Summary Prospectus April 29, 2024  

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Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund
Summary Prospectus April 29, 2024
(CROWFORD LOGO)

 

Before You Invest

 

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 and other information about the Fund, including its statement of additional information (SAI) and most recent reports to shareholders, online at https://www.crawfordinvestmentfunds.com or https://funddocs.filepoint.com/crawford. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 431-1716 or by sending an e-mail request to fulfillment@ultimusfundsolutions.com. This Summary Prospectus incorporates by reference the Fund’s entire prospectus and SAI, each dated April 29, 2024.

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund (the “Fund”) is to provide current income.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses  
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management Fees 1.00%
Other Expenses 0.23%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1 0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.24%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement2 (0.24)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses  
(After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement) 1.00%

 

1Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

 

2The Fund’s adviser, Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. (the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse the Fund’s other expenses in order to limit total annual Fund operating expenses to 0.99% of the average daily net assets of the Fund through April 30, 2025 (excluding portfolio transaction and other investment-related costs (including brokerage fees and commissions); taxes; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short); acquired fund fees and expenses; fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses); any amounts payable pursuant to a distribution or service plan adopted in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; any administrative and/or shareholder servicing fees payable pursuant to a plan adopted by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”); expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization; extraordinary expenses (such as litigation expenses,
 indemnification of Trust officers and Trustees and contractual indemnification of Fund service providers); and other expenses that the Trustees agree have not been incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) This expense cap may not be terminated prior to this date except by the Board upon sixty days’ written notice to the Adviser. Each waiver/expense payment by the Adviser is subject to recoupment by the Adviser from the Fund in the three years following the date the particular waiver/expense payment occurred, but only if such recoupment can be achieved without exceeding the annual expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver/expense payment and any expense limitation in effect at the time of the recoupment.

 

Expense Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in 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, except as indicated, 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 that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same and the expense reduction/reimbursement described above remains in place for the contractual period only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$102 $370 $658 $1,479

 

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 rate 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 Expense Example, above, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 35% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund pursues a multi-asset income strategy with the primary objective of generating current income. The Fund invests primarily in dividend paying common stocks, preferred stocks, corporate bonds, U.S. government securities, convertible bonds and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund may invest throughout the investment quality spectrum, including debt securities with below investment grade ratings (“junk bonds”). Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. (the “Adviser”) utilizes a bottom-up approach to security selection. The Fund emphasizes income over capital appreciation.



CRAWFORD MULTI-ASSET INCOME FUND ● 600 GALLERIA PARKWAY, SE ● SUITE 1650 ● ATLANTA, GA 30339
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Summary Prospectus April 29, 2024  

 

 

 
         

 

The Adviser seeks to provide diversified exposure across income producing assets. Within each asset class, the Adviser places an emphasis on the relative quality among the investments available. The Adviser also assesses each security’s risk profile and attempts to balance the Fund’s holdings across the four primary risk categories of market risk, interest rate risk, oil/energy price risk and credit risk. The Fund plans to invest in high yield, dividend paying stocks across the capitalization spectrum. The Fund may invest in bonds of all maturities. The Fund’s maturity strategy will be heavily influenced by yield opportunities, which will be balanced by interest rate risk.

 

Under normal circumstances the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in income producing securities. The Fund may invest in equity securities of foreign issuers, directly or indirectly through American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or other types of depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in business development companies (“BDCs”), master limited partnerships (“MLPs”), residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”), commercial mortgage backed securities (“CMBS”), asset backed securities (“ABS”), and closed end funds. The Adviser typically seeks to hold between 30 and 125 securities (although the number may vary depending on market conditions).

 

The Fund may at times overweight certain economic sector/asset classes in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark, the NASDAQ U.S. Multi-Asset Diversified Income Index, because the Adviser seeks the best investment opportunities regardless of sector or asset class. The Adviser generally purchases securities for the long-term. As a result, the Adviser believes that under normal circumstances the Fund will have low turnover, which should help minimize short-term capital gains and postpone long-term capital gains. However, when the Adviser deems that changes will benefit the Fund, portfolio turnover will not be a limiting factor.

