be used to pay the Fund's expenses and would increase an investor's total
return. The Fund will adhere to the following conditions whenever its portfolio
securities are loaned: (i) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral
or equivalent securities of the type discussed in the preceding paragraph from
the borrower; (ii) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the
market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (iii)
the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (iv) the Fund must
receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or
other distributions on the loaned securities and any increase in market value;
(v) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees in connection with the loan;
and (vi) voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower,
provided, however, that if a material event adversely affecting the investment
occurs, the Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the
securities. Loan agreements involve certain risks in the event of default or
insolvency of the other party including possible delays or restrictions upon the
Fund's ability to recover the loaned securities or dispose of the collateral for
the loan.
Foreign Investments. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its
total assets in the securities of foreign issuers. Investors should recognize
that investing in foreign companies involves certain risks, including those
discussed below, which are not typically associated with investing in U.S.
issuers. Since the Fund may be investing in securities denominated in currencies
other than the U.S. dollar, and since the Fund may temporarily hold funds in
bank deposits or other money market investments denominated in foreign
currencies, the Fund's investments in foreign companies may be affected
favorably or unfavorably by exchange control regulations or changes in the
exchange rate between such currencies and the dollar. A change in the value of a
foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding
change in the dollar value of the Fund's assets denominated in that foreign
currency. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates may also affect the value
of dividends and interest earned, gains and losses realized on the sale of
securities and net investment income and gains, if any, to be distributed to
shareholders by the Fund. The rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and other
currencies is determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign
exchange markets. Changes in the exchange rate may result over time from the
interaction of many factors directly or indirectly affecting economic and
political conditions in the United States and a particular foreign country,
including economic and political developments in other countries. Of particular
importance are rates of inflation, interest rate levels, the balance of payments
and the extent of government surpluses or deficits
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<PAGE>
in the United States and the particular foreign country, all of which are in
turn sensitive to the monetary, fiscal and trade policies pursued by the
governments of the United States and foreign countries important to
international trade and finance. Governmental intervention may also play a
significant role. National governments rarely voluntarily allow their currencies
to float freely in response to economic forces. Sovereign governments use a
variety of techniques, such as intervention by a country's central bank or
imposition of regulatory controls or taxes, to affect the exchange rates of
their currencies. The Fund may use hedging techniques with the objective of
protecting against loss through the fluctuation of the valuation of foreign
currencies against the U.S. dollar, particularly the forward market in foreign
exchange, currency options and currency futures. See "Currency Exchange
Transactions" and "Futures Activities" above.
Information. Many of the foreign securities held by the Fund
will not be registered with, nor the issuers thereof be subject to reporting
requirements of, the SEC. Accordingly, there may be less publicly available
information about the securities and about the foreign company or government
issuing them than is available about a domestic company or government entity.
Foreign companies are generally not subject to uniform financial reporting
standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S.
companies.
Political Factors. With respect to some foreign countries,
there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitations
on the removal of funds or other assets of the Fund, political or social
instability, or domestic developments which could affect U.S. investments in
those countries. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or
unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national
product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and
balance of payments positions. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign
governments (or agencies or instrumentalities thereof), and many, if not all, of
the foregoing considerations apply to such investments as well.
Delays. Securities of some foreign companies are less liquid
and their prices are more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies.
Certain foreign countries are known to experience long delays between the trade
and settlement dates of securities purchased or sold. Due to the increased
exposure of the Fund to market and foreign exchange fluctuations brought about
by such delays, and due to the corresponding negative impact on Fund liquidity,
the Fund will avoid investing in countries which are known to experience
settlement delays which may expose the Fund to unreasonable risk of loss.
Dollar-Denominated Debt Securities of Foreign Issuers. The
returns on foreign debt securities reflect interest rates and other market
conditions prevailing in those countries and the effect of gains and losses in
the denominated currencies against the U.S. dollar, which have had a substantial
impact on investment in foreign fixed income securities. The relative
performance of various countries' fixed income markets historically has
reflected wide variations relating to the unique characteristics of each
country's economy. Year-to-year
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<PAGE>
fluctuations in certain markets have been significant, and negative returns have
been experienced in various markets from time to time.
Short Sales "Against the Box". In a short sale, the Fund sells
a borrowed security and has a corresponding obligation to the lender to return
the identical security. The seller does not immediately deliver the securities
sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until delivery
occurs. The Fund may engage in a short sale if at the time of the short sale the
Fund owns or has the right to obtain without additional cost an equal amount of
the security being sold short. This investment technique is known as a short
sale "against the box." If the Fund engages in a short sale, the collateral for
the short position will be maintained by the Fund's custodian or qualified
sub-custodian.
The Fund does not intend to engage in short sales against the
box for investment purposes. The Fund may, however, make a short sale as a
hedge, when it believes that the price of a security may decline, causing a
decline in the value of a security owned by the Fund (or a security convertible
or exchangeable for such security). In such case, any future losses in the
Fund's long position should be offset by a gain in the short position and,
conversely, any gain in the long position should be reduced by a loss in the
short position. The extent to which such gains or losses are reduced will depend
upon the amount of the security sold short relative to the amount the Fund owns.
There will be certain additional transaction costs associated with short sales
against the box, but the Fund will endeavor to offset these costs with the
income from the investment of the cash proceeds of short sales.
When-Issued Securities and Delayed-Delivery Transactions. The
Fund may utilize up to 20% of its total assets to purchase securities on a
"when-issued" basis or purchase or sell securities for delayed delivery (i.e.,
payment or delivery occur beyond the normal settlement date at a stated price
and yield). When-issued transactions normally settle within 30-45 days. The Fund
will enter into a when-issued transaction for the purpose of acquiring portfolio
securities and not for the purpose of leverage, but may sell the securities
before the settlement date if Warburg deems it advantageous to do so. The
payment obligation and the interest rate that will be received on when-issued
securities are fixed at the time the buyer enters into the commitment. Due to
fluctuations in the value of securities purchased or sold on a when-issued or
delayed-delivery basis, the yields obtained on such securities may be higher or
lower than the yields available in the market on the dates when the investments
are actually delivered to the buyers.
When the Fund agrees to purchase when-issued or
delayed-delivery securities, its custodian will set aside cash or liquid
securities that are acceptable as collateral to the appropriate regulatory
authority equal to the amount of the commitment in a segregated account.
Normally, the custodian will set aside portfolio securities to satisfy a
purchase commitment, and in such a case the Fund may be required subsequently to
place additional assets in the segregated account in order to ensure that the
value of the account remains equal to the amount of the Fund's commitment. It
may be expected that the Fund's net assets will fluctuate to a greater degree
when it sets aside portfolio securities to cover such purchase commitments than
when it sets aside cash. When the Fund engages in when-issued or delayed-
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<PAGE>
delivery transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the trade.
Failure of the seller to do so may result in the Fund's incurring a loss or
missing an opportunity to obtain a price considered to be advantageous.
Depositary Receipts. The assets of the Fund may be invested in
the securities of foreign issuers in the form of American Depositary Receipts
("ADRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") and International Depositary
Receipts ("IDRs"). These securities may not necessarily be denominated in the
same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are
receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company which evidence
ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs, which
are sometimes referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts ("CDRs"), are
receipts issued in Europe, and IDRs, which are sometimes referred to as Global
Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), are receipts issued outside the United States.
EDRs, CDRs, IDRs and GDRs are typically issued by non-U.S. banks and trust
companies that evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic securities.
Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in U.S. securities
markets, and EDRs (CDRs) and IDRs (GDRs) in bearer form are designed for use in
European securities markets and non-U.S. securities markets, respectively.
Warrants. The Fund may invest up to 15% of net assets in
warrants to purchase equity securities consisting of common and preferred stock.
The equity security underlying a warrant is authorized at the time the warrant
is issued or is issued together with the warrant.
Investing in warrants can provide a greater potential for
profit or loss than an equivalent investment in the underlying security, and,
thus, can be a speculative investment. The value of a warrant may decline
because of a decline in the value of the underlying security, the passage of
time, changes in interest rates or in the dividend or other policies of the
company whose equity underlies the warrant or a change in the perception as to
the future price of the underlying security, or any combination thereof.
