TRENT EQUITY FUND
A SERIES OF PROFESSIONALLY MANAGED PORTFOLIOS
The Trent Equity Fund is a no-load mutual fund that seeks capital
appreciation.
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE
SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY
REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
The date of this Prospectus is December 29, 2000
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
An Overview of the Fund.............................................. 3
Performance.......................................................... 4
Fees and Expenses.................................................... 4
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies............. 6
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund............................. 6
Investment Advisor................................................... 7
Shareholder Information.............................................. 8
Pricing of Fund Shares............................................... 12
Dividends and Distributions.......................................... 12
Tax Consequences..................................................... 13
Rule 12b-1 Fees...................................................... 13
Financial Highlights................................................. 14
2
<PAGE>
AN OVERVIEW OF THE FUND
WHAT IS THE FUND'S INVESTMENT GOAL?
The Fund seeks capital appreciation.
WHAT ARE THE FUND'S PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES?
The Fund primarily invests in common stocks of medium and large capitalization
domestic companies. In selecting investments, the Advisor uses fundamental
research and analysis to determine which particular stocks to purchase or sell.
WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND?
There is the risk that you could lose money on your investment in the Fund. The
following risks could affect the value of your investment:
* The stock market goes down
* Interest rates rise which can result in a decline in the equity market
* Securities of medium sized companies involve greater risk than investing in
larger companies
* Stocks in the Fund's portfolio may not increase their earnings at the rate
anticipated
AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND IS NOT A DEPOSIT OF THE BANK AND IS NOT INSURED OR
GUARANTEED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE COMPANY OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL
AGENCY.
WHO MAY WANT TO INVEST IN THE FUND?
The Fund may be appropriate for investors who:
* Are pursuing a long-term goal such as retirement
* Want to add an equity investment to diversify their investment portfolio
* Are willing to accept higher short-term risk along with higher potential
for long-term growth of capital
The Fund may not be appropriate for investors who:
* Need regular income or stability of principal
* Are pursuing a short-term goal
3
<PAGE>
PERFORMANCE
The following performance information indicates some of the risks of
investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund's total return has
varied from year to year. The table shows the Fund's average return over time
compared with a broad-based market index. This past performance will not
necessarily continue in the future.
CALENDAR YEAR TOTAL RETURNS*
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
55.29% 3.34% 5.39% 10.52% 14.28% 20.42% 25.19% 17.85% 72.61%
* The Fund's year-to-date return as of 9/30/00 was -29.78%.
During the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's highest quarterly return
was 44.08% for the quarter ended December 31, 1999 and the lowest quarterly
return was -18.33% for the quarter ended September 30, 1998.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999
Since Inception
1 Year 5 Years (8/13/90)
------ ------- ---------
Trent Equity Fund 72.61% 28.49% 19.24%
S&P 500 Index* 21.04% 28.56% 20.49%
----------
* The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged index generally representative of the market
for stocks of large sized U.S. companies.
FEES AND EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold
shares of the Fund.
4
<PAGE>
SHAREHOLDER FEES
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases..................... None
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)................................. None
Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed)*................. 1.00%
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES**
(expenses that are deducted from Fund assets)
Advisory Fees........................................................ 1.15%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees................................ 0.25%
Other Expenses....................................................... 1.40%
-----
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses................................. 2.80%
Fee Reduction and/or Expense Reimbursement........................... (0.80%)
-----
Net Expenses......................................................... 2.00%
=====
----------
* The redemption fee applies to those shares that you have held for less than 60
days. The fee is payable to the Fund and is intended to benefit the remaining
shareholders by reducing the costs of short-term trading.
** The Advisor has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or pay expenses
of the Fund for an indefinite period to ensure that Total Fund Operating
Expenses will not exceed the net expense amount shown. The Advisor may be
reimbursed for any waiver of its fees or expenses paid on behalf of the Fund if
the Fund's expenses are less than the limit agreed to by the Fund. The Trustees
may terminate this expense reimbursement arrangement at any time.
EXAMPLE
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the
Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time
periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those
periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each
year, that dividends and distributions are reinvested and that the Fund's
operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or
lower, under the assumptions, your costs would be:
One Year.............................................. $ 203
Three Years........................................... $ 627
Five Years............................................ $ 1,078
Ten Years............................................. $ 2,327
5
<PAGE>
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The goal of the Trent Equity Fund is to seek capital appreciation.
The Fund invests primarily in common stocks of medium and large
capitalization domestic companies. The Fund generally defines medium
capitalization companies as those having a market capitalization of $2 billion
to $5 billion and large capitalization companies as those having a market
capitalization of more than $5 billion. The level of dividends paid by
securities in the Fund's portfolio will be of secondary importance. Under normal
market conditions, the Advisor expects to limit the holdings in the Fund's
portfolio to fewer than 45 holdings in the belief that having a small number of
positions leads to the potential for above-average capital appreciation.
The process of selecting common stocks for the Fund primarily involves
analysis of the fundamentals of individual stocks. This is often referred to as
a "bottom-up" approach to investing. Factors considered by the Fund in selecting
stocks include price, earnings expectations, earnings and price histories, cash
flow, balance sheets and management. Broad economic considerations, though
important, are of secondary importance.
While portfolio securities are generally acquired for the long term, they
may sold when the Advisor believes that:
* the expected price appreciation has been achieved or is no longer probable;
* alternate investments offer superior total return prospects; or
* the risk of decline in market value is increased.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will stay fully invested in
stocks. However, the Fund may temporarily depart from its principal investment
strategies by making short-term investments in cash equivalents in response to
adverse market, economic or political conditions. This may result in the Fund
not achieving its investment objective.
PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND
The principal risks of investing in the Fund that may adversely affect the
Fund's net asset value or total return have previously been summarized under "An
Overview of the Fund." These risks are discussed in more detail below.
MANAGEMENT RISK. Management risk means that your investment in the Fund
varies with the success or failure of the Advisor's investment strategies and
the Advisor's research, analysis and determination of portfolio securities. If
the Advisor's investment strategies do not produce the expected results, your
investment could be diminished or even lost.
MARKET RISK. Market risk means that the price of common stock may move up
or down (sometimes rapidly and unpredictably) in response to general market and
6
<PAGE>
economic conditions, investor perception and anticipated events, as well as the
activities of the particular issuer. Market risk may affect a single issuer,
industry, section of the economy or the market as a whole. Since the Fund
invests in equity securities, its share price will change daily in response to
stock market movements.
MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANY RISK. The risk of investing in securities of
medium-sized companies may involve greater risk than investing in larger
companies because they can be subject to more abrupt or erratic share price
changes than larger companies. Such companies may have limited product lines,
markets or financial resources and their securities may have limited market
liquidity.
INVESTMENT ADVISOR
Trent Capital Management, Inc., the Fund's investment advisor, is located
at 3101 N. Elm Street, Suite 150, Greensboro, NC 27408. The Advisor has been
providing investment advisory services since 1987 with assets under management
in excess of $150 million. The Advisor supervises the Fund's investment
activities and determines which securities are purchased and sold by the Fund.
The Advisor also furnishes the Fund with office space and certain administrative
services and provides most of the personnel needed by the Fund. For its
services, the Fund pays the Advisor a monthly management fee based upon its
average daily net assets. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000, the Advisor
received advisory fees of 0.35% of the Fund's average daily net assets, net of
waiver.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Mr. Robert V. May, Chief Investment Officer of the Advisor, is responsible
for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio. Mr. May has been an
investment officer and portfolio manager since joining Trent Capital Management
in 1990.
FUND EXPENSES
The Fund is responsible for its own operating expenses. The Advisor has
contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or pay expenses of the Fund to
ensure that the Fund's aggregate annual operating expenses (excluding interest
and tax expenses) will not exceed 2.00% of the Fund's average daily net assets.
Any reduction in advisory fees or payment of expenses made by the Advisor may be
reimbursed by the Fund if the Advisor requests in subsequent fiscal years. This
reimbursement may be requested if the aggregate amount actually paid by the Fund
toward operating expenses for such fiscal year (taking into account the
7
<PAGE>
reimbursement) does not exceed the applicable limitation on Fund expenses. The
Advisor is permitted to be reimbursed for fee reductions and/or expense payments
made in the prior three fiscal years. Any such reimbursement will be reviewed by
the Trustees. The Fund must pay its current ordinary operating expenses before
the Advisor is entitled to any reimbursement of fees and/or expenses.
