WASATCH FUNDS - Curian Clearing
WASATCH FUNDS - Curian Clearing
WASATCH FUNDS - Curian Clearing
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<strong>WASATCH</strong> <strong>FUNDS</strong> — Supplemental Information (continued)<br />
With respect to the Global Opportunities Fund, although<br />
such Fund underperformed its Benchmark in the one-year<br />
period and the median of its Lipper Peer Group in the oneand<br />
two-year periods, such Fund outperformed the median<br />
of its Lipper Peer Group and its Benchmark in the three-,<br />
four- and five-year periods.<br />
With respect to the U.S. Treasury Fund, although such<br />
Fund underperformed its Benchmark in the two-year<br />
period, it outperformed its Benchmark in the one-, three-,<br />
four- and five-year periods and outperformed the performance<br />
of the median of its Lipper Peer Universe over the one-,<br />
three-, four-, five- and 10-year periods.<br />
With respect to the International Opportunities Fund, the<br />
Board considered that such Fund outperformed, matched or<br />
provided generally comparable performance to that of its<br />
Benchmark and median of its Lipper Peer Group for the<br />
one-, two-, three-, four- and five-year periods.<br />
With respect to the Long/Short Fund, the Board considered<br />
that such Fund outperformed the performance of the<br />
median of its Lipper Peer Group and Benchmark for all periods:<br />
the one-, two-, three-, four-, five- and 10-year periods.<br />
With respect to the Small Cap Value Fund, such Fund<br />
outperformed its Benchmark and the median of its Lipper<br />
Peer Group for the one-, two-, three-, four-, and five-year<br />
periods and provided generally comparable performance to<br />
its Benchmark and the median of its Lipper Peer Group for<br />
the 10-year period.<br />
With respect to the Strategic Income Fund, the Board<br />
recognized that the Fund outperformed its Benchmark and<br />
the median of its Lipper Peer Group for the one-, two-,<br />
three-, four- and five-year periods.<br />
With respect to the Emerging Markets Select Fund, the<br />
Independent Trustees noted that the Emerging Markets<br />
Select Fund was new with only a one-year performance history<br />
available thereby limiting the ability to make a meaningful<br />
assessment of performance. Nevertheless, the<br />
Independent Trustees noted that the Emerging Markets<br />
Select Fund outperformed the median of its Lipper Peer<br />
Group and Benchmark for the one-year period.<br />
The Independent Trustees also noted that the following<br />
Funds have experienced periods of challenged performance,<br />
including the Large Cap Value Fund, the Ultra Growth<br />
Fund, the Micro Cap Fund and the Heritage Growth Fund.<br />
With respect to the Large Cap Value Fund, the Board<br />
noted that except for the 10-year period, the Fund underperformed<br />
the median of its Lipper Peer Group and<br />
Benchmark for the shorter periods. The Board, however,<br />
recognized the steps taken by the Advisor to address performance<br />
issues, including the change in the portfolio<br />
manager of this Fund in 2013. With respect to the Ultra<br />
Growth Fund, the Board recognized that while the Fund has<br />
experienced periods of mixed results during its history, the<br />
Board recognized that the Fund outperformed its Benchmark<br />
and the median for its Lipper Peer Group in the recent<br />
one-year period. The Board further noted that the Fund’s<br />
portfolio management team also was recently adjusted in<br />
2013 bringing the Fund under the management of a single<br />
portfolio manager. The Board recognized that the portfolio<br />
managers of the Large Cap Value Fund and the Ultra<br />
Growth Fund would require time to manage their respective<br />
Fund before results from the foregoing changes would be<br />
fully reflected.<br />
With respect to the Micro Cap Fund, the Board recognized<br />
that the Fund has underperformed its Benchmark and<br />
the Lipper Peer Group for the various periods ended<br />
August 31, 2014 but recognized, as noted above, that the<br />
Lipper Peer Group may not adequately reflect the investment<br />
strategies and investable universe of the Fund. The<br />
Board also noted that despite the comparative data, the<br />
Fund provided favorable absolute performance for the<br />
three-year period ended September 30, 2014 and was the top<br />
performing domestic growth fund at Wasatch during that<br />
period. Nevertheless, the Board continues to review with<br />
management the investment process and investment<br />
philosophy of the Fund.<br />
With respect to the Heritage Growth Fund, although the<br />
underperformed its Benchmark over the various periods<br />
ended August 31, 2014, the Fund provided generally comparable<br />
performance to the median of its Lipper Peer Group<br />
over the one-, four- and five-year periods. The Board continues<br />
to monitor this Fund closely and discuss with the<br />
Advisor any steps that may be initiated if necessary to<br />
address performance issues. With respect to the Heritage<br />
Growth Fund and any Fund for which the Board has identified<br />
performance concerns, the Board monitors such Funds<br />
closely until performance improves, discusses with the Advisor<br />
the reasons for such results, and considers any efforts<br />
proposed or implemented to improve performance.<br />
C. FEES, EXPENSES AND PROFITABILITY<br />
1. Fees and Expenses<br />
The Independent Trustees considered the fees of the<br />
Advisor and Sub-Advisors and the rationale in setting the<br />
level of fees. In their evaluation of fees and expenses, the<br />
Independent Trustees reviewed the Advisor’s management<br />
fees and expense ratios for each Fund in absolute terms as well<br />
as with comparisons of fees and expenses of funds with similar<br />
objectives. In this regard, the Independent Trustees<br />
reviewed and considered, among other things, comparisons of<br />
each respective Fund’s contractual and net management fees,<br />
total expenses (including and excluding 12b-1/non-12b-1<br />
service fees), and non-management expenses (such as transfer<br />
agency, custodian, administrative and accounting fees) with<br />
those of unaffiliated funds in its Lipper Peer Group, subject to<br />
the following. With respect to the Micro Cap Funds, the<br />
Independent Trustees recognized certain limitations with the<br />
Lipper Peer Group as described above and therefore also<br />
reviewed comparisons of each such Fund’s management fee<br />
and net expense ratio with those of a custom peer group provided<br />
by the Advisor. In reviewing fees, the Independent<br />
Trustees also reviewed any expense limitation agreement with<br />
the Advisor on behalf of the respective Fund and the amounts<br />
the Advisor has reimbursed to the applicable Fund for the last<br />
three fiscal years (if any). The Independent Trustees also considered<br />
a Fund’s fees in light of the performance of the Fund.<br />
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