Summary Prospectus    October 31, 2013

LOGO

William Blair Global Small Cap Growth Fund

 

Class N BGSNX       Class I WGLIX       Institutional Class BGSJX

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus, statement of additional information and other information about the Fund online at www.williamblairfunds.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-742-7272 or by sending an e-mail request to fundinfo@williamblair.com. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, each dated October 31, 2013, as supplemented, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.

 

 

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE:     The William Blair Global Small Cap Growth Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

 

FEES AND EXPENSES:     This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) :

 

    Class N      Class I      Institutional
Class
 

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)

    None         None         None   

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed)

    None         None         None   

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) :

 

    Class N      Class I      Institutional
Class
 

Management Fee

    1.00%         1.00%         1.00%   

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fee

    0.25%         None         None   

Other Expenses* (includes a shareholder administration fee for Class N and Class I shares)

    0.41%         0.41%         0.26%   
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

    1.66%         1.41%         1.26%   

Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement**

    0.01%         0.01%         0.01%   
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

    1.65%         1.40%         1.25%   

 

* “Other Expenses” are estimated for the current fiscal year since the Fund did not commence operations until April 10, 2013.
**

The Advisor has entered into a contractual agreement with the Fund to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit the Fund’s operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, other investment-related costs and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to 1.65%, 1.40%

 

1


 

and 1.25% of average daily net assets for Class N, Class I and Institutional Class shares, respectively, until October 31, 2014. The Advisor may not terminate this arrangement prior to October 31, 2014 unless the investment advisory agreement is terminated. The Advisor is entitled to reimbursement for a period of three years subsequent to the Fund’s commencement of operations on April 10, 2013 for previously waived fees and reimbursed expenses to the extent that the Fund’s expense ratio is below the expense limitation.

 

Example:     This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The figures reflect the expense limitation for the first year. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

    1 Year   3 Years
Class N   $168   $522
Class I     143     445
Institutional Class     127     399

 

Portfolio Turnover:     The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. Because the Fund is newly organized, portfolio turnover information is not available.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES:     Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small capitalization (“small cap”) companies. The Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities, including common stocks and other forms of equity investments (e.g., securities convertible into common stocks), issued by small cap companies worldwide that the Advisor believes have above average growth, profitability and quality characteristics. For purposes of the Fund, the Advisor considers a company to be a small cap company if it has a float adjusted market capitalization at the time of purchase of $5 billion or less. Securities of companies whose float adjusted market capitalizations no longer meet this definition of small cap after purchase may continue to be held in the Fund. The Fund’s investments are normally allocated among at least six different countries and no more than 65% of the Fund’s equity holdings may be invested in securities of issuers in any one country at any given time. Under normal market conditions at least 40% of the Fund’s assets will be invested in companies located outside the United States. Normally, the Fund’s investments will be divided among the United States, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and the markets of the Pacific Basin. The Fund may invest the greater of 35% of its net assets or twice the emerging markets component of the MSCI All Country World (ACWI) Small Cap Index (net) in emerging markets, which include every country in the world except the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and most Western European countries.

 

In choosing investments, the Advisor performs fundamental company analysis and focuses on stock selection. The Advisor generally seeks equity securities, including common stocks, of companies that historically have had superior growth, profitability and quality relative to local markets and relative to companies within the same industry worldwide, and that are expected to continue such performance. Such companies generally will exhibit superior business fundamentals, including leadership in their field, quality products or services, distinctive marketing and distribution, pricing flexibility and revenue from products or services consumed on a steady, recurring basis. These business characteristics should be accompanied by management that is shareholder return-oriented and that uses conservative accounting policies. Companies with above-average returns on equity, strong balance sheets and consistent, above-average earnings growth will be the primary focus. Stock selection will take into account both local and global comparisons.

 

2


The Advisor will vary the Fund’s sector and geographic diversification based upon the Advisor’s ongoing evaluation of economic, market and political trends throughout the world. In making decisions regarding country allocation, the Advisor will consider such factors as the conditions and growth potential of various economies and securities markets, currency exchange rates, technological developments in the various countries and other pertinent financial, social, national and political factors.

