<PAGE>
<PAGE>
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
December 30, 1996
as revised February 6, 1997
WARBURG PINCUS GROWTH & INCOME FUND
P.O. Box 9030, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-9030
For information, call (800) WARBURG
CONTENTS
--------
Page
----
Investment Objective...........................................................2
Investment Policies............................................................2
Management of the Fund........................................................23
Additional Purchase and Redemption Information................................29
Exchange Privilege............................................................30
Additional Information Concerning Taxes.......................................31
Determination of Performance..................................................33
Independent Accountants and Counsel...........................................35
Miscellaneous.................................................................35
Financial Statements..........................................................36
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"), Warburg Pincus Balanced Fund and Warburg
Pincus Tax Free Fund and with the Prospectus for the Advisor Shares of the Fund,
each dated December 30, 1996, 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>
<PAGE>
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The investment objective of the Fund is long-term growth of
capital 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 and Futures 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 with respect to which the Fund
has written options may exceed the time within which the Fund
2
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 Counsellors, 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 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
3
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 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.
4
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 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
5
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 interest rate and
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. The ability of the Fund to trade in
futures contracts and options on futures contracts may be limited by the
requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"),
applicable to a regulated investment company.
Futures Contracts. 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. 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
6
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 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 an 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
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.
7
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
Hedging. In addition to entering into options and futures
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 and futures 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 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 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.
8
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 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
Investment Approach. The Fund invests in equity securities that, in
its investment adviser's opinion, are undervalued. Its investment adviser 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.
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.
9
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Fund may invest in
mortgage-backed securities, such as those issued by GNMA, FNMA, FHLMC or private
organizations. 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. However, 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 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.
10
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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.
Downgraded Debt and Convertible Securities. Although the Fund may
invest only in investment grade securities (as described in the Prospectuses),
it is not required to dispose of securities downgraded below investment grade
subsequent to acquisition by the Fund. 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 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.
11
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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.
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 E.M. Warburg, Pincus & Co., Inc. ("EMW") 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 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
12
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 10% 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. 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 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.
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. In addition, 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,
13
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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.
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. 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
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.
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. While the
short sale is open, the Fund will maintain in a segregated account an amount of
securities equal in kind and amount to the securities sold short or securities
convertible into or exchangeable for such equivalent securities. These
securities constitute the Fund's long position.
While a short sale is made by selling a security the Fund does
not own, a short sale is "against the box" to the extent that the Fund
contemporaneously owns or has the right to obtain, at no added cost, securities
identical to those sold short. 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), or when the Fund wants to sell
the security at an attractive current price, but also wishes to defer
recognition of gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes and for
purposes of satisfying certain tests applicable to regulated investment
companies under the Code. 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
14
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
box, but the Fund will endeavor to offset these costs with the income from the
investment of the cash proceeds of short sales.
American Depositary Receipts. The assets of the Fund may be
invested in the securities of foreign issuers in the form of American Depositary
Receipts ("ADRs"). 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. Generally,
ADRs are in registered form and are designed for use in U.S. securities markets.
Warrants. The Fund may invest up to 5% of net assets in warrants
(valued at the lower of cost or market) (other than warrants acquired by the
Fund as part of a unit or attached to securities at the time of purchase).
Because a warrant does not carry with it the right to dividends or voting rights
with respect to the securities which it entitles a holder to purchase, and
because it does not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer, warrants
may be considered more speculative than certain other types of investments.
Also, the value of a warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the
underlying securities and a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised
prior to its expiration date.
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 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.
15
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 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
16
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
(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. Investment limitations 12 through 18 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 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.
17
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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.
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. Purchase securities of other investment companies except in
connection with a merger, consolidation, acquisition, reorganization or offer of
exchange.
15. Purchase any security if as a result the Fund would then have
more than 5% of its total assets invested in securities of companies (including
predecessors) that have been in continuous operation for fewer than three years.
18
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
16. 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.
17. Purchase or retain securities of any company if any of the
Fund's officers or Directors or any officer or director of Warburg individually
owns more than 1/2 of 1% of the outstanding securities of such company and
together they own beneficially more than 5% of the securities.
18. 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 5%
of the value of the Fund's net assets.
The aggregate of all Rule 144A Securities, non-publicly traded
and illiquid securities and securities of companies (including predecessors)
that have been in continuous operation for three years or less is limited to 15%
of total assets. This and certain other non-fundamental investment limitations
are currently required by one or more states in which shares of the Fund are
sold. These may be more restrictive than the limitations set forth above. Should
the Fund determine that any such commitment is no longer in the best interest of
the Fund and its shareholders, the Fund will revoke the commitment by
terminating the sale of Fund shares in the state involved. In addition, the
relevant state may change or eliminate its policy regarding such investment
limitations.
