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| [X] | No fee required |
| [ ] | Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
| [ ] | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
| [ ] | Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. |
| 1. | To elect two Trustees of the Equity Fund (“Proposal 1”); |
| 2. | To elect three Directors of the Growth Fund (“Proposal 2”); |
| 3. | If properly presented at the 2015 Annual Meetings, to consider and vote upon the shareholder proposal for the Equity Fund presented under the heading “Shareholder Proposal” (“Proposal 3”); and |
| 4. | To transact such other business, including any adjournment of the 2015 Annual Meetings, as may properly come before the 2015 Annual Meetings or any adjournments thereof. |
|
Equity Fund:
|
Elect Two Trustees to the Board to a three-year term. | |
|
If presented properly, to consider and vote upon a shareholder proposal.
|
||
|
Growth Fund:
|
Elect Three Directors to the Board to a three-year term. | |
|
Nominee
|
Title
|
Tenure
|
|
John A. Benning
|
Trustee since 2002
|
Tenure to end 2018
|
|
Edmund J. Burke
|
Trustee since 2006
|
Tenure to end 2018
|
|
Nominee
|
Title
|
Tenure
|
|
Thomas W. Brock
|
Director since 2005
|
Tenure to end 2018
|
|
John J. Neuhauser
|
Director since 1998
|
Tenure to end 2018
|
|
Edmund J. Burke
|
Director since 2006
|
Tenure to end 2018
|
|
NAME (YEAR OF BIRTH)
AND ADDRESS*
|
POSITION WITH EQUITY FUND, TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF SERVICE
|
POSITION WITH GROWTH FUND, TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF SERVICE
|
PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S)
DURING PAST
FIVE YEARS
|
NUMBER OF PORTFOLIOS IN FUND COMPLEX OVERSEEN
BY TRUSTEE/
DIRECTOR** |
OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD
|
|
Independent Trustees/Directors
|
|||||
|
John A. Benning
Year of Birth: 1934
|
Trustee
since 2002;
Term expires 2015
|
Director
since 2002; Term expires 2017 |
Retired since December, 1999
|
2
|
None
|
|
Thomas W. Brock
Year of Birth: 1947 |
Trustee
since 2005;
Term expires 2017
|
Director
since 2005; Term expires 2015
|
Director, Silver Bay Realty (December 2012 – present); Former Chief Executive Officer, Stone Harbor Investment Partners LP (April 2006-2012); Adjunct Professor, Columbia University Graduate School of Business (since 1998)
|
2
|
Director, Silver Bay Realty (December 2012-present)
|
|
George R. Gaspari
Year of Birth: 1940
|
Trustee
since 2006; Term expires 2017
|
Director
since 2006;
Term expires 2016
|
Financial Services Consultant (1996-2012)
|
2
|
Trustee (since 1999) and Chairman – Audit Committee (since January 2015), The Select Sector SPDR Trust
|
|
Richard W. Lowry
Year of Birth: 1936 |
Trustee since 1986; Term expires 2016;
Chairman since 2004
|
Director since 1994; Term expires 2016;
Chairman since 2004
|
Private Investor since August 1987
|
2
|
None
|
|
John J. Neuhauser
Year of Birth: 1943 |
Trustee
since 1998;
Term expires 2016
|
Director
since 1998; Term expires 2015
|
President, St. Michael’s College (since August, 2007); University Professor December 2005-2007, Boston College (formerly Academic Vice President and Dean of Faculties, from August 1999 to December 2005, Boston College)
|
2
|
Trustee, Columbia Funds Series Trust I (since 1985)
|
|
Richard C. Rantzow
Year of Birth: 1938
|
Trustee and Chairman – Audit Committee
since 2006;
Term expires 2016
|
Director
since 2006;
Term expires 2017
|
Retired, Ernst & Young Partner (independent registered public accounting firm)(1993); Chief Financial Officer, Miller Sports (1993-1998)
|
2
|
Trustee, Clough Funds (3 registered investment companies)
|
|
Interested Trustee/Director
|
|||||
|
Edmund J. Burke
Year of Birth: 1961
|
Trustee
since 2006;
Term expires 2015
|
Director
since 2006;
Term expires 2015
|
Chief Executive Officer and President of ALPS Holdings, Inc., a DST Company (since November 2011); CEO and Director, ALPS Holdings, Inc. (2005-2011); Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (since 2001), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (since 2000), ALPS Fund Services, Inc., (since 2000) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (since 2013). Mr. Burke is also a Director of Boston Financial Data Services (since 2013).