Warrants generally pay no dividends and confer no voting or other rights other
than to purchase the underlying security.
Non-Publicly Traded and Illiquid Securities. The Fund may not
invest more than 15% of its net assets in non-publicly traded and illiquid
securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a
readily available market, time deposits maturing in more than seven days,
certain Rule 144A Securities (as defined below) and repurchase agreements which
have a maturity of longer than seven days. Securities that have legal or
contractual restrictions on resale but have a readily available market are not
considered illiquid for purposes of this limitation. Repurchase agreements
subject to demand are deemed to have a maturity equal to the notice period.
Historically, illiquid securities have included securities
subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale because they have not
been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act"), securities which are otherwise not readily marketable and repurchase
agreements having a maturity of longer than seven days. Securities which have
not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private
placements or
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restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the
secondary market. Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of
these restricted or other illiquid securities because of the potential for
delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an
adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and a mutual fund
might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly
or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying
redemptions within seven days. A mutual fund might also have to register such
restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional
expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering
of securities.
In recent years, however, a large institutional market has
developed for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities
Act including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities,
municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors
depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security
can be readily resold or on an issuer's ability to honor a demand for repayment.
The fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the
general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of the liquidity
of such investments.
Rule 144A Securities. Rule 144A under the Securities Act
adopted by the SEC allows for a broader institutional trading market for
securities otherwise subject to restriction on resale to the general public.
Rule 144A establishes a "safe harbor" from the registration requirements of the
Securities Act for resales of certain securities to qualified institutional
buyers. Warburg anticipates that the market for certain restricted securities
such as institutional commercial paper will expand further as a result of this
regulation and use of automated systems for the trading, clearance and
settlement of unregistered securities of domestic and foreign issuers, such as
the PORTAL System sponsored by the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc.
An investment in Rule 144A Securities will be considered
illiquid and therefore subject to the Fund's limit on the purchase of illiquid
securities unless the Board or its delegates determines that the Rule 144A
Securities are liquid. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Board and its
delegates may consider, inter alia, the following factors: (i) the unregistered
nature of the security; (ii) the frequency of trades and quotes for the
security; (iii) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security
and the number of other potential purchasers; (iv) dealer undertakings to make a
market in the security and (v) the nature of the security and the nature of the
marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method
of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).
Borrowing. The Fund may borrow up to 30% of its total assets
for temporary or emergency purposes, including to meet portfolio redemption
requests so as to permit the orderly disposition of portfolio securities or to
facilitate settlement transactions on portfolio securities, so long as there is
asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of the Fund. The Fund will
not purchase portfolio securities whenever borrowings (including reverse
repurchase agreements) exceed 5% of the Fund's net assets. Although the
principal of such borrowings will be fixed, the Fund's assets may change in
value during the time the borrowing
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<PAGE>
is outstanding. The Fund expects that some of its borrowings may be made on a
secured basis. In such situations, either the custodian will segregate the
pledged assets for the benefit of the lender or arrangements will be made with a
suitable subcustodian, which may include the lender.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into reverse
repurchase agreements with the same parties with whom it may enter into
repurchase agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of
securities held by the Fund pursuant to its agreement to repurchase them at a
mutually agreed upon date, price and rate of interest. At the time the Fund
enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will establish and maintain a
segregated account with an approved custodian containing cash or liquid
high-grade debt securities having a value not less than the repurchase price
(including accrued interest). The assets contained in the segregated account
will be marked-to-market daily and additional assets will be placed in such
account on any day in which the assets fall below the repurchase price (plus
accrued interest). The Fund's liquidity and ability to manage its assets might
be affected when it sets aside cash or portfolio securities to cover such
commitments. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market
value of the securities retained in lieu of sale may decline below the price of
the securities the Fund has sold but is obligated to repurchase. In the event
the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for
bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, such buyer or its trustee or receiver may
receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce a Fund's obligation
to repurchase the securities, and the Fund's use of the proceeds of the reverse
repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.
Other Investment Limitations
The investment limitations numbered 1 through 11 may not be
changed without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's
outstanding shares. Such majority is defined as the lesser of (i) 67% or more of
the shares present at the meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the
outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more
than 50% of the outstanding shares. If a percentage restriction (other than the
percentage limitation set forth in No. 1 below) is adhered to at the time of an
investment, a later increase or decrease in the percentage of assets resulting
from a change in the values of portfolio securities or in the amount of the
Fund's assets will not constitute a violation of such restriction. Investment
limitations 12 through 15 may be changed by a vote of the Board at any time.
The Fund may not:
1. Borrow money except that the Fund may (a) borrow from banks
for temporary or emergency purposes and (b) enter into reverse repurchase
agreements; provided that reverse repurchase agreements and any other
transactions constituting borrowing by the Fund may not exceed 30% of the value
of the Fund's total assets at the time of such borrowing and only if after such
borrowing there is assets coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of
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the Fund. For purposes of this restriction, the entry into options, futures
contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute borrowing.
2. Purchase the securities of any issuer if as a result more
than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the
securities of such issuer or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities
of such issuer would be owned by the Fund, except that this 5% limitation does
not apply to U.S. government securities and except that up to 25% of the value
of the Fund's total assets may be invested without regard to this 5% limitation.
3. Make loans, except that the Fund may purchase or hold
fixed-income securities, lend portfolio securities and enter into repurchase
agreements in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and
limitations.
4. Underwrite any securities issued by others except to the
extent that the investment in restricted securities and the sale of securities
or the purchase of securities directly from the issuer in accordance with the
Fund's investment objectives, policies and limitations may be deemed to be
underwriting.
5. Purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may
invest in (a) securities secured by real estate, mortgages or interests therein
or (b) issued by companies which invest in real estate or interests therein.
6. Make short sales of securities or maintain a short
position, except that the Fund may maintain short positions in options on
currencies, securities and stock indexes, futures contracts and options on
futures contracts and enter into short sales "against the box."
7. Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may
obtain any short-term credits necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales
of securities. For purposes of this restriction, the deposit or payment of
initial or variation margin in connection with transactions in options, futures
contracts and options on futures contracts will not be deemed to be a purchase
of securities on margin.
8. Invest in commodities, except that the Fund may purchase
and sell futures contracts and options on futures contracts, currencies,
securities or indexes.
9. Pledge, mortgage or hypothecate its assets, except (a) to
the extent necessary to secure permitted borrowings and (b) to the extent
related to the deposit of assets in escrow in connection with collateral and
initial or variation margin arrangements with respect to options, futures
contracts, and options on futures contracts and in amounts not in excess of 125%
of the dollar amount borrowed.
10. Invest more than 15% of the Fund's net assets in
securities which may be illiquid because of legal or contractual restrictions on
resale or securities for which there are no readily available market quotations.
For purposes of this limitation, repurchase agreements with maturities greater
than seven days shall be considered illiquid securities.
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11. Make additional investments (including roll-overs) if the
Fund's borrowings exceed 5% of its net assets.
12. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or
management.
13. Purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of
the value of the Fund's total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in
the securities of issuers conducting their principal business activities in the
same industry; provided that there shall be no limit on the purchase of U.S.
government securities.
14. Invest in oil, gas or mineral exploration or development
programs, except that the Fund may invest in securities of companies that invest
in or sponsor oil, gas or mineral exploration or development programs.
15. Invest in warrants (other than warrants acquired by the
Fund as part of a unit or attached to securities at the time of purchase) if, as
a result, the investments (valued at the lower of cost or market) would exceed
15% of the value of the Fund's total assets.
With regard to investment limitation No. 10, relating to the
Fund's holdings of illiquid securities, the Fund will monitor the liquidity of
its portfolio on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current
circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained. Particularly,
the Board will check routinely the value of illiquid securities in its portfolio
and should the value of such securities approach 15% of the net assets of the
Fund's portfolio, the Board will take action to reduce its holdings of illiquid
securities in an orderly fashion to maintain adequate liquidity. In no event,
however, will the Fund purchase an illiquid security if doing so would result in
more than 15% of the Fund's net assets being invested in illiquid securities.
