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Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund

Overview

Inception
Date
Ticker
Symbol
WSJ
Abbreviation
CUSIP Investment
Style
6/23/2008 WTMIX N/A 957904477 Micro-Cap
Value


Investment Strategy

The Fund seeks to provide its shareholders with long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in micro-cap companies whose stocks appear to be undervalued.


The Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund invests primarily in the common stock of microcap companies that appear to be undervalued. The portfolio management team uses a proprietary multi-factor quantitative investment model to identify such companies based on various financial measures and/or ratios.


Downloadable Fact Sheet

Download and view the most recent Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund Quarterly Fact Sheet as a PDF file. This Fact Sheet contains complete information, including:
  • Fund Strategy
  • Portfolio Review and Outlook
  • Investment Performance versus Benchmark
  • Portfolio Characteristics
  • Top Ten Holdings
  • Sector Diversification
  • Morningstar Ratings
  • Fees and Expenses

If you do not currently have Adobe Acrobat ReaderTM on your computer, you can download it for free now.  


Portfolio Characteristics


Portfolio Characteristics
as of 3/31/2009

 

Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund

Russell Microcap Index

Total Fund Assets $0.9 mil. N/A
Number of holdings 171 1896
Cash Position 4.2% N/A
Weighted Market Capitalization $0.3 bil. $0.2 bil.
Median Market Capitalization $0.2 bil. $0.1 bil.
Estimated 1-Year Forward EPS Growth (2.1)% 4.5%
Average Dividend Yield of Portfolio Securities 1.8% 1.5%
P/E Ratio 2004 Estimated Earnings 14.0x 14.1x
Beta (5-year) 1.00 1.09
Turnover Ratio since inception (6/23/08) 62% N/A

See our online glossary for definitions of the terms above.



Expense Information

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):
Redemption Fee
(as a percentage of amount redeemed or exchanged within 90 calendar days
from their date of purchase)
2.00%
Annual Account Maintenance Fee
(for accounts under $750 as further described in prospectus)
$12.00
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that are deducted from Fund assets):
Management Fees(1) 1.00%
Distribtion (12b-1) Fees NONE
Other Expenses 1.38%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2.38%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement(1) (1.08)%
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1) 1.30%

(1)The Fund's Adviser and Administrators have contractually agreed to waive a portion of the investment advisory and/or administration fees and/or to reimburse other expenses for the Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund from April 29, 2008 until at least April 29, 2009, so that Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses will be no more than 1.30% for the current fiscal year. You will be notified if these waivers and/or reimbursements are discontinued after that date resulting in a material change in expense ratio.

(2)Each Fund's shareholders indirectly bear the expenses of the other funds in which the Fund invests (Acquired Funds). The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratios in the Fund's financial statements (or the financial highlights in the prospectus) because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in the Acquired Funds.


Investment Minimums

Westcore Funds requires a low minimum amount to open an account, relative to many other fund companies. We also offer flexibility with the Westcore Automatic Investment Plan.
To open a new account $2,500
To open a new Retirement Account, Education Savings Account or UGMA/UTMA Account $1,000
To open a new account with the
Westcore Automatic Investment Plan
$1,000
Automatic Investments Equivalent to $25 per month
To add to any type of account $25


Account Services

  • Automated Phone Access
  • Online Account Access
  • Wire and ACH Transmissions
  • Individual, Joint, Traditional/Roth IRA, Education Savings, UGMA/UTMA, Corporate Accounts Available
  • Automatic Exchanges


  • How to Start Investing with Westcore

    Everything you need to start investing with Westcore is right here:
    Get the facts about Westcore with a Westcore Funds Prospectus.
    Open a new account with a Westcore Account Application.
    Learn more about Westcore IRAs with a Westcore IRA Brochure.
    Open an IRA account with a Westcore IRA Application and Transfer Form.
    Learn more about Westcore Education Savings with Coverdell Education Savings Account Information
    Open an Education Savings Account with a Coverdell Education Savings Account Application.

    Performance

    Average Annual Total Returns
    for the periods ended
    3/31/2009

    Fund Name

    Quarter

    YTD

    1-Year

    3-Year

    5-Year

    10-Year

    Since
    Inception
    (6/23/2008)

    Fund
    Expense1
    Gross/Net

    Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund (18.22)% (18.22)% N/A N/A N/A N/A (38.20)% 2.38% /
    1.30%
    Russell Microcap Index (15.21)% (15.21)% N/A N/A N/A N/A (43.29)%  


    Annual Total Returns
    from 6/23/2008
    Year
    Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund
    Russell Microcap Index
    2008
    (24.43)%
    (33.11)%


    Daily NAV
      Fund Name NAV
    as of 07/02/2009
    $ Change
    in NAV
    % Change
    in NAV
      Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund$7.30($-0.28)(-3.69%)


    Morningstar Rating TM as of 3/31/2009

    Overall

    3-Year

    5-Year

    10-Year

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A



    2007 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

    Morningstar proprietary ratings reflect historical risk-adjusted performance as of 3/31/09. For each fund with at least a three-year history, Morningstar calculates a Morningstar Rating based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a fund's monthly performance (including the effects of sales charges, loads, and redemption fees), placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of funds in each 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 fund is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, ten-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. During periods on which ratings are based, service providers of the Fund waived fees. This waiver had a material impact on the funds' average annual returns. In the absence of fee waivers, performance would have been reduced.