|
27
|
President (since 2006), Trustee and Chairman (since 2009), Financial Investors Trust (25 registered investment companies); Trustee and President Clough Funds (3 registered investment companies). Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Funds as defined under the 1940 Act by virtue of the positions he holds with ALPS Holdings, Inc.
|
| * | The address for all Trustees/Directors is: c/o ALPS Fund Services, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203. |
| ** | The Fund Complex for the Funds includes any registered investment company advised by ALPS Advisors, Inc. or any registered investment company sub-advised by Cornerstone Capital Management LLC, Matrix Asset Advisors, Inc., Pzena Investment Management, LLC, Schneider Capital Management Corporation, Weatherbie Capital, LLC, TCW Investment Management Company and Sustainable Growth Advisers, LP. |
|
Name (Year of Birth) and Address*
|
Position with Funds
|
Year First Elected or Appointed to Office
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
William R. Parmentier, Jr.
Year of Birth: 1952
|
President
|
1999
|
Chief Investment Officer, ALPS Advisors, Inc. (since 2006); President of the Funds (since April 1999); Senior Vice President, Banc of America Investment Advisors, Inc. (2005-2006). Mr. Parmentier is deemed an affiliate of the Funds as defined under the 1940 Act.
|
|
Mark T. Haley, CFA
Year of Birth: 1964
|
Senior Vice President
|
1999
|
Senior Vice President of the Funds (since January 1999); Vice President, ALPS Advisors, Inc. (since 2006); Vice President, Banc of America Investment Advisors (1999-2006). Mr. Haley is deemed an affiliate of the Funds as defined under the 1940 Act.
|
|
Edmund J. Burke
Year of Birth: 1961
|
Vice President
|
2006
|
Chief Executive Officer and President of ALPS Holdings, Inc., a DST Company (since November 2011); CEO and Director, ALPS Holdings, Inc. (2005-2011); Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (since 2001), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (since 2000), ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (since 2000) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (since 2013). Mr. Burke is also a Director of Boston Financial Data Services (since 2013).Mr. Burke is deemed an affiliate of the Funds as defined under the 1940 Act.
|
|
Kimberly R. Storms
Year of Birth: 1972
|
Treasurer
|
2013
|
Director of Fund Administration (since 2004) and Senior Vice President of ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (since 2009). Ms. Storms is currently Treasurer of Financial Investors Trust, ALPS Series Trust, and BPV Family of Funds; and Chief Financial Officer of Arbitrage Funds. Ms. Storms is also on the Board of Directors of the Denver Center for Crime Victims. Ms. Storms is deemed an affiliate of the Funds as defined under the 1940 Act.
|
|
Melanie Zimdars
Year of Birth: 1976
|
Chief Compliance Officer
|
2009
|
Ms. Zimdars is Vice President and Deputy Chief Compliance Officer with ALPS. Prior to joining ALPS in September 2009, Ms. Zimdars served as Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary for the Wasatch Funds from February 2007 to December 2008. From November 2006 to February 2007, she served as Assistant Treasurer for the Wasatch Funds and served as a Senior Compliance Officer for Wasatch Advisors, Inc. from 2005 to 2007. Ms. Zimdars is currently the CCO for ALPS Variable Investment Trust, ALPS ETF Trust, Broadview Opportunity Trust, the Funds, PowerShares QQQ Trust and BLDRS Index Funds Trust. Ms. Zimdars is deemed to be an affiliate of the Funds as defined under the 1940 Act.
|
|
Alex J. Marks
Year of Birth: 1974
|
Secretary
|
2015
|
Employee of ALPS Fund Services, Inc. since June 2011. Mr. Marks is currently the Secretary of the ALPS Variable Investment Trust, and was previously Assistant Secretary of the Funds (2011-2015). Mr. Marks also served as an employee of ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from July 2006 to September 2010. Mr. Marks is deemed an affiliate of the Funds as defined under the 1940 Act.