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION
HOW TO BUY SHARES
You may open a Fund account with $1,000 and add to your account at any time
with $250 or more. You also may open a Fund account with $1,000 and make
subsequent monthly investments with $50 or more through the Automatic Investment
Plan. The Fund may waive minimum investment requirements from time to time.
You may purchase shares of the Fund by check or wire. All purchases by
check must be in U.S. dollars. Third party checks and cash will not be accepted.
A charge may be imposed if your check does not clear. The Fund is not required
to issue share certificates. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase
in whole or in part.
BY CHECK
If you are making your first investment in the Fund, simply complete the
Account Application included with this Prospectus and mail or overnight deliver
(such as FedEx) it with a check (made payable to "Trent Equity Fund") to:
Trent Equity Fund
c/o ICA Fund Services Corp.
4455 East Camelback Road
Suite 261E
Phoenix, AZ 85018
If you are making a subsequent purchase, a stub is attached to the account
statement you will receive after each transaction. Detach the stub from the
statement and mail it together with a check made payable to "Trent Equity Fund"
to the Fund in the envelope provided with your statement or to the address noted
above. You should write your account number on the check.
BY WIRE
If you are making your first investment in the Fund, before you wire funds,
the Transfer Agent must have a completed Account Application. You can mail or
8
<PAGE>
overnight deliver your Account Application to the Transfer Agent at the above
address. You may also fax the Account Application to the Transfer Agent at (602)
522-8172. Upon receipt of your completed Account Application, the Transfer Agent
will establish an account for you. Once you have faxed your new Account
Application, you may instruct your bank to send the wire. Your bank must include
both the name of the Fund you are purchasing and your name so that monies can be
correctly applied. Your bank should transmit immediately available funds by wire
to:
Firstar Bank, N.A. Cinti/Trust
ABA Routing #0420-0001-3
Trent Equity Fund
DDA #483898011
Account name (shareholder name)
Shareholder account number
If you are making a subsequent purchase, your bank should wire funds as
indicated above. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOUR BANK INCLUDE COMPLETE INFORMATION
ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT IN ALL WIRE INSTRUCTIONS. If you have questions about how to
invest by wire, you may call the Transfer Agent at (800) 576-8229. Your bank may
charge you a fee for sending a wire to the Fund.
You may buy and sell shares of the Fund through certain brokers (and their
agents) that have made arrangements with the Fund to sell its shares. When you
place your order with such a broker or its authorized agent, your order is
treated as if you had placed it directly with the Fund's Transfer Agent, and you
will pay or receive the next price calculated by the Fund. The broker (or agent)
holds your shares in an omnibus account in the broker's (or agent's) name, and
the broker (or agent) maintains your individual ownership records. The Fund may
pay the broker (or its agent) for maintaining these records as well as providing
other shareholder services. The broker (or its agent) may charge you a fee for
handling your order. The broker (or agent) is responsible for processing your
order correctly and promptly, keeping you advised regarding the status of your
individual account, confirming your transactions and ensuring that you receive
copies of the Fund's prospectus.
AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN
For your convenience, the Fund offers an Automatic Investment Plan which
you may open with a minimum investment of $1,000. Under this Plan, after your
initial investment, you authorize the Fund to withdraw from your personal
checking account each month an amount that you wish to invest, which must be at
least $50. If you wish to enroll in this Plan, complete the appropriate section
in the Account Application. The Fund may terminate or modify this privilege at
any time. You may terminate your participation in the Plan at any time by
notifying the Transfer Agent in writing.
9
<PAGE>
RETIREMENT PLANS
The Fund offers an Individual Retirement Account ("IRA") and a Roth IRA
("Roth") plan. You may obtain information about opening an IRA account by
calling (800) 576-8229. If you wish to open a Keogh, Section 403(b) or other
type of retirement plan, please contact your securities dealer.
HOW TO SELL SHARES
You may sell (redeem) your Fund shares on any day the Fund and the New York
Stock Exchange ("NYSE") are open for business.
The Fund is intended for long-term investors. Short-term "market timers"
who engage in frequent purchases and redemptions can disrupt the Fund's
investment program and create additional transaction costs that are borne by all
shareholders. For these reasons, the Fund will assess a 1.00% fee on redemptions
of Fund shares purchased and held for less than 60 days. This fee will be paid
to the Fund to help offset transaction costs and administrative expenses.
This fee does not apply to (i) shares purchased through reinvested
dividends or capital gains; (ii) shares held in 401(k), 403(b), 457, Keogh,
profit-sharing, SIMPLE IRA, SEP-IRA and money purchase pension, retirement plan
accounts, or (iii) involuntary redemptions of low balance accounts.
You may redeem your shares by simply sending a written request to the
Transfer Agent. You should give your account number and state whether you want
all or some of your shares redeemed. The letter should be signed by all of the
shareholders whose names appear on the account registration. Certain redemptions
require a signature guarantee. Call the Transfer Agent for details. You should
send your redemption request to:
Trent Equity Fund
c/o ICA Fund Services Corp.
4455 East Camelback Road
Suite 261E
Phoenix, AZ 85018
If you complete the Redemption by Telephone portion of the Account
Application, you may redeem all or some of your shares by calling the Transfer
Agent at (800) 576-8229 before the close of trading on the NYSE. This is
normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. Redemption proceeds will be mailed on the next
business day to the address that appears on the Transfer Agent's records. If you
request, redemption proceeds will be wired on the next business day to the bank
account you designated on the Account Application. The minimum amount that may
be wired is $1,000. Wire charges, if any, will be deducted from your redemption
10
<PAGE>
proceeds. Telephone redemptions cannot be made if you notify the Transfer Agent
of a change of address within 30 days before the redemption request. If you have
a retirement account, you may not redeem shares by telephone.
When you establish telephone privileges, you are authorizing the Fund and
its Transfer Agent to act upon the telephone instructions of the person or
persons you have designated on your Account Application. Redemption proceeds
will be transferred to the bank account you have designated on your Account
Application.
Before acting on instructions received by telephone, the Fund and the
Transfer Agent will use reasonable procedures to confirm that the telephone
instructions are genuine. These procedures may include recording the telephone
call and asking the caller for a form of personal identification. If the Fund
and the Transfer Agent follow these reasonable procedures, they will not be
liable for any loss, expense, or cost arising out of any telephone redemption
request that is reasonably believed to be genuine. This includes any fraudulent
or unauthorized request. The Fund may change, modify or terminate these
privileges at any time upon at least 60 days' notice to shareholders.
You may request telephone redemption privileges after your account is
opened by calling the Transfer Agent at (800) 576-8229 for instructions.
You may have difficulties in making a telephone redemption during periods
of abnormal market activity. If this occurs, you may make your redemption
request in writing.
Payment of your redemption proceeds will be made promptly, but not later
than seven days after the receipt of your written request in proper form as
discussed in this Prospectus. If you made your first investment by wire, payment
of your redemption proceeds for those shares will not be made until one business
day after your completed Account Application is received by the Fund. If you did
not purchase your shares with a certified check or wire, the Fund may delay
payment of your redemption proceeds for up to 15 days from date of purchase or
until your check has cleared, whichever occurs first.
The Fund may redeem the shares in your account if the value of your account
is less than $1,000 as a result of redemptions you have made. This does not
apply to retirement plan or Uniform Gifts or Transfers to Minors Act accounts.
You will be notified that the value of your account is less than $1,000 before
the Fund makes an involuntary redemption. You will then have 30 days in which to
make an additional investment to bring the value of your account to at least
$1,000 before the Fund takes any action.
11
<PAGE>
The Fund has the right to pay redemption proceeds to you in whole or in
part by a distribution of securities from the Fund's portfolio. It is not
expected that the Fund would do so except in unusual circumstances. If the Fund
pays your redemption proceeds by a distribution of securities, you could incur
brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PROGRAM
As another convenience, you may redeem your Fund shares through the
Systematic Withdrawal Program. If you elect this method of redemption, the Fund
will send you a check in the minimum amount of $100. You may choose to receive a
check each month or calendar quarter. Your Fund account must have a value of at
least $10,000 in order to participate in this Program. This Program may be
terminated at any time by the Fund. You may also elect to terminate your
participation in this Program at any time by writing to the Transfer Agent.
A withdrawal under the Program involves a redemption of shares and may
result in a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. In addition, if the
amount withdrawn exceeds the dividends credited to your account, the account
ultimately may be depleted.
