WCM Focused Emerging Markets ex China Fund
Investor Class: WCFEX
Institutional Class: WCMWX

Summary Prospectus

April 30, 2024

 

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 Statutory Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information and other information about the Fund online at https://www.wcminvestfunds.com/focused-emerging-markets-ex-china-fund. You may also obtain this information at no cost by calling 1-888-988-9801 or by sending an e-mail request to fundliterature@wcminvest.com. The Fund’s Statutory Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated April 30, 2024, as each may be amended or supplemented, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the WCM Focused Emerging Markets ex China Fund (the “Fund”) is long-term capital appreciation.

 

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 example below.

 

   

Investor
Class Shares

 

Institutional
Class Shares

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

       

Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases

 

None

 

None

Maximum deferred sales charge (load)

 

None

 

None

Wire fee

 

$20

 

$20

Overnight check delivery fee

 

$25

 

$25

Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fee)

 

$15

 

$15

         

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

     

Management fees

 

1.00%

 

1.00%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fee

 

0.25%

 

None

Other expenses

 

15.53%

 

15.53%

Shareholder service fee

0.15%

 

0.15%

 

All other expenses

15.38%

 

15.38%

 

Total annual fund operating expenses

 

16.78%

 

16.53%

Fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed1

 

(15.28%)

 

(15.28%)

Total annual fund operating expenses after waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses1

 

1.50%

 

1.25%

         

 

1

The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with SEC Form N-1A), professional fees related to services for the collection of foreign tax reclaims, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and

 


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extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.50% and 1.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively. This agreement is in effect through April 30, 2034, and may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Fund’s advisor is permitted to seek reimbursement from the Fund, subject to certain limitations, of fees waived or payments made to the Fund for a period ending three years after the date of the waiver or payment. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement.

 

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 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. The example reflects the Fund’s contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement only for the term of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.

 

Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

 

One Year

Three Years

Five Years

Ten Years

Investor Class

$153

$474

$818

$1,791

Institutional Class

$127

$397

$686

$1,511

 

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. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 37% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies in emerging or frontier countries or markets, excluding companies in China. Emerging and frontier countries or markets are those countries or markets with low- to middle-income economies as classified by the World Bank or included in any of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) emerging markets or frontier markets indices. The Fund’s advisor considers a company to be located in a country if the company has been organized under the laws of, has its principal offices in, or has its securities principally traded in, the country, or if the company derives at least 50% of its revenues or net profits from, or has at least 50% of its assets or production capacities in, the country.

 

The Fund’s advisor expects the Fund to primarily invest in equity securities under normal circumstances. The Fund’s equity investments include common stock, which may include common stock that is offered in initial public offerings (“IPOs”), and depositary receipts. The Fund’s investments in depositary receipts may include American, European, Canadian and Global Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”, “EDRs”, “CDRs” and “GDRs”, respectively). The Fund will be managed pursuant to a “focused” strategy whereby the Fund’s investment advisor will typically invest the Fund’s assets in the equity securities of a small number of issuers.

 

The Fund may purchase exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) to manage the Fund’s cash holdings and gain exposure to the types of securities in which the Fund primarily invests. ETFs are investment companies that invest in portfolios of securities designed to track particular market segments or indices, the shares of which are bought and sold on a securities exchange. The Fund will count its ETF positions for purposes of determining whether it holds at least 80% of the value of its net assets (including investment-related borrowings) in equity securities of companies in emerging or frontier countries or markets, excluding companies in China.

 


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The Fund’s advisor uses a bottom-up approach that seeks to identify companies with attractive fundamentals, such as long-term historical growth in revenue and earnings, and/or a strong probability for superior future growth. The advisor’s investment process seeks companies that are industry leaders with strengthening competitive advantages; corporate cultures emphasizing strong, quality and experienced management; low or no debt; and attractive relative valuations. The Fund’s advisor also considers other factors including political risk, monetary policy risk, and regulatory risk in selecting securities.

 

The Fund may invest in securities of any size companies. The Fund generally invests in the securities of companies domiciled in at least three different countries. However, from time to time, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in the securities of companies domiciled in one or a few countries or regions. The Fund may make significant investments in certain sectors or group of sectors within a particular industry or industries from time to time.

 

Principal Risks of Investing

 

Risk is inherent in all investing and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. A summary description of certain principal risks of investing in the Fund is set forth below. Before you decide whether to invest in the Fund, carefully consider these risk factors associated with investing in the Fund, which may cause investors to lose money. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have significant impact on a security or instrument. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. 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.

 

Equity Risk. The value of the equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.

 

Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include ADRs, EDRs, CDRs and GDRs. Unsponsored ADRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities, and involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends.

 

Asia Risk. Asia includes both developed and emerging market economies experiencing different stages of growth. Certain Asian economies may experience currency devaluations and restrictions, high inflation, decreased exports, high unemployment rates, government corruption, and economic recessions. In addition, certain Asian countries have experienced expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political instability, piracy of intellectual property data, armed conflict, and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic, socio-economic and/or political unrest. In particular, escalated tensions involving North Korea and any outbreak of hostilities involving North Korea, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities, could have a severe adverse effect on Asian economies. Some economies in this region are dependent on a range of commodities, strongly affected by international

 


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commodity prices, and particularly vulnerable to price changes for these products. The market for securities in this region may also be directly influenced by the flow of international capital and by the economic and market conditions of neighboring countries. Some Asian economies are highly dependent on trade, and the economic conditions in other countries within and outside of Asia can impact these economies.