    Click here for the most recent month-end Morningstar Ratings information.


    $10,000 Hypothetical Investment Graph

    The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. To obtain current performance as of the most recent month-end, please call 1-800-392-CORE (2673) or visit us online at www.westcore.com. Average annual total returns and yield figures reflect the reinvestment of dividends, capital gains distributions, all fee waivers and expense reimbursements. Without the fee waivers and expense reimbursements, total return and yield figures would have been lower. The performance data quoted does not reflect the deduction of the 2% redemption fee imposed if shares are redeemed or exchanged within three months of purchase. If imposed, the fee would reduce the performance quoted. Total return and yield figures represent past performance. Investment return and principal value will vary, and shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Westcore fund shares are not insured by the FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board or any other agency and are subject to investment risk.

    Investing in micro-cap funds can be more volatile and loss of principal could be greater than investing in large-cap funds.

    1The Funds' Adviser and Administrators have contractually agreed to waive a portion of the investment advisory and/or administration fees and/or to reimburse other expenses from April 29, 2008 until at least April 29, 2009, so that Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses will be no more than quoted for the current fiscal year. You will be notified if these waivers and/or reimbursements are discontinued after that date resulting in a material change in expense ratio. The waivers are described in more detail in the prospectus.

    Holdings/Sectors

    Top Ten Holdings as of 3/31/2009(updated quarterly upon availability)

    Company Name Ticker

    % of Portfolio

    Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust RPT 1.0%
    AsiaInfo Holdings Inc. ASIA 1.0%
    Great Southern Bancorp Inc. GSBC 1.0%
    Aaon Inc. AAON 0.9%
    Salix Pharmaceutical Ltd. SLXP 0.9%
    Cass Information Systems Inc. CASS 0.9%
    Marten Transport Ltd. MRTN 0.9%
    Ceva Inc. CEVA 0.9%
    Spectrum Control Inc. SPEC 0.9%
    SPSS Inc. SPSS 0.9%

    Top ten holdings are subject to change, and there are no guarantees that the Fund will continue to remain invested in any particular company or holding.

    Download and view the most recent Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund Composition Sheet as a PDF file. This Composition Sheet contains complete holdings for the Fund. Updated monthly upon availability.

    If you do not currently have Adobe Acrobat ReaderTM on your computer, you can download it for free now.  


    Sectors as of 3/31/2009
    Interest Rate Sensitive 20.7%
    Consumer Cyclical 10.2%
    Energy 4.1%
    Medical/Healthcare 16.8%
    Utilities 2.5%
    Technology 15.7%
    Commercial Services 7.0%
    Consumer Staples 3.5%
    Basic Materials 2.4%
    REIT's 1.8%
    Capital Goods 6.4%
    Transportation 2.9%
    Communications 1.8%
    Cash 4.2%

    Management/Commentary



    Kris B. Herrick, CFA
    Co-Portfolio Manager, Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund

    Kris B. Herrick, CFA, a Vice President of Denver Investment Advisors is Director of Value Research and is responsible for co-managing Westcore Blue Chip Fund, Westcore Mid-Cap Value Fund, Westcore Small-Cap Opportunity Fund and Westcore Small-Cap Value Fund. Kris joined Denver Investment Advisors as a Research Analyst in 2000. His previous experience includes working as an analyst with Jurika and Voyles. Kris earned both a B.A. and a B.S. from the University of Northern Colorado. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the CFA Society of Colorado.

     

    Paul Kuppinger, CFA
    Co-Portfolio Manager, Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund

    Paul Kuppinger, CFA, a Vice President of Denver Investment Advisors, is a Quantitative Analyst with the Equity Value Research Team responsible for co-managing the Westcore Micro- Cap Opportunity Fund since its inception. Prior to joining Denver Investment Advisors in 2006, Mr. Kuppinger was a principal at Rocky Mountain Wealth Advisors since 2004 following a year of consulting as a self-proprietor in 2003. Prior to this he has held various positions in the wealth 24 management business at CPFA, Curian Capital, Prima Capital and KPMG Investment Advisory Practice. Mr. Kuppinger has a total of 18 years of professional experience.