 

The Fund may sell a security when the Adviser believes that the company’s fundamentals have deteriorated, if the company decreases its dividends, or if the security has become overvalued in the opinion of the Adviser. The Fund also may sell a security when the current yield is incompatible with the Fund’s objective of providing current income or the Adviser believes that a better investment opportunity is present.

 

Principal Risks

 

All investments involve risk, and the Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by any government agency. As with any mutual fund investment, the Fund’s returns and share price will fluctuate, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. Below are some of the specific risks of investing in the Fund.

 

Market and Geopolitical Risk. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate and climate related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, international conflicts, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. There is a risk that you may lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Dividend Risk. Changes to the dividend policies of companies in which the Fund invests and the capital resources available for dividend payment at such companies may harm Fund performance. The Fund may also be harmed by changes to the favorable federal income tax treatment generally afforded to dividends.

 

Large-Cap Risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion.

 

Small- and Mid-Cap Risk. Investments in small- and mid-cap companies may be riskier than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in lower volumes than securities of larger companies. In addition, smaller companies may be more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes. As a result, share price changes may be more sudden or erratic than the prices of other equity securities, especially over the short term. Because smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or may depend on a few key employees, they may be more susceptible to particular economic events or competitive factors than larger companies.

 

Interest Rate Risk. The market value of the securities in which the Fund invests and, thus, the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), can be expected to vary inversely with changes in interest rates. Interest rate risk is the risk that the prices of securities held by the Fund (to the extent their prices are dependent on their income-producing features, such as dividends or interest) will decline over short or even long periods of time due to rising interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter-term investments and higher for longer-term investments.

CRAWFORD MULTI-ASSET INCOME FUND ● 600 GALLERIA PARKWAY, SE ● SUITE 1650 ● ATLANTA, GA 30339
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Summary Prospectus April 29, 2024  

 

 

 
         

 

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a security or other instrument will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due. Generally, the lower the credit rating of the security the greater the risk that the issuer will default on its obligations. If this occurs, or is perceived as likely to occur, the value of the security will likely fall.

 

U.S. Government Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities. These securities may be backed by the credit of the government as a whole or only by the issuing agency. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if it is not required to do so by law. Neither the U.S. government nor its agencies guarantee the market value of their securities, and interest rate changes, prepayments and other factors may affect the value of the government securities.

 

Convertible Securities Risk. A convertible security is a fixed income security (a debt instrument or a preferred stock) that may be converted at a stated price within a specified period of time into a certain quantity of the common stock of the same or a different issuer. While providing a fixed income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derivable from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar non-convertible security) a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock. As a result of these features, a convertible security is subject to many of the risks to which common stock and fixed income securities are subject.

 

Stock and Preferred Stock Risk. Because stocks are generally more volatile than fixed income securities, the risk of losses is often higher for funds holding stocks than for those investing only in fixed income securities. Preferred stock is subject to many of the risks to which common stock and fixed income securities are subject, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as provisions allowing the stock to be called or redeemed, which can limit the benefit of a decline in interest rates.

 

Active Management Risk. Because the Fund is actively managed, it may underperform its benchmark or other funds with similar investment objectives. The Adviser’s investment strategy may fail to produce the intended results and the Fund may fail to meet its investment objective.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investing in foreign securities may involve risks not associated with U.S. investments, including settlement risks, currency fluctuation, local withholding and other taxes, different financial reporting practices and regulatory standards, high costs of trading, changes in political conditions, expropriation, investment and repatriation restrictions, and settlement and custody risks.

