The Fairholme Fund (the "Fund")(FAIRX, Financial) commenced operations on December 29, 1999. The chart above presents the performance of a $10,000 investment for ten years to the latest semi-annual period ended May 31, 2013.
The following notes pertain to the chart above as well as to the performance table included in the Management Discussion & Analysis report. Performance information in this report represents past performance and is not a guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate, so that an investor's shares when redeemed may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted within. The performance information does not reflect the taxes an investor would pay on Fund distributions or upon redemption of Fund shares. Any questions you may have, including the most recent month-end performance, can be obtained by calling Shareholder Services at 1-866-202-2263.
Data for both the S&P 500 Index and the Fund are presented assuming all dividends and distributions have been reinvested and do not reflect any taxes that might have been incurred by a shareholder as a result of Fund distributions. The S&P 500 Index is a widely recognized, unmanaged index of 500 of the largest companies in the United States as measured by market capitalization and does not reflect any investment management fees or transaction expenses, nor the effects of taxes, fees or other charges.
The Fairholme Fund (the "Fund") shares outstanding and unaudited net asset value per share ("NAV") at May 31, 2013, the end of the Fund's second fiscal quarter of 2013, and NAVs at other pertinent dates, were as follows:
At June 30, 2013, the unaudited NAV of the Fund was $36.18. Performance figures below are shown for the Fund's semi-annual period ended May 31, 2013, and do not match calendar year figures for the period ended June 30, 2013, cited in the Portfolio Manager's report.
For the six months ended May 31, 2013, the Fund outperformed the S&P 500 Index ("S&P 500") by 10.13 percentage points while over the last year the Fund outperformed the S&P 500 by 14.41 percentage points. From inception, the Fund outperformed the S&P 500 by 9.82 percentage points per annum or, on a cumulative basis, 345.60 percentage points over thirteen years and five months.
Fairholme Capital Management, L.L.C. (the "Manager") believes continuing economic recovery contributed to overall performance. However, the fact that securities increase or decline in value does not always indicate that the Manager believes these securities to be more or less or attractive — in fact, the Manager believes that some price increases present selling opportunities and some price declines present buying opportunities. Shareholders are also cautioned that it is possible that some securities mentioned in this discussion may no longer be held by the Fund subsequent to the end of the fiscal period and that the Fund may have made significant new purchases that are not yet required to be disclosed. It is the Fund's general policy not to disclose portfolio holdings other than when required by relevant law or regulation. Portfolio holdings are subject to change without notice.
Not all Fund portfolio dispositions or additions are material, and, while the Fund and the Manager have long-term objectives, it is possible that a security sold or purchased in one period will be purchased or sold in a subsequent period. Generally, the Manager determines to buy and sell based on its estimates of the absolute and relative intrinsic values and fundamental dynamics of a particular security and its issuer and its industry. However, certain strategies of the Manager in carrying out Fund policies may result in shorter holding periods.
In the opinion of the Manager, performance over shorter periods is likely to be less meaningful than over longer periods. Investors are cautioned not to rely on short-term results. Further, shareholders should note that the S&P 500 is an unmanaged index incurring no fees, expenses, or tax effects and is shown solely to compare Fund performance to that of an unmanaged and diversified index of U.S. publicly traded corporation common stock.
The Manager invests Fund assets in securities to the extent it finds reasonable investment opportunities in accordance with its Prospectus and may invest a significant portion of Fund assets in liquid, low-risk securities or cash. The Manager views liquidity as a strategic advantage. At May 31, 2013, cash and cash equivalents (consisting of cash, commercial paper, deposit accounts, U.S. Treasury Bills, and money-market funds) represented 9.02% of total assets. Since inception, the Fund has held liquid, low-risk securities or cash for periods without, in the Manager's view, negatively influencing performance, although there is no guarantee that future performance will not be negatively affected by Fund liquidity.
The Fund is considered to be "non-diversified" under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund can invest a greater percentage of assets in fewer securities than a diversified fund and may invest a significant portion of cash and liquid assets in one or more higher risk securities at any time, particularly in situations where markets are weak or a particular security declines sharply. The Fund may also have a greater percentage of assets invested in a particular industry than a diversified fund, exposing the Fund to the risk of an unanticipated industry condition as well as risks specific to a single company or security. The following charts show the top holdings by issuer and sector in descending order of net assets as of May 31, 2013.
The Manager views the ability to focus on fewer investments than a diversified fund as a strategic advantage. However, such a strategy may negatively influence short-term performance, and there is no guarantee that long-term performance will not be negatively affected.
The Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities and securities of corporations domiciled outside of the United States which may expose the Fund to adverse changes resulting from foreign currency fluctuations or other potential risks as described in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
The Fund's Officers, the Board of Directors (the "Board" or the "Directors"), and Manager are aware that large cash inflows or outflows may adversely affect Fund performance. Such flows are monitored and appropriate actions are contemplated for when such flows could negatively impact performance.
Since inception, the Fund has been advised by the Manager. Mr. Berkowitz, both the Managing Member of the Manager and Chairman of the Fund's Board, continues to have a significant personal stake in the Fund, holding an aggregate 10,487,264 shares at May 31, 2013. While there is no requirement that the Manager own shares of the Fund, such holdings are believed to help align shareholder interests.
The Board, including the Independent Directors, continues to believe that it is in the best interest of the Fund to have Mr. Berkowitz serve as Chairman of the Board given: his long-term relative performance; his experience, commitment, and significant personal investment in the Fund; the present constitution of Directors and policies; and current rules and regulations. Certain Directors and Officers of the Fund are also Officers of the Manager. Nevertheless, at May 31, 2013, a majority of Directors were independent of the Manager, no stock option or restricted stock plans exist, Officers received no direct compensation from the Fund, and Directors affiliated with the Manager received no compensation for being Directors.
For more complete information about the Fund, or to obtain a current Prospectus, please visit www.fairholmefunds.com or call Shareholder Services at 1-866-202-2263.
As a Fund shareholder, you incur direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include, but are not limited to, transaction fees at some broker-dealers, custodial fees for retirement accounts, redemption fees on Fund shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase, and wire transfer fees. You also incur indirect, ongoing costs that include, but are not limited to, management fees paid to the Manager.
The following example is intended to help you understand your indirect costs (also referred to as "ongoing costs" and measured in dollars) when investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. This example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested in the Fund, at December 1, 2012, and held for the entire six month period ending May 31, 2013.
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you had invested at the beginning of the period, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading "Expenses Paid During the Period" to estimate the expenses you paid on your Fund holdings during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund's actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund's actual return for the period presented. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses that you paid for the period presented. However, you may use this information to compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with the ongoing costs of investing in other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.
Please note that the column titled "Expenses Paid During the Period" in the table below is meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as redemption fees (if any), or other direct costs. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these direct costs were included, your total costs would be higher.
The following notes pertain to the chart above as well as to the performance table included in the Management Discussion & Analysis report. Performance information in this report represents past performance and is not a guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate, so that an investor's shares when redeemed may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted within. The performance information does not reflect the taxes an investor would pay on Fund distributions or upon redemption of Fund shares. Any questions you may have, including the most recent month-end performance, can be obtained by calling Shareholder Services at 1-866-202-2263.
Data for both the S&P 500 Index and the Fund are presented assuming all dividends and distributions have been reinvested and do not reflect any taxes that might have been incurred by a shareholder as a result of Fund distributions. The S&P 500 Index is a widely recognized, unmanaged index of 500 of the largest companies in the United States as measured by market capitalization and does not reflect any investment management fees or transaction expenses, nor the effects of taxes, fees or other charges.
The Fairholme Fund (the "Fund") shares outstanding and unaudited net asset value per share ("NAV") at May 31, 2013, the end of the Fund's second fiscal quarter of 2013, and NAVs at other pertinent dates, were as follows:
At June 30, 2013, the unaudited NAV of the Fund was $36.18. Performance figures below are shown for the Fund's semi-annual period ended May 31, 2013, and do not match calendar year figures for the period ended June 30, 2013, cited in the Portfolio Manager's report.
For the six months ended May 31, 2013, the Fund outperformed the S&P 500 Index ("S&P 500") by 10.13 percentage points while over the last year the Fund outperformed the S&P 500 by 14.41 percentage points. From inception, the Fund outperformed the S&P 500 by 9.82 percentage points per annum or, on a cumulative basis, 345.60 percentage points over thirteen years and five months.
Fairholme Capital Management, L.L.C. (the "Manager") believes continuing economic recovery contributed to overall performance. However, the fact that securities increase or decline in value does not always indicate that the Manager believes these securities to be more or less or attractive — in fact, the Manager believes that some price increases present selling opportunities and some price declines present buying opportunities. Shareholders are also cautioned that it is possible that some securities mentioned in this discussion may no longer be held by the Fund subsequent to the end of the fiscal period and that the Fund may have made significant new purchases that are not yet required to be disclosed. It is the Fund's general policy not to disclose portfolio holdings other than when required by relevant law or regulation. Portfolio holdings are subject to change without notice.