     

    Jon Tesseo
    Co-Portfolio Manager, Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund

    Jon Tesseo, a Vice President of Denver Investment Advisors, is a Quantitative Analyst with the Equity Value Research Team responsible for co-managing the Westcore Micro-Cap Opportunity Fund since its inception. Prior to joining Denver Investment Advisors in 2008, he was an Investment Director at OmniWealth Ltd. since June 2007. Prior to that, he held Portfolio Manager/research positions at Oak Research, Inc. (April 2004-June 2007), Harris Investment Management (August 1999-April 2004) and Navellier & Associates (April 1991-August 1999). He began his career with Lotus Development, Inc. Mr. Tesseo has a total of 20 years of professional experience.

     

    Those individuals listed as CFAs have earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.


    Manager Commentary/Current Issues

    As of 3/31/09
    • The first quarter of this year started much the way 2008 ended with broad based declines in January and February, while March showed a nice bounce. For the quarter, the Russell Microcap Index was off -15.21%, the Russell Microcap Growth Index was off -8.83%, and the Russell Microcap Value Index was off -20.48%. In this environment the Fund was off -18.22%. Some of our underperformance versus the Russell Microcap Index was caused by having a slight value tilt.

    • Bigger influences on the portfolio than the difference between growth and value, were the difference between low priced and higher priced stocks, and the difference between smaller market cap stocks, and larger market cap stocks. Stocks in the bottom 20% of a price sort (those with a price below $2.60) were up 1% for the quarter, while stocks in the top 20% of a price sort lost 23.48% this quarter. In conjunction with this, the smallest stocks in the universe were off 1% while the largest stocks in the universe were off 22%. In an effort to maintain an appropriate level of liquidity in the portfolio, we tend to hold larger, higher priced stocks. This is prudent given our view that smaller, lower price stocks are generally less liquid.

    • We remain relatively close to the Russell Microcap Index market weight in each of the industrial sectors, so allocation has a much smaller effect on the portfolio versus our benchmark than individual stock selection or other characteristics. That being said, it can have an impact on our performance relative to other micro-cap funds that do make large sector bets. Consumer cyclical and consumer staples were our best performing sectors. Banks and other finance sector companies were the biggest draw on our portfolio this past quarter. Last year they were among our largest contributors to performance. Our investment process is designed to not make sector timing bets but rather maintain comparable weightings to the benchmark which we believe helps us to not miss large scale sector rotations.

      Stock Performance (3 months ended 3/31/09)
      Top 5 Stocks -- Average Weight -- Contribution To Return

      Pegasystems Inc. 0.88 0.39
      Asiainfo Holdings Inc. 0.68 0.34
      America Service Group Inc. 0.64 0.23
      Diamond Foods Inc. 0.58 0.22
      Immunogen Inc. 0.11 0.17

      Bottom 5 Stocks -- Average Weight -- Contribution To Return
      Emergent Biosolutions Inc. 0.81 -0.54
      Stoneridge Inc. 0.43 -0.55
      BancTrust Financial Group Inc. 0.71 -0.58
      Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. 0.69 -0.72
      Hutchinson Technology Inc. 0.60 -0.72

    Past performance does not guarantee future results. These stocks do not represent all of the securities purchased, sold or recommended by the Funds' Adviser. The methodology used to construct this chart took into account the weighting of every holding in the Fund that contributed to the Fund's performance during the measurement period. The contribution of each Fund holding was consistently determined by calculating the weight of each holding multiplied by the rate of return for that holding during the measurement period. To request a complete list of the contribution of each Fund holding to overall Fund performance, please call 1-800-392-CORE (2673) or email invest@westcore.com.

    The Manager Commentaries contain certain forward-looking statements about the factors that may affect the performance of the Funds in the future. These statements are based on Fund management's predictions and expectations concerning certain future events and their expected impact on the Funds, such as performance of the economy as a whole and of specific industry sectors, changes in the levels of interest rates, the impact of developing world events, and other factors that may influence the future performance of the Funds. Management believes these forward-looking statements to be reasonable, although they are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Actual events may cause adjustments in portfolio management strategies from those currently expected to be employed.

    All indices are unmanaged and investors cannot invest directly in an index. View index descriptions.

    View glossary of terms.

    View current performance.

    Distributions

    Recent Distributions

    The amounts shown below are paid per share. View our fund prospectus online for more information on distributions.


    Type Amount Record Date Ex-Date Pay Date
    Income $033764 12/26/2008 12/29/2008 12/30/2008

    A fund's income from dividends and interest and any net realized short-term capital gains are paid to shareholders as income dividends. A fund realizes capital gains whenever it sells securities for a higher price than it paid for them. Net realized long-term gains are paid to shareholders as capital gain dividends. A dividend will reduce the net asset value of a fund share by the amount of the dividend on the ex-dividend date.

    An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund(s) carefully before investing. Click here for a prospectus, which contains this and other important information. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

    Westcore Funds are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc.

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