American
Growth Fund Series One (the "Fund") is managed using a growth style of
investing.
The Securities
and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or
passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary
is a criminal offense.
Table of Contents
Investment
Objectives/Goals 2
Fee Table 2
Portfolio Turnover 3
Principal
Investment Strategy 3
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
3
Risk/Return Bar Chart and Table 4
The Investment Advisor 6
Portfolio
Manager 6
Purchase and Sales of Fund Shares 6
Tax Consequences
6
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries 6
What is
the Fund’s Investment Objectives? 6
How does the Fund implement its
investment objective? 6
Risks 7
Portfolio Holdings 9
Annual Fund
operating expenses 9
The Investment Advisor 9
How is the Fund Managed?
10
Portfolio Manager 10
Chief Compliance Officer 11
Pricing of Fund
Shares 11
Purchase of Fund Shares 11
How to Redeem Shares 12
Account
Minimum 13
Dividends and Distributions 13
Frequent Purchases and
Redemptions of Fund Shares 13
Sales Charges 14
Intermediary-Defined Sales
Charge Waiver Policies 16
How to Reduce Sales Charges 17
Financial
Highlights 17
Understanding the Financial Highlights 21
Proxy Voting
22
Escheatment 22
Contact Us 23
Additional Information 23
Investment
Objectives/Goals
Fee
Table
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 tables and examples below. You may qualify for
sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the
future, at least $50,000 in the American Growth Fund. More information about
these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in
How to Reduce your Sales Charge, page 17 of the Fund´s prospectus and under
Distribution of Shares, page 13 of the Fund´s Statement of Additional
Information (“SAI”).
Class A | Class B | Class C | Class D | |
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) | ||||
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower | ||||
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends | ||||
Redemption Fees | ||||
Exchange Fee |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) ended July 31, 2024:
Management Fees | ||||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) fees | ||||
Other Expenses | ||||
Acquired Fund fees and expenses | ||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (d) |
(a) Purchases of
Class A and Class D shares in amounts of $1,000,000 or more which are not
subject to an initial sales charge generally will be subject to a contingent
deferred sales charge of 1.0% of amounts redeemed within the first year of
purchase. See Class A and D Sales Charges on page 15.
(b) Contingent Deferred
Sales Charge for the 1st 2 years is 5%, 3rd & 4th years - 4%, 5th yr. - 3%,
6th yr. - 2%, 7th yr. - 1%.
(c) In the first year after purchase.
(d) The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses may not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets in the Financial Highlights Table below, which do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Class A | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
Class B | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
Class C | $
|
$ |
$ |
$ |
Class D | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares:
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Class A | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
Class B | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
Class C | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
Class D | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The Example does not reflect sales charges (loads) on reinvested dividends and other distributions. If these sales charges (loads) were included, your costs would be higher.
Portfolio
Turnover
Principal Investment
Strategy
Principal Risks of Investing in the
Fund
Loss of
some or all of the money you invest is a risk of investing in the
Fund.
The primary risks of investing in the Fund are:
l Stock Market Risk - the value
of an investment may fluctuate widely and could decline, sometimes rapidly and
unpredictably.
l Operational and Cybersecurity
Risk - Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to
fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause a fund or its
service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality.
Similar incidents affecting the companies and other issuers in which the Fund
invests may negatively impact performance. Operational risk may arise from human
error, error by third parties, communication errors, or technology failures,
among other causes. In addition, markets and market participants are
increasingly reliant on information data systems. Inaccurate data, software or
other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies, unauthorized use or
access, and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems
and may have an adverse impact upon a single issuer, a group of issuers, or the
market at large, which could negatively impact the value of one or more of the
Fund’s investments.
l Market Risk - Economies and
financial markets throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected,
which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one country or
region will adversely impact markets or issuers in other countries or regions.
Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to securities
in general financial markets, a particular financial market or other asset
classes due to a number of factors, including inflation (or expectations for
inflation), deflation (or expectations for deflation), interest rates, global
demand for particular products or resources, market instability, debt crises and
downgrades, embargoes, tariffs, sanctions and other trade barriers, regulatory
events, other governmental trade or market control programs and geopolitical
events, such as political or economic dysfunction within nations. In addition,
the value of the Fund’s investments may be negatively affected by the occurrence
of global events such as war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural
disasters or events, country instability, and infectious disease epidemics or
pandemics or other public health crises. Policy changes by the U.S. government
and/or the Fed and political events within the United States and other countries
may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial
markets and the broader economy, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree. A
downgrade of the ratings of U.S. government debt obligations, or concerns about
the U.S. government’s credit quality in general, could have a substantial
negative effect on the U.S. and global economies.
Downgrades
affecting other countries also could have similar impacts. In addition, high
public debt in the United States and other countries creates ongoing systemic
and market risks and policymaking uncertainty.
l Early
Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts
on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or
financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying
or selling certain securities or financial instruments.
l Industry and
Security Risk - the risk that the value of securities in a particular industry
or the value of an individual stock or bond will decline because of changing
expectations for the performance of that industry or for the individual company
issuing the stock or bond.
l Management
Risk - risks that the Advisor´s assessment of a company´s growth prospects may
not be accurate.
l Interest Rate
Risk – as rates rise, the price of a fixed rate bond generally will
fall.
l Credit Risk –
a bond’s issuer may be unable to make timely payments of interest and
capital.
l Foreign
Investment Risk – adverse effects from political instability, currency exchange
rates, economic conditions or regulatory and accounting standards outside the
United States.
l Liquidity
Risk - a given security or asset may not be readily marketable. Illiquid
investments may be difficult or impossible to sell or purchase at an
advantageous time or price or in sufficient amounts to achieve the Fund's
desired level of exposure.
l Small Cap
Risk - small cap stocks tend to have a high exposure to market fluctuations and
failure.
l Mid Cap Risk
- mid cap stocks tend to have a greater exposure to market fluctuations and
failure.
l Equity Risk –
stock and equity values fluctuate in response to a company’s financial condition
and other factors, including general market conditions, and could decline. The
level of volatility could be high..
l Repurchase
Agreement Risk – a seller may default or a security declines in
value.
l Depositary
Receipts Risk – generally these are subject to the same risks as Foreign
Investment Risks.
l Convertible
Securities – convertible securities have the risk of loss of principal at
maturity.
l Large Cap
Company Risk – slower response to competitors and technology and consumer
tastes, and slower growth rates during periods of economic
expansion.
l Investments
in Other Investment Companies Risk - the Fund’s investments in other investment
companies will be subject to the risks of the other investment companies’
portfolio securities and the Fund will bear indirectly the fees and expenses of
the other investment companies in which it invests.
l Exchange-Traded
Funds (“ETFs”) Risk - The Fund is subject to the risks associated with the
securities or other investments in which the ETFs invest. The Fund’s
shareholders will indirectly bear fees and expenses paid by the ETFs in which it
invests, in addition to the Fund’s direct fees and expenses. An index-based
ETF’s performance may not match that of the index it seeks to track. An actively
managed ETF’s performance will reflect its advisor’s ability to make investment
decisions that are suited to achieving the ETF’s investment
objective.
l Technology
Securities Risk - Certain technology related companies may face special risks
that their products or services may not prove to be commercially successful.
Investments in technology companies generally can be volatile and fluctuate
widely, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably.