If a percentage restriction (other than the percentage limitation
set forth in No. 1 above) 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.
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
19
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 may
vary among different brokers. On most foreign exchanges, commissions are
generally
20
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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.
21
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 RBB Fund (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 has 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. In addition, the Fund will not give preference to any institutions
with whom the Fund enters into distribution or shareholder servicing agreements
concerning the provision of distribution services or support services. See the
Prospectuses, "Shareholder Servicing."
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
22
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
practice, however, only when Warburg, in its sole discretion, believes such
practice to be otherwise in the Fund's interest.
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.
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.
Richard N. Cooper (62).............. Director
Harvard University.................. National Intelligence Counsel;
1737 Cambridge Street............... Professor at Harvard University;
Cambridge, MA 02138 Director or Trustee of Circuit City
Stores, Inc.(retail electronics and
appliances) and Phoenix Home Mutual
Life Insurance Company.
Donald J. Donahue (72).............. Director
27 Signal Road...................... Chairman of Magma Copper Company
Stamford, Connecticut 06830......... from December 1987 until December
1995; Chairman and Director of NAC
Holdings from September 1990-June
1993; Director of Chase Brass
Industries, Inc. since December
1994; Director of Pioneer Companies,
Inc. (chlor-alkali chemicals) and
predecessor companies
23
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
since 1990 and Vice Chairman since
December 1995.
Jack W. Fritz (69).................. Director
2425 North Fish Creek Road.......... Private investor; Consultant and
P.O. Box 483........................ Director of Fritz Broadcasting, Inc.
Wilson, Wyoming 83014............... and Fritz Communications (developers
and operators of radio stations);
Director of Advo, Inc. (direct mail
advertising).
John L. Furth* (65)................. Chairman of the Board
466 Lexington Avenue................ Vice Chairman and Director of E.M.
New York, New York 10017-3147....... Warburg, Pincus & Co., Inc. ("EMW");
Associated with EMW since 1970;
President of The Grant Street
Settlement; officer of other
investment companies advised by
Warburg.
Thomas A. Melfe (64)................ Director
30 Rockefeller Plaza................ Partner in the law firm of Donovan
New York, New York 10112............ Leisure Newton & Irvine; Chairman
of the Board, Municipal Fund for New
York Investors, Inc.
Alexander B. Trowbridge (66)........ Director
1317 F Street, N.W., 5th Floor...... President of Trowbridge Partners,
Washington, DC 20004................ Inc. (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* (48)............ President and Director
466 Lexington Avenue................ Managing Director and Assistant
New York, New York 10017-3147....... Secretary of EMW; Associated with
EMW since 1984; Senior Vice
President, Secretary and Chief
Operating Officer of Counsellors
Securities;
- ----------------
* Indicates a Director who is an "interested person" of the Fund as defined
in the 1940 Act.
24
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
Officer of other investment
companies advised by Warburg.
Eugene L. Podsiadlo (39)............ Senior Vice President
466 Lexington Avenue................ Managing Director of EMW;
New York, New York 10017-3147....... Associated with EMW 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 (43)................ Vice President
466 Lexington Avenue................ Managing Director, Controller and
New York, New York 10017-3147...... Assistant Secretary of EMW;
Associated with EMW since 1984;
Treasurer of Counsellors Securities;
Vice President of other investment
companies advised by Warburg.
Eugene P. Grace (44)................ Vice President and Secretary
466 Lexington Avenue................ Associated with EMW since April
New York, New York 10017-3147....... 1994; 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 1991-1992; Vice
President, Chief Compliance Officer
and Assistant Secretary of
Counsellors Securities; Vice
President and Secretary of other
investment companies advised by
Warburg.
Howard Conroy (42).................. Vice President and Chief
466 Lexington Avenue................ Financial Officer
New York, New York 10017-3147....... Associated with EMW 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
466 Lexington Avenue................ Officer Associated with EMW since
New York, New York 10017-3147....... 1995; 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
25
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
other investment companies advised
by Warburg.
Janna Manes (29).................... Assistant Secretary
466 Lexington Avenue................ Associated with EMW since March
New York, New York 10017-3147...... 1996; Associated with the law firm
of Willkie Farr & Gallagher from
1993-1996; Assistant Secretary of
other investment companies advised
by Warburg.