 

Depositary Receipt Risk. ADRs and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) are receipts, issued by depository banks in the U.S. or elsewhere, for shares of a foreign-based corporation that entitle the holder to dividends and capital gains on the underlying security. ADRs and GDRs may be sponsored or unsponsored. In addition to the risks of investing in foreign securities, there is no guarantee that an ADR or GDR issuer will continue to offer a particular ADR or GDR. As a result, the Fund may have difficulty selling the ADRs or GDRs, or selling them quickly and efficiently at the prices at which they have been valued. The issuers of unsponsored ADRs or GDRs are not obligated to disclose information that is considered material in the U.S. and voting rights with respect to the deposited securities are not passed through. ADRs or GDRs may not track the prices of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, and their values may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading. Certain ADRs or GDRs are not listed on an exchange and therefore may be illiquid.

 

Currency Risk. Foreign investments also may be riskier than U.S. investments because of fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Exchange rate fluctuations may reduce or eliminate gains or create losses. The Adviser does not hedge against currency movements in the various markets in which foreign issuers are located, so the values of the Fund’s foreign securities are subject to the risk of adverse changes in currency exchange rates.

 

REIT Risk. The value of REITs can be negatively impacted by declines in the value of real estate, adverse general and local economic conditions and environmental problems. REITs are also subject to certain other risks related specifically to their structure and focus, such as: (a) dependency upon management’s skills; (b) limited diversification; (c) heavy cash flow dependency; (d) possible default by borrowers; and (e) in many cases, less liquidity and greater price volatility.

CRAWFORD MULTI-ASSET INCOME FUND ● 600 GALLERIA PARKWAY, SE ● SUITE 1650 ● ATLANTA, GA 30339
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Summary Prospectus April 29, 2024  

 

 

 
         

 

Publicly Traded Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in publicly traded master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) are subject to various risks related to the underlying operating companies controlled by the MLPs, including dependence upon specialized management skills and the risk that the underlying companies may lack or have limited operating histories. The success of the Fund’s investments also will vary depending on the underlying industry represented by the MLP’s portfolio. For example, when the Fund invests in MLPs that invest in oil and gas companies, its return on the investment will be highly dependent on oil and gas prices, which can be highly volatile. Similarly, MLPs that invest in real estate typically are subject to risks similar to those of a REIT. Unlike ownership of common stock of a corporation, the Fund would have limited voting rights and have no ability annually to elect directors in connection with its investment in an MLP.

 

MLP Tax Risk. MLPs, typically, do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level. Instead, each partner is allocated a share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law or in the underlying business mix of a given MLP could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in the MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income. The classification of an MLP as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP. Thus, if any of the MLPs owned by the Fund were treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it could result in a reduction of the value of your investment in the Fund and lower income, as compared to an MLP that is not taxed as a corporation.

 

BDC Risk. BDCs have little or no operating history and may carry risks similar to those of a private equity or venture capital fund. BDC securities are not redeemable at the option of the shareholder and they may trade in the market at a discount to their NAV. A significant portion of a BDC’s investments are recorded at fair value as determined by its board of directors, which may create uncertainty as to the value of the BDC’s investments. Non-traded BDCs are illiquid and it may not be possible to redeem shares or to do so without paying a substantial penalty. Publicly-traded BDCs usually trade at a discount to their NAV because they invest in unlisted securities and have limited access to capital markets.

 

Closed-End Fund Risk. Closed-end funds are subject to management risk because the adviser to the underlying closed-end fund may be unsuccessful in meeting the fund’s investment objective. These funds may also trade at a discount or premium to their NAV and may trade at a larger discount or smaller premium subsequent to purchase by the Fund. Since closed-end funds trade on exchanges, the Fund will also incur brokerage expenses and commissions when it buys or sells closed-end fund shares.

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in ABS and mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”), the Fund is subject to credit risk because underlying loan borrowers may default. Borrower default rates may be significantly higher than estimated. Additionally, these securities are subject to call or prepayment risk because the underlying loans held by the issuers may be paid off prior to maturity at faster or slower rates than expected.

 

High Yield Securities Risk. Below investment grade bonds, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, often are considered to be speculative and present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default or price change due to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness or changes in economic conditions. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund’s ability to sell its bonds. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund’s share price.