Risk/Return Bar
Chart and Table
Highest quarterly
return:
Average annual total returns for the periods ended December 31, 2023 | One Year | Five Years | Ten Years |
Class A Return before taxes* | | ||
Class B Return before taxes* | |
| |
Class C Return before taxes* | | ||
Class D Return before taxes* | | ||
Class D Return after taxes on Distributions | | ||
Class D Return after taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | |
| |
Standard and Poor’s 500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees expenses, or taxes) | 26.29% | 15.69% | 12.03% |
* Assumes
redemption at end of time period.
** After seven years Class B & C
Shares convert to Class A Shares. The ten year return for Class B & C shares
reflects the first seven year returns for Class B & C shares and the
remaining 3 years as Class A.
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, and 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;
After-tax
returns are shown for only Class D and after-tax returns for other Classes will
vary.
The Investment Advisor
The investment
advisor is Investment Research Corporation.
Portfolio Manager
The Fund is managed by
an Investment Advisory Committee made up of Timothy Taggart, the Advisor’s
President, Robert Fleck, an employee of the Advisor, and Matthew Taggart, an employee of the Advisor.
Mr. Timothy Taggart and Mr. Fleck have both acted in this capacity since April 2011. Mr. Matthew Taggart
has acted in this capacity since April of 2021.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
When
purchasing Fund shares there is no minimum initial or subsequent amount
required. You can purchase and sell your shares on any business day through your
financial advisor, by mail by writing to: American Growth Fund, 1636 N. Logan
Street, Denver, CO 80203, by wire if the purchase or sale is over $1,000, or by
calling 800-525-2406 if the purchase or sale is $5,000 or less.
Tax Consequences
Distributions from the
Fund´s long-term capital gains are taxable as capital gains, while distributions
from short-term capital gains and net investment income are generally taxable as
ordinary income.
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 Web site for more information.
Investment Objectives, Principal Investment
Strategies, Related Risks, and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
What is the
Fund´s investment objective?
The Fund´s investment objective,
which is fundamental and cannot be changed without shareholder approval, is
growth of capital. Income only becomes a Fund objective when it is in a
temporary, defensive position.
How does
the Fund implement its investment objective?
In attempting to
achieve its investment objective, the Fund will typically invest at least 80% of
its assets in common stocks and securities convertible into common stocks traded
on national securities exchanges or over-the-counter markets.
We perform our
own extensive internal research to determine whether companies meet our growth
criteria. If the Investment Advisor deems it necessary, we may meet company
management teams as well as other key staff face-to-face and/or may tour
corporate facilities and manufacturing plants to help us get a more complete
picture of a company before we invest.
We limit the amount of the Fund´s
assets invested in any one industry and in any individual security. At the time
of purchase, we do not invest more than 5% of the Fund´s total assets in any one
issuer nor do we invest more than 25% in any one industry. We also follow a
rigorous selection process designed to identify undervalued securities with
significant growth potential before choosing securities for the
portfolio.
Although the Fund will normally invest in large capitalization
companies, the Fund may invest in companies of all sizes. Investment Research
Corporation, the Fund´s investment Advisor (the “Advisor”, “Investment Advisor”,
or “IRC”), generally will choose common stocks (or convertible securities) that
it believes have a potential for capital appreciation because of existing or
anticipated economic conditions or because the securities are considered
undervalued or out of favor with investors or are expected to increase in price
over the short-term. Convertible debt securities will be rated at least A by
Moody´s Investor Service or Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, or, if
unrated, will be comparable quality in the opinion of the advisor.
We
maintain a long-term investment approach and focus on stocks we believe can
appreciate over an extended time frame regardless of interim market
fluctuations. Using the following disciplined approach, we look for companies
having some or all of these characteristics:
l
Large
capitalization companies, although on occasion the Fund may invest in small and
mid-cap companies, if the Advisor believes it is in the best interests of the
Fund. Large cap companies are generally companies with market capitalization
exceeding $5 billion at the date of acquisition;
l Growth that
is faster than the market as a whole and sustainable over the long
term;
l Strong
management team;
l Leading
market positions and growing brand identities;
l Financial,
marketing, strategy and operating strength.
Although a non-principal
strategy, the Fund may invest in foreign securities in the form of American
Depositary Receipts.
The Fund may invest in securities of other investment
companies, including exchange-traded funds.
The Fund emphasizes investments
in common stocks with the potential for capital appreciation. These stocks
generally pay regular dividends, although the Fund also may invest in
non-dividend-paying companies if, in the opinion of an Advisor, they offer
better prospects for capital appreciation.
When selecting investments for the
portfolio, a company’s environmental, social, and governance policies are not
factors.
When the
Advisor believes the securities the Fund holds may decline in value, the Fund
may sell them and, if the Advisor believes market conditions warrant, the Fund
may assume a defensive position. While in a defensive position, the Fund may
invest all or part of its assets in corporate bonds, debentures (both short and
long term) or preferred stocks rated A or above by Moody´s Investors Service,
Inc., Standard and Poor’s or Fitch Ratings (or, if unrated, of comparable
quality in the opinion of the Advisor), United States Government securities,
repurchase agreements meeting approved credit worthiness standards (e.g.,
whereby the underlying security is issued by the United States Government or any
agency thereof), or retain funds in cash or cash equivalents. There is no
maximum limit on the amount of fixed income securities in which the Fund may
invest for temporary defensive purposes. If the Fund takes a temporary defensive
position in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or
other conditions, it may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund´s
performance could be lower during periods when it retains or invests its assets
in these more defensive holdings.
A repurchase agreement is a contract under
which the seller of a security agrees to buy it back at an agreed upon price and
time in the future.
The Fund will enter into repurchase transactions only
with parties who meet creditworthiness standards approved by the Fund´s board of
directors.
The Fund may invest in foreign securities in the form of American
Depositary Receipts (ADRs) which represents ownership in the shares of a
non-U.S. company that trades in U.S. financial markets. We typically invest only
a small portion of the Fund´s portfolio in foreign corporations through ADRs. We
do not invest directly in foreign securities. When we do purchase ADRs, they are
generally denominated in U.S. dollars and traded on a U.S. exchange.
We seek
to limit exposure to illiquid securities.
Risks
Investing in any mutual fund
involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on
your investment, and the risk that you may lose part or all of the money you
invest.
l Stock Market
risk is the risk that all or a majority of the securities in a certain market -
such as the stock or bond market - will decline in value because of factors such
as economic conditions, future expectations or investor confidence, sometimes
rapidly and unpredictably.
l Operational
and cybersecurity risk - Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party
to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or
cause a fund or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose
operational functionality. Similar incidents affecting the companies and other
issuers in which the Fund invests may negatively impact performance. Operational
risk may arise from human error, error by third parties, communication errors,
or technology failures, among other causes. In addition, markets and market
participants are increasingly reliant on information data systems. Inaccurate
data, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies,
unauthorized use or access, and similar circumstances may impair the performance
of these systems and may have an adverse impact upon a single issuer, a group of
issuers, or the market at large, which could negatively impact the value of one
or more of the Fund’s investments.
l Market Risk -
Economies and financial markets throughout the world are becoming
increasingly
interconnected,
which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one country or
region will adversely impact markets or issuers in other countries or regions.
Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to securities
in general financial markets, a particular financial market or other asset
classes due to a number of factors, including inflation (or expectations for
inflation), deflation (or expectations for deflation), interest rates, global
demand for particular products or resources, market instability, debt crises and
downgrades, embargoes, tariffs, sanctions and other trade barriers, regulatory
events, other governmental trade or market control programs and geopolitical
events, such as political or economic dysfunction within nations. In addition,
the value of the Fund’s investments may be negatively affected by the occurrence
of global events such as war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural
disasters or events, country instability, and infectious disease epidemics or
pandemics or other public health crises. Policy
changes by the U.S. government and/or the Fed and political events within the
United States and other countries may affect investor and consumer confidence
and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy, perhaps
suddenly and to a significant degree. A downgrade of the ratings of U.S.
government debt obligations, or concerns about the U.S. government’s credit
quality in general, could have a substantial negative effect on the U.S. and
global economies. Downgrades affecting other countries also could have similar
impacts. In addition, high public debt in the United States and other countries
creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking
uncertainty.
l Early
Close/Trading Halt Risk is the risk that an exchange or market may close or
issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell
certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent
the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In
these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be
unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading
losses.
l Industry and
security risk is the risk that the value of securities in a particular industry
or the value of an individual stock or bond generally will decline because of
changing expectations for the performance of that industry or for the individual
company issuing the stock or bond.
l Management
risk is the risk that the Advisor´s assessment of a company´s ability to
increase earnings faster than the rest of the market is not correct, the
securities in the portfolio may not increase in value, and could decrease in
value.
l Interest rate
risk is the risk that changes in interest rates may affect the yield, liquidity
and value of investments in income producing or debt securities. As rates rise,
the price of a fixed rate bond will fall.
l Credit risk
is the possibility that a bond´s issuer (or an entity that insures a bond) will
be unable to make timely payments of interest and principal.
l Foreign
investment risk is the risk that foreign securities may be adversely affected by
political instability, changes in currency exchange rates, foreign economic
conditions or inadequate regulatory and accounting standards outside the United
States.
l Liquidity
risk - a given security or asset may not be readily marketable. Illiquid
investments may be difficult or impossible to sell or purchase at an
advantageous time or price or in sufficient amounts to achieve the Fund's
desired level of exposure.
l Small Cap
stocks tend to have a high risk exposure to market fluctuations and
failure.
l Mid Cap
stocks also tend to have a greater risk exposure to market fluctuations and
failure but normally not as much so as the Small Cap stocks.
l Equity Risk.
In general, stocks and other equity security values fluctuate, and sometimes
widely fluctuate, in response to changes in a company’s financial condition as
well as general market, economic and political conditions and other factors. The
level of volatility could be high.
l Repurchase
Agreements Risk. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements under which it
purchases a security that a seller has agreed to repurchase from the Fund at a
later date at the same price plus interest. If a seller defaults and the
security declines in value, the Fund might incur a loss. If the seller declares
bankruptcy, the Portfolio Fund may not be able to sell the security at the
desired time.
l Depositary
Receipts Risk. Investments in depositary receipts (including American Depositary
Receipts, European Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts) are
generally subject to the same risks of investing in the foreign securities that
they evidence or into which they may be converted. In addition, issuers
underlying unsponsored depositary receipts may not provide as much information
as U.S. issuers and issuers underlying sponsored depositary receipts.
Unsponsored depositary receipts also may not carry the same voting privileges as
sponsored depositary receipts.
l Convertible
Securities have the risk of loss of principal at maturity, however, this loss is
limited to the
value
of the bond floor.
l Large Cap
Company Risk is the risk that larger more established companies may be unable to
respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and
consumer tastes. Many larger companies also may not be able to attain the high
growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods
of economic expansion.
l Investments
in Other Investment Companies is the risk that the Fund’s investments in other
investment companies will be subject to the risks of the purchased investment
company’s portfolio securities. The Fund’s shareholders must bear not only their
proportionate share of the Fund’s fees and expenses, but they also must bear
indirectly the fees and expenses of the other investment company. In addition,
the Fund’s net asset value is subject to fluctuations in the net asset values of
the other investment companies in which it invests. The ability of the Fund to
meet its investment objective will depend, to a significant degree, on the
ability of the other investment companies to meet their
objectives.
l Exchange-Traded
Funds (“ETFs”). ETFs are investment companies whose shares are listed on a
securities exchange and trade like a stock throughout the day. Investments in
ETFs are subject to a variety of risks, including risks associated with the
underlying securities that the ETF holds. The Fund’s net asset value will be
subject to fluctuations in the market values of the ETFs in which it invests.
Also, ETFs that track particular indices typically will be unable to match the
performance of the index exactly due to the ETF’s operating expenses and
transaction costs, among other things. Similar to investments in other
investment companies, the Fund’s shareholders must bear not only their
proportionate share of the Fund’s fees and expenses, but they also must bear
indirectly the fees and expenses of the ETF. In addition, the ability of the
Fund to meet its investment objective will directly depend on the ability of the
ETFs to meet their investment objectives. The extent to which the investment
performance and risks associated with the Fund correlate to those of a
particular ETF will depend upon the extent to which the Fund’s assets are
allocated from time to time for investment in the ETF, which will
vary.
l Technology
Securities Risk is the risk that certain technology related companies may face
special risks that their products or services may not prove to be commercially
successful. Technology related companies are also strongly affected by worldwide
scientific or technological developments. As a result, their products may
rapidly become obsolete. Such companies are also often subject to governmental
regulation and may, therefore, be adversely affected by governmental policies.
Investments in technology companies generally can be volatile and fluctuate
widely, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably.
Please see
the Statement of Additional Information for further discussion of
risks.
Portfolio Holdings
A
description of the Fund´s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure
of the Fund´s portfolio securities is available in the Fund´s SAI which is
available on the Fund´s website, www.americangrowthfund.com.
Annual Fund operating expenses
For the
year ended July 31, 2024, the Fund paid $167,189 in administrative expenses and
$190,890 in investment advisory fees. Distribution and service fees for the year
ended July 31, 2024 for Class A were $29,309, for Class B were $2,516 and for
Class C were $14,184. Director’s fees for the year ended July 31, 2024 were
$40,496. Other expenses totaled $399,166 which were $132,484 in rent expenses,
$79,414 in transfer agent fees, $30,000 in accounting fees, $4,235 in custody
fees, $17,000 for auditing fees, $49,205 in legal fees, $40,825 for D&O /
E&O Insurance, $4,896 in registration and filing fees and $41,107 in
miscellaneous shareholder reports and "other expenses." The Expense Ratio, which
reflects the effect of expenses paid directly by the Fund, for the year ended
July 31, 2024 for Class A was 4.63%, Class B was 6.27%, Class C was 5.51% and
Class D was 4.95%.
Management,
Organization, and Capital Structure
The Investment
Advisor
Investment Research Corporation ("IRC") has been the
Advisor for the Fund since American Growth Fund, Inc.’s inception in 1958. IRC
is located at 1636 N. Logan Street, Denver, CO 80203. The Fund offers four
classes of shares; Class A, Class B, Class C and Class D. All classes of shares
of the Fund represent an identical interest in the investment portfolio. The
Fund has an agreement to pay IRC an annual fee for its services based on a
percentage of the Fund´s Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class D average net
assets. Under the investment advisory contract with IRC, IRC receives annual
compensation
for
investment advice on these classes, computed and paid monthly, equal to 1% of
the first $30 million of the Fund´s Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class D
average annual net assets and 0.75% of such assets in excess of $30 million. For
the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, this fee amounted to 1.00% of the average
net assets on each of the Fund´s four classes.
For the year ended July 31,
2024, under an agreement with IRC, the Fund paid $167,189 for the costs and
expenses related to employees of IRC who provided administrative, clerical and
accounting services to the Fund. In addition, the Fund paid $132,484 to an
affiliated company of IRC for the rental of office space.
The Fund, and
therefore, the Fund shareholders, pays the Fund´s operating expenses.
On
September 23, 2010 an Investment Advisory Committee was formed with the purpose
of offering investment advice to a senior portfolio manager of the Fund. The
current members of the Investment Advisory Committee are Timothy Taggart, Robert
Fleck and Matthew Taggart.
