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South Carolina Intermediate Tax-Free Fund

Mutual Funds

South Carolina Intermediate Tax-Free Fund


Fund Managers

Photo of Robert  Millikan

Robert Millikan, CFA®

Photo of Michael  McVicker

Michael McVicker

Overview

A
Shares

BASCX

Inception
Date

10.20.1997

Investment
Min.

$1,000

Subsequent
Investment Min.1

N/A

Max. Up Front
Sales Charge

2%

Max. Deferred
Sales Charge

N/A

1If subsequent investments are made as part of an AIP, the minimum is $25.

Philosophy & Process

The Fund seeks current income exempt from federal and South Carolina income taxes consistent with preservation of capital.

In managing the Fund, the team specializes in actively building and managing a high credit quality fixed income portfolio focused on the intermediate segment of the yield curve offering. The team employs a top-down investment process that focuses on: duration management, yield curve strategy and finding the best relative value with limited amount of risk in order to maximize the risk-adjusted total return.

Buy Strategy: We buy high quality, liquid issues and seek the best relative sector and security values available. We attempt to maximize total return and current income while reducing price volatility.

Sell Strategy: We will consider selling a security we own in order to reposition the Fund along the yield curve and adjust the Fund's average maturity or duration. In addition, we might replace a security with one that offers greater potential for total return or when its credit fundamentals are deteriorating.

Investment Considerations

The funds are subject to the same risks as the underlying bonds in the portfolios such as credit, prepayment and interest rate risk. As interest rates rise, the value of bond prices will decline and an investor may lose money. The funds are non-diversified and may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than funds that are more diversified. Furthermore, the funds invest primarily in state-specific municipal obligations of issuers and therefore will be affected by economic, political or other events affecting municipal issuers.

Fund Facts

Term Class A Shares Class C Shares Class I Shares
Ticker BASCXBSCCXBSCIX
Inception Date 10.20.199702.01.201210.20.1997
Investment Min. $1,000$1,000$1,000,000
Subsequent Investment Min.2 N/AN/AN/A
Max. Up Front Sales Charge 2%N/AN/A
Max. Deferred Sales Charge N/A1%N/A

2If subsequent investments are made as part of an AIP, the minimum is $25.

South Carolina Intermediate Tax-Free Fund

Management

View professional designations disclosures

Photo of Robert  Millikan

Robert Millikan, CFA®

Co-Portfolio Manager

Photo of Michael  McVicker

Michael McVicker

Co-Portfolio Manager

Performance

Fund Performance as of 09.30.2023

Term QTR YTD 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years Since Inception
A Shares with 2.00% Sales Charge -4.62% -3.71% -0.88% -2.97% 0.17% 1.00% 2.97%
A Shares without Sales Charge -2.71% -1.79% 1.15% -2.33% 0.57% 1.20% 3.04%
Institutional Shares -2.67% -1.62% 1.40% -2.08% 0.84% 1.45% 3.27%
Lipper Other States Intermediate Municipal Median -2.72% -1.47% 1.76% -2.30% 0.61% 1.37% N/A

The total expense ratios for Class A, C and I Shares are 0.81%, 1.56% and 0.56%, respectively.

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 South Carolina Intermediate Tax-Free 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 10.20.1997. The inception date for Class C Shares is 02.01.2012. The inception date for Class Inst'l Shares is 10.20.1997. Performance reflects 12b-1 fees and applicable expenses. Performance for Class C Shares for periods prior to inception is based on the performance of Class A Shares of the Fund. The performance shown reflects the reinvestment of all dividend and capital gains distributions.

Characteristics

Quality Breakdown as of 09.30.2023

Credit quality ratings using Moody's rating symbols reflect the credit quality of the underlying bonds in the fund portfolio and not of the Fund itself. Moody's assigns a range of ratings from AAA being the highest quality to C being the lowest rated class of bonds. Securities not rated by Moody's may be rated by S&P, Fitch or if no agency rating is available, the Fund will assign a rating of not rated. Bond quality ratings are subject to change.

Effective Duration Breakdown as of 09.30.2023

Name Value
0-1 Yr. 6.0
1-2 Yr. 12.0
2-3 Yr. 10.0
3-5 Yr. 30.0
5-10 Yr. 35.0
10+ Yr. 5.0

Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to change and risk. Based on Market Value of securities.

Summary Statistics as of 09.30.2023

Name Value
Number of Holdings 37
Average Life 8.22 Years
Effective Duration 4.97 Years
Annual Turnover 32%

Portfolio Composition as of 09.30.2023

Composition Fund Index
General Obligation 37.2% 28.2%
Pre-Refunded 3.0% 3.1%
Revenue 58.6% 68.7%
Cash 1.2% 0.0%

Top Ten Holdings as of 09.30.2023

# Company Name Value
1 SC St 5.0% 01-APR-2030 3.62%
2 Richland 5.0% 01-MAR-2030 3.58%
3 Mt Pleasant 5.0% 01-JUN-2030 3.49%
4 Lugoff-elgin Water Rev 5.0% 01-JUL-2030 3.19%
5 Florence Hosp Rev 5.0% 01-NOV-2033 3.18%
6 Spartanburg Sch Dist No 005 5.0% 01-MAR-2037 3.04%
7 Columbia Water/Sewer Rev 5.0% 01-FEB-2048 3.02%
8 Charleston Water/Sewer Rev 5.0% 01-JAN-2038 3.01%
9 Coll of Charleston Fac Rev 5.0% 01-APR-2027 3.00%
10 Columbia Water/Sewer Rev 5.25% 01-FEB-2052 2.99%

Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to change and risk. Based on Market Value of securities.

Growth of $10,000 as of 09.30.2023

The Growth of $10,000 is hypothetical based upon the performance of net A Shares at NAV for the period ended 09.30.2023. It includes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains.

Distribution

Monthly Dividend Distribution as of 11.30.2023

Month Class A Shares Class C Shares Class Inst'l Shares
November 2023 $0.0198 $0.0134 $0.0217
October 2023 $0.0193 $0.0128 $0.0213
September 2023 $0.0192 $0.0129 $0.0212
August 2023 $0.0187 $0.0120 $0.0207
July 2023 $0.0183 $0.0117 $0.0204
June 2023 $0.0169 $0.0104 $0.0189
May 2023 $0.0174 $0.0107 $0.0195
April 2023 $0.0165 $0.0099 $0.0185
March 2023 $0.0175 $0.0108 $0.0196
February 2023 $0.0152 $0.0091 $0.0172
January 2023 $0.0166 $0.0098 $0.0187
December 2022 $0.0156 $0.0088 $0.0177

30-Day SEC Yield as of 10.31.2023

Share Class Without Waivers With Waivers
Class A 3.42% 3.45%
Class C 2.74% 2.77%
Class I 3.75% 3.78%

Fixed Income Funds

Insights

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11.02.2023 • Andrew Richman, CTFA

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The Lead - "Balance Sheet Season"

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- In a period of rising interest costs, wages, and energy costs, double-digit dividend growers have outperformed in 2023. - The largest dividend growers are also outpacing high dividend yielders in 2023. - Higher dividend growers are being rewarded in part for their ability to return more cash to their shareholders than slower growth peers. - We believe owning quality companies that earn returns on capital well above their cost of capital have the potential do well in this new environment.

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