PRICING OF FUND SHARES
The price of the Fund's shares is based on the Fund's net asset value. This
is calculated by dividing the Fund's assets, minus its liabilities, by the
number of shares outstanding. The Fund's assets are the market value of
securities held in its portfolio, plus any cash and other assets. The Fund's
liabilities are fees and expenses owed by the Fund. The number of Fund shares
outstanding is the amount of shares which have been issued to shareholders. The
price you will pay to buy Fund shares or the amount you will receive when you
sell your Fund shares is based on the net asset value next calculated after your
order is received by the Transfer Agent with complete information and meeting
all the requirements discussed in this Prospectus.
The net asset value of the Fund's shares is determined as of the close of
regular trading on the NYSE. This is normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. Fund
shares will not be priced on days that the NYSE is closed for trading (including
certain U.S. holidays).
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund will make distributions of dividends and capital gains, if any, at
least annually, typically after year end. The Fund will make another
12
<PAGE>
distribution of any additional undistributed capital gains earned during the
12-month period ended October 31 on or about December 31.
All distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares unless you choose one
of the following options: (1) receive dividends in cash, while reinvesting
capital gain distributions in additional Fund shares; or (2) receive all
distributions in cash. If you wish to change your distribution option, write to
the Transfer Agent in advance of the payment date of the distribution.
TAX CONSEQUENCES
The Fund intends to make distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Dividends are taxable to you as ordinary income. The rate you pay on capital
gain distributions will depend on how long the Fund held the securities that
generated the gains, not on how long you owned your Fund shares. You will be
taxed in the same manner whether you receive your dividends and capital gain
distributions in cash or reinvest them in additional Fund shares.
If you sell your Fund shares, it is considered a taxable event for you.
Depending on the purchase price and the sale price of the shares you sell, you
may have a gain or a loss on the transaction. You are responsible for any tax
liabilities generated by your transaction.
RULE 12b-1 FEES
The Fund has adopted a distribution plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the
Investment Company Act of 1940. Rule 12b-1 allows the Fund to pay distribution
fees for the sale and distribution of its shares and for services provided to
its shareholders. The annual distribution fee is 0.25% of the Fund's average
daily net assets which is payable to the Advisor, as Distribution Coordinator.
Because these fees are paid out of the Fund's assets on an on-going basis, over
time these fees will increase the cost your investment in Fund shares and may
cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
13
<PAGE>
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
This table shows the Fund's financial performance for the past five years.
Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. "Total
return" shows how much your investment in the Fund would have increased or
decreased during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and
distributions. This information has been audited by Tait, Weller & Baker,
Independent Certified Public Accountants. Their report and the Fund's financial
statements are included in the Annual Report, which is available upon request.
FOR A CAPITAL SHARE OUTSTANDING THROUGHOUT EACH YEAR
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Year Ended August 31,
------------------------------------------------------------
2000 1999 1998 1997 1996
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net asset value, beginning of year ..... $ 15.13 $ 12.23 $ 11.90 $ 9.86 $ 10.24
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Income from investment operations:
Net investment loss ................. (0.20) (0.12) (0.16) (0.10) (0.06)
Net realized and unrealized gain
on investments .................... 1.50 5.73 0.49 2.14 0.67
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Total from investment operations ....... 1.30 5.61 0.33 2.04 0.61
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Less distributions:
From net realized gain .............. (1.71) (2.71) -- -- (0.99)
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Net asset value, end of year ........... $ 14.72 $ 15.13 $ 12.23 $ 11.90 $ 9.86
======== ======== ======== ======== ========
Total return ........................... 7.34% 52.81% 2.77% 20.69% 7.23%
Ratios/supplemental data:
Net assets, end of year (millions) ..... $ 5.5 $ 5.2 $ 3.2 $ 3.3 $ 3.0
Ratio of expenses to average net assets:
Before fees waived and expenses
absorbed .......................... 2.80% 3.36% 3.08% 3.48% 3.63%
After fees waived and expenses
absorbed .......................... 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 2.10%
Ratio of net investment loss to
average net assets:
Before fees waived and expenses
absorbed .......................... (1.99%) (2.31%) (2.23%) (2.25%) (2.15%)
After fees waived and expenses
absorbed .......................... (1.19%) (0.94%) (1.15%) (0.76%) (0.62%)
Portfolio turnover rate ................ 85.69% 53.71% 41.14% 43.81% 59.33%
</TABLE>
14
<PAGE>
ADVISOR
Trent Capital Management, Inc.
3101 North Elm Street
Suite 150
Greensboro, North Carolina 27408
(336) 282-9302
DISTRIBUTOR
First Fund Distributors, Inc.
4455 East Camelback Road
Suite 261E
Phoenix, Arizona 85018
CUSTODIAN
Firstar Institutional Custody Services
425 Walnut Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
TRANSFER AGENT
ICA Fund Services Corp.
4455 East Camelback Road
Suite 261E
Phoenix, Arizona 85018
AUDITORS
Tait, Weller & Baker
Eight Penn Center Plaza, Suite 800
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
LEGAL COUNSEL
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP
345 California Street, 29th Floor
San Francisco, California 94104
<PAGE>
TRENT EQUITY FUND,
A SERIES OF PROFESSIONALLY MANAGED PORTFOLIOS
(THE "TRUST")
For investors who want more information about the Fund, the following documents
are available free upon request:
ANNUAL/SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS. Additional information about the Fund's investments
is available in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In
the Fund's annual report, you will find a discussion of market conditions and
investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during
its last fiscal year.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI): The SAI provides more detailed
information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into this
Prospectus.
You can get free copies of reports and the SAI, request other information and
discuss your questions about the Fund by contacting the Fund at:
ICA Fund Services Corp.
4455 East Camelback Road
Suite 261E
Phoenix, AZ 85018
Telephone: 1-800-576-8229
You can review and copy information including the Fund's reports and SAI at the
Public Reference Room of the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington,
D.C. You can obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by
calling 1-202-942-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also
available:
* Free of charge from the Commission's EDGAR database on the Commission's
Internet website at http://www.sec.gov, or
* For a fee, by writing to the Public Reference Room of the Commission,
Washington, DC 20549-0102, or
* For a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address:
[email protected].
(The Trust's SEC Investment Company Act
file number is 811-05037)
<PAGE>
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
DECEMBER 29, 2000
TRENT EQUITY FUND
A SERIES OF
PROFESSIONALLY MANAGED PORTFOLIOS
3101 NORTH ELM ST., SUITE 150
GREENSBORO, NC 27455
(336) 282-9302
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus
and it should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated December 29,
2000, as may be revised, of the Trent Equity Fund (the "Fund"). Trent Capital
Management, Inc. (the "Advisor) is the investment advisor to the Fund. Copies of
the Fund's Prospectus are available by calling the number above or (800) 576-
8229.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Trust................................................................. B-2
Investment Objective and Policies......................................... B-2
Investment Restrictions................................................... B-7
Distributions and Tax Information......................................... B-8
Trustees and Executive Officers........................................... B-11
The Fund's Investment Advisor............................................. B-12
The Fund's Administrator.................................................. B-13
The Fund's Distributor.................................................... B-13
Execution of Portfolio Transactions....................................... B-14
Portfolio Turnover....................................................... B-16
Additional Purchase And Redemption Information............................ B-16
Determination of Share Price.............................................. B-19
Performance Information................................................... B-19
General Information....................................................... B-21
Financial Statements...................................................... B-22
Appendix.................................................................. B-23
B-1
<PAGE>
THE TRUST
Professionally Managed Portfolios (the "Trust") is an open-end management
investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust. The Trust
consists of various series which represent separate investment portfolios. This
SAI relates only to the Fund.
The Trust is registered with the SEC as a management investment company.
Such a registration does not involve supervision of the management or policies
of the Fund. The Prospectus of the Fund and this SAI omit certain of the
information contained in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC. Copies
of such information may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the prescribed
fee.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES
The Trent Equity Fund is a mutual fund with the investment objective of
seeking capital appreciation. The Fund is diversified (see fundamental
investment restriction (7) under "Investmen Restrictions"). The following
discussion supplements the discussion of the Fund's investment objective and
policies as set forth in the Prospectus. There can be no assurance the objective
of the Fund will be attained.
PREFERRED STOCK. A preferred stock is a blend of the characteristics of a
bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority
over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond
and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer's growth may be
limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of
dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the
issuer by dissolved. Although the dividend is set at a fixed annual rate, in
some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in convertible securities
(bonds, notes, debentures, preferred stock and other securities convertible
income common stocks ) that may offer higher income than the common stocks into
which they are convertible. The convertible securities in which the Fund may
invest include fixed-income or zero coupon debt securities, which may be
converted or exchanged at a rated or determinable exchange ratio into underlying
shares of common stock. Prior to their conversion, convertible securities may
have characteristics similar to non- convertible debt securities. While
convertible securities generally offer lower yields than non- convertible debt
securities of similar quality, their prices may reflect changes in the value of
the underlying common stock. Convertible securities generally entail less credit
risk than the i common stock.