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
(for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1996)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Name of Director Total Total Compensation from
---------------- Compensation from all Investment Companies
Fund Managed by Warburg*
---- ------------------
<S> <C> <C>
John L. Furth None** None**
Arnold M. Reichman None** None**
Richard N. Cooper $1,500 $47,000
Donald J. Donahue $1,500 $47,000
Jack W. Fritz $1,500 $47,000
Thomas A. Melfe $1,500 $47,000
Alexander B. Trowbridge $1,500 $47,000
</TABLE>
* Each Director also serves as a Director or Trustee of 22 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 December 20, 1996 Directors or Officers of the Fund as a
group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
26
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
Mr. Brian S. Posner is portfolio manager of the Fund, effective
January 9, 1997. 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.
Ms. Linda Diaz, CFA, is a research analyst and assistant
portfolio manager of the Fund as well as Warburg's institutional value equity
product. Ms. Diaz has 10 years of investment experience. Prior to joining
Warburg, Ms. Diaz was an assistant vice president and portfolio manager in the
asset management division for Kidder Peabody & Co. from 1991 to 1994. She
received her B.S. degree from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
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 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 foreign 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
27
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 Bank and Trust Company ("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 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,
28
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 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."
29
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 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.
30
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 60 days' notice to shareholders.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING TAXES
The discussion set out below of tax considerations generally
affecting the Fund and its shareholders is intended to be only a summary and is
not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning by prospective
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.
The Fund intends to qualify each year as a "regulated investment
company" under Subchapter M of the Code. If it qualifies as a regulated
investment company, the Fund will pay no federal income taxes on its taxable net
investment income (that is, taxable income other than net realized capital
gains) and its net realized capital gains that are distributed to shareholders.
To qualify under Subchapter M, the Fund must, among other things: (i) distribute
to its shareholders at least 90% of its taxable net investment income (for this
purpose consisting of taxable net investment income and net realized short-term
capital gains); (ii) derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends,
interest, payments with respect to loans of securities, gains from the sale or
other disposition of securities, or other income (including, but not limited to,
gains from options, futures, and forward contracts) derived with respect to the
Fund's business of investing in securities; (iii) derive less than 30% of its
annual gross income from the sale or other disposition of securities, options,
futures or forward contracts held for less than three months; and (iv) diversify
its holdings so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter of the Fund (a) at least
50% of the market value of the Fund's assets is represented by cash, U.S.
government securities and other securities, with those other securities limited,
with respect to any one issuer, to an amount no greater in value than 5% of the
Fund's total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting
securities of the issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the market value of the
Fund's assets is invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S.
government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) or
of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are determined to be in
the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses. In
meeting these requirements, the Fund may be restricted in the selling of
securities held by the Fund for less than three months and in the utilization of
certain of the investment techniques described above and in the Fund's
Prospectuses. 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 required to be but not distributed
under a prescribed formula. The formula requires payment to shareholders during
a calendar year of distributions representing at least 98% of the Fund's taxable
ordinary income for the calendar year and at least 98% of the excess of its
capital gains over capital losses realized during the one-year period ending
October 31 during such year, together with any
31
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
undistributed, untaxed amounts of ordinary income and capital gains from the
previous calendar year. The Fund expects to pay the dividends and make the
distributions necessary to avoid the application of this excise tax.
The Fund's transactions, if any, in foreign currencies, forward
contracts, options and futures contracts (including options and forward
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
recognized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or
capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund, defer Fund losses and
cause the Fund to be subject to hyperinflationary currency rules. These rules
could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to
shareholders. These provisions also (i) will require the Fund to mark-to-market
certain types of its positions (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) and
(ii) may cause the Fund 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 so
that (a) neither the Fund nor its shareholders will be treated as receiving a
materially greater amount of capital gains or distributions than actually
realized or received, (b) the Fund will be able to use substantially all of its
losses for the fiscal years in which the losses actually occur and (c) the Fund
will continue to qualify as a regulated investment company.
A shareholder of the Fund receiving dividends or distributions in
additional shares should be treated for federal income tax purposes as receiving
a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of money that a shareholder
receiving cash dividends or distributions receives, and should have a cost basis
in the shares received equal to that amount.
Investors considering buying shares just prior to a dividend or
capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of shares
purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution,
those who purchase just prior to a distribution will receive a distribution that
will nevertheless be taxable to them. Upon the sale or exchange of shares, a
shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss depending upon the amount
realized and the basis in the 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, as described in the Prospectuses, will be long-term or short-term
depending upon the shareholder's holding period for the shares. Any loss
realized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent the shares
disposed of are replaced, including replacement through the reinvestment of
dividends and capital gains distributions in the Fund, within a period of 61
days 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.