IRC may compensate third party intermediaries,
including investment advisors and broker-dealers, from IRC’s own revenue for
assisting IRC in establishing relationships with other third party
intermediaries such as investment advisors and/or sub-manager programs and
disseminating information concerning IRC to financial professionals.
The Fund
and the Advisor have a Code of Ethics designed to ensure that the interests of
Fund shareholders come before the interests of the people who manage the Fund.
Among other provisions, the Code of Ethics prohibits portfolio managers and
other investment personnel from buying securities in an initial public offering
without prior written consent or from profiting from the purchase and sale of
the same security within one calendar day. In addition, the Code of Ethics
requires portfolio managers and other employees with access to information about
the purchase or sale of securities by the Fund to obtain approval before
executing personal trades in these specific securities. A copy of the Fund´s
Code of Ethics can be obtained for free online at www.americangrowthfund.com or
by calling us at 1-800-525-2406.
A discussion regarding the basis for the
board of directors approving the advisory contract of the fund is available in
the fund’s report on Form N-CSR for the fiscal half-year period ended January
31, 2024, which can be obtained online at www.sec.gov or by calling
800-525-2406.
How is the Fund
managed?
The daily operations of the Fund are managed by its
officers subject to the overall supervision and control of the Board of
Directors. IRC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Manager
The Fund is
managed by IRC through an Investment Advisory Committee, which is made up of;
Timothy Taggart, the Advisor’s and the Fund’s President who has been a member of
the Investment Advisory Committee since September of 2010 and is the President
of the Fund’s principal underwriter and distributor, World Capital Brokerage,
Inc. ("WCB"); Robert Fleck, an employee of the Advisor and Investment Advisory
Committee member since September 2010. Matthew Taggart, an employee of the
Advisor and Investment Committee member since April of 2021. Messrs. Taggart and
Mr. Fleck are jointly and primarily responsible for portfolio
management.
Since April 12, 2011, Mr. Timothy Taggart has been responsible
for managing the Fund’s security portfolio through his positions with IRC, and
on the Fund’s Investment Advisory Committee; and directing the distribution of
Fund shares through his positions with WCB. Mr. T. Taggart serves on the Board
of Directors for IRC, as Treasurer and Chief Compliance Officer for IRC as well
as on the Board of Directors for WCB as President and Chief Compliance
Officer.
Since April 12, 2011, Mr. Fleck has been responsible for managing
the Fund’s security portfolio through his positions with IRC, and on the Fund’s
Investment Advisory Committee. Prior to that Mr. Fleck served as President and
CEO of World Capital Advisors, LLC., a registered investment advisor.
Since
April 3, 2021, Mr. Matthew Taggart has been responsible for managing the Fund’s
security portfolio through his positions with IRC, and on the Fund’s Investment
Advisory Committee. Mr. M. Taggart joined the advisor in July of
2013.
Additional information is available in the Statement of Additional
Information available on the Fund’s web site at www.americangrowthfund.com or by
calling 800-525-2406.
Chief
Compliance Officer
Michael
L. Gaughan is the Fund´s Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). The Fund´s CCO seeks to
ensure that policies and guidelines, set forth by the CCO and the Board of
Directors, that guard against violations of federal securities laws, are adhered
to. These policies and procedures are annually reviewed by the CCO and the Board
of Directors to determine their adequacy and their effectiveness.
Shareholder Information
Pricing of Fund
Shares
The price you pay for shares will depend on when we receive
your purchase order. If we or an authorized agent receive your order before the
close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on a business day, you will pay
that day´s closing share price, which is based on the Fund´s net asset value
(“NAV”). If we receive your order after the close of trading, you will pay the
next business day´s price. A business day is any day that the New York Stock
Exchange is open for business. Currently the Exchange is closed when the
following holidays are observed: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.´s
Birthday, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor
Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. We reserve the right to reject any purchase
order.
We determine the Fund´s NAV per share at the close of trading of the
New York Stock Exchange each business day that the Exchange is open. We
calculate this value by adding the market value of all the securities and assets
in the Fund´s portfolio, deducting all liabilities, and dividing the resulting
number by the shares outstanding. The result is the NAV per share. We price
securities and other assets for which market quotations are available at their
market value. We price debt securities on the basis of valuations provided to us
by an independent pricing service that uses methods approved by our board of
directors. Any debt securities that have a maturity of less than 60 days are
priced at amortized cost. We price all other securities at their fair value if
no bid and asked prices are quoted for such day or information as to New York or
other approved exchange transactions is not readily available. The Fund’s board
of directors has designated the Advisor as the Fund’s valuation designee. As the
valuation designee, and subject to the board’s oversight, the Advisor is
responsible for determining in good faith the fair value of Fund investments for
which market quotations are not readily available or are believed by the Adviser
to be unreliable. In these circumstances, the Fund may use a fair value estimate
made according to methods the Advisor has approved in the good-faith belief that
the resulting valuation will reflect the fair value of the security. The effect
of fair value pricing as described above is that securities may not be priced on
the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded, but
rather may be priced by another method that the Advisor believes will reflect
fair value. As such, fair value pricing is based on subjective judgments and it
is possible that fair value may differ materially from the value realized on a
sale. This policy is intended to assure that the Fund’s net asset value fairly
reflects security values as of the time of pricing. Also, fair valuation of the
Fund’s securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to
short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies
will prevent dilution of the Fund’s net asset value by those
traders.
Purchase of Fund
Shares
Through your
financial Advisor:
Your financial Advisor can handle all the details
of purchasing shares, including opening an account.
Your Advisor may charge a
separate fee for this service.
By
mail:
Complete an investment application and mail it with your check,
made payable to American Growth Fund, Inc. and class of shares you wish to
purchase, to American Growth Fund, Inc., 1636 N. Logan Street, Denver CO, 80203.
If you are making an initial purchase by mail, you must include a completed
investment application (or an appropriate retirement plan application if you are
opening a retirement account) with your check.
By wire:
Ask your bank to wire the
amount you want to invest to UMB Bank, NA, ABA #011000028 A/C #99041774. Include
your account number and the name of the Fund Class in which you want to invest.
If you are making an initial purchase by wire, you must call Shareholder
Services at 1-800-525-2406 so we can assign you an account
number.
Please read the complete Prospectus before
investing.
Special
Services Available when Purchasing Fund Shares
To help
make investing with us as easy as possible, and to help you build your
investments, we offer the following special services.
Automatic Investing Plan - The
Automatic Investing Plan allows you to make regular monthly investments directly
from your bank account.
Direct
Deposit - With Direct Deposit
you can make additional investments through payroll deductions or recurring
government or private payments, such as direct transfers from your bank
account.
Dividend Reinvestment
Plan - Through our Dividend
Reinvestment Plan, you can have your distributions reinvested in your account.
The shares that you purchase through the Dividend Reinvestment Plan are not
subject to a front-end sales charge or to a contingent deferred sales charge.
Under most circumstances, you may reinvest dividends only into like classes of
shares.
Systematic Withdrawal
Plan - Through our Systematic
Withdrawal Plan you can arrange a regular monthly or quarterly payment from your
account made to you or someone you designate. You may also have your withdrawals
deposited directly to your bank account through our MoneyLine Direct Deposit
Services.
Retirement
Plans
In addition to being an appropriate investment for your
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and Roth IRA, shares in the Fund may be
suitable for group retirement plans. You may establish your IRA account even if
you are already a participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. For more
information on how shares in the Fund can play an important role in your
retirement planning or for details about group plans, please consult your
financial Advisor, or call 1-800-525-2406.