INVESTMENT COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in shares of other investment
companies in pursuit of its investment objective. This may include investment in
money market mutual funds in connection with the Fund's management of daily cash
positions. In addition to the advisory and operational fees the Fund bears
directly in connection with its own operation, the Fund and its shareholders
B-2
<PAGE>
will also bear the pro rata portion of each other investment company's advisory
and operational expenses.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. Under
such agreements, the seller of the security agrees to repurchase it at a
mutually agreed upon time and price. The repurchase price may be higher than the
purchase price, the difference being income to the Fund, or the purchase and
repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to the
Fund together with the repurchase price on repurchase. In either case, the
income to the Fund is unrelated to the interest rate on the U.S. Government
security itself. Such repurchase agreements will be made only with banks with
assets of $500 million or more that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or with Government securities dealers recognized by the Federal
Reserve Board and registered as broker-dealers with the Securities and Exchange
Commission ("SEC") or exempt from such registration. The Fund will generally
enter into repurchase agreements of short durations, from overnight to one week,
although the underlying securities generally have longer maturities. The Fund
may not enter into a repurchase agreement with more than seven days to maturity
if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of its net assets would be invested
in illiquid securities including such repurchase agreements.
For purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"), a
repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan from the Fund to the seller of the
U.S. Government security subject to the repurchase agreement. It is not clear
whether a court would consider the U.S. Government security acquired by the Fund
subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being
collateral for a loan by the Fund to the seller. In the event of the
commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller
of the U.S. Government security before its repurchase under a repurchase
agreement, the Fund may encounter delays and incur costs before being able to
sell the security. Delays may involve loss of interest or a decline in price of
the U.S. Government security. If a court characterizes the transaction as a loan
and the Fund has not perfected a security interest in the U.S. Government
security, the Fund may be required to return the security to the seller's estate
and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured creditor,
the Fund would be at the risk of losing some or all of the principal and income
involved in the transaction. As with any unsecured debt instrument purchased for
the Fund, the Advisor seeks to minimize the risk of loss through repurchase
agreements by analyzing the creditworthiness of the other party, in this case
the seller of the U.S. Government security.
Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also
the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the security. However, the Fund
will always receive as collateral for any repurchase agreement to which it is a
party securities acceptable to it, the market value of which is equal to at
least 100% of the amount invested by the Fund plus accrued interest, and the
Fund will make payment against such securities only upon physical delivery or
evidence of book entry transfer to the account of its Custodian. If the market
value of the U.S. Government security subject to the repurchase agreement
becomes less than the repurchase price (including interest), the Fund will
direct the seller of the U.S. Government security to deliver additional
securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase
agreement will equal or exceed the repurchase price.
B-3
<PAGE>
It is possible that the Fund will be unsuccessful in seeking to impose on the
seller a contractual obligation to deliver additional securities.
WHEN-ISSUED SECURITIES. The Fund may from time to time purchase securities
on a "when- issued" basis. The price of such securities, which may be expressed
in yield terms, is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase is made, but
delivery and payment for them take place at a later date. Normally, the
settlement date occurs within one month of the purchase; during the period
between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer
and no interest accrues to the Fund. To the extent that assets of the Fund are
held in cash pending the settlement of a purchase of securities, the Fund would
earn no income; however, it is the Fund's intention to be fully invested to the
extent practicable and subject to the policies stated above. While when- issued
securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, the Fund intends to
purchase them with the purpose of actually acquiring them unless a sale appears
desirable for investment reasons. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to
purchase a security on a when-issued basis, it will record the transaction and
reflect the value of the security in determining its net asset value. The market
value of the when-issued securities may be more or less than the purchase price.
The Fund does not believe that its net asset value or income will be adversely
affected by its purchase of securities on a when-issued basis. The Fund's
Custodian will segregate liquid assets equal in value to commitments for
when-issued securities. Such segregated assets either will mature or, if
necessary, be sold on or before the settlement date.
ILLIQUID SECURITIES. The Fund may not invest more than 15% of the value of
its net assets in securities that at the time of purchase have legal or
contractual restrictions on resale or are otherwise illiquid. The Advisor will
monitor the amount of illiquid securities in the Fund's portfolio, under the
supervision of the Trust's Board of Trustees, to ensure compliance with the
Fund's investment restrictions.
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 (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 placement 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 the Fund might be unable
to sell restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices
and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemption requests within
seven days. The Fund might also have to register such restricted securities in
order to sell 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
B-4
<PAGE>
securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an
efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily
resold or on an issuer's ability to honor a demand for repayment. The fact that
there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the general public or
to certain institutions may not reflect the actual liquidity of such
investments. These securities might be adversely affected if qualified
institutional buyers were unwilling to purchase such securities. If such
securities are subject to purchase by institutional buyers in accordance with
Rule 144A promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act, the Trust's Board of
Trustees may determine that such securities are not illiquid securities despite
their legal or contractual restrictions on resale. In all other cases, however,
securities subject to restrictions on resale will be deemed illiquid.
FOREIGN INVESTMENTS. The Fund may invest in up to 10% of its net assets in
U.S. dollar denominated securities of foreign issuers.
DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers
in the form of American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). ADRs are depositary
receipts for foreign securities denominated in U.S. dollars and traded on U.S.
securities markets. These are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a
foreign-based issuer held in trust by a bank or similar financial institution.
Designed for use in U.S. securities markets, ADRs are alternatives to the
purchase of the underlying securities in their national market and currencies.
ADRs may be purchased through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. A
sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying
security and a depositary, whereas a depositary may establish an unsponsored
facility without participation by the issuer of the depositary security. Holders
of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such
facilities and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no
obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of
the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such
receipts of the deposited securities.
RISKS OF INVESTING IN FOREIGN SECURITIES. Investments in foreign securities
involve certain inherent risks, including the following:
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS. Individual foreign economies of certain
countries 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 diversification and balance of
payments position. The internal politics of some foreign countries may not be as
stable as those of the United States. Governments in some foreign countries also
continue to participate to a significant degree, through ownership interest or
regulation, in their respective economies. Action by these governments could
include restrictions on foreign investment, nationalization, expropriation of
goods or imposition of taxes, and could have a significant effect on market
prices of securities and payment of interest. The economies of many foreign
countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are affected by the
trade policies and economic conditions of their trading partners. If these
trading partners enacted protectionist trade legislation, it could have a
significant adverse effect upon the securities markets of such countries.
B-5
<PAGE>
LEGAL AND REGULATORY MATTERS. Certain foreign countries may have less
supervision of securities markets, brokers and issuers of securities, and less
financial information available to issuers, than is available in the United
States.
TAXES. The interest and dividends payable on some of the Fund's foreign
portfolio securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thus reducing
the net amount of income available for distribution to Fund shareholders.
COSTS. To the extent that the Fund invests in foreign securities, its
expense ratio is likely to be higher than those of investment companies
investing only in domestic securities, since the cost of maintaining the custody
of foreign securities is higher.
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS
The Fund may invest in any of the following securities and instruments:
CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT, BANKERS' ACCEPTANCES AND TIME DEPOSITS. The Fund
may hold certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and time deposits.
Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds
deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a
specified return. Bankers' acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of
exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific
merchandise, which are "accepted" by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank
unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity.
Certificates of deposit and bankers' acceptances acquired by the Fund will be
dollar- denominated obligations of domestic banks, savings and loan associations
or financial institutions which, at the time of purchase, have capital, surplus
and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both
domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than
$100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully insured
by the U.S. Government.
In addition to buying certificates of deposit and bankers' acceptances, the
Fund also may make interest-bearing time or other interest-bearing deposits in
commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits
maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a
specified interest rate.
COMMERCIAL PAPER AND SHORT-TERM NOTES. The Fund may invest a portion of its
assets in commercial paper and short-term notes. Commercial paper consists of
unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Commercial paper and
short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and
fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to
one year.
Commercial paper and short-term notes will consist of issues rated at the
time of purchase "A-2" or higher by S&P, "Prime-1" or "Prime-2" by Moody's, or
similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization
or, if unrated, will be determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality.
These rating symbols are described in the Appendix.