 

Latin America Risk. Latin American economies are generally considered emerging markets characterized by political instability and high levels of debt, unemployment, inflation, and interest rates. Currency devaluations in any one Latin American country may have a significant impact on the entire Latin American region. Commodities such as oil and gas, minerals, and metals represent a significant percentage of the region’s exports. As a result, Latin American economies are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices, the global demand for commodities, and the economic conditions of international trade partners, including the United States, Europe, and Asia. A relatively small number of Latin American companies represents a large portion of Latin America’s total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements than regions with more numerous and economically diverse companies.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Many of the risks with respect to foreign investments are more pronounced for investments in issuers in developing or emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have more government exchange controls, more volatile interest and currency exchange rates, less market regulation, and less developed and less stable economic, political and legal systems than those of more developed countries. There may be less publicly available and reliable information about issuers in emerging markets than is available about issuers in more developed markets. In addition, emerging market countries may experience high levels of inflation and may have less liquid securities markets and less efficient trading and settlement systems.

 

Frontier Markets Risk. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than traditional emerging markets, and as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.

 

ETF Risk. Investing in an ETF will provide the Fund with exposure to the securities comprising the index on which the ETF is based and will expose the Fund to risks similar to those of investing directly in those securities. Shares of ETFs typically trade on securities exchanges and may at times trade at a premium or discount to their net asset values. In addition, an ETF may not replicate exactly the performance of the benchmark index it seeks to track for a number of reasons, including transaction costs incurred by the ETF, the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or discrepancies between the ETF and the index with respect to the weighting of securities or the number of securities held. Investing in ETFs, which are investment companies, may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. The Fund will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs.

 

Risks Associated with Taiwan. Investments in Taiwanese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to Taiwan. Taiwan’s geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions between the two countries. These tensions may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and its securities market. Taiwan’s economy is export-oriented and depends on open world trade, which makes it vulnerable to fluctuations in the world economy. The Taiwanese economy is dependent on the economies of Asia, mainly those of Japan and China, and the United States. Reduction in spending by any of those countries on Taiwanese products and services, or negative changes in any of those economies, may adversely impact the Taiwanese economy.

 

Risks Associated with India. Investments in Indian issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to India. For example, in addition to the general risks applicable to emerging market securities, there are special risks associated with investments in Indian issuers, including exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, and exchange control regulations (including currency blockage). Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation and interest rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economy and securities markets of India. A high proportion of the securities of many Indian issuers are held

 


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by a limited number of persons or entities, which may limit the number of shares available for investment by the Fund. Also, a limited number of issuers represent a disproportionately large percentage of market capitalization and trading value in India.

 

IPO Risk. The market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk.

 

Currency Risk. The value of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increases or decreases as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.

 

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.

 

Management and Strategy Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Fund’s advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect.

 

Market Capitalization Risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion. The securities of small-capitalization or mid-capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.

 

Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events and other economic, political, and global macro factors. For example, in recent years the COVID-19 pandemic, the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the rise of inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. These and other similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments, impair the Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance.

 

Focused Investing Risk. Because the Fund invests a greater proportion of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers, the Fund will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those issuers, and the value of its shares may be more volatile than a fund that invests in a larger number of issuers.

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2023, 30.3% and 26.9% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the information technology sector and the financial sector, respectively. Companies in the information technology sector can be significantly affected by intense competition, consumer preferences, problems with product compatibility and government regulation. The performance of companies in the financial sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others: government regulations of, or related to, the sector; governmental monetary and fiscal policies; economic, business or political conditions; credit rating downgrades; changes in interest rates; price competition; and decreased liquidity in credit markets.

 


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Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Fund’s advisor, and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to exchange or redeem Fund shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

 

Performance

 

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year for Institutional Class Shares and by showing how the average annual total returns of each class of the Fund compare with the average annual total returns of a broad-based market index. Performance for classes other than those shown may vary from the performance shown to the extent the expenses for those classes differ. Updated performance information is available at the Fund’s website www.wcminvestfunds.com, or by calling the Fund at 1-888-988-9801. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Annual Total Return (before taxes) for Institutional Class Shares

 

For each calendar year at NAV

 

 

The year-to-date return as of March 31, 2024, was 5.65%.

 

Institutional Shares

Highest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV

14.34%

Quarter Ended 12/31/2023

Lowest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV

(3.45)%

Quarter Ended 9/30/2023

 


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

1 Year

Since
Inception

Inception Date

Institutional Class Shares — Return Before Taxes

29.00%

27.66%

December 29, 2022

Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions*

28.91%

27.58%

December 29, 2022

Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares*

17.21%

21.07%

December 29, 2022

Investor Class Shares — Return Before Taxes

28.70%

27.37%

December 29, 2022

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

20.03%

19.66%

December 29, 2022

 

*

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.

 

Investment Advisor

 

WCM Investment Management, LLC (the “Advisor” or “WCM”)

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The portfolio management team is comprised of Gregory S. Ise, CFA, Portfolio Manager, and Mike Tian, CFA, Portfolio Manager. Messrs. Ise and Tian are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio and have served as portfolio managers of the Fund since its inception on December 29, 2022.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

To purchase shares of the Fund, you must invest at least the minimum amount.

 

 

Investor Class

Institutional Class

Minimum Investments

To Open
Your Account

To Add to
Your Account

To Open
Your Account

To Add to
Your Account

Direct Regular Accounts

$1,000

$100

$100,000

$5,000

Direct Retirement Accounts

$1,000

$100

$100,000

$5,000

Automatic Investment Plan

$100

$50

$5,000

$2,500

Gift Account For Minors

$1,000

$500

$100,000

$5,000

 

Fund shares are redeemable on any business day the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open for business, by written request or by telephone.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable, and will ordinarily be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Shareholders investing through such tax-advantaged arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 


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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 Fund 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.

 


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