The Fund’s top position during the quarter was Exelis Inc. (XLS), a former spin-off of ITT Corp. (ITT), and Exelis also recently spun-off a division of their own in Vectrus Inc. (VEC). During the quarter the stock rose over 37 percent and added 46 basis points of performance to the Fund. Shares of the defense contractor jumped sharply in February after they agreed to be acquired by rival Harris Corp. (HRS) in a deal valued at $4.75 billion. While we believe there may be good synergies between the two companies, valuations became high enough that we exited the position soon after the announcement.
From John Keeley (Trades, Portfolio)’s KEELEY Small Cap Value Fund Q1 2015 Commentary.