B-6
<PAGE>
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The following policies and investment restrictions have been adopted by the
Fund and (unless otherwise noted) are fundamental and cannot be changed without
the affirmative vote of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities
as defined in the 1940 Act. The Fund may not:
1. Make loans to others, except (a) through the purchase of debt securities
in accordance with its investment objectives and policies, (b) to the extent the
entry into a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan.
2. (a) Borrow money, except from banks for temporary or emergency
purposes. Any such borrowing will be made only if immediately thereafter there
is an asset coverage of at least 300% of all borrowings and no additional
investments may be made while any such borrowings are in excess of 5% of total
assets.
(b) Mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any of its assets except in
connection with any such borrowings.
3. Purchase securities on margin, participate on a joint or joint and
several basis in any securities trading account, or underwrite securities, or
sell securities short (except for short sales "against the box"). (The Fund is
not precluded from obtaining such short-term credit as may be necessary for the
clearance of purchases and sales of its portfolio securities.)
4. Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts (except that the
Board of Trustees may authorize the Fund to engage in certain activities
involving futures for bona fide hedging purposes).
5. Invest 25% or more of the market value of its assets in the securities
of companies engaged in any one industry. (Does not apply to investment in the
securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.)
6. Issue senior securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, except that this
restriction shall not be deemed to prohibit the Fund from (a) making any
permitted borrowings, mortgages or pledges, or (b) entering into options,
futures, forward or repurchase transactions.
7. Invest more than 5% of the value of its total assets in the securities
of any one issuer or purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities
or of any class of securities of any one issuer.
8. Invest in any issuer for purposes of exercising control or management.
B-7
<PAGE>
9. Purchase or sell real estate; however, the Funds may invest in debt
securities secured by real estate or real estate interests, or issued by
companies, including real estate investment trusts, that invest in real estate
or real estate interests.
The Fund observes the following policies, which are not deemed fundamental
and which may be changed without shareholder vote. The Fund may not:
1. Invest in securities of other investment companies or purchase any other
investment company's voting securities or make any other investment in any other
investment in other investment companies except to the extent permitted by
federal law.
2. Invest, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets in securities
with legal or contractual restrictions on resale, securities which are not
readily marketable and repurchase agreements with more than seven days to
maturity.
3. Invest more than 10% of its assets in securities of foreign issuers
(including American Depositary Receipts with respect to foreign issuers, but
excluding securities of foreign issuers listed and traded on a domestic national
securities exchange).
Except with respect to borrowing, if a percentage restriction set forth in
the prospectus or in this SAI is adhered to at the time of investment, a
subsequent increase or decrease in a percentage resulting from a change in the
values of assets will not constitute a violation of that restriction.
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAX INFORMATION
DISTRIBUTIONS
Dividends from net investment income and distributions from net profits
from the sale of securities are generally made annually. Also, the Fund expects
to distribute any undistributed net investment income on or about December 31 of
each year. Any net capital gains realized through the period ended October 31 of
each year will also be distributed by December 31 of each year.
Each distribution by the Fund is accompanied by a brief explanation of the
form and character of the distribution. In January of each year the Fund will
issue to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all
distributions.
TAX INFORMATION
Each series of the Trust is treated as a separate entity for federal income
tax purposes. The Fund intends to qualify and continue to elect to be treated as
a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986 (the "Code"), provided it complies with all applicable requirements
regarding the source of its income, diversification of its assets and timing of
distributions. The Fund's policy is to distribute to its shareholders all of its
investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains for each
B-8
<PAGE>
fiscal year in a manner that complies with the distribution requirements of the
Code, so that the Fund will not be subject to any federal income or excise
taxes. To comply with the requirements, the Fund must also distribute (or be
deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year (i) at least
98% of its ordinary income for such year, (ii) at least 98% of the excess of its
realized capital gains over its realized capital losses for the 12-month period
ending on October 31 during such year and (iii) any amounts from the prior
calendar year that were not distributed and on which the Fund paid no federal
income tax.
The Fund's ordinary income generally consists of interest and dividend
income, less expenses. Net realized capital gains for a fiscal period are
computed by taking into account any capital loss carryforward of the Fund.
Distributions of net investment income and net short-term capital gains are
taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. In the case of corporate
shareholders, a portion of the distributions may qualify for the intercorporate
dividends-received deduction to the extent the Fund designate the amount
distributed as a qualifying dividend. This designated amount cannot, however,
exceed the aggregate amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund for
their taxable year. In view of the Fund's investment policy, it is expected that
dividends from domestic corporations will be part of the Fund's gross income and
that, accordingly, part of the distributions by the Fund may be eligible for the
dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. However, the portion of
the Fund's gross income attributable to qualifying dividends is largely
dependent on the Fund's investment activities for a particular year and
therefore cannot be predicted with any certainty. The deduction may be reduced
or eliminated if the Fund shares held by a corporate investor are treated as
debt-financed or are held for less than 46 days.
The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes on dividends and
interest earned with respect to securities of foreign corporations.
A redemption of Fund shares may result in recognition of a taxable gain or
loss. Any loss realized upon a redemption of shares within six months from the
date of their purchase will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent
of any amounts treated as distributions of long capital gains during such
six-month period. Any loss realized upon a redemption of Fund shares may be
disallowed under certain wash sale rules to the extent shares of the Fund are
purchased (through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days
before or after the redemption.
Under the Code, the Fund will be required to report to the Internal Revenue
Service ("IRS") all distributions of ordinary income and capital gains as well
as gross proceeds from the redemption or exchange of Fund shares, except in the
case of exempt shareholders, which includes most corporations. Pursuant to the
backup withholding provisions of the Code, distributions of any taxable income
and capital gains and proceeds from the redemption of Fund shares may be subject
to withholding of federal income tax at the rate of 31 percent in the case of
non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the Fund with their taxpayer
identification numbers and with required certifications regarding their status
under the federal income tax law. If the withholding provisions are applicable,
B-9
<PAGE>
any such distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in
additional shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld.
Corporate and other exempt shareholders should provide the Fund with their
taxpayer identification numbers or certify their exempt status in order to avoid
possible erroneous application of backup withholding. The Fund reserve the right
to refuse to open an account for any person failing to provide a certified
taxpayer identification number.
The Fund will not be subject to corporate income tax in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts as long as its qualifies as regulated investment companies for
federal income tax purposes. Distributions and the transactions referred to in
the preceding paragraphs may be subject to state and local income taxes, and the
tax treatment thereof may differ from the federal income tax treatment.
The foregoing discussion of U.S. federal income tax law relates solely to
the application of that law to U.S. citizens or residents and U.S. domestic
corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates. Each shareholder who is not a
U.S. person should consider the U.S. and foreign tax consequences of ownership
of shares of the Fund, including the possibility that such a shareholder may be
subject to a U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30 percent (or at a lower rate
under an applicable income tax treaty) on amounts constituting ordinary income.
In addition, the foregoing discussion of tax law is based on existing
provisions of the Code, existing and proposed regulations thereunder, and
current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which are subject to
change. Any such charges could affect the validity of this discussion. The
discussion also represents only a general summary of tax law and practice
currently applicable to the Fund and certain shareholders therein, and, as such,
is subject to change. In particular, the consequences of an investment in shares
of the Fund under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdictions
are not discussed herein. Each prospective investor should consult his or her
own tax advisor to determine the application of the tax law and practice in his
or her own particular circumstances.
B-10
<PAGE>
TRUSTEES AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The Trustees of the Trust, who were elected for an indefinite term by the
initial shareholders of the Trust, are responsible for the overall management of
the Trust, including general supervision and review of the investment activities
of the Fund. The Trustees, in turn, elect the officers of the Trust, who are
responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and its
separate series. The current Trustees and officers, their affiliations, dates of
birth and principal occupations for the past five years are set forth below.
Unless noted otherwise, each person has held the position listed for a minimum
of five years.
Steven J. Paggioli,* 04/03/50 President and Trustee
915 Broadway, New York, New York 10010. Executive Vice President, The Wadsworth
Group (consultants); Executive Vice President of Investment Company
Administration L.L.C. ("ICA") (mutual fund administrator and the Trust's
administrator),and Vice President and Secretary of First Fund Distributors, Inc.
("FFD") (a registered broker-dealer and the Fund's Distributor).
Dorothy A. Berry, 08/12/43 Chairman and Trustee
14 Five Roses East, Ancram, NY 12502. President, Talon Industries (venture
capital and business consulting); formerly Chief Operating Officer, Integrated
Asset Management (investment adviser and manager) and formerly President, Value
Line, Inc., (investment advisory and financial publishing firm).
