Mutual Funds
Ultra Short Bond Fund
Fund Managers
Mark Montgomery, CFA®
Byron Mims, CFA®
Jeffrey Ormsby, CFA®
Overview
I
Shares
BUSIX
Inception
Date
11.30.2012
Investment
Min.
$1,000,000
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
To pursue its investment objective, the Fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes in fixed income securities (bonds). The Fund will maintain an average duration of 18 months or less and the average maturity is expected to be between zero and 24 months.
In managing the portfolio, the portfolio manager uses a "top down" investment management approach focusing on allocation among sectors, credit risk, and individual securities selection. The portfolio manager focuses on macro trends in the economy to establish a duration target that reflects the outlook for the future direction of interest rates. For yield curve management, in addition to the trend in interest rates, other factors such as future inflation expectations, supply factors, and future interest rate expectations are considered. Sector weightings are driven by a combination of the portfolio manager's macro view on interest rates and volatility as well as relative spread analysis. Utilizing fundamental analysis the portfolio manager then selects individual securities consistent with the target by looking for the best relative values within particular sectors. The analysis includes an attempt to understand the structure and embedded features of potential securities. Features that are analyzed include puts, calls, sinking fund requirements, prepayment and extension risk, and individual company financial data for potential corporate holdings. Scenario analysis is the primary tool employed for these assessments.
Investment Considerations
The fund is subject to the same risks as the underlying bonds in the portfolio such as credit, prepayment, call and interest rate risk. As interest rates rise the value of bond prices will decline. The fund may invest in more aggressive investments such as foreign securities which may expose the fund to currency and exchange rate fluctuations; mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities sensitive to interest rates and high yield debt (also known as junk bonds) all of which may cause greater volatility and less liquidity. The fund invests in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies. These guarantees do not apply to the fund. Investments in municipal obligations may be subject to more risk depending on economic, political and other conditions within the state and municipality. The fund may trade securities actively, which could increase its transaction costs thereby lowering its performance.
| Term | Class A Shares | Class I Shares |
|---|---|---|
| Ticker | BUSRX | BUSIX |
| Inception Date | 11.30.2012 | 11.30.2012 |
| Investment Min. | $1,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Subsequent Investment Min.2 | N/A | N/A |
| Max. Up Front Sales Charge | N/A | N/A |
| Max. Deferred Sales Charge | N/A | N/A |
2If subsequent investments are made as part of an AIP, the minimum is $25.
Co-Portfolio Manager
Co-Portfolio Manager
Co-Portfolio Manager
Performance
| Term | QTR | YTD | 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | Since Inception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Shares with 0.50% Sales Charge | 1.24% | 2.61% | 5.76% | 2.71% | 2.26% | 1.69% | 1.49% |
| A Shares without Sales Charge | 1.24% | 2.61% | 5.76% | 2.71% | 2.26% | 1.69% | 1.49% |
| Institutional Shares | 1.31% | 2.74% | 6.03% | 2.93% | 2.51% | 1.94% | 1.74% |
| Lipper Ultra-Short Obligations Median | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
The gross expense ratios for Class A and I Shares are 0.81% and 0.53%, respectively. The net expense ratios for Class A and I Shares are 0.56% and 0.28%, respectively.
The Advisor has contractually agreed to limit certain fees paid by the Fund from February 1, 2021 through January 31, 2022. 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 Ultra Short Bond 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 11.30.2012. The inception date for Class Inst'l Shares is 11.30.2012. The performance shown reflects the reinvestment of all dividend and capital gains distributions.
Characteristics
Quality Breakdown as of 03.31.2024
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.
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| 0-0.5 Yr. | 52.08 |
| 0.5-1 Yr. | 37.36 |
| 1-1.5 Yr. | 7.27 |
| 1.5-2 Yr. | 2.88 |
| 2+ Yr. | 0.41 |
Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to change and risk. Based on Market Value of securities.