|
| * | The address of each office, other than Messrs. Parmentier and Haley is: c/o ALPS Fund Services, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203. The address of Messrs. Parmentier and Haley is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., One Financial Center, 15th Floor, Boston, MA 02111. |
|
John A. Benning
Thomas W. Brock
George R. Gaspari
|
Richard W. Lowry
John J. Neuhauser
Richard C. Rantzow
|
|
Independent Trustees/Directors
|
Aggregate
Compensation
from the
Equity Fund
|
Aggregate
Compensation
from the
Growth Fund
|
Total
Compensation
from the
Fund Complex
|
|
John A. Benning
|
$24,870
|
$7,630
|
$32,500
|
|
Thomas W. Brock
|
$24,870
|
$7,630
|
$32,500
|
|
George R. Gaspari
|
$25,638
|
$7,862
|
$33,500
|
|
Richard W. Lowry
|
$34,249
|
$10,501
|
$44,750
|
|
John J. Neuhauser
|
$25,638
|
$7,862
|
$33,500
|
|
Richard C. Rantzow
|
$28,508
|
$8,742
|
$37,250
|
|
Interested Trustee/Director
|
|||
|
Edmund J. Burke
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
Name of Trustee/Director
|
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities
Owned in the
Equity Fund
|
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities
Owned in the
Growth Fund
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities Owned
in All Funds Overseen by
Trustee/Director in Family of Investment Companies*
|
|
Independent Trustees/Directors
|
|||
|
John A. Benning
|
Over $100,000
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
Over $100,000
|
|
Thomas W. Brock
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
|
George R. Gaspari
|
$1 - $10,000
|
$1 - $10,000
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
|
Richard W. Lowry
|
Over $100,000
|
$1 - $10,000
|
Over $100,000
|
|
John J. Neuhauser
|
$1 - $10,000
|
$1 - $10,000
|
$1 - $10,000
|
|
Richard C. Rantzow
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
|
Interested Trustee/Director
|
|||
|
Edmund J. Burke
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
|
All Trustees and Executive Officers as a group
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
| * | The Funds’ Family of Investment Companies is comprised of the Equity Fund and the Growth Fund. |
| (1) | The Board believes that a tender offer for all common shares is not in the best interests of the Equity Fund’s long-term shareholders and that a tender offer would primarily benefit only opportunistic short-term shareholders, such as activist shareholders, providing them a quick financial gain at the expense of many long-term shareholders. The Board continues to believe in the Equity Fund’s long-term investment strategy. |
| (2) | The Board regularly reviews the Fund’s discount and ways to enhance shareholder value and has acted proactively. For example, the Board recently approved an increase in the annual distributions to 8% commencing in the second calendar quarter of 2015. |
| (3) | The proposed tender offer, liquidation, or conversion to an ETF or open-end mutual fund would be inconsistent with the Equity Fund’s investment strategies and could lead to (a) operational complexities, (b) higher costs, and (c) adverse tax consequences for shareholders in taxable accounts. |
| § | Pressure the Equity Fund to quickly sell a large portion of its portfolio and the Equity Fund might be forced to sell securities for lower prices than if it were able to sell those securities, at a time of its choosing, over a longer period of time; |
| § | Force the Equity Fund to sell attractive positions at a time when the Portfolio Managers believed such sales would be inadvisable from an investment perspective; |
| § | Significantly limit the Equity Fund’s ability to retain assets that the Portfolio Managers believe are undervalued and may appreciate in the future; |
| § | Require the Equity Fund to incur significant costs and transactional expenses from the sale of securities that consequently, to the extent these costs and expenses are not accrued prior to expiration of the proposed tender offer, would be borne either completely or disproportionately by shareholders who do not tender their shares in the proposed tender offer. A significant decrease in assets would lead to an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio, which would affect long-term shareholders who do not tender their shares; |
| § | Disproportionately benefit tendering short-term shareholders by allowing them to sell shares at 98% of net asset value (“NAV”), potentially above the then-current market price, when shareholders who choose not to tender their shares may bear substantially all of the proposed tender offer’s costs; and |
| § | Obligate the Equity Fund to make structural changes that could be costly or impractical. If, for example, following such a large tender offer the Board determined that, at its smaller size, the Fund should merge, open-end or liquidate, long-term shareholders would confront not only the issues described above but also substantial costs associated with those types of non-routine transactions. |
|
Equity Fund
Cornerstone Capital Management LLC
3600 Minnesota Drive
Edina, MN 55435
Matrix Asset Advisors, Inc.