Portfolio Valuation
The Prospectuses discuss the time at which the net asset value
of the Fund is determined for purposes of sales and redemptions. The following
is a description of the procedures used by the Fund in valuing its assets.
Securities listed on a U.S. securities exchange (including
securities traded through the Nasdaq National Market System) or foreign
securities exchange or traded in an over-the-counter market will be valued at
the most recent sale as of the time the valuation is made or, in the absence of
sales, at the mean between the bid and asked quotations. If there are no such
quotations, the value of the securities will be taken to be the highest bid
quotation on the exchange or market. Options or futures contracts will be valued
similarly. A security which is listed or traded on more than one exchange is
valued at the quotation on the exchange determined to be the primary market for
such security. The valuation of short sales of securities, which are not traded
on a national exchange, will be at the mean of bid and asked prices. Amortized
cost involves valuing a portfolio instrument at its initial cost and thereafter
assuming a constant amortization to maturity of an discount or premium,
regardless of the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the market value of
the instrument. Short-term
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obligations with maturities of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost,
which constitutes fair value as determined by the Board. The amortized cost
method of valuation may also be used with respect to other debt obligations with
60 days or less remaining to maturity. In determining the market value of
portfolio investments, the Fund may employ outside organizations (a "Pricing
Service") which may use a matrix, formula or other objective method that takes
into consideration market indexes, matrices, yield curves and other specific
adjustments. The procedures of Pricing Services are reviewed periodically by the
officers of the Fund under the general supervision and responsibility of the
Board, which may replace a Pricing Service at any time. Securities, options and
futures contracts for which market quotations are not available and certain
other assets of the Fund will be valued at their fair value as determined in
good faith pursuant to consistently applied procedures established by the Board.
In addition, the Board or its delegates may value a security at fair value if it
determines that such security's value determined by the methodology set forth
above does not reflect its fair value.
Trading in securities in certain foreign countries is
completed at various times prior to the close of business on each business day
in New York (i.e., a day on which the NYSE is open for trading). In addition,
securities trading in a particular country or countries may not take place on
all business days in New York. Furthermore, trading takes place in various
foreign markets on days which are not business days in New York and days on
which the Fund's net asset value is not calculated. As a result, calculation of
the Fund's net asset value may not take place contemporaneously with the
determination of the prices of certain portfolio securities used in such
calculation. Events affecting the values of portfolio securities that occur
between the time their prices are determined and the close of regular trading on
the NYSE will not be reflected in the Fund's calculation of net asset value
unless the Board or its delegates deems that the particular event would
materially affect net asset value, in which case an adjustment may be made. All
assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currency values will be
converted into U.S. dollar values at the prevailing rate as quoted by a Pricing
Service. If such quotations are not available, the rate of exchange will be
determined in good faith pursuant to consistently applied procedures established
by the Board.
Portfolio Transactions
Warburg is responsible for establishing, reviewing and, where
necessary, modifying the Fund's investment program to achieve its investment
objective. Purchases and sales of newly issued portfolio securities are usually
principal transactions without brokerage commissions effected directly with the
issuer or with an underwriter acting as principal. Other purchases and sales may
be effected on a securities exchange or over-the-counter, depending on where it
appears that the best price or execution will be obtained. The purchase price
paid by the Fund to underwriters of newly issued securities usually includes a
concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and purchases of securities
from dealers, acting as either principals or agents in the after market, are
normally executed at a price between the bid and asked price, which includes a
dealer's mark-up or mark-down. Transactions on U.S. stock exchanges and some
foreign stock exchanges involve the payment of negotiated brokerage commissions.
On exchanges on which commissions are negotiated, the cost of transactions
23
<PAGE>
may vary among different brokers. On most foreign exchanges, commissions are
generally fixed. There is generally no stated commission in the case of
securities traded in domestic or foreign over-the-counter markets, but the price
of securities traded in over-the-counter markets includes an undisclosed
commission or mark-up. U.S. government securities are generally purchased from
underwriters or dealers, although certain newly issued U.S. government
securities may be purchased directly from the U.S. Treasury or from the issuing
agency or instrumentality.
Warburg will select specific portfolio investments and effect
transactions for the Fund and in doing so seeks to obtain the overall best
execution of portfolio transactions. In evaluating prices and executions,
Warburg will consider the factors it deems relevant, which may include the
breadth of the market in the security, the price of the security, the financial
condition and execution capability of a broker or dealer and the reasonableness
of the commission, if any, for the specific transaction and on a continuing
basis. Warburg may, in its discretion, effect transactions in portfolio
securities with dealers who provide brokerage and research services (as those
terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) to
the Fund and/or other accounts over which Warburg exercises investment
discretion. Warburg may place portfolio transactions with a broker or dealer
with whom it has negotiated a commission that is in excess of the commission
another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction if
Warburg determines in good faith that such amount of commission was reasonable
in relation to the value of such brokerage and research services provided by
such broker or dealer viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or
of the overall responsibilities of Warburg. Research and other services received
may be useful to Warburg in serving both the Fund and its other clients and,
conversely, research or other services obtained by the placement of business of
other clients may be useful to Warburg in carrying out its obligations to the
Fund. Research may include furnishing advice, either directly or through
publications or writings, as to the value of securities, the advisability of
purchasing or selling specific securities and the availability of securities or
purchasers or sellers of securities; furnishing seminars, information, analyses
and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, trading markets and
methods, legislative developments, changes in accounting practices, economic
factors and trends and portfolio strategy; access to research analysts,
corporate management personnel, industry experts, economists and government
officials; comparative performance evaluation and technical measurement services
and quotation services; and products and other services (such as third party
publications, reports and analyses, and computer and electronic access,
equipment, software, information and accessories that deliver, process or
otherwise utilize information, including the research described above) that
assist Warburg in carrying out its responsibilities. For the fiscal year ended
August 31, 1996, $539,904 of total brokerage commissions was paid by the Fund to
brokers and dealers who provided such research and other services. Research
received from brokers or dealers is supplemental to Warburg's own research
program. The fees to Warburg under its advisory agreement with the Fund are not
reduced by reason of its receiving any brokerage and research services.
During the fiscal years ended August 31, 1996, 1995 and 1994
the Fund and, for relevant periods, the Warburg Pincus Growth & Income Fund
investment portfolio of The
24
<PAGE>
RBB Fund, Inc. (the "RBB Fund") paid brokerage commissions of $2,898,813,
$3,055,939 and $1,222,416 respectively. (The Fund is the successor to the
Warburg Pincus Growth & Income Fund investment portfolio of the RBB Fund having
acquired its assets and liabilities on May 3, 1996.) As of August 31, 1996, the
Fund had an outstanding repurchase agreement in the amount of $51,670,000 with
State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street"), one of the Fund's regular
broker-dealers.
Investment decisions for the Fund concerning specific
portfolio securities are made independently from those for other clients advised
by Warburg. Such other investment clients may invest in the same securities as
the Fund. When purchases or sales of the same security are made at substantially
the same time on behalf of such other clients, transactions are averaged as to
price and available investments allocated as to amount, in a manner which
Warburg believes to be equitable to each client, including the Fund. In some
instances, this investment procedure may adversely affect the price paid or
received by the Fund or the size of the position obtained or sold for the Fund.
To the extent permitted by law, Warburg may aggregate the securities to be sold
or purchased for the Fund with those to be sold or purchased for such other
investment clients in order to obtain best execution.
Any portfolio transaction for the Fund may be executed through
Counsellors Securities Inc., the Fund's distributor ("Counsellors Securities"),
if, in Warburg's judgment, the use of Counsellors Securities is likely to result
in price and execution at least as favorable as those of other qualified
brokers, and if, in the transaction, Counsellors Securities charges the Fund a
commission rate consistent with those charged by Counsellors Securities to
comparable unaffiliated customers in similar transactions. All transactions with
affiliated brokers will comply with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act.