How to
Redeem Shares
Through
your financial Advisor
Your financial Advisor can handle all the
details of redeeming shares. Your Advisor may charge a separate fee for this
service.
By mail
You can
redeem your shares (sell them back to the Fund) by mail by writing to: American
Growth Fund, Inc., 1636 N. Logan Street, Denver, CO, 80203. All owners of the
account must sign the request, and for redemptions of $5,000 or more, you must
include a signature guarantee for each owner. Signature guarantees are also
required when redemption proceeds are going to an address other than the address
of record on an account. A signature guarantee is a certification by a bank,
brokerage firm or other financial institution that a customer´s signature is
valid; signature guarantees can be provided by members of the STAMP program (a
program made up of members who are authorized to issue signature
guarantees).
By wire
You
can redeem $1,000 or more of your shares and have the proceeds deposited
directly to your bank account the next business day after we receive your
request. Bank information must be on file before you request a wire
redemption.
By phone
You
can redeem shares by phone. All shareholders must be on the call, redemption
must be $5,000 or less per day, per telephone call and the proceeds must be sent
to the address of record and made payable to all listed shareholders. Please
remember that redemptions by check are restricted after an address change,
unless a signature guaranteed letter requesting the redemption is
submitted.
If you hold your shares in certificates, you must submit the
certificates with your request to sell the shares. We recommend that you send
your certificates by certified mail.
When you send us a properly completed
request to redeem or exchange shares, you will receive the net asset value as
determined on the business day we receive your request if we receive it before
the close of the NYSE. We will deduct any applicable contingent deferred sales
charges. We will send you a check, normally the next business day, but no later
than seven days after we receive your request to sell your shares. If you
recently purchased your shares by check, we will wait until your check has
cleared, which can take up to 15 days, before we send your redemption
proceeds.
If you are required to pay a contingent deferred sales charge when
you redeem shares, the amount subject to the fee will be based on the shares´
net asset value when you purchased them or their net
asset
value when you redeem them, whichever is less. This arrangement assures that you
will not pay a contingent deferred sales charge on any increase in the value of
your shares. The redemption price for purposes of this formula will be the NAV
of the shares you are actually redeeming.
Conversion of Class B and C Shares
to Class A Shares. After approximately seven years (the Conversion Period),
Class B and C shares will be converted automatically into Class A shares of the
Fund. Class A shares are subject to an ongoing service fee of 0.25% of average
net assets and are subject to a distribution fee of 0.05% of average net assets.
Automatic conversion of Class B and C shares into Class A shares will occur at
least once each month (on the Conversion Date) on the basis of the relative net
asset values of the shares of the two classes on the Conversion Date, without
the imposition of any sales load, fee or other charge. Conversion of Class B and
C shares to Class A shares will not be deemed a purchase or sale of the shares
for Federal income tax purposes.
In addition, shares purchased through
reinvestment of dividends and distributions on Class B and C shares also will
convert automatically to Class A shares. The Conversion Date for dividend
reinvestment shares will be calculated taking into account the length of time
the shares underlying such reinvestment shares were outstanding. If at a
Conversion Date the conversion of Class B or C shares to Class A shares of the
Fund in a single account will result in less than $50 worth of Class B or C
shares being left in the account, all of the Class B and C shares of the Fund
held in the account on Conversion Date will be converted to Class A shares of
the Fund.
Share certificates for Class B and C shares of the Fund to be
converted must be delivered to the Transfer Agent at least one week prior to the
Conversion Date applicable to those shares. In the event such certificates are
not received by the Transfer Agent at least one week prior to the Conversion
Date, the related Class B and C shares will convert to Class A shares on the
next scheduled Conversion Date after such certificates are
delivered.
Generally, all redemptions will be for cash. The Fund expects to
satisfy all redemption requests, assuming they are in good order, under both
regular market conditions as well as in stressed market conditions, by selling
portfolio assets or by using holdings of cash or cash equivalents. All
redemptions will typically be processed and mailed within two business
days.
Account
Minimum
If you
redeem shares and your account balance falls below $1,000 and stays there for a
period of 12 months or longer, the Fund may redeem your account 30 days after
written notice to you.
Dividends and Distributions
The Fund´s
policy is to declare and pay income dividends and capital gains distributions to
its shareholders in December of each calendar year unless the Board of Directors
of the Fund determines that it is to the shareholders’ benefit to make
distributions on a different basis.
Unless the shareholder on his or her
application or in writing, previously requests dividend and distribution
payments in cash, income dividends and capital gains distributions will be
reinvested in Fund shares of the same class, at their relative net asset values
as of the business day next following the distribution record date. If no
instructions are given on the application form, all income dividends and capital
gains distributions will be reinvested.
The Fund intends to make
distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income and capital gains (capital
gains may be taxable at different rates depending on the length of the time the
Fund holds its assets).
We will send you a statement each year by January
31st detailing the amount and nature of all dividends and capital gains that you
were paid for the prior year.
Distributions by the Fund, whether received in
cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund, may be subject to federal
income tax. Any capital gains may be taxable at different rates depending on the
length of time the Fund held the assets. In addition, you may be subject to
state and local taxes on distributions. An exchange of the Fund´s shares for
shares of another fund will be treated as a sale of the Fund´s shares and any
gain on the transaction may be subject to tax.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund
Shares
The Fund is not designed to serve as vehicles for frequent
trading in response to short-term fluctuations in the securities markets.
Accordingly, purchases, including those that are part of exchange activity, that
American Growth Fund, Inc. has determined could involve actual or potential harm
to the Fund may be rejected. Frequent trading of a mutual fund´s shares may lead
to increased costs to that fund and less
efficient
management of the fund´s portfolio, resulting in dilution of the value of the
shares held by long-term shareholders.
The Fund´s Board of Directors has not
adopted policies or procedures with respect to frequent purchases and
redemptions by Fund shareholders. Due to the size of the Fund, the Board feels
that the Fund´s best interests are better served by allowing the Management of
the Fund to monitor such trading activity. If at any time the Management of the
Fund feels that a trade or an account is, or could, adversely affect the Fund´s
performance through frequent purchasing and redeeming of Fund shares
significantly increasing the costs of processing share purchase and/or
redemption transactions, management reserves the right to reject the trade,
suspend trading of the account(s) for a specified period of time, or both.
Rejection of a trade and/or suspension(s) of trading activity will cause a
letter to be promptly issued to the party(ies) involved.
The Fund has no
agreement with any person(s) or corporate entity that would allow for frequent
purchases and redemptions of Fund shares.
Distribution
Arrangements
Sales Charges
You can
choose from a number of share classes for the Fund. Because each share class has
a different combination of sales charges, fees and other features, you should
consult your financial Advisor to determine which class best suits your
investment goals and time frame. You may also consult the Fund´s Statement of
Additional Information for more details.
Class A
Class A shares have an
up-front sales charge of up to 5.75% that you pay when you buy shares.
The
offering price for Class A shares includes the front-end sales charge.
If you
invest $50,000 or more, your front-end sales charge will be reduced.
You may
qualify for other reduced sales charges, as described in How to Reduce Your
Sales Charge, and under certain circumstances the sales charge may be
waived.
Class A shares are also subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater
than 0.30% of average net assets, which is lower than the 12b-1 fee for Class B
and Class C shares.
Class A shares generally are not subject to a contingent
deferred sales charge unless purchased in amounts of $1,000,000 or more at net
asset value without a sales charge and redeemed within one year of
purchase.
Additionally, IRC reserves the right to waive the front-end sales
charge on share purchases by IRC employees and members of the Board of Directors
of The American Growth Fund.