Wallace L. Cook 09/10/39 Trustee
One Peabody Lane, Darien, CT 06820. Retired. Formerly Senior Vice President,
Rockefeller Trust Co. Financial Counselor, Rockefeller & Co.
Carl A. Froebel 05/23 /38 Trustee
2 Crown Cove Lane, Savannah, GA 31411. Private Investor. Formerly Managing
Director, Premier Solutions, Ltd. (computer software); formerly President and
Founder, National Investor Data Services, Inc. (investment related computer
software).
Rowley W.P. Redington 06/01/44 Trustee
1191 Valley Road, Clifton, New Jersey 07103. President; Intertech (consumer
electronics and computer service and marketing); formerly Vice President, PRS of
New Jersey, Inc. (management consulting), and Chief Executive Officer, Rowley
Associates (consultants).
Robert M. Slotky* 6/17/47 Treasurer
2020 E. Financial Way, Suite 100, Glendora, California 91741. Senior Vice
President, ICA since May 1997; former instructor of accounting at California
State University-Northridge (1997); Chief Financial Officer, Wanger Asset
Management L.P. and Treasurer of Acorn Investment Trust (1992- 1996).
Robin Berger* 11/17/56 Secretary
915 Broadway, New York, New York 10010. Vice President, The Wadsworth Group.
Robert H. Wadsworth* 01/25/40 Vice President
4455 E. Camelback Road, Suite 261E, Phoenix, Arizona 85018. President of The
Wadsworth Group; President of ICA and FFD.
----------
*Indicates an "interested person" of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act.
B-11
<PAGE>
Set forth below is the rate of compensation received by the following
Trustees from all portfolios of the Trust. This total amount is allocated among
the portfolios. Disinterested Trustees receive an annual retainer of $10,000 and
a fee of $2,500 for each regularly scheduled meeting. These Trustees also
receive a fee of $1,000 for any special meeting attended. The Chairman of the
Board of Trustees receives an additional annual retainer of $5,000.
Disinterested trustees are also reimbursed for expenses in connection with each
Board meeting attended. No other compensation or retirement benefits were
received by any Trustee from the portfolios of the Trust.
NAME OF TRUSTEE TOTAL ANNUAL COMPENSATION
--------------- -------------------------
Dorothy A. Berry $25,000
Wallace L. Cook $20,000
Carl A. Froebel $20,000
Rowley W.P. Redington $20,000
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000, trustees' fees and expenses
in the amount of $3,933 were allocated to the Fund. As of the date of this SAI,
the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group did not own more than 1% of
the outstanding shares of the Fund.
THE FUND'S INVESTMENT ADVISOR
As stated in the Prospectus, investment advisory services are provided to
the Fund by Trent Capital Management, Inc., the Advisor, pursuant to an
Investment Advisory Agreement (the "Advisory Agreement"). As compensation, the
Fund pays the Advisor a monthly management fee (accrued daily) based upon the
average daily net assets of the Fund at the annual rate of 1.15%.
The Advisory Agreement will continue in effect for successive annual
periods so long as such continuation is approved at least annually by the vote
of (1) the Board of Trustees of the Trust (or a majority of the outstanding
shares of the Fund, and (2) a majority of the Trustees who are not interested
persons of any party to the Advisory Agreement, in each case cast in person at a
meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory
Agreement may be terminated at any time, without penalty, by either party to the
Advisory Agreement upon sixty days' written notice and is automatically
terminated in the event of its "assignment," as defined in the 1940 Act.
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000, the Fund accrued $70,711 in
advisory, of which $49,142 was waived by the Advisor. For the fiscal year ended
August 31, 1999, the Advisor waived its advisory fee ($50,691) and reimbursed
operating expenses in the amount of $9,503. For the fiscal year ended August 31,
1998, the Fund paid the Advisor $43,550 in advisory fees. For the same period,
the Advisor reimbursed operating expenses in the amount of $32,486.
B-12
<PAGE>
THE FUND'S ADMINISTRATOR
The Fund has an Administration Agreement with Investment Company
Administration, LLC (the "Administrator"), a corporation partly owned and
controlled by Messrs. Paggioli and Wadsworth with offices at 4455 E. Camelback
Rd., Ste. 261-E, Phoenix, AZ 85018. The Administration Agreement provides that
the Administrator will prepare and coordinate reports and other materials
supplied to the Trustees; prepare and/or supervise the preparation and filing of
all securities filings, periodic financial reports, prospectuses, statements of
additional information, marketing materials, tax returns, shareholder reports
and other regulatory reports or filings required of the Fund; prepare all
required notice filings necessary to maintain the Fund's ability to sell shares
in all states where the Fund currently does, or intends to do business;
coordinate the preparation, printing and mailing of all materials (e.g., Annual
Reports) required to be sent to shareholders; coordinate the preparation and
payment of Fund related expenses; monitor and oversee the activities of the
Fund's servicing agents (i.e., transfer agent, custodian, fund accountants,
etc.); review and adjust as necessary the Fund's daily expense accruals; and
perform such additional services as may be agreed upon by the Fund and the
Administrator. For its services, the Administrator receives a monthly fee at the
following annual rate:
AVERAGE NET ASSETS FEE OR FEE RATE
------------------ ---------------
Under $15 million $30,000
$15 to $50 million 0.20% of average net assets
$50 to $100 million 0.15% of average net assets
$100 million to $150 million 0.10% of average net assets
Over $150 million 0.05% of average net assets
During the fiscal years ended August 31, 2000, 1999 and 1998, the
Administrator received fees of $30,000, $30,000 and $6,692, respectively. The
Administrator waived a portion of its fees for the fiscal year ended August 31,
1998.
THE FUND'S DISTRIBUTOR
First Fund Distributors, Inc. (the "Distributor"), a corporation partly
owned by Messrs. Paggioli and Wadsworth, acts as the Fund's principal
underwriter in a continuous public offering of the Fund's shares. The
Distribution Agreement between the Fund and the Distributor continues in effect
from year to year if approved at least annually by (i) the Board of Trustees or
the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund (as defined in the
1940 Act) and (ii) a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of
any such party, in each case cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose
of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement may be terminated without
B-13
<PAGE>
penalty by the parties thereto upon sixty days' written notice, and is
automatically terminated in the event of its assignment as defined in the 1940
Act.
Pursuant to a plan of distribution adopted by the Trust, on behalf of the
Fund, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the "Plan"), the Fund will pay
a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of its average daily net assets to the Advisor,
as Distribution Coordinator, for distribution and related expenses. The Plan
provides for the compensation to the Advisor, as Distribution Coordinator,
regardless of the Fund's distribution expenses.
The Plan allows excess distribution expenses to be carried forward by the
Advisor, as Distribution Coordinator, and resubmitted in a subsequent fiscal
year, provided that (i) distribution expenses cannot be carried forward for more
than three years following initial submission; (ii) the Trustees have made a
determination at the time of initial submission that the distribution expenses
are appropriate to be carried forward and (iii) the Trustees make a further
determination, at the time any distribution expenses which have been carried
forward are submitted for payment, that payment at the time is appropriate,
consistent with the objectives of the Plan and in the current best interests of
shareholders.
Under the Plan, the Trustees will be furnished quarterly with information
detailing the amount of expenses paid under the Plan and the purposes for which
payments were made. The Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority
of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons. Continuation of the
Plan is considered by such Trustees no less frequently than annually.
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000, the Fund paid fees of $11,323
to the Advisor, as Distribution Coordinator, of which $8,817 was for
compensation to sales personnel, $432 was for compensation to broker-dealers and
$2,075 was for printing, postage and office expenses.
EXECUTION OF PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor determines which securities
are to be purchased and sold by the Fund and which broker-dealers are eligible
to execute the Fund's portfolio transactions. Purchases and sales of securities
in the over-the-counter market will generally be executed directly with a
"market-maker" unless, in the opinion of the Advisor, a better price and
execution can otherwise be obtained by using a broker for the transaction.
Purchases of portfolio securities for the Fund also may be made directly
from issuers or from underwriters. Where possible, purchase and sale
transactions will be effected through dealers (including banks) which specialize
in the types of securities which the Fund will be holding, unless better
executions are available elsewhere. Dealers and underwriters usually act as
principal for their own accounts. Purchases from underwriters will include a
concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and purchases from dealers will
include the spread between the bid and the asked price. If the execution and
price offered by more than one dealer or underwriter are comparable, the order
may be allocated to a dealer or underwriter that has provided research or other
services as discussed below.