In no instance will portfolio securities be purchased from or
sold to Warburg or Counsellors Securities or any affiliated person of such
companies.
Transactions for the Fund may be effected on foreign
securities exchanges. In transactions for securities not actively traded on a
foreign securities exchange, the Fund will deal directly with the dealers who
make a market in the securities involved, except in those circumstances where
better prices and execution are available elsewhere. Such dealers usually are
acting as principal for their own account. On occasion, securities may be
purchased directly from the issuer. Such portfolio securities are generally
traded on a net basis and do not normally involve brokerage commissions.
Securities firms may receive brokerage commissions on certain portfolio
transactions, including options, futures and options on futures transactions and
the purchase and sale of underlying securities upon exercise of options.
The Fund may participate, if and when practicable, in bidding
for the purchase of securities for the Fund's portfolio directly from an issuer
in order to take advantage of the lower purchase price available to members of
such a group. The Fund will engage in this practice, however, only when Warburg,
in its sole discretion, believes such practice to be otherwise in the Fund's
interest.
25
<PAGE>
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund does not intend to seek profits through short-term
trading, but the rate of turnover will not be a limiting factor when the Fund
deems it desirable to sell or purchase securities. The Fund's portfolio turnover
rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of its portfolio
securities for the year by the monthly average value of the portfolio
securities. Securities with remaining maturities of one year or less at the date
of acquisition are excluded from the calculation.
Certain practices that may be employed by the Fund could
result in high portfolio turnover. For example, options on securities may be
sold in anticipation of a decline in the price of the underlying security
(market decline) or purchased in anticipation of a rise in the price of the
underlying security (market rise) and later sold. To the extent that its
portfolio is traded for the short-term, the Fund will be engaged essentially in
trading activities based on short-term considerations affecting the value of an
issuer's stock instead of long-term investments based on fundamental valuation
of securities. Because of this policy, portfolio securities may be sold without
regard to the length of time for which they have been held.
26
<PAGE>
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
Officers and Board of Directors
The names (and ages) of the Fund's Directors and officers,
their addresses, present positions and principal occupations during the past
five years and other affiliations are set forth below.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
Richard N. Cooper (63) Director
Harvard University Professor at Harvard University;
1737 Cambridge Street National Intelligence Counsel from June 1995 until
Cambridge, MA 02138 January 1997; Director or Trustee of Circuit City Stores,
Inc. (retail electronics and appliances) and Phoenix Home
Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Donald J. Donahue (73) Director
27 Signal Road Chairman of Magma Copper Company
Stamford, Connecticut 06902 from December 1987 until December 1995;
Chairman and Director of NAC Holdings from September
1990-June 1993; Director of Pioneer Companies,
Inc. (chlor-alkali chemicals) and predecessor
companies since 1990 and Vice Chairman since
December 1995.
Jack W. Fritz (70) Director
2425 North Fish Creek Road Private investor; Consultant and
P.O. Box 483 Director of Fritz Broadcasting, Inc. and
Wilson, Wyoming 83014 Fritz Communications (developers and operators of radio
stations); Director of Advo, Inc. (direct mail advertising).
John L. Furth* (66) Chairman of the Board
466 Lexington Avenue Vice Chairman and Director of Warburg;
New York, New York 10017-3147 Associated with Warburg
since 1970; Director of Counsellors Securities;
Chairman of the Board and officer of other
investment companies advised by Warburg.
Thomas A. Melfe (65) Director
30 Rockefeller Plaza Partner in the law firm of Donovan Leisure
New York, New York 10112 Newton & Irvine; Chairman of the Board, Municipal Fund for
New York Investors, Inc.
</TABLE>
- ---------------------
* Indicates a Director who is an "interested person" of the Fund as defined
in the 1940 Act.
27
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
Alexander B. Trowbridge (67) Director
1317 F Street, N.W., 5th Floor President of Trowbridge Partners, Inc.
Washington, DC 20004 (business consulting) from January 1990-
November 1996; President of the National Association of
Manufacturers from 1980-1990; Director or
Trustee of New England Mutual Life Insurance
Co., ICOS Corporation (biopharmaceuticals),
WMX Technologies Inc. (solid and hazardous
waste collection and disposal), The Rouse
Company (real estate development), Harris
Corp. (electronics and communications
equipment), The Gillette Co. (personal care
products) and Sun Company Inc. (petroleum
refining and marketing).
Arnold M. Reichman* (49) Director
466 Lexington Avenue Senior Managing Director, Chief Operating
New York, New York 10017-3147 Officer and Assistant Secretary
of Warburg; Associated with Warburg since 1984;
Director, Secretary and Chief Operating
Officer of Counsellors Securities; Officer of
other investment companies advised by Warburg.
Eugene L. Podsiadlo (40) President
466 Lexington Avenue Managing Director of Warburg;
New York, New York 10017-3147 Associated with Warburg since 1991; Vice President of
Citibank, N.A. from 1987-1991; Senior Vice
President of Counsellors Securities and
officer of other investment companies advised
by Warburg.
Stephen Distler (44) Vice President
466 Lexington Avenue Managing Director, Controller and Assistant
New York, New York 10017-3147 Secretary of Warburg; Associated with Warburg since 1984;
Treasurer of Counsellors Securities; Vice President of
other investment companies advised by Warburg.
Eugene P. Grace (45) Vice President and Secretary
466 Lexington Avenue Associated with Warburg since April 1994;
New York, New York 10017-3147 Attorney-at-law from September 1989-April 1994; life
insurance agent, New York Life Insurance Company from
1993-1994; General Counsel and Secretary, Home Unity Savings
Bank from 1991-
</TABLE>
- ---------------------
* Indicates a Director who is an "interested person" of the Fund as defined
in the 1940 Act.
28
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
1992; Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer and
Assistant Secretary of Counsellors Securities;
Vice President and Secretary of other
investment companies advised by Warburg.
Howard Conroy (43) Vice President and Chief
466 Lexington Avenue Financial Officer
New York, New York 10017-3147 Associated with Warburg since 1992;
Associated with Martin Geller, C.P.A.
from 1990-1992; Vice President, Finance with Gabelli/Rosenthal &
Partners, L.P. until 1990; Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer of other investment companies advised by
Warburg.
Daniel S. Madden, CPA (31) Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer
466 Lexington Avenue Associated with Warburg since 1995;
New York, New York 10017-3147 Associated with BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. from
September 1994 to October 1996; Associated with BEA
Associates from April 1993 to September 1994;
Associated with Ernst & Young LLP from 1990 to
1993; Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer
of other investment companies advised by
Warburg.
Janna Manes, Esq. (29) Assistant Secretary
466 Lexington Avenue Associated with Warburg since March 1996;
New York, New York 10017-3147 Associated with the law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher
from 1993-1996; Assistant Secretary of other investment
companies advised by Warburg.
</TABLE>
No employee of Warburg or PFPC Inc., the Fund's
co-administrator ("PFPC"), or any of their affiliates receives any compensation
from the Fund for acting as an officer or director of the Fund. Each Director
who is not a director, trustee, officer or employee of Warburg, PFPC or any of
their affiliates receives an annual fee of $500, and $250 for each meeting of
the Board attended by him for his services as Director and is reimbursed for
expenses incurred in connection with his attendance at Board meetings.
Directors' Compensation
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Total Total Compensation from
Compensation from all Investment Companies
Name of Director Fund+ Managed by Warburg*
---------------- ----------------- ------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
John L. Furth None** None**
Arnold M. Reichman None** None**
</TABLE>
29
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C> <C>
Richard N. Cooper $1,500 $44,500
Donald J. Donahue $1,500 $44,500
Jack W. Fritz $1,500 $44,500
Thomas A. Melfe $1,500 $44,500
Alexander B. Trowbridge $1,500 $44,500
</TABLE>
- ----------------------------
+ Amounts shown are estimates of payments made in the fiscal year
ended August 31, 1997 pursuant to existing arrangements.
* Each Director also serves as a Director or Trustee of 23 other
investment companies advised by Warburg.