Class
B
Class B shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of
your purchase is invested in the Fund.
However, you will pay a contingent
deferred sales charge if you redeem your shares within seven years after you buy
them.
If you redeem Class B shares during the first two years after you buy
them, the shares will be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 5%.
The contingent deferred sales charge is 4% during the third and fourth years, 3%
during the fifth year, 2% during the sixth year, and 1% during the seventh
year.
Under certain circumstances the contingent deferred sales charge may be
waived.
For approximately seven years after you buy your Class B shares, they
are subject to annual 12b-1 fees no greater than 1% of average daily net assets,
of which 0.25% are service fees paid to the Distributor, dealers or others for
providing services and maintaining accounts.
Because of the higher 12b-1
fees, Class B shares have higher expenses and any dividends paid on these shares
are lower than dividends on Class A shares.
Approximately seven years after
you buy them, Class B shares automatically convert into Class A shares with a
12b-1 fee of no more than 0.30%. Conversions may occur as late as three months
after the eighth anniversary of purchase, during which time the Class B Shares
higher 12b-1 fees apply.
Class
C
Class C shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of
your purchase is invested in the Fund. However, you will pay a contingent
deferred sales charge if you redeem your shares within 12 months after you buy
them.
Under certain circumstances the contingent deferred sales charge may be
waived.
Class C shares are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee which may not be
greater than 1% of average daily net
assets,
of which 0.25% is service fees and 0.75% is distribution fees paid to the
distributor, dealers or others for providing personal services and maintaining
shareholder accounts.
Because of the higher 12b-1 fees, Class C shares have
higher expenses and pay lower dividends than Class A shares.
Conversion of
Class B and C Shares to Class A Shares. After approximately seven years (the
Conversion Period), Class B and C shares will be converted automatically into
Class A shares of the Fund. Class A shares are subject to an ongoing service fee
of 0.25% of average net assets and are subject to a distribution fee of 0.05% of
average net assets. Automatic conversion of Class B and C shares into Class A
shares will occur at least once each month (on the Conversion Date) on the basis
of the relative net asset values of the shares of the two classes on the
Conversion Date, without the imposition of any sales load, fee or other charge.
Conversion of Class B and C shares to Class A shares will not be deemed a
purchase or sale of the shares for Federal income tax purposes.
In addition,
shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and distributions on Class B
and C shares also will convert automatically to Class A shares. The Conversion
Date for dividend reinvestment shares will be calculated taking into account the
length of time the shares underlying such reinvestment shares were outstanding.
If at a Conversion Date the conversion of Class B or C shares to Class A shares
of the Fund in a single account will result in less than $50 worth of Class B or
C shares being left in the account, all of the Class B and C shares of the Fund
held in the account on Conversion Date will be converted to Class A shares of
the Fund.
Share certificates for Class B and C shares of the Fund to be
converted must be delivered to the Transfer Agent at least one week prior to the
Conversion Date applicable to those shares. In the event such certificates are
not received by the Transfer Agent at least one week prior to the Conversion
Date, the related Class B and C shares will convert to Class A shares on the
next scheduled Conversion Date after such certificates are delivered.
Class D
Class D shares are
offered to investors who owned Class D shares as of March 1, 1996. They are also
available to the Fund´s Advisor, IRC, and the distributors, directors, certain
institutional investors, corporations and accounts managed by specific types of
fiduciaries. Additionally, IRC reserves the right to waive the front-end sales
charge on purchases by IRC employees.
Class D shares have an up-front sales
charge of 5.75% that you pay when you buy the shares. The offering price for
Class D shares includes the front-end sales charge.
If you invest $50,000 or
more, your front-end sales charge will be reduced.
You may qualify for other
reduced sales charges, as described in How to Reduce Your Sales Charge, and
under certain circumstances the sales charge may be waived.
Class D shares
which are sold in amounts of $1,000,000 or more at net asset value and if
redeemed within one year of purchase may be subject to a 1.0% contingent
deferred sales charge.
The Fund´s directors have adopted separate 12b-1 plans
for Class A, B, and C that allow each class to pay distribution fees for the
sales and distributions of its shares. Because these fees are paid out of each
Class´s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost
of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales
charges.
Class A and D Sales Charges
Amount of purchase | Sales charge as % of offering price | Sales charge as % of amount invested | Dealers commission as % of offering price |
Less than $50,000 | 5.75% | 6.10% | 5.00% |
$50,000 but less than $100,000 | 4.50% | 4.71% | 3.75% |
$100,000 but less than $250,000 | 3.50% | 3.63% | 2.75% |
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 2.50% | 2.56% | 2.00% |
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 2.00% | 2.04% | 1.60% |
$1,000,000 and over* | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
* As shown above, there is no front-end sales charge
when you purchase $1 million or more of Class A or Class D shares. However, if
your financial advisor is paid a commission on your purchase, you may have to
pay a limited contingent deferred sales charge of 1% if you redeem these shares
within the first year.
IRC will
make payments to dealers in the amount of 0.25 of 1% per year of the average
daily net asset value of outstanding Class D shares acquired after April 1, 1994
through such dealers (including shares acquired through reinvestment of
dividends and distributions on such shares). These payments are made by IRC and
not by the Class D shareholders of the Fund.
The Fund makes available free of
charge on or though the Fund´s web site at www.americangrowthfund.com the
information describing sales loads including deferred sales loads and a table of
front-end sales loads and each break point in the sales load as a percentage of
both the offering price and the net amount invested. The website includes a
discussion on how to reduce your sales charge by using letter of intent, rights
of accumulation plans, dividend reinvestment plans, withdrawal plans, exchange
privileges, and waivers for particular classes of investors. This includes
methods used to value accounts in order to determine whether a shareholder has
met sales load breakpoints as well as and any other information that the
shareholder might need to provide in order to obtain the break points.
The
web site may also explain how to purchase shares including any special purchase
plans or methods that may not be described in the prospectus or elsewhere in the
SAI if applicable.
Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver
Policies
The availability of certain initial or deferred sales charge
waivers and discounts may depend on the particular financial intermediary or
type of account through which you purchase or hold Fund
shares.
Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding
the availability of front-end sales load waivers or contingent deferred
(back-end) sales load (“CDSC”) waivers, which are discussed below. In all
instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the fund or the
purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship
or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts.
For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary,
shareholders will have to purchase fund shares directly from the fund or through
another intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts.
Effective March
1, 2019, shareholders purchasing fund shares will be eligible only for the
following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred,
or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those
disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end sales load waivers on Class A
shares available:
l Shares
purchased in an investment advisory program.
l Shares
purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend
reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund
within the fund family).
l Employees and
registered representatives of Broker Dealers or their affiliates and their
immediate family members.
l Shares
purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided
(1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the
redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were
subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of
Reinstatement).
l A shareholder
in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value
to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are
no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and
procedures of the Broker Dealer.
CDSC Waivers on Classes A, B and C shares
available:
l Death or
disability of the shareholder.
l Shares sold
as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s
prospectus.
l Return of
excess contributions from an IRA Account.
l
Shares
sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts
due to the shareholder reaching age 70½ as described in the fund’s
prospectus.
l
Shares
sold to pay Broker Dealer fees but only if the transaction is initiated by the
Broker Dealer.
l
Shares
acquired through a right of reinstatement.
Front-end load discounts available:
breakpoints, and/or rights of accumulation
l
Breakpoints
as described in this prospectus.
l
Rights
of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be
automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets
held by accounts within the purchaser’s household. Eligible fund family assets
not held at the Broker Dealer may be included in the rights of accumulation
calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial Advisor about
such assets.
