Overview
R6
Shares
STREX
Inception
Date
02.01.2018
Investment
Min.
N/A
Subsequent
Investment Min.1
N/A
Max. Up Front
Sales Charge
N/A
Max. Deferred
Sales Charge
N/A
1If subsequent investments are made as part of an AIP, the minimum is $25.
Philosophy & Process
The Fund’s management team utilizes fundamental analysis to construct a portfolio of high-quality, dividend growth equities. They look for the best ideas that include companies with strong balance sheets that are reasonably valued and have shown market/sales gain over time with a credible plan to continue such growth in the future. The Fund represents a concentrated portfolio utilizing "best ideas" with the typical number of core holdings between 30 and 35. Dividends matter to the management team and they only purchase companies that have raised their dividends for the last three consecutive years or for six years of the last ten. They target stocks with dividend yields greater than the yield of the S&P 500® Index.
Investment Considerations
The Fund invests primarily in dividend-paying securities but also in convertible securities in search of yield. These securities may be undervalued not performing as anticipated and its value could be negatively affected by a rise in interest rates. The fund may engage in writing covered call options. By selling covered call options, the Fund limits its opportunity to profit from an increase in the price of the underlying stock above the exercise price, but continues to bear the risk of a decline in the stock. While the Fund receives premiums for writing the call options, the price it realizes from the exercise of an option could be substantially below a stock’s current market price.
| Term | Class A Shares | Class C Shares | Class I Shares | Class R6 Shares |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ticker | BAEIX | BCEGX | BEGIX | STREX |
| Inception Date | 06.30.2004 | 06.30.2004 | 06.30.2004 | 02.01.2018 |
| Investment Min. | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000,000 | N/A |
| Subsequent Investment Min.2 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max. Up Front Sales Charge | 5.75% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max. Deferred Sales Charge | N/A | 1% | N/A | N/A |
2If subsequent investments are made as part of an AIP, the minimum is $25.
Co-Portfolio Manager
Co-Portfolio Manager
Performance
| Term | QTR | YTD | 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | Since Inception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Shares with 5.75% Sales Charge | -4.67% | -4.67% | -6.68% | 3.09% | 14.92% | 9.47% | 9.70% |
| A Shares without Sales Charge | 1.17% | 1.17% | -0.98% | 5.14% | 16.29% | 10.12% | 10.01% |
| Institutional Shares | 1.23% | 1.23% | -0.73% | 5.40% | 16.57% | 10.39% | 10.28% |
| Lipper Equity Income Median | 1.71% | 1.71% | 7.15% | 6.37% | 15.56% | 8.95% | N/A |
The total expense ratios for Class A, C and I Shares are 1.08%, 1.83% and 0.83%, respectively. The gross expense ratio for Class R6 Shares is 0.83%. The net expense ratio for Class R6 Shares is 0.71%.
The Fund Administrator, Sterling Capital Management LLC, has contractually agreed to waive its administrative fees, pay Fund operating expenses, and/or reimburse the Fund 0.12% of the Class R6 avg. daily net assets for the period 02.01.2025-01.31.2026. Performance would have been lower without limitations in effect.
Past performance does not guarantee future results. The performance data quoted represents past performance and current returns may be lower or higher. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. To obtain performance information current to the most recent month end, please visit the performance summary.
The performance of the Sterling Capital Equity Income Fund reflects the deduction of fees for value-added services associated with a mutual fund, such as investment management and fund accounting fees. The inception date for Class A Shares is 06.30.2004. The inception date for Class C Shares is 06.30.2004. The inception date for Class Inst'l Shares is 06.30.2004. The inception date for Class R6 Shares is 02.01.2018. The performance shown reflects the reinvestment of all dividend and capital gains distributions. Performance is annualized for periods greater than one year.
Characteristics
| # | Company Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Schwab | 5.76% |
| 2 | Anthem, Inc. | 5.32% |
| 3 | UnitedHealth Group, Inc. | 5.21% |
| 4 | Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | 4.59% |
| 5 | New Linde PLC | 4.57% |
| 6 | Analog Devices, Inc. | 4.29% |
| 7 | Microsoft Corp. | 4.27% |
| 8 | Ameriprise Financial, Inc. | 4.22% |
| 9 | Altria Group, Inc. | 4.14% |
| 10 | PepsiCo, Inc. | 4.06% |
Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to change and risk. Based on Market Value of securities.
Sector Allocation as of 03.31.2025
Allocations are based on the current weight to funds in the cited Sector. The composition of the fund's holdings is subject to change.
Growth of $10,000 as of 03.31.2025
The Growth of $10,000 is hypothetical based upon the performance of net A Shares at NAV for the period ended 03.31.2025. It includes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains.
| Term | 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lipper Ranking / Number of Funds in Category | 528/551 | 374/516 | 149/488 | 66/386 |
| Lipper Quartile (Percentile) | 4th (96%) | 3rd (73%) | 2nd (31%) | 1st (18%) |
Statistics
| Term | Value |
|---|---|
| Alpha | 1.79 |
| Beta | 0.93 |
| R-Squared | 93.70 |
| Standard Deviation | 15.06 |
| Sharpe Ratio | 0.55 |
3The Funds composition is subject to change. Annual Turnover Ratio is 12 month rolling calculation. Alpha, Beta, R-Squared, Standard Deviation, and Sharpe Ratio are based on a 10-year calculation.
View a Glossary of Terms.
| Term | Value |
|---|---|
| Weighted Median P/E | 25 |
| Weighted Average P/B | 11 |
| Weighted Average Market Cap | $252.40B |
| Annual Turnover | 44% |
Equity Income Fund
Materials
Equity Funds
Insights
05.07.2025 • Charles Wittmann, CFA®
- We believe the inputs that create the ability for a company to pay dividends is of critical importance, especially if the economic environment becomes challenging. - Starting in the later part of 2024, aggregate Bloomberg estimated earnings for the S&P 500® Index began to moderate then decline. - While dividend payout ratios have improved, we would note that the rate of the market’s dividend growth has fallen almost 50%, to mid-single digits, since 2022. - We believe more tempered growth expectations and companies signaling greater caution by moderating their commitment to return cash to shareholders via dividends is our sign to remain vigilant on the fundamental sources that generate dividend growth.
04.03.2025 • Charles Wittmann, CFA®
- Economic sectors associated with value stocks, such as industrials and financials, have seen their quality measurements improve. - With slowing economic growth and persistent inflation leading to “stagflation” concerns, what type of equity investments tend to shine? - We show how quality companies that pay dividends and repurchase their shares have differentiated themselves in similar periods.
03.21.2025 • Andrew Richman, CTFA
Fed Lowers Growth Outlook But Raises Inflation Expectations
Andy Richman's update on the March Federal Open Market Committee meeting.
03.07.2025 • Charles Wittmann, CFA®
- For the past two years, investors have experienced a powerful price momentum-driven market. - Price momentum supported by earnings revisions typically have a tight relationship coming out of a recession, but 2024 was different. - We explore the recent inverse relationship between momentum and dividend payers over this month and the past year.
02.28.2025
Sterling Capital Equity Announcement
Today Sterling Capital Management LLC announced the firm has made the difficult decision to close the Mid Cap Fundamental Value investment strategy.
02.04.2025 • Charles Wittmann, CFA®
- This month, our discussions with clients involved their search for fast dividend growers in the value space. - We analyze the fastest dividend growers in the large cap value universe and ask if they are really growing their dividends or just reinstating them. - We note how we look for both dividend growth and differentiated securities that combine attractive elements of growth, yield, and risk-adjusted returns.
Contact
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