Each shareholder will receive an annual statement as to the
federal income tax status of his dividends and distributions from the Fund for
the prior calendar year. Furthermore, shareholders will also receive, if
appropriate, various written notices after the close of the Fund's taxable year
regarding the federal income tax status of certain dividends
32
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
and distributions that were paid (or that are treated as having been paid) by
the Fund to its shareholders during the preceding year.
If a shareholder fails to furnish a correct taxpayer
identification number, fails to report fully dividend or interest income, or
fails to certify that he has provided a correct taxpayer identification number
and that he is not subject to "backup withholding," the shareholder may be
subject to a 31% "backup withholding" tax with respect to (i) taxable dividends
and distributions and (ii) the proceeds of any sales or repurchases of shares of
the Fund. An individual's taxpayer identification number is his social security
number. Corporate shareholders and other shareholders specified in the Code are
or may be exempt from backup withholding. The backup withholding tax is not an
additional tax and may be credited against a taxpayer's federal income tax
liability. Dividends and distributions also may be subject to state and local
taxes depending on each shareholder's particular situation.
Investment in Passive Foreign Investment Companies
If the Fund purchases shares in certain foreign entities
classified under the Code as "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs"),
the Fund may be subject to federal income tax on a portion of an "excess
distribution" or gain from the disposition of the shares, even though the income
may have to be distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its
shareholders. In addition, gain on the disposition of shares in a PFIC generally
is treated as ordinary income even though the shares are capital assets in the
hands of the Fund. Certain interest charges may be imposed on either the Fund or
its shareholders with respect to any taxes arising from excess distributions or
gains on the disposition of shares in a PFIC.
The Fund may be eligible to elect to include in its gross income
its share of earnings of a PFIC on a current basis. Generally, the election
would eliminate the interest charge and the ordinary income treatment on the
disposition of stock, but such an election may have the effect of accelerating
the recognition of income and gains by the Fund compared to a fund that did not
make the election. In addition, information required to make such an election
may not be available to the Fund.
On April 1, 1992 proposed regulations of the Internal Revenue
Service (the "IRS") were published providing a mark-to-market election for
regulated investment companies. The IRS subsequently issued a notice indicating
that final regulations will provide that regulated investment companies may
elect the mark-to-market election for tax years ending after March 31, 1992 and
before April 1, 1993. Whether and to what extent the notice will apply to
taxable years of the Fund is unclear. If the Fund is not able to make the
foregoing election, it may be able to avoid the interest charge (but not the
ordinary income treatment) on disposition of the stock by electing, under
proposed regulations, each year to mark-to-market the stock (that is, treat it
as if it were sold for fair market value). Such an election could result in
acceleration of income to the Fund.
DETERMINATION OF PERFORMANCE
33
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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 fiscal year ended August 31, 1996 was -3.54% and for
Advisor Shares -3.92%. The average annual total return for Common Shares for the
five-year period ended August 31, 1996 was 12.93% (12.92% 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 August 31, 1996 was 13.10%
(12.27% 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 August 31, 1996 was 4.70%. 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 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 thirty-day period ended August 31, 1996 was .70%,
and for the Advisor Shares was .33%. 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)'pp'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.
34
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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. Willkie Farr & Gallagher serves as counsel
for the Fund as well as counsel to Warburg, Counsellors Service and Counsellors
Securities.
MISCELLANEOUS
As of November 29, 1996, the names, addresses and percentage
ownership of each person that owned 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the
Warburg Pincus Growth & Income Fund investment portfolio of the RBB Fund were as
follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Percent owned as of
Type of Shares Name and Address November 29, 1996
- -------------- ---------------- -----------------
<S> <C> <C>
Common Shares Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. 32.77%
Reinvest Account
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco CA 94104-4122
Nat'l Financial Svcs Corp. 10.34%
FBO Customers
PO Box 3908
Church St. Station
New York, NY 10008-3908
</TABLE>
35
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C>
Advisor Shares Connecticut General Life Insurance Co 98.59%
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, 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.
36
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
APPENDIX
DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
Commercial Paper Ratings
Commercial paper rated A-1 by Standard & Poor's Ratings Group
("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
represents a lower degree of speculation than B, and CCC the highest degree of
speculation. While such bonds will likely have some quality
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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
exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure.
A-2
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
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
STATEMENT OF DIFFERENCES
------------------------
Characters normally expressed as superscript shall be preceded by..........'pp'
<PAGE>