How to reduce your sales charge
We offer a number of ways to reduce or eliminate
the sales charge on shares. Please refer to the Statement of Additional
Information for detailed information and eligibility requirements. You can also
get additional information from your financial advisor. You or your financial
Advisor must notify us at the time you purchase shares if you are eligible for
any of these programs. In order to obtain a breakpoint discount, it is necessary
at the time of purchase for a shareholder to inform the Fund or its intermediary
of the existence of other eligible holdings.
Letter of intent
Through a Letter
of Intent you agree to invest a certain amount in American Growth Fund over a
13-month period to qualify for reduced front-end sales charges.
Class A -
Available
Class B and C - Although the Letter of Intent and Rights of
Accumulation do not apply to the Purchase of Class B and C shares, you can
combine your purchase of A shares with your purchase of B and C shares to
fulfill your Letter of Intent or qualify for Rights of Accumulation.
Class D
- Available
Rights of
Accumulation
You can combine your holdings or purchases of all Classes
in the Fund as well as the holdings and purchases of your spouse and children
under 21 to qualify for reduced front-end sales charges.
Class A -
Available
Class B and C - Although the Letter of Intent and Rights of
Accumulation do not apply to the Purchase of Class B and C shares, you can
combine your purchase of A shares with your purchase of B and C shares to
fulfill your Letter of Intent or qualify for Rights of Accumulation.
Class D
- Available
Reinvestment of redeemed
shares
Up to 30 days after you redeem shares, you can reinvest the
proceeds without paying a front-end sales charge.
Class A -
Available
Class B and C - Not available
Class D - Available
SIMPLE IRA, SEP IRA, SAR/SEP, Prototype
Profit Sharing, Pension, 401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), 403(b)(7)
These
investment plans may qualify for reduced sales charges by combining the
purchases of all members of the group. Members of these groups may also qualify
to purchase shares without a front-end sales charge and a waiver of any
contingent deferred sales charge.
Class A - Available
Class B and C - Not
available
Class D - Available
Financial Highlights
The financial
highlight table is intended to help you understand the Fund´s financial
performance for the
past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information for the period ended July 31, 2023 and July 31, 2024 has been audited by Sanville & Company, the Fund’s current independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund´s financial statements, is included in the annual report, which is available upon request by contacting the Fund at 800-525-2406 or on the Fund´s web site, www.americangrowthfund.com. This information and the financial statements for each of the years ended July 31, 2020 through July 31, 2022 were audited by Tait Weller, the Fund’s former independent registered public accounting firm.
Class A Year Ended July 31, | |||||
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
Per Share Operating Data: | |||||
Net Asset Value, | |||||
Beginning of Period | $6.51) | $6.24) | $8.11) | $6.70) | $6.02) |
Income gain (loss) from investment operations: | |||||
Net investment loss3 | (0.25) | (0.27) | (0.24) | (0.26) | (0.24) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 1.53) | 0.98) | (0.71) | 1.86) | 0.92) |
Total income gain (loss) from investment operations | 1.28) | 0.71) | (0.95) | 1.60) | 0.68) |
Distributions: | |||||
Long-term capital gains distributions | (0.52) | (0.44) | (0.92) | (0.19) | - |
Total distributions | (0.52) | (0.44) | (0.92) | (0.19) | - |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $7.27 | $6.51 | $6.24 | $8.11 | $6.70) |
Total Return at Net Asset Value1 | 21.1% | 11.4% | (13.4)% | 24.1% | 11.3% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $10,375 | $9,381 | $8,951 | $11,632 | $10,614) |
Ratio to average net assets: | |||||
Net investment loss3 | (3.81)% | (4.56)% | (3.40)% | (3.46)% | (3.89)% |
Expenses | 4.63% | 5.55% | 4.36% | 4.42% | 5.08)% |
Portfolio Turnover Rate2 | 4% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 0)% |
1. Assumes a
hypothetical initial investment on the business day before the first day of the
fiscal period with all dividends and distributions reinvested in additional
shares on the reinvestment date and redemption at the net asset value calculated
on the last business day of the fiscal period. Sales charges are not reflected
in total returns.
2. The lesser of purchases or sales of Series One portfolio securities for a period, divided by the monthly average of the market value of securities owned during the period. Securities with a maturity or expiration date at the time of acquisition of one year or less are excluded from the calculation. Purchases and sales of investment securities (other than short-term securities) from the year ended July 31, 2024, aggregated $677,814 and $2,966,188, respectively.
3. Per share
amounts have been calculated using the Average Shares Method.
Class B Year Ended July 31, | |||||
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
Per Share Operating Data: | |||||
Net Asset Value, | |||||
Beginning of Period | $4.81) | $4.68) | $6.21) | $5.31) | $4.94) |
Income gain (loss) from investment operations: | |||||
Net investment loss3 | (0.26) | (0.27) | (0.29) | (0.35) | (0.37) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 1.11) | 0.72) | (0.55) | 1.44) | 0.74) |
Total income gain (loss) from investment operations | 0.85) | 0.45) | (0.84) | 1.09) | 0.37) |
Distributions: | |||||
Long-term capital gains distributions | (0.38) | (0.32) | (0.69) | (0.19) | - |
Total distributions | (0.38) | (0.32) | (0.69) | (0.19) | - |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $5.28) | $4.81) | $4.68) | $6.21) | $5.31) |
Total Return at Net Asset Value1 | 19.1% | 9.6% | (15.1)% | 20.7% | 7.5% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $261 | $271 | $254 | $265 | $167 |
Ratio to average net assets: | |||||
Net investment loss3 | (5.46)% | (76.11)% | (5.56)% | (6.13)% | (7.49)% |
Expenses | 6.27% | 7.10% | 6.52% | 7.09% | 8.68% |
Portfolio Turnover Rate2 | 4% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 0% |
1. Assumes a
hypothetical initial investment on the business day before the first day of the
fiscal period with all dividends and distributions reinvested in additional
shares on the reinvestment date and redemption at the net asset value calculated
on the last business day of the fiscal period. Sales charges are not reflected
in total returns.
2. The lesser of purchases or sales of Series One portfolio securities for a period, divided by the monthly average of the market value of securities owned during the period. Securities with a maturity or expiration date at the time of acquisition of one year or less are excluded from the calculation. Purchases and sales of investment securities (other than short-term securities) from the year ended July 31, 2024, aggregated $677,814 and $2,966,188, respectively.
3. Per share
amounts have been calculated using the Average Shares Method.
Class C Year Ended July 31, | |||||
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
Per Share Operating Data: | |||||
Net Asset Value, | |||||
Beginning of Period | $5.28) | $5.10) | $6.70) | $5.62) | $5.03) |
Income gain (loss) from investment operations: | |||||
Net investment loss3 | (0.25) | (0.26) | (0.26) | (0.27) | (0.25) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 1.23) | 0.80) | (0.58) | 1.54) | 0.84) |
Total income gain (loss) from investment operations | 0.98) | 0.54) | (0.84) | 1.27) | 0.59) |
Distributions: | |||||
Long-term capital gains distributions | (0.42) | (0.36) | (0.76) | (0.19) | - |
Total distributions | (0.42) | (0.36) | (0.76) | (0.19) | - |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $5.84) | $5.28) | $5.10) | $6.70) | $5.62) |
Total Return at Net Asset Value1 | 20.0% | 10.6% | (14.3)% | 22.8% | 11.7% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $1,514 | $1,299 | $1,296 | $1,480 | $1,589 |
Ratio to average net assets: | |||||
Net investment loss3 | (4.69)% | (5.43)% | (4.44)% | (4.41)% | (4.80)% |
Expenses | 5.51% | 6.43% | 5.40% | 5.41% | 5.98% |
Portfolio Turnover Rate2 | 4% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 0% |
1. Assumes a hypothetical initial investment on the business day before the first day of the fiscal period with all dividends and distributions reinvested in additional shares on the reinvestment date and redemption at the net asset value calculated on the last business day of the fiscal period. Sales charges are not reflected in total returns.