 

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING:     The Fund’s returns will vary, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. Because the Fund invests most of its assets in equity securities of global small cap companies, the primary risk is that the value of the equity securities it holds might decrease in response to the activities of those companies or market and economic conditions. In addition, there is the risk that individual securities may not perform as expected or a strategy used by the Advisor may fail to produce its intended result. Different investment styles (e.g., growth vs. value, quality bias, market capitalization focus) tend to shift in and out of favor depending on market conditions and investor sentiment, and at times when the investment style used by the Advisor for the Fund is out of favor, the Fund may underperform other equity funds that use different investment styles. Foreign investments often involve additional risks, including political instability, differences in financial reporting standards and less stringent regulation of securities markets. Because the securities held by the Fund usually will be denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, changes in foreign currency exchange rates may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments. The Fund is expected to incur operating expenses that are higher than those of mutual funds investing exclusively in U.S. equity securities due to the higher custodial fees associated with foreign securities investments. These foreign investment risks are magnified in less-established, emerging markets. In addition, the Fund invests primarily in the securities of small cap companies, which may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of large companies. In addition, small cap companies may be traded in low volumes. This can increase volatility and increase the risk that the Fund will not be able to sell the security on short notice at a reasonable price. These risks are intensified for investments in micro-cap companies (i.e., companies with market capitalizations of $250 million or less). To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in one country, the Fund will be more vulnerable to the risks of adverse economic or political forces in that country.

 

The Fund involves a high level of risk and may not be appropriate for everyone.     You should only consider it for the aggressive portion of your portfolio. Because the Fund is new, investors bear the risk that the Fund may not be able to implement its investment strategies or attract sufficient assets. Separate accounts managed by the Advisor may invest in the Fund and, therefore, the Advisor at times may have discretionary authority over a significant portion of the assets in the Fund. In such instances, the Advisor’s decision to make changes to or rebalance its clients’ allocations in the separate accounts may substantially impact the Fund’s performance. The Fund is designed for long-term investors.

 

FUND PERFORMANCE HISTORY:     The bar chart and table showing the Fund’s annual returns and average annual total return are not included because the Fund does not have annual returns for a full calendar year.

 

MANAGEMENT:

 

Investment Advisor.     William Blair & Company, L.L.C. is the investment advisor of the Fund.

 

Portfolio Manager(s).     Andrew G. Flynn, a Partner of the Advisor, and Matthew A. Litfin, a Partner of the Advisor, co-manage the Fund. Karl W. Brewer, a Partner of the Advisor, and Jeffrey A. Urbina, a Partner of the Advisor, are senior advisors on the Fund. Messrs. Flynn, Litfin, Brewer and Urbina have been members of the Fund’s portfolio management team since the Fund’s inception in 2013.

 

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES:

 

Class N Share Purchase.     The minimum initial investment for a regular account or Individual Retirement Account is $2,500. The minimum subsequent investment is $1,000. Certain exceptions to the minimum initial

 

3


and subsequent amounts may apply. See “Your Account—Class N Shares” for additional information on eligibility requirements applicable to purchasing Class N shares.

 

Class I Share Purchase.     The minimum initial investment for a regular account or an Individual Retirement Account is $500,000 (or any lesser amount if, in the Advisor’s opinion, the investor has adequate intent and availability of funds to reach a future level of investment of $500,000). There is no minimum for subsequent purchases. The Distributor reserves the right to offer Class I shares without regard to the minimum purchase amount requirements to qualified or non-qualified employee benefit plans when an unaffiliated third party provides administrative and/or other support services to the plan. Certain exceptions to the minimum initial amount may apply. Class I shares are only available to certain investors. See “Your Account—Class I Shares” for additional information on the eligibility requirements applicable to purchasing Class I shares.

 

Institutional Class Share Purchase.     The minimum initial investment is $5 million. There is no minimum for subsequent purchases. The Distributor reserves the right to offer Institutional Class shares without regard to the minimum purchase amount requirements to qualified or non-qualified employee benefit plans when an unaffiliated third party provides administrative and/or other support services to the plan. Certain exceptions to the minimum initial amount may apply. Institutional Class shares are only available to certain investors. See “Your Account—Institutional Class Shares” for additional information on eligibility requirements applicable to purchasing Institutional Class shares.

 

Sale.     Shares of the Fund are redeemable on any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business by mail, wire or telephone, depending on the elections you make in the account application.

 

TAX INFORMATION:     The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred investment plan. If you are investing through a tax-deferred investment plan, you may be subject to taxes after exiting the tax-deferred investment plan.

 

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES:     If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

4

Grafico Azioni Volt Information Sciences (AMEX:VISI)
Storico
Da Giu 2024 a Lug 2024 Clicca qui per i Grafici di Volt Information Sciences
Grafico Azioni Volt Information Sciences (AMEX:VISI)
Storico
Da Lug 2023 a Lug 2024 Clicca qui per i Grafici di Volt Information Sciences