 

Sector Concentration Risk. The Fund may focus its investments in securities of a particular sector. Economic, legislative or regulatory developments may occur that significantly affect the sector. This may cause the Fund’s NAV to fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not focus in a particular sector.

 

Investment Company Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, including closed end investment companies and BDCs, it will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the other investment company. Therefore, the Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. In addition, the Fund may be affected by losses of the underlying funds and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of the underlying funds (such as the use of leverage by the underlying funds).

 

Issuer Cybersecurity Risk. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions may experience cybersecurity breaches. These breaches may result in harmful disruptions to operations and may negatively impact the financial condition of an issuer or market participant. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

CRAWFORD MULTI-ASSET INCOME FUND ● 600 GALLERIA PARKWAY, SE ● SUITE 1650 ● ATLANTA, GA 30339
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Summary Prospectus April 29, 2024  

 

 

 
         

 

Performance

 

The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year. The table below shows how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare over time to those of a broad-based securities market index. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance of the Fund is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

 

Annual Total Return (years ended December 31st)

 

(BAR GRAPH)

 

The Best/Worst quarterly results during this time period were:

 

   Best Quarter: 2nd Quarter, 2020, 13.76%
Worst Quarter: 1st Quarter, 2020, (28.10)%

 

Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2023)

 

      Since
  One Five Inception
  Year Years (09/12/2017)
Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund      
Return Before Taxes   6.40% 6.43% 4.26%
Return After Taxes on Distributions   4.99% 5.17% 3.00%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares   4.37% 4.77% 3.03%
NASDAQ U.S. Multi-Asset Diversified Income Index1 12.10% 5.27% 3.52%

 

1The NASDAQ U.S. Multi-Asset Diversified Income IndexSM is designed to provide exposure to multiple asset segments, each selected to result in a consistent and high yield. The index is comprised of securities classified as U.S. equities, U.S. Real Estate Investment Trusts, U.S. preferred securities, U.S. Master Limited Partnerships, and a high -yield corporate debt Exchange Traded Fund and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than are found in the Fund’s portfolio. Index returns do not reflect the deduction of expenses, which have been deducted from the Fund’s returns. Index returns assume reinvestment of all distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in an index; however, an individual may invest in exchange-traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index.

 

After -tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”). The index returns presented above assume reinvestment of all distributions and exclude the effect of taxes and fees (if taxes and fees were deducted, the actual returns of the index would be lower).

 

Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling (800) 431-1716, a toll-free number, or data current to the most recent quarter end may be accessed on the Fund’s website at www.crawfordinvestmentfunds.com.

CRAWFORD MULTI-ASSET INCOME FUND ● 600 GALLERIA PARKWAY, SE ● SUITE 1650 ● ATLANTA, GA 30339
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Summary Prospectus April 29, 2024  

 

 

 
         

 

Portfolio Management

 

Investment Adviser

 

Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

John H. Crawford, IV, CFA – Managing Director of Equity Investments and Portfolio Manager for the Fund since its inception in September 2017.

 

Aaron R. Foresman, CFA – Managing Director of Equity Research, Portfolio Manager of the Multi-Asset Income Strategy and Portfolio Manager for the Fund since its inception in September 2017.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

Minimum Initial Investment

 

$10,000 for all account types

 

There is no minimum amount for subsequent investments.

 

To Place Buy or Sell Orders

 

By Mail: Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund
  c/o: Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
  P.O. Box 46707
  Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-0707
   
By Phone: (800) 431-1716

 

You may sell or redeem shares directly through the Fund or through your dealer or financial adviser. Please contact your financial intermediary directly to find out if additional requirements apply.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions are taxable and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, IRA or 529 college savings plan. Tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those accounts.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or trust company), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create conflicts 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.

CRAWFORD MULTI-ASSET INCOME FUND ● 600 GALLERIA PARKWAY, SE ● SUITE 1650 ● ATLANTA, GA 30339
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