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of Holdings | 113 |
| Average Life | 0.59 Years |
| Effective Duration | 0.53 Years |
| Annual Turnover | 53% |
| Composition | Fund | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate | 55.6% | 0.0% |
| Financial Institutions | 24.0% | 0.0% |
| Industrial | 21.7% | 0.0% |
| Utility | 9.9% | 0.0% |
| Securitized | 38.3% | 0.0% |
| ABS | 22.1% | 0.0% |
| CMBS | 11.6% | 0.0% |
| CMO | 4.7% | 0.0% |
| Treasury | 3.6% | 100.0% |
| Treasury | 3.6% | 100.0% |
| Cash | 2.5% | 0.0% |
| Cash | 2.5% | 0.0% |
| # | Company Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Treasury 0.0% 07-May-2024 | 3.59% |
| 2 | Hertz Vehicle Financing Iii Series 2021-1 1.21% 25-Dec-2025 | 1.94% |
| 3 | Enterprise Fleet Financing Series 2022-1 3.27% 20-Jan-2028 | 1.92% |
| 4 | Fannie Mae Remics | 1.74% |
| 5 | Avis Budget Rental Car Llc 2.36% 20-Mar-2026 | 1.68% |
| 6 | Onemain Financial Issuance Trust 2022-3 5.94% 15-May-2034 | 1.64% |
| 7 | Wells Fargo & Company 0.805% 19-May-2025 | 1.44% |
| 8 | Morgan Stanley 0.864% 21-Oct-2025 | 1.41% |
| 9 | Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 2014-Lc18 3.405% 17-Dec-2047 | 1.39% |
| 10 | Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust 2020-Rev1 2.04% 15-Aug-2031 | 1.39% |
Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to change and risk. Based on Market Value of securities.
Growth of $10,000 as of 03.31.2024
The Growth of $10,000 is hypothetical based upon the performance of net A Shares at NAV for the period ended 03.31.2024. It includes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains.
Distribution
| Month | Class A Shares | Class Inst'l Shares |
|---|---|---|
| June 2024 | $0.0369 | $0.0389 |
| May 2024 | $0.0391 | $0.0412 |
| April 2024 | $0.0349 | $0.0369 |
| March 2024 | $0.0372 | $0.0393 |
| February 2024 | $0.0346 | $0.0366 |
| January 2024 | $0.0389 | $0.0410 |
| December 2023 | $0.0377 | $0.0397 |
| November 2023 | $0.0362 | $0.0382 |
| October 2023 | $0.0369 | $0.0389 |
| September 2023 | $0.0361 | $0.0381 |
| August 2023 | $0.0345 | $0.0365 |
| July 2023 | $0.0323 | $0.0344 |
| Share Class | Without Waivers | With Waivers |
|---|---|---|
| Class A | 4.35% | 4.51% |
| Class I | 4.57% | 4.74% |
Ultra Short Bond Fund
Materials
Fixed Income Funds
Insights
07.02.2024
Sterling Capital Management LLC joins Guardian Capital Group Limited
Sterling Capital Management LLC announced today the completion of its acquisition by Guardian Capital LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of global asset manager Guardian Capital Group Limited.
06.27.2024 • Jeffrey Ormsby, CFA®
Fixed Income and Federal Reserve Rate Cuts: How Should We Expect Fixed Income to Perform?
As one would expect, in most historical periods where interest rates were declining, fixed income total return has been good, with investors capturing the coupon income as well as benefiting from the increase in prices as rates fall. Looking at the history of the Bloomberg Aggregate Bond Index since 1988, in the previous five Federal Reserve (Fed) rate-cutting cycles, the index posted annualized returns averaging north of 8%.
06.13.2024 • Andrew Richman, CTFA
When It Comes to Fed Policy, Follow the Data, Not the Dots
Andy Richman's update on the June Federal Open Market Committee meeting.
06.05.2024 • Charles Wittmann, CFA®
The Lead - "An Indicator of Business Confidence"
- Several notable companies have elected to inaugurate a quarterly dividend this year, while 47 companies in the U.S. stopped paying dividends during the COVID-19 crisis and have yet to reinstitute one. Why? - We would suggest it comes down to the ability to pay an ever-increasing dividend alongside their confidence in their business’s future. - In the current period of fewer dividend initiations, slower dividend growth in the market, and household names cutting their dividends, we believe there are several lessons to learn.
05.31.2024
Today Sterling Capital announces the resignation of Shawn M. Gallagher, CFA®, Co-Portfolio Manager of the firm’s Mid Cap Relative Value and Real Estate strategies, effective immediately. Andrew T. DiZio, CFA®, who served as Co-Portfolio Manager on both strategies, will now serve as sole Portfolio Manager for both strategies, effective immediately.
05.07.2024 • Charles Wittmann, CFA®
The Lead - "Dividends for Offense and Defense"
- What could be a catalyst for dividend yielding equities in 2024? - We discuss three considerations: inexpensive valuations relative to history; valuations for dividend yield versus growth; and how both have a history of performing well after positive economic surprises. - Why do dividend payers perform well as the economy surprises to the upside? We provide several possible reasons.
Contact
Learn more about Sterling Capital solutions and services.
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The Morningstar Rating™ for funds, or "star rating", is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods.