Not all Fund portfolio dispositions or additions are material, and, while the Fund and the Manager have long-term objectives, it is possible that a security sold or purchased in one period will be purchased or sold in a subsequent period. Generally, the Manager determines to buy and sell based on its estimates of the absolute and relative intrinsic values and fundamental dynamics of a particular security and its issuer and its industry. However, certain strategies of the Manager in carrying out Fund policies may result in shorter holding periods.
In the opinion of the Manager, performance over shorter periods is likely to be less meaningful than over longer periods. Investors are cautioned not to rely on short-term results. Further, shareholders should note that the S&P 500 is an unmanaged index incurring no fees, expenses, or tax effects and is shown solely to compare Fund performance to that of an unmanaged and diversified index of U.S. publicly traded corporation common stock.
The Manager invests Fund assets in securities to the extent it finds reasonable investment opportunities in accordance with its Prospectus and may invest a significant portion of Fund assets in liquid, low-risk securities or cash. The Manager views liquidity as a strategic advantage. At May 31, 2013, cash and cash equivalents (consisting of cash, commercial paper, deposit accounts, U.S. Treasury Bills, and money-market funds) represented 9.02% of total assets. Since inception, the Fund has held liquid, low-risk securities or cash for periods without, in the Manager's view, negatively influencing performance, although there is no guarantee that future performance will not be negatively affected by Fund liquidity.
The Fund is considered to be "non-diversified" under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund can invest a greater percentage of assets in fewer securities than a diversified fund and may invest a significant portion of cash and liquid assets in one or more higher risk securities at any time, particularly in situations where markets are weak or a particular security declines sharply. The Fund may also have a greater percentage of assets invested in a particular industry than a diversified fund, exposing the Fund to the risk of an unanticipated industry condition as well as risks specific to a single company or security. The following charts show the top holdings by issuer and sector in descending order of net assets as of May 31, 2013.
The Manager views the ability to focus on fewer investments than a diversified fund as a strategic advantage. However, such a strategy may negatively influence short-term performance, and there is no guarantee that long-term performance will not be negatively affected.
The Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities and securities of corporations domiciled outside of the United States which may expose the Fund to adverse changes resulting from foreign currency fluctuations or other potential risks as described in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
The Fund's Officers, the Board of Directors (the "Board" or the "Directors"), and Manager are aware that large cash inflows or outflows may adversely affect Fund performance. Such flows are monitored and appropriate actions are contemplated for when such flows could negatively impact performance.
Since inception, the Fund has been advised by the Manager. Mr. Berkowitz, both the Managing Member of the Manager and Chairman of the Fund's Board, continues to have a significant personal stake in the Fund, holding an aggregate 10,487,264 shares at May 31, 2013. While there is no requirement that the Manager own shares of the Fund, such holdings are believed to help align shareholder interests.
The Board, including the Independent Directors, continues to believe that it is in the best interest of the Fund to have Mr. Berkowitz serve as Chairman of the Board given: his long-term relative performance; his experience, commitment, and significant personal investment in the Fund; the present constitution of Directors and policies; and current rules and regulations. Certain Directors and Officers of the Fund are also Officers of the Manager. Nevertheless, at May 31, 2013, a majority of Directors were independent of the Manager, no stock option or restricted stock plans exist, Officers received no direct compensation from the Fund, and Directors affiliated with the Manager received no compensation for being Directors.
For more complete information about the Fund, or to obtain a current Prospectus, please visit www.fairholmefunds.com or call Shareholder Services at 1-866-202-2263.
As a Fund shareholder, you incur direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include, but are not limited to, transaction fees at some broker-dealers, custodial fees for retirement accounts, redemption fees on Fund shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase, and wire transfer fees. You also incur indirect, ongoing costs that include, but are not limited to, management fees paid to the Manager.
The following example is intended to help you understand your indirect costs (also referred to as "ongoing costs" and measured in dollars) when investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. This example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested in the Fund, at December 1, 2012, and held for the entire six month period ending May 31, 2013.
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you had invested at the beginning of the period, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading "Expenses Paid During the Period" to estimate the expenses you paid on your Fund holdings during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund's actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund's actual return for the period presented. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses that you paid for the period presented. However, you may use this information to compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with the ongoing costs of investing in other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.
Please note that the column titled "Expenses Paid During the Period" in the table below is meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as redemption fees (if any), or other direct costs. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these direct costs were included, your total costs would be higher.