747 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Pzena Investment Management, LLC
320 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Schneider Capital Management Corporation
460 East Swedesford Road
Wayne, PA 19087
TCW Investment Management Company
865 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
|
Growth Fund
Sustainable Growth Advisers, LP
3 Stamford Plaza
301 Tresser Boulevard
Stamford, CT 06901
TCW Investment Management Company
865 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Weatherbie Capital, LLC
265 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110
|
| (i) | Audit Fees - fees related to the audit and review of the financial statements included in annual reports and registration statements, and other services that are normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements. |
| (ii) | Audit-Related Fees - fees related to assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements, but not reported under "Audit Fees.” |
| (iii) | Tax Fees - fees associated with tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning, including services relating to the filing or amendment of federal, state or local income tax returns, regulated investment company qualification reviews, and reviews of calculations of required distributions to avoid excise tax. |
| (iv) | All Other Fees - fees for products and services provided to the Fund by D&T other than those reported under "Audit Fees," "Audit-Related Fees" and "Tax Fees." |
|
Fiscal Year
|
Audit Fees
|
Audit- Related Fees
|
Tax Fees
|
All Other Fees
|
Aggregate Non-Audit Fees
(Audit Related + Tax Fees)
|
|
|
Equity Fund
|
2014
|
$41,000
|
$0
|
$3,940
|
$0
|
$3,940
|
|
2013
|
$41,000
|
$0
|
$3,915
|
$0
|
$3,915
|
|
|
Growth Fund
|
2014
|
$24,700
|
$0
|
$3,940
|
$0
|
$3,940
|
|
2013
|
$24,700
|
$0
|
$3,915
|
$0
|
$3,915
|
|
|
AAI & AAI Affiliates (relating directly to the operating and financial reporting of the Equity Fund)
|
2014
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
2013
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
|
AAI & AAI Affiliates (relating directly to the operating financial reporting of the Growth Fund)
|
2014
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
2013
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
|
Equity Fund
|
Name and Address of Owner
|
# of Shares Owned
|
% of Shares Owned
|
Type of Ownership
|
|
First Clearing, LLC
2801 Market Street
Mailzone H006-09B
St. Louis, MO 63103
|
38,556,679
|
21.42%
|
Record
|
|
|
Morgan Stanley
333 W. 34
th
St., 3
rd
Fl.
New York, NY 10001
|
18,589,377
|
10.33%
|
Record
|
|
|
The Bank of New York Mellon
One Wall Street, 6
th
Floor
New York, NY 10286
|
13,905,404
|
7.73%
|
Record
|
|
|
First Trust Portfolios L.P.
120 E. Liberty Dr., Suite 400
Wheaton, IL. 60187
|
12,322,410
|
6.88%
|
Beneficial
*
|
|
|
National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310
|
11,212,679
|
6.23%
|
Record
|
|
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.
4804 Deer Lake Dr. E.
Jacksonville, FL 32246
|
11,066,124
|
6.15%
|
Record
|
|
Growth Fund
|
Name and Address of Owner
|
# of Shares Owned
|
% of Shares Owned
|
Type of Ownership
|
|
The Bank of New York Mellon
525 William Penn Place, Suite 153-0400
Pittsburgh, PA 15259
|
3,799,663
|
15.58%
|
Record
|
|
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
1300 Thames St., 6
th
Floor
Baltimore, MD 21231
|
3,788,690
|
15.53%
|
Record
|
|
|
DST Systems, Inc.
333 W. 11th Street, 5th Fl.
Kansas City, MO 64105
|
2,959,073
|
12.40%
|
Beneficial***
|
|
|
First Trust Portfolios L.P.
120 E. Liberty Dr., Suite 400
Wheaton, IL. 60187
|
2,177,771
|
8.99%
|
Beneficial**
|
|
|
First Clearing, LLC
2801 Market Street
Mailzone H006-09B
St. Louis, MO 63103
|
1,631,408
|
6.69%
|
Record
|
|
|
J.P. Morgan Clearing Corp.
14201 Dallas Parkway, 12
th
Floor
Dallas, TX 75254
|
1,602,712
|
6.57%
|
Record
|
|
|
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
2423 E. Lincoln Dr.
Phoenix, AZ 85016-1215
|
1,463,709
|
6.00%
|
Record
|
|
|
Advisors Asset Management, Inc.
18925 Base Camp Road
Monument, CO 80132
|
1,442,594
|
5.96%
|
Beneficial****
|
|
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.
4804 Deer Lake Dr. E.
Jacksonville, FL 32246
|
1,325,625
|
5.44%
|
Record
|
|
|
T.D. Ameritrade Clearing, Inc.
1005 N. Ameritrade Place
Bellevue, NE 68005
|
1,282,690
|
5.26%
|
Record
|
| * | Based on SC13G filing made with the SEC on January 21, 2015. |
| ** | Based on SC13G/A filing made with the SEC on January 27, 2015. |
| *** | Based on SC13D/A filing made with the SEC on December 23, 2014. |
| **** | Based on SC13G filing made with SEC on February 11, 2015. |
No information found
* THE VALUE IS THE MARKET VALUE AS OF THE LAST DAY OF THE QUARTER FOR WHICH THE 13F WAS FILED.
| FUND | NUMBER OF SHARES | VALUE ($) | PUT OR CALL |
|---|
| DIRECTORS | AGE | BIO | OTHER DIRECTOR MEMBERSHIPS |
|---|
No information found
No Customers Found
No Suppliers Found
Price
Yield
| Owner | Position | Direct Shares | Indirect Shares |
|---|