** Mr. Furth and Mr. Reichman are considered to be interested persons
of the Fund and Warburg, as defined under Section 2(a)(19) of the
1940 Act, and, accordingly, receive no compensation from the Fund
or any other investment company managed by Warburg.
As of August 1, 1997, Directors or officers of the Fund as a
group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Mr. Brian S. Posner is Portfolio Manager of the Fund, the
Growth & Income Portfolio of the Warburg Pincus Trust and the Value Portfolio of
the Warburg Pincus Institutional Fund, Inc. He has 9 years of investment
experience. Prior to joining Warburg, Mr. Posner was employed from 1987 to 1996
by Fidelity Investments, where, most recently, he was the vice president and
portfolio manager of the Fidelity Equity-Income II Fund. Mr. Posner received an
undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and his M.B.A. in finance from
the University of Chicago.
Investment Adviser and Co-Administrators
Warburg serves as investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to a
written agreement (the "Advisory Agreement"). Counsellors Funds Service, Inc.
("Counsellors Service") and PFPC both serve as co-administrators to the Fund
pursuant to separate written agreements (the "Counsellors Service
Co-Administration Agreement" and the "PFPC Co-Administration Agreement,"
respectively). Prior to October 1, 1993, PNC Institutional Management Corp.
("PIMC") and Warburg rendered advisory and sub-advisory services, respectively,
to the predecessor to the Fund, the Warburg Pincus Growth & Income Fund
investment portfolio of the RBB Fund. Sub-advisory fees were paid by the advisor
and not the Fund. The services provided by, and the fees payable by the Fund to,
Warburg under the Advisory Agreement, Counsellors Service under the Counsellors
Service Co-Administration Agreement and PFPC under the PFPC Co-Administration
Agreement are described in the
30
<PAGE>
Prospectuses. Each class of shares of the Fund bears its proportionate share of
fees payable to Warburg, Counsellors Service and PFPC in the proportion that its
assets bear to the aggregate assets of the Fund at the time of calculation.
For the fiscal years ended August 31, 1996, 1995 and 1994
Warburg earned $7,914,238, $5,824,947 and $1,030,566, respectively, in
investment advisory fees. Under the Counsellors Co-Administration Agreement, for
the fiscal years ended August 31, 1996, 1995 and 1994, Counsellors Service was
paid $992,718, $714,152 and $24,186, respectively. Under the PFPC
Co-Administration Agreement, for the fiscal years ended August 31, 1996, 1995
and 1994, PFPC was paid $1,645,362, $1,222,497 and $269,859, respectively.
Custodians and Transfer Agent
PNC Bank, National Association ("PNC") and State Street serve
as custodians of the Fund's U.S. and non-U.S. assets, respectively, pursuant to
separate custodian agreements (the "Custodian Agreements"). Under the Custodian
Agreements, PNC and State Street each (i) maintains a separate account or
accounts in the name of the Fund, (ii) holds and transfers portfolio securities
on account of the Fund, (iii) makes receipts and disbursements of money on
behalf of the Fund, (iv) collects and receives all income and other payments and
distributions for the account of the Fund's portfolio securities held by it and
(v) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the Fund's custodial
arrangements. PNC may delegate its duties under its Custodian Agreement with the
Fund to a wholly owned direct or indirect subsidiary of PNC or PNC Bank Corp.
upon notice to the Fund and upon the satisfaction of certain other conditions.
With the approval of the Board, State Street is authorized to select one or more
foreign banking institutions and foreign securities depositories to serve as
sub-custodian on behalf of the Fund. PNC is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary
of PNC Bank Corp. and its principal business address is Broad and Chestnut
Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101. The principal business address of
State Street is 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110.
State Street acts as the shareholder servicing, transfer and
dividend disbursing agent of the Fund pursuant to a Transfer Agency and Service
Agreement, under which State Street (i) issues and redeems shares of the Fund,
(ii) addresses and mails all communications by the Fund to record owners of Fund
shares, including reports to shareholders, dividend and distribution notices and
proxy material for its meetings of shareholders, (iii) maintains shareholder
accounts and, if requested, sub-accounts and (iv) makes periodic reports to the
Board concerning the transfer agent's operations with respect to the Fund. State
Street has delegated to Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., a 50% owned
subsidiary ("BFDS"), responsibility for most shareholder servicing functions.
BFDS's principal business address is 2 Heritage Drive, Boston, Massachusetts
02171.
Organization of the Fund
The Fund was incorporated on January 29, 1996, under the laws
of the State of Maryland under the name Warburg, Pincus Growth & Income Fund,
Inc. The Fund's charter authorizes the Board to issue three billion full and
fractional shares of common stock, $.001
31
<PAGE>
par value per share ("Common Shares"), of which one billion shares are
designated Common Stock and two billion shares are designated Advisor Shares.
All shareholders of the Fund in each class, upon liquidation,
will participate ratably in the Fund's net assets. Shares do not have cumulative
voting rights, which means that holders of more than 50% of the shares voting
for the election of Directors can elect all Directors. Shares are transferable
but have no preemptive, conversion or subscription rights.
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing
The Fund may, in the future, enter into agreements
("Agreements") with institutional shareholders of record, broker-dealers,
financial institutions, depository institutions, retirement plans and financial
intermediaries ("Institutions") to provide certain distribution, shareholder
servicing, administrative and accounting services for their clients or customers
(or participants in the case of retirement plans) ("Customers") who are
beneficial owners of Advisor Shares. See the Advisor Prospectus, "Shareholder
Servicing." Agreements will be governed by a distribution plan (the
"Distribution Plan") pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Distribution
Plan requires the Board, at least quarterly, to receive and review written
reports of amounts expended under the Distribution Plan and the purposes for
which such expenditures were made.
An Institution with which the Fund has entered into an
Agreement with respect to its Advisor Shares may charge a Customer one or more
of the following types of fees, as agreed upon by the Institution and the
Customer, with respect to the cash management or other services provided by the
Institution: (i) account fees (a fixed amount per month or per year); (ii)
transaction fees (a fixed amount per transaction processed); (iii) compensation
balance requirements (a minimum dollar amount a Customer must maintain in order
to obtain the services offered); or (iv) account maintenance fees (a periodic
charge based upon the percentage of assets in the account or of the dividend
paid on those assets). Services provided by an Institution to Customers are in
addition to, and not duplicative of, the services to be provided under the
Fund's co-administration and distribution and shareholder servicing
arrangements. A Customer of an Institution should read the relevant Prospectus
and this Statement of Additional Information in conjunction with the Agreement
and other literature describing the services and related fees that would be
provided by the Institution to its Customers prior to any purchase of Fund
shares. Prospectuses are available from the Fund's distributor upon request. No
preference will be shown in the selection of Fund portfolio investments for the
instruments of Institutions.
The Distribution Plan will continue in effect for so long as
its continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board,
including a majority of the Directors who are not interested persons of the Fund
and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the
Distribution Plan ("Independent Directors"). Any material amendment of the
Distribution Plan would require the approval of the Board in the same manner.
The Distribution Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount to be
spent thereunder without shareholder approval of the relevant class of shares.
The Distribution Plan Advisor
32
<PAGE>
may be terminated at any time, without penalty, by vote of a majority of the
Independent Directors or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Advisor Shares of the Fund.
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 1996, no distribution
fees were paid to Counsellors Securities Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Warburg, on behalf of the Common Shares of the Fund. For the fiscal year ended
August 31, 1996, distribution fees of $377,281 were paid to Counsellors
Securities Inc., on behalf of the Advisor Shares of the Fund for direct payments
to financial institutions or other financial intermediaries.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
The offering price of the Fund's shares is equal to the per
share net asset value of the relevant class of shares of the Fund. Information
on how to purchase and redeem Fund shares and how such shares are priced is
included in the Prospectuses under "Net Asset Value."
Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may suspend the right of
redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period during
which the NYSE is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings, or
during which trading on the NYSE is restricted, or during which (as determined
by the SEC) an emergency exists as a result of which disposal or fair valuation
of portfolio securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods
as the SEC may permit. (The Fund may also suspend or postpone the recordation of
an exchange of its shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing
conditions.)