B-14
<PAGE>
In placing portfolio transactions, the Advisor will use its reasonable
efforts to choose broker- dealers capable of providing the services necessary to
obtain the most favorable price and execution available. The full range and
quality of services available will be considered in making these determinations,
such as the size of the order, the difficulty of execution, the operational
facilities of the firm involved, the firm's risk in positioning a block of
securities, and other factors. In those instances where it is reasonably
determined that more than one broker-dealer can offer the services needed to
obtain the most favorable price and execution available, consideration may be
given to those broker-dealers which furnish or supply research and statistical
information to the Advisor that it may lawfully and appropriately use in its
investment advisory capacities, as well as provide other services in addition to
execution services. The Advisor considers such information, which is in addition
to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by it under its
Agreement with the Fund, to be useful in varying degrees, but of indeterminable
value. Portfolio transactions may be placed with broker-dealers who sell shares
of the Fund subject to rules adopted by the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc.
While it is the Fund's general policy to seek first to obtain the most
favorable price and execution available in selecting a broker-dealer to execute
portfolio transactions for the Fund, weight is also given to the ability of a
broker-dealer to furnish brokerage and research services to the Fund or to the
Advisor, even if the specific services are not directly useful to the Fund and
may be useful to the Advisor in advising other clients. In negotiating
commissions with a broker or evaluating the spread to be paid to a dealer, the
Fund may therefore pay a higher commission or spread than would be the case if
no weight were given to the furnishing of these supplemental services, provided
that the amount of such commission or spread has been determined in good faith
by the Advisor to be reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or
research services provided by such broker-dealer. The standard of reasonableness
is to be measured in light of the Advisor's overall responsibilities to the
Fund.
Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those of
other client accounts or mutual funds ("Funds") managed or advised by the
Advisor. Nevertheless, it is possible that at times identical securities will be
acceptable for both the Fund and one or more of such client accounts or Funds.
In such event, the position of the Fund and such client account(s) or Funds in
the same issuer may vary and the length of time that each may choose to hold its
investment in the same issuer may likewise vary. However, to the extent any of
these client accounts or Funds seeks to acquire the same security as the Fund at
the same time, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a portion of such
security as it desires, or it may have to pay a higher price or obtain a lower
yield for such security. Similarly, the Fund may not be able to obtain as high a
price for, or as large an execution of, an order to sell any particular security
at the same time. If one or more of such client accounts or Funds simultaneously
purchases or sells the same security that the Fund is purchasing or selling,
each day's transactions in such security will be allocated between the F and all
such client accounts or Funds in a manner deemed equitable by the Advisor,
taking into account the respective sizes of the accounts and the amount being
B-15
<PAGE>
purchased or sold. It is recognized that in some cases this system could have a
detrimental effect on the price or value of the security insofar as the Fund is
concerned. In other cases, however, it is believed that the ability of the Fund
to participate in volume transactions may produce better executions for the
Fund.
The Fund does not effect securities transactions through brokers in
accordance with any formula, nor does it effect securities transactions through
brokers solely for selling shares of the Fund, although the Fund may consider
the sale of shares as a factor in allocating brokerage. However, as stated
above, broker-dealers who execute brokerage transactions may effect purchase of
shares of the Fund for their customers.
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000, the Fund paid $25,594 in
brokerage commissions. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 1999, the Fund
paid $9,412 in brokerage commissions. During the fiscal year ended August 31,
1998, the Fund paid $4,419 in brokerage commissions, of which $313 was paid to
brokers who furnished research services.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
Although the Fund generally will not invest for short-term trading
purposes, portfolio securities may be sold without regard to the length of time
they have been held when, in the opinion of the Advisor, investment
considerations warrant such action. Portfolio turnover rate is calculated by
dividing (1) the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the
fiscal year by (2) the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities
owned during the fiscal year. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all the
securities in the Fund's portfolio, with the exception of securities whose
maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less, were sold and
either repurchased or replaced within one year. A high rate of portfolio
turnover (100% or more) generally leads to higher transaction costs and may
result in a greater number of taxable transactions. See "Execution of Portfolio
Transactions." For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2,000 and 1999, the Fund
had a portfolio turnover rate of 85.69% and 53.71%, respectively.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
The information provided below supplements the information contained in the
Fund's Prospectus regarding the purchase and redemption of Fund shares.
HOW TO BUY SHARES
The public offering price of Fund shares is the net asset value. Each Fund
receives the net asset value. Shares are purchased at the public offering price
next determined after the Transfer Agent receives your order in proper form as
discussed in the Fund's Prospectus. In most cases, in order to receive that
day's public offering price, the Transfer Agent must receive your order in
proper form before the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange
("NYSE"), normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time.
B-16
<PAGE>
The NYSE annually announces the days on which it will not be open for
trading. The most recent announcement indicates that it will not be open on the
following days: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day,
Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and
Christmas Day. However, the NYSE may close on days not included in that
announcement.
The Trust reserves the right in its sole discretion (i) to suspend the
continued offering of the Fund's shares, (ii) to reject purchase orders in whole
or in part when in the judgment of the Advisor or the Distributor such rejection
is in the best interest of the Fund, and (iii) to reduce or waive the minimum
for initial and subsequent investments and the redemption fee for certain
fiduciary and retirement plan accounts, for shares purchased through reinvested
distributions, for involuntary redemptions of low balance accounts or for
employees of the Adviser or under circumstances where certain economies can be
achieved in sales of a Fund's shares.
HOW TO SELL SHARES
You can sell your Fund shares any day the NYSE is open for regular trading.
DELIVERY OF REDEMPTION PROCEEDS
Payments to shareholders for shares of the Fund redeemed directly from the
Fund will be made as promptly as possible but no later than seven days after
receipt by the Fund's Transfer Agent of the written request in proper form, with
the appropriate documentation as stated in the Prospectus, except that the Fund
may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment during any
period when (a) trading on the NYSE is restricted as determined by the SEC or
the NYSE is closed for other than weekends and holidays; (b) an emergency exists
as determined by the SEC making disposal of portfolio securities or valuation of
net assets of the Fund not reasonably practicable; or (c) for such other period
as the SEC may permit for the protection of the Fund's shareholders. Under
unusual circumstances, the Fund may suspend redemptions, or postpone payment for
more than seven days, but only as authorized by SEC rules.
The value of shares on redemption or repurchase may be more or less than
the investor's cost, depending upon the market value of the Fund's portfolio
securities at the time of redemption or repurchase.
TELEPHONE REDEMPTIONS
Shareholders must have selected telephone transactions privileges on the
Account Application when opening a Fund account. Upon receipt of any
instructions or inquiries by telephone from a shareholder or, if held in a joint
account, from either party, or from any person claiming to be the shareholder,
the Fund or its agent is authorized, without notifying the shareholder or joint
account parties, to carry out the instructions or to respond to the inquiries,
consistent with the service options chosen by the shareholder or joint
shareholders in his or their latest Account Application or other written request
B-17
<PAGE>
for services, including purchasing or redeeming shares of the Fund and
depositing and withdrawing monies from the bank account specified in the Bank
Account Registration section of the shareholder's latest Account Application or
as otherwise properly specified to the Fund in writing.
The Transfer Agent will employ these and other reasonable procedures to
confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine; if it fails to
employ reasonable procedures, the Fund and the Transfer Agent may be liable for
any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. If these procedures
are followed, an investor agrees, however, that to the extent permitted by
applicable law, neither the Fund nor its agents will be liable for any loss,
liability, cost or expense arising out of any redemption request, including any
fraudulent or unauthorized request. For information, consult the Transfer Agent.
During periods of unusual market changes and shareholder activity, you may
experience delays in contacting the Transfer Agent by telephone. In this event,
you may wish to submit a written redemption request, as described in the
Prospectus. The Telephone Redemption Privilege may be modified or terminated
without notice.
SIGNATURE GUARANTEES
To protect the Fund and its shareholders, a signature guarantee is required
for all w redemption requests over $100,000. Signature(s) on the redemption
request must be guaranteed by an "eligible guarantor institution." These include
banks, broker-dealers, credit unions and savings institutions. A broker-dealer
guaranteeing signatures must be a member of a clearing corporation or maintain
net capital of at least $100,000. Credit unions must be authorized to issue
signature guarantees. Signature guarantees will be accepted from any eligible
guarantor institution which participates in a signature guarantee program. A
notary public is not an acceptable guarantor.
REDEMPTIONS-IN-KIND
The Trust has filed an election under SEC Rule 18f-1 committing to pay in
cash all redemptions by a shareholder of record up to amounts specified by the
rule (in excess of the lesser of (i) $250,000 or (ii) 1% of the Fund's assets).
