03.07.2015 Views

WASATCH FUNDS - Curian Clearing

WASATCH FUNDS - Curian Clearing

WASATCH FUNDS - Curian Clearing

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

<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 />

142

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!