If the Board determines that conditions exist which make
payment of redemption proceeds wholly in cash unwise or undesirable, the Fund
may make payment wholly or partly in securities or other investment instruments
which may not constitute securities as such term is defined in the applicable
securities laws. If a redemption is paid wholly or partly in securities or other
property, a shareholder would incur transaction costs in disposing of the
redemption proceeds. The Fund will comply with Rule 18f-1 promulgated under the
1940 Act with respect to redemptions in kind.
Automatic Cash Withdrawal Plan. An automatic cash withdrawal
plan (the "Plan") is available to shareholders who wish to receive specific
amounts of cash periodically. Withdrawals may be made under the Plan by
redeeming as many shares of the Fund as may be necessary to cover the stipulated
withdrawal payment. To the extent that withdrawals exceed dividends,
distributions and appreciation of a shareholder's investment in the Fund, there
will be a reduction in the value of the shareholder's investment and continued
withdrawal payments may reduce the shareholder's investment and ultimately
exhaust it. Withdrawal payments should not be considered as income from
investment in the Fund. All dividends and
33
<PAGE>
distributions on shares in the Plan are automatically reinvested at net asset
value in additional shares of the Fund.
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE
An exchange privilege with certain other funds advised by
Warburg is available to investors in the Fund. The funds into which exchanges of
Common Shares currently can be made are listed in the Common Share Prospectus.
Exchanges may also be made between certain Warburg Pincus Advisor Funds.
The exchange privilege enables shareholders to acquire shares
in a fund with a different investment objective when they believe that a shift
between funds is an appropriate investment decision. This privilege is available
to shareholders residing in any state in which the Common Shares or Advisor
Shares being acquired, as relevant, may legally be sold. Prior to any exchange,
the investor should obtain and review a copy of the current prospectus of the
relevant class of each fund into which an exchange is being considered.
Shareholders may obtain a prospectus of the relevant class of the fund into
which they are contemplating an exchange from Counsellors Securities.
Upon receipt of proper instructions and all necessary
supporting documents, shares submitted for exchange are redeemed at the
then-current net asset value of the relevant class and the proceeds are invested
on the same day, at a price as described above, in shares of the relevant class
of the fund being acquired. Warburg reserves the right to reject more than three
exchange requests by a shareholder in any 30-day period. The exchange privilege
may be modified or terminated at any time upon 30 days' notice to shareholders.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING TAXES
The following is a summary of the material United States
federal income tax considerations regarding the purchase, ownership and
disposition of shares in the Funds. Each prospective shareholder is urged to
consult his own tax adviser with respect to the specific federal, state, local
and foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund. The summary is based on
the laws in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information,
which are subject to change.
The Fund and Its Investments
The Fund and Its Investments. The Fund intends to continue to
qualify to be treated as a regulated investment company each taxable year under
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). To so qualify, the
Fund must, among other things: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income in
each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments
34
<PAGE>
with respect to securities, loans and gains from the sale or other disposition
of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but
not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with
respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies;
(b) derive less than 30% of its gross income from the sale or other disposition
of (i) stock or securities held for less than three months, (ii) options,
futures or forward contracts held for less than three months (other than
options, futures, or forward contracts on foreign currencies), and (iii) foreign
currencies (or options, futures or forward contracts on foreign currencies) held
for less than three months, but only if such currencies (or options, futures, or
forward contracts) are not directly related to the Fund's principal business of
investing in stocks or securities (or options and futures with respect to stocks
or securities) (the "30% Test"); and (c) diversify its holdings so that, at the
end of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market
value of the Fund's assets is represented by cash, securities of other regulated
investment companies, United States government securities and other securities,
with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount
not greater than 5% of the Fund's assets and not greater than 10% of the
outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (ii) not more than 25% of the
value of its assets is invested in the securities (other than United States
government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) of
any one issuer or any two or more issuers that the Fund controls and are
determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related
trades or businesses. The Fund expects that all of its foreign currency gains
will be directly related to its principal business of investing in stocks and
securities.
The 30% Test will restrict the extent to which the Fund may,
among other things: (1) sell or purchase put options on securities held for less
than three months or purchase put options on substantially identical securities
(unless the option and the security are acquired on the same day); (2) write
options that expire in less than three months; and (3) close options that were
written or purchased within the preceding three months. For purposes of the 30%
Test, a Fund's increases or decreases in value of short-term investment
positions that constitute certain designated hedging transactions may generally
be netted. Effective for taxable years beginning after August 5, 1997, the
Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 repealed the 30% Test. Accordingly, effective as of
the Fund's taxable year beginning November 1, 1997, the Fund will no longer be
required to comply with the 30% Test.
As a regulated investment company, the Fund will not be
subject to United States federal income tax on its net investment income (i.e.,
income other than its net realized long- and short-term capital gains) and its
net realized long- and short-term capital gains, if any, that it distributes to
its shareholders, provided that an amount equal to at least 90% of the sum of
its investment company taxable income (i.e., 90% of its taxable income minus the
excess, if any, of its net realized long-term capital gains over its net
realized short-term capital losses (including any capital loss carryovers), plus
or minus certain other adjustments as specified in the Code) and its net
tax-exempt income for the taxable year is distributed, but will be subject to
tax at regular corporate rates on any taxable income or gains that it does not
distribute. Furthermore, the Fund will be subject to a United States corporate
income tax with respect to such distributed amounts in any year that it fails to
qualify as a regulated investment company or fails to meet this distribution
requirement. Any dividend declared by the Fund in
35
<PAGE>
October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders
of record on a specified date in such a month shall be deemed to have been
received by each shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year and to have
been paid by the Fund not later than such December 31, provided that such
dividend is actually paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar
year.
The Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders
substantially all of its investment company taxable income. The Board of
Directors of the Fund will determine annually whether to distribute any net
realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital
losses (including any capital loss carryovers). The Fund currently expects to
distribute any excess annually to its shareholders. However, if the Fund retains
for investment an amount equal to all or a portion of its net long-term capital
gains in excess of its net short-term capital losses and capital loss
carryovers, it will be subject to a corporate tax (currently at a rate of 35%)
on the amount retained. In that event, the Fund will designate such retained
amounts as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (a)
will be required to include in income for United Stares federal income tax
purposes, as long-term capital gains, their proportionate shares of the
undistributed amount, (b) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares
of the 35% tax paid by the Fund on the undistributed amount against their United
States federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the
extent their credits exceed their liabilities, if any, and (c) will be entitled
to increase their tax basis, for United States federal income tax purposes, in
their shares by an amount equal to 65% of the amount of undistributed capital
gains included in the shareholder's income. Organizations or persons not subject
to federal income tax on such capital gains will be entitled to a refund of
their pro rata share of such taxes paid by the Fund upon filing appropriate
returns or claims for refund with the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS"). Even
if the Fund makes such an election, it is possible that it may incur an excise
tax as a result of not having distributed net capital gains.
The Code imposes a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the Fund to
the extent the Fund does not distribute by the end of any calendar year at least
98% of its net investment income for that year and 98% of the net amount of its
capital gains (both long-and short-term) for the one-year period ending, as a
general rule, on October 31 of that year. For this purpose, however, any income
or gain retained by the Fund that is subject to corporate income tax will be
considered to have been distributed by year-end. In addition, the minimum
amounts that must be distributed in any year to avoid the excise tax will be
increased or decreased to reflect any underdistribution or overdistribution, as
the case may be, from the previous year. The Fund anticipates that it will pay
such dividends and will make such distributions as are necessary in order to
avoid the application of this tax.
With regard to the Fund's investments in foreign securities,
exchange control regulations may restrict repatriations of investment income and
capital or the proceeds of securities sales by foreign investors such as the
Fund and may limit the Fund's ability to pay sufficient dividends and to make
sufficient distributions to satisfy the 90% and excise tax distribution
requirements.