2. The lesser of purchases or sales of Series One portfolio securities for a period, divided by the monthly average of the market value of securities owned during the period. Securities with a maturity or expiration date at the time of acquisition of one year or less are excluded from the calculation. Purchases and sales of investment securities (other than short-term securities) from the year ended July 31, 2024, aggregated $677,814 and $2,966,188, respectively.
3. Per share
amounts have been calculated using the Average Shares Method.
Class D Year Ended July 31, | |||||
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
Per Share Operating Data: |
Net Asset Value, | |||||
Beginning of Period | $7.07) | $6.74) | $8.73) | $7.18) | $6.42) |
Income gain (loss) from investment operations: | |||||
Net investment loss3 | (0.25) | (0.27) | (0.23) | (0.25) | (0.23) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 1.68) | 1.07) | (0.76) | 1.99) | 0.99) |
Total income gain (loss) from investment operations | 1.43) | 0.80) | (0.99) | 1.74) | 0.76) |
Distributions: | |||||
Long-term capital gains distributions | (0.57) | (0.47) | (1.00) | (0.19) | - |
Total distributions | (0.57) | (0.47) | (1.00) | (0.19) | - |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $7.93) | $7.07) | $6.74) | $8.73) | $7.18) |
Total Return at Net Asset Value1 | 21.5% | 11.9% | (13.1)% | 24.5)% | 11.8)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $7,948 | $7,107 | $6,656 | $8,110 | $6,989 |
Ratio to average net assets: | |||||
Net investment loss3 | (3.40)% | (4.14)% | (3.04)% | (3.11)% | (3.49)% |
Expenses | 4.95% | 5.13% | 4.00% | 4.07% | 4.68% |
Portfolio Turnover Rate2 | 4% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 0% |
1. Assumes a
hypothetical initial investment on the business day before the first day of the
fiscal period with all dividends and distributions reinvested in additional
shares on the reinvestment date and redemption at the net asset value calculated
on the last business day of the fiscal period. Sales charges are not reflected
in total returns.
2. The lesser of purchases or sales of Series One portfolio securities for a period, divided by the monthly average of the market value of securities owned during the period. Securities with a maturity or expiration date at the time of acquisition of one year or less are excluded from the calculation. Purchases and sales of investment securities (other than short-term securities) from the year ended July 31, 2024, aggregated $677,814 and $2,966,188, respectively.
3. Per share amounts have been calculated using the Average Shares Method.
Understanding
the Financial Highlights
The tables on the preceding
pages itemize what contributed to the changes in share price during the period.
They also show the changes in share price for this period in comparison to
changes over the last four fiscal periods.
On a per share basis, the tables
include as appropriate:
l share prices at the beginning
of the period;
l investment income and capital
gains or losses;
l distributions of income and
capital gains paid to shareholders; and
l share prices at the end of the
period.
The tables also include some key statistics for the period as
appropriate:
l Total Return - the overall
percentage of return of the Fund, assuming the reinvestment of all
distributions
l Expense Ratio - operating
expenses as a percentage of average net assets;
l Net Investment Income Ratio -
net investment income as a percentage of average net assets; and
l Portfolio Turnover - the
percentage of the Fund´s buying and selling activity.
Proxy Voting
A discussion on Proxy
Voting can be found on page 10 of the Fund´s Statement of Additional
Information. The Statement of Additional Information, as well as how the Fund
issued votes for the year ended June 30, 2024, can be obtained by calling
800-525-2406 or by visiting the Fund´s web site at
www.americangrowthfund.com.
Escheatment
Certain states, including the state of
Texas, have laws that allow shareholders to designate a representative to
receive abandoned or unclaimed property (“escheatment”) notifications by
completing and submitting a designation form that generally can be found on the
official state website. If a shareholder resides in an applicable state, and
elects to designate a representative to receive escheatment notifications,
escheatment notices generally will be delivered as required by such state laws,
including, as applicable, to both the shareholder and the designated
representative. A completed designation form may be mailed to the Fund (if
Shares are held directly with the Fund) or to the shareholder’s financial
intermediary (if Shares are not held directly with the Fund). Shareholders
should refer to relevant state law for the shareholder’s specific rights and
responsibilities under his or her state’s escheatment law(s), which can
generally be found on a state’s official website.
American Growth Fund, Inc.
1636
N. Logan Street
Denver, CO
80203
800.525.2406
303.626.0600
303.626.0614 Fax
DISTRIBUTOR
World Capital
Brokerage, Inc.
1636 N. Logan Street
Denver, CO
80203
303.626.0631
888.742.0631
303.626.0614 Fax
INVESTMENT ADVISOR
Investment
Research Corporation
1636 N. Logan Street
Denver, CO
80203
303.626.0632
TRANSFER
AGENT
Fund Services, Inc.
8730 Stony Point Parkway
Stony Point
Bldg. III
Suite # 205
Richmond, Va. 23235
CUSTODIAN
UMB Bank NA Investment
Services Group
928 Grand Blvd
Fifth Floor
Kansas City, MO
64106
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
Sanville & Company CPA
325 N. St. Paul Street,
Suite 3100
Dallas, TX 75201
Additional information about the Fund´s investments is
available in American Growth Fund´s annual and semi-annual reports to
shareholders and in the Fund’s Form N-CSR. In American Growth Fund´s annual
report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment
strategies that significantly affected the Fund´s performance during its last
fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual
financial statements, as well as the report of the Fund’s independent registered
public accounting firm in the annual financial statements.
You can find more
detailed information about the Fund, including a description of the Fund´s
policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund´s portfolio
securities, in the current Statement of Additional Information, which we have
filed electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and which
is legally a part of this prospectus. If you want a free copy of the Statement
of Additional Information, the annual or semi-annual report, to obtain more
information about the Fund, such as the Fund’s financial statements, or to make
shareholder inquiries you can write to us at 1636 N. Logan Street, Denver, CO
80203, email us at [email protected] or view/print the annual,
semi-annual and the statement of additional information online at
http://www.americangrowthfund.com/agfs1/agflit_download.htm, or call us,
toll-free, at 800-525-2406. Requests to mail or email the Statement of
Additional Information, Annual Report or Semi Annual Report will be processed
and mailed, without charge, within three business days of your request via
first-class mail. You may also obtain additional information about the Fund from
your financial adviser.
Information about the Fund’s investments is available
in the Fund’s Annual Report and Semi-Annual reports to shareholders (as well as
the Fund´s Statement of Additional Information) can be reviewed and copied at
the Commission´s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the
operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the Commission
at 1-202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are available on
the EDGAR Database on the Commission´s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov.
Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by
electronic request at the following E-mail address: [email protected], or by
writing the Commission´s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington,
D.C. 20549-1520.
Shareholder Service
Center
Call the Shareholder Service Center Monday through Friday,
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain time at 800-525-2406.
l For fund
information; literature, price, and performance figures.
l For
information on existing regular investment accounts and retirement plan accounts
including wire investments; wire redemptions; telephone redemptions and
telephone exchanges.
Investment Company Act File
#811-825