The Fund has reserved the right to pay the redemption price of its shares in
excess of the amounts specified by the rule, either totally or partially, by a
distribution in kind of portfolio securities (instead of cash). The securities
so distributed would be valued at the same amount as that assigned to them in
calculating the net asset value for the shares being sold. If a shareholder
receives a distribution in kind, the shareholder could incur brokerage or other
charges in converting the securities to cash. Automatic Investment Plan
As discussed in the Prospectus, the Fund provides an Automatic Investment
Plan for the convenience of investors who wish to purchase shares of the Fund on
a regular basis. All record keeping and custodial costs of the Automatic
B-18
<PAGE>
Investment Plan are paid by the Fund. The market value of the Fund's shares is
subject to fluctuation, so before undertaking any plan for systematic
investment, the investor should keep in mind that this plan does not assure a
profit nor protect against depreciation in declining markets.
DETERMINATION OF SHARE PRICE
As noted in the Prospectus, the net asset value and offering price of
shares of the Fund will be determined once daily as of the close of public
trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE
is open for trading. The Fund does not expect to determine the net asset value
of its shares on any day when the NYSE is not open for trading even if there is
sufficient trading in its portfolio securities on such days to materially affect
the net asset value per share. However, the net asset value of the Fund's shares
may be determined on days the NYSE is closed or at times other than 4:00 p.m. if
the Board of Trustees decides it is necessary.
In valuing the Fund's assets for calculating net asset value, readily
marketable portfolio securities listed on a national securities exchange or on
NASDAQ are valued at the last sale price on the business day as of which such
value is being determined. If there has been no sale on such exchange or on
NASDAQ on such day, the security is valued at the closing bid price on such day.
Readily marketable securities traded only in the over-the-counter market and not
on NASDAQ are valued at the current or last bid price. If no bid is quoted on
such day, the security is valued by such method as the Board of Trustees of the
Trust shall determine in good faith to reflect the security's fair value. All
other assets of the Fund are valued in such manner as the Board of Trustees in
good faith deems appropriate to reflect their fair value.
The net asset value per share of the Fund is calculated as follows: all
liabilities incurred or accrued are deducted from the valuation of total assets
which includes accrued but undistributed income; the resulting net assets are
divided by the number of shares of the Fund outstanding at the time of the
valuation and the result (adjusted to the nearest cent) is the net asset value
per share.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
From time to time, the Fund may state its total return in advertisements
and investor communications. Total return may be stated for any relevant period
as specified in the advertisement or communication. Any statements of total
return will be accompanied by information on the Fund's average annual
compounded rate of return for the most recent one, five and ten year periods, or
shorter periods from inception, through the most recent calendar quarter. The
Fund may also advertise aggregate and average total return information over
different periods of time.
The Fund's total return may be compared to relevant indices, including
Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Index and indices published by Lipper
Analytical Services, Inc. From time to time, evaluations of the Fund's
performance by independent sources may also be used in advertisements and in
information furnished to present or prospective investors in the Fund.
B-19
<PAGE>
Investors should note that the investment results of the Fund will
fluctuate over time, and any presentation of the Fund's total return for any
period should not be considered as a representation of what an investment may
earn or what an investor's total return may be in any future period.
The Fund's average annual compounded rate of return is determined by
reference to a hypothetical $1,000 investment that includes capital appreciation
and depreciation for the stated period, according to the following formula:
n
P(1+T) = ERV
Where:
P = a hypothetical initial purchase order of $1,000 from which the
maximum sales load is deducted
T = average annual total return
n = number of years
ERV = ending redeemable value of the hypothetical $1,000 purchase at the
end of the period
Aggregate total return is calculated in a similar manner, except that the
results are not annualized. Each calculation assumes that all dividends and
distributions are reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during
the period.
Performance results reflect the total returns of a predecessor limited
partnership managed by the Advisor prior to the effective date of the Fund's
initial registration statement, which was September 2, 1992. The limited
partnership returns were restated to reflect all fees and expenses applicable to
the Fund. If the limited partnership had been registered as an investment
company under the federal securities laws, its performance might have been
adversely affected because of the additional restrictions applicable to
registered investment companies. The inception date of the limited partnership
was August 13, 1990.
B-20
<PAGE>
The Fund's average annual total return for periods ending August 31, 2000
are as follows:
One Year 7.34%
Five Years 16.86%
Ten Years 15.01%
Since Inception 14.60%
(August 13, 1990)
----------
Certain fees and expenses of the Fund have been reimbursed during this period.
Accordingly, return figures are higher than they would have been had such fees
and expenses not been reimbursed.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Investors in the Fund will be informed of the Fund's progress through
periodic reports. Financial statements certified by independent public
accountants will be submitted to shareholders at least annually.
Firstar Institutional Custody Services, located at 425 Walnut St.,
Cincinnati, Ohio 45201 acts as Custodian of the securities and other assets of
the Fund. ICA Fund Services Corp., 4455 East Camelback Road, Suite E261,
Phoenix, AZ 85018 acts as the Fund's transfer and shareholder service agent. The
Custodian and Transfer Agent do not participate in decisions relating to the
purchase and sale of securities by the Fund.
Tait, Weller & Baker, 8 Penn Center Plaza, Philadelphia, PA 19103, are the
independent auditors for the Fund.
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, 345 California Street, 29th Floor,
San Francisco, California 94104, are legal counsel to the Fund.
On November 30, 2000, William F. McCormack, Apopka, FL 32712 owned of
record or beneficially 15.48% of the Fund's outstanding voting securities.
The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on February 17,
1987. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust permits the Board of Trustees to
issue an limited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest,
without par value, which may be issued in any number of series. The Board of
Trustees may from time to time issue other series, the assets and liabilities of
which will be separate and distinct from any other series.
Shares issued by the Fund have no preemptive, conversion, or subscription
rights. Shareholders have equal and exclusive rights as to dividends and
distributions as declared by the Fund and to the net assets of the Fund upon
liquidation or dissolution. The Fund, as a separate series of the Trust, votes
separately on matters affecting only the Fund (e.g., approval of the Advisory
Agreement); all series of the Trust vote as a single class on matters affecting
all series jointly or the Trust as a whole (e.g., election or removal of
B-21
<PAGE>
Trustees). Voting rights are not cumulative, so that the holders of more than
50% of the shares voting in any election of Trustees can, if they so choose,
elect all of the Trustees. While the Trust is not required and does not intend
to hold annual meetings of shareholders, such meetings may be called by the
Trustees in their discretion, or upon demand by the holders of 10% or more of
the outstanding shares of the Trust, for the purpose of electing or removing
Trustees.
The shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust could, under certain
circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for its obligations.
However, the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust contains an express
disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust. The
Agreement and Declaration of Trust also provides for indemnification and
reimbursement of expenses out of the Fund's assets for any shareholder held
personally liable for obligations of the Fund or Trust. The Agreement and
Declaration of Trust provides that the Trust shall, upon request, assume the
defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of
the Fund or Trust and satisfy any judgment thereon. All such rights are limited
to the assets of the Fund. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust further
provides that the Trust may maintain appropriate insurance (for example,
fidelity bonding and errors and omissions insurance) for the protection of the
Trust, its shareholders, trustees, officers, employees and agents to cover
possible tort and other liabilities. Furthermore, the activities of the Trust as
an investment company would not likely give rise to liabilities in excess of the
Trust's total assets. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss
on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both
inadequate insurance exists and the Fund itself is unable to meet its
obligations.
The Boards of the Trust, the Advisor and the Distributor have adopted Codes
of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These Codes permit, subject to
certain conditions, personnel of the Advisor and Distributor to invest in
securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Fund's annual report to shareholders for its fiscal year ended August
31, 2000 is a separate document supplied with this SAI and the financial
statements, accompanying notes and report of independent accountants appearing
therein are incorporated by reference in this SAI.
B-22
<PAGE>
APPENDIX
COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS
MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC.
Prime-1--Issuers (or related supporting institutions) rated "Prime-1" have
a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations.
"Prime-1" repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following
characteristics: leading market positions in w industries, high rates of return
on funds employed, conservative capitalization structures with moderate reliance
on debt and ample asset protection, broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed
financial charges and high internal cash generation, and well-established access
to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.
Prime-2--Issuers (or related supporting institutions) rated "Prime-2" have
a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This will
normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above 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.
STANDARD & POOR'S RATINGS GROUP
A-1--This highest category 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.
A-2--Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is
satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for
issues designated "A-1".
B-23