36
<PAGE>
If, in any taxable year, the Fund fails to qualify as a
regulated investment company under the Code, it would be taxed in the same
manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders would
not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In addition, in
the event of a failure to qualify, the Fund's distributions, to the extent
derived from the Fund's current or accumulated earnings and profits would
constitute dividends (eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction)
which are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income, even though those
distributions might otherwise (at least in part) have been treated in the
shareholders' hands as long-term capital gains. If the Fund fails to qualify as
a regulated investment company in any year, it must pay out its earnings and
profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a regulated
investment company. In addition, if the Fund failed to qualify as a regulated
investment company for a period greater than one taxable year, the Fund may be
required to recognize any net built-in gains (the excess of the aggregate gains,
including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized
if it had been liquidated) in order to qualify as a regulated investment company
in a subsequent year.
The Fund's short sales against the box, if any, and transactions in
foreign currencies, forward contracts, options and futures contracts (including
options and futures contracts on foreign currencies) will be subject to special
provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of
gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses
are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer
Fund losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing
of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require the
Fund to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e.,
treat them as if they were closed out) and (b) may cause the Funds to recognize
income without receiving cash with which to pay dividends or make distributions
in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for avoiding
income and excise taxes. The Fund will monitor its transactions, will make the
appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in its books and
records when it acquires any foreign currency, forward contract, option, futures
contract or hedged investment in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and
prevent disqualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company.
Passive Foreign Investment Companies. If the Fund purchases
shares in certain foreign investment entities, called "passive foreign
investment companies" (a "PFIC"), it may be subject to United States federal
income tax on a portion of any "excess distribution" or gain from the
disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable
dividend by the Fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of
interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from
such distributions or gains. Any tax paid by the Fund as a result of its
ownership of shares in a PFIC will not give rise to any deduction or credit to
the Fund or any shareholder. If the Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elected to
treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" under the Code, in lieu of the
foregoing requirements, the Fund might be required to include in income each
year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified
election fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be
subject to the 90% and excise tax distribution
37
<PAGE>
requirements described above. In order to make this election, the Fund would be
required to obtain certain annual information from the passive foreign
investment companies in which it invests, which may be difficult or not possible
to obtain.
Recently, legislation was enacted that provides a
mark-to-market election for regulated investment companies effective for taxable
years beginning after December 31, 1997. This election would result in the Fund
being treated as if it had sold and repurchased all of the PFIC stock at the end
of each year. In this case, the Fund would report gains as ordinary income and
would deduct losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized
gains. The election, once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable
years of the Fund, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. By making the
election, the Fund could potentially ameliorate the adverse tax consequences
with respect to its ownership of shares in a PFIC, but in any particular year
may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives
from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC company stock. The Fund
may have to distribute this "phantom" income and gain to satisfy its
distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax. The Fund
will make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional
steps that are necessary to mitigate the effect of these rules.
Dividends and Distributions. Dividends of net investment
income and distributions of net realized short-term capital gains are taxable to
a United States shareholder as ordinary income, whether paid in cash or in
shares. Distributions of net-long-term capital gains, if any, that the Fund
designates as capital gains dividends are taxable as long-term capital gains,
whether paid in cash or in shares and regardless of how long a shareholder has
held shares of the Fund. Dividends and distributions paid by the Fund (except
for the portion thereof, if any, attributable to dividends on stock of U.S.
corporations received by the Fund) will not qualify for the deduction for
dividends received by corporations. Distributions in excess of the Fund's
current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be
treated as a tax-free return of capital, to the extent of a shareholder's basis
in his shares of the Fund, and as a capital gain thereafter (if the shareholder
holds his shares of the Fund as capital assets).
Shareholders receiving dividends or distributions in the form
of additional shares should be treated for United States federal income tax
purposes as receiving a distribution in the amount equal to the amount of money
that the shareholders receiving cash dividends or distributions will receive,
and should have a cost basis in the shares received equal to such amount.
Investors considering buying shares just prior to a dividend
or capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of shares
just purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming
distribution, such dividend or distribution may nevertheless be taxable to them.
38
<PAGE>
If the Fund is the holder of record of any stock on the record
date for any dividends payable with respect to such stock, such dividends are
included in the Fund's gross income not as of the date received but as of the
later of (a) the date such stock became ex-dividend with respect to such
dividends (i.e., the date on which a buyer of the stock would not be entitled to
receive the declared, but unpaid, dividends) or (b) the date the Fund acquired
such stock. Accordingly, in order to satisfy its income distribution
requirements, the Fund may be required to pay dividends based on anticipated
earnings, and shareholders may receive dividends in an earlier year than would
otherwise be the case.
Sales of Shares. Upon the sale or exchange of his shares, a
shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between
the amount realized and his basis in his shares. Such gain or loss will be
treated as capital gain or loss, if the shares are capital assets in the
shareholder's hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares
are held for more than one year and short-term capital gain or loss if the
shares are held for one year or less. Any loss realized on a sale or exchange
will be disallowed to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced, including
replacement through the reinvesting of dividends and capital gains distributions
in the Fund, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days
after the disposition of the shares. In such a case, the basis of the shares
acquired will be increased to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss realized by
a shareholder on the sale of a Fund share held by the shareholder for six months
or less will be treated for United States federal income tax purposes as a
long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions or deemed
distributions of long-term capital gains received by the shareholder with
respect to such share.
Foreign Taxes. Income received by the Fund from non-U.S.
sources may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by other
countries. Because it is not expected that more than 50 percent of the value of
the Fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year will consist of stock
and securities of non-U.S. corporations, it is not expected that the Fund will
be eligible to elect to "pass through" to the Fund's shareholders the amount of
foreign income and similar taxes paid by the Fund. In the absence of such an
election, the foreign taxes paid by the Fund will reduce its investment company
taxable income, and distributions of investment company taxable income received
by the Fund from non-US sources will be treated as United States source income.
Backup Withholding. The Fund may be required to withhold, for
United States federal income tax purposes, 31% of the dividends and
distributions payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their
correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or
who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding.
Certain shareholders are exempt from backup withholding. Backup withholding is
not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a
shareholder's United States federal income tax liabilities.
Notices. Shareholders will be notified annually by the Fund as
to the United States federal income tax status of the dividends, distributions
and deemed distributions
39
<PAGE>
attributable to undistributed capital gains (discussed above in "The Fund and
Its Investments") made by the Fund to its shareholders. Furthermore,
shareholders will also receive, if appropriate, various written notices after
the close of the Fund's taxable year regarding the United States federal income
tax status of certain dividends, distributions and deemed distributions that
were paid (or that are treated as having been paid) by the Fund to its
shareholders during the preceding taxable year.
Other Taxation
Distributions also may be subject to additional state, local
and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder's particular situation.
THE FOREGOING IS ONLY A SUMMARY OF CERTAIN MATERIAL TAX CONSEQUENCES AFFECTING
THE FUND AND ITS SHAREHOLDERS. SHAREHOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX
ADVISERS WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF AN
INVESTMENT IN THE FUND.
DETERMINATION OF PERFORMANCE
From time to time, the Fund may quote the total return of its
Common Shares and/or Advisor Shares in advertisements or in reports and other
communications to shareholders. The average annual total return for Common
Shares of the Fund for the one-year period ended February 28, 1997 was -0.99%
and for Advisor Shares -1.39%. The average annual total return for Common Shares
for the five-year period ended February 28, 1997 was 14.22% (14.21% without
waivers). The average annual total return for Common Shares for the period
beginning on the commencement of operations of the Warburg Pincus Growth &
Income Fund investment portfolio of the RBB Fund (October 1988) and ending
February 28, 1997 was 13.27% (12.49% without waivers). The average annual total
return for Advisor Shares for the period beginning on the commencement of
offering of Advisor Shares by the Warburg Pincus Growth & Income Fund investment
portfolio of the RBB Fund (May 1995) and ending February 28, 1997 was 7.61%.
Average annual total return is calculated by finding the average annual
compounded rates of return for the one-, five- and ten- (or such shorter period
as the relevant class of shares has been offered) year periods that would equate
the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value according to the
following formula: P (1 + T)n* = ERV. For purposes of this formula, "P" is a
hypothetical investment of $1,000; "T" is average annual total return; "n" is
number of years; and "ERV" is the ending redeemable value of a hypothetical
$1,000 payment made at the beginning of the one-, five- or ten-year periods (or
fractional portion thereof). Total return or "T" is computed by finding the
average annual change in the value of an initial $1,000 investment over the
period and assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested during
the period.
The Fund may advertise, from time to time, comparisons of the
performance of its Common Shares and/or Advisor Shares with that of one or more
other mutual funds with
- ------------------
* - As used here, "n" is an exponent.
40
<PAGE>
similar investment objectives. The Fund may advertise average annual calendar
year-to-date and calendar quarter returns, which are calculated according to the
formula set forth in the preceding paragraph, except that the relevant measuring
period would be the number of months that have elapsed in the current calendar
year or most recent three months, as the case may be. Investors should note that
this performance may not be representative of the Fund's total return in longer
market cycles.
The Fund may also advertise its yield. The yield for the
Common Shares of the Fund for the one-month period ended February 28, 1997 was
1.23%, and for the Advisor Shares was 0.84%. Yield is calculated by annualizing
the net investment income generated by the Fund over a specified thirty-day
period according to the following formula:
YIELD = 2[(a-b + 1)6** -1]
---
cd
For purposes of this formula: "a" is dividends and interest earned during the
period; "b" is expenses accrued for the period (net of reimbursements); "c" is
the average daily number of shares outstanding during the period that were
entitled to receive dividends; and "d" is the maximum offering price per share
on the last day of the period.
The performance of a class of Fund shares will vary from time
to time depending upon market conditions, the composition of the Fund's
portfolio and operating expenses allocable to it. As described above, total
return is based on historical earnings and is not intended to indicate future
performance. Consequently, any given performance quotation should not be
considered as representative of performance for any specified period in the
future. Performance information may be useful as a basis for comparison with
other investment alternatives. However, the Fund's performance will fluctuate,
unlike certain bank deposits or other investments which pay a fixed yield for a
stated period of time. Any fees charged by Institutions or other institutional
investors directly to their customers in connection with investments in Fund
shares are not reflected in the Fund's total return, and such fees, if charged,
will reduce the actual return received by customers on their investments.
In addition, reference may be made in advertising a class of
Fund shares to opinions of Wall Street economists and analysts regarding
economic cycles and their effects historically on the performance of small
companies, both as a class and relative to other investments. The Fund may also
discuss its beta, or volatility relative to the market, and make reference to
its relative performance in various market cycles in the United States.
INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS AND COUNSEL
Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. ("Coopers & Lybrand"), with principal
offices at 2400 Eleven Penn Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as
independent accountants for the Fund. The financial statements for the Fund that
are incorporated by reference in this Statement of Additional Information have
been audited by Coopers & Lybrand, with the exception of those financial
statements for the six months ended February 28, 1997 which are unaudited, and
have been included herein by reference in reliance upon the report of such firm
of independent accountants given upon their authority as experts in accounting
and auditing.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher serves as counsel for the Fund as
well as counsel to Warburg, Counsellors Service and Counsellors Securities.
- ----------------
** - As used here, "6" is an exponent.
41
<PAGE>
MISCELLANEOUS
As of July 31, 1997, the names, addresses and percentage
ownership of each person that owned 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the
Fund were as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Percent owned as of
Type of Shares Name and Address July 31, 1997
- -------------- ----------------- ----------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Common Shares Charles Schwab & Co Inc. Reinvest Account 25.89%
Attn Mutual Funds Dept
101 Montgomery St
San Francisco, CA 94104-4122
Nat'l Financial Svcs Corp 20.27%
FBO Customers
PO Box 3908
Church St Station
New York, NY 10008-3908
Advisor Shares Connecticut General Life Ins Co 99.47%
On Behalf Of Its Separate Accounts
55S c/o Melissa Spencer M110 Cigna Corp PO
Box 2975 Hartford, CT 06104-2975
</TABLE>
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Fund's audited annual reports dated August 31, 1996 and
unaudited semi-annual reports dated February 28, 1997, which either accompany
this Statement of Additional Information or have previously been provided to the
investor to whom this Statement of Additional Information is being sent, are
incorporated herein by reference with respect to all information regarding the
Fund included therein. The Fund will furnish without charge a copy of the annual
reports upon request by calling the Fund at (800) 927-2874.
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<PAGE>
APPENDIX
DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
Commercial Paper Ratings
Commercial paper rated A-1 by Standard & Poor's Ratings
Services ("S&P") indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is
strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety
characteristics are denoted with a plus sign designation. Capacity for timely
payment on commercial paper rated A-2 is satisfactory, but the relative degree
of safety is not as high as for issues designated A-1.
The rating Prime-1 is the highest commercial paper rating
assigned by Moody's Investors Services, Inc. ("Moody's"). Issuers rated Prime-1
(or related supporting institutions) are considered to have a superior capacity
for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Issuers rated Prime-2 (or
related supporting institutions) are considered to have a strong capacity for
repayment of short-term promissory obligations. This will normally be evidenced
by many of the characteristics of issuers rated Prime-1 but to a lesser degree.
Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more subject to
variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more
affected by external conditions. Ample alternative liquidity is maintained.
Corporate Bond Ratings
The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P for corporate
bonds:
AAA - This is the highest rating assigned by S&P to a debt
obligation and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal.
AA - Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest
and repay principal and differs from AAA issues only in small degree.
A - Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and
repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects
of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher-rated
categories.
BBB - This is the lowest investment grade. Debt rated BBB is
regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Although it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic
conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened
capacity to pay interest and repay principal for bonds in this category than for
bonds in higher rated categories.
BB, B, CCC, CC and C - Debt rated BB and B are regarded, on
balance, as predominately speculative with respect to capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. BB
<PAGE>
represents a lower degree of speculation than B, and CCC the highest degree of
speculation. While such bonds will likely have some quality and protective
characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk
exposures to adverse conditions.
BB - Debt rated BB has less near-term vulnerability to default
than other speculative issues. However, they face major ongoing uncertainties or
exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, which could
lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The
BB rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is
assigned an actual or implied BBB rating.
B - Debt rated B has a greater vulnerability to default but
currently have the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments.
Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity
or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The B rating category is
also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or
implied BB or BB- rating.
CCC - Debt rated CCC has a currently identifiable
vulnerability to default and is dependent upon favorable business, financial and
economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of
principal. In the event of adverse business, financial or economic conditions,
it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The
CCC rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is
assigned an actual or implied B or B- rating.
CC - This rating is typically applied to debt subordinated to
senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC rating.
C - This rating is typically applied to debt subordinated to
senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied CCC- debt rating. The C
rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been
filed, but debt service payments are continued.
Additionally, the rating CI is reserved for income bonds on
which no interest is being paid. Such debt is rated between debt rated C and
debt rated D.
To provide more detailed indications of credit quality, the
ratings may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative
standing within this major rating category.
D - Debt rated D is in payment default. The D rating category
is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date
due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes
that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will
be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are
jeopardized.
The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody's for
corporate bonds:
Aaa - Bonds that are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best
quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally
referred to as "gilt edged." Interest payments are protected by a large or
A-2
<PAGE>
exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various
protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are
most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa - Bonds that are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality
by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally
known as high grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because
margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of
protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements
present which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in Aaa
securities.
A - Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment
attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors
giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements
may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the
future.
Baa - Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade
obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured.
Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but
certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically
unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment
characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Ba - Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative
elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the
protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby
not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty
of position characterizes bonds in this class.
B - Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of
desirable investments. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of
maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be
small.
Moody's applies numerical modifiers (1, 2 and 3) with respect
to the bonds rated "Aa" through "B." The modifier 1 indicates that the bond
being rated ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier
2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the bond
ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.
Caa - Bonds that are rated Caa are of poor standing. These
issues may be in default or present elements of danger may exist with respect to
principal or interest.
Ca - Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are
speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other
marked shortcomings.
C - Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of
bonds, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of
ever attaining any real investment standing.
A-3
