ck0001282693-20221231
Investment Objective
The investment objective of
the Baird Mid Cap Growth Fund (the “Fund”) is to provide long-term growth of
capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below 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.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your
investment)
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Investor
Class
Shares |
Institutional
Class
Shares |
Management
Fees |
0.75% |
0.75% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1)
Fees |
0.25% |
None |
Other
Expenses |
0.07% |
0.07% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1) |
1.07% |
0.82% |
(1) Please note that the Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses in the table above do not correlate to the Ratio
of Expenses to Average Net Assets found within the “Financial Highlights”
section of this prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund
and does not include fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund as a
result of investments in other investment
companies.
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. Although your actual costs may be higher
or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Investor
Class Shares |
$109 |
$340 |
$590 |
$1,306 |
Institutional
Class Shares |
$84 |
$262 |
$455 |
$1,014 |
Portfolio Turnover
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities
(or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher
portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in
higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which
are not reflected in total 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 26% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The
Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for
investment purposes, in the equity securities of U.S. and foreign
mid-capitalization companies, principally common stocks, preferred stocks,
securities convertible into common stocks and American Depositary Receipts
(“ADRs”) that are traded on major U.S. exchanges. Although the Fund principally
invests in U.S. companies, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets in
equity securities (consisting of common stocks, ordinary shares and ADRs) of
foreign companies. The Fund defines mid-capitalization companies as those
companies with a market capitalization within the range of companies in the
Russell Midcap®
Growth Index at the time of investment.
When
analyzing equity securities to be purchased by the Fund, Robert W. Baird &
Co. Incorporated (the “Advisor”) emphasizes a company’s growth prospects. The
Fund’s investments are selected using a variety of both quantitative techniques
and fundamental research in seeking to maximize the Fund’s expected return while
controlling risk.
The
Fund seeks a portfolio comprised of companies which reflect “PRIME” growth
factors. These factors are analyzed as part of the Advisor’s investment process
and are represented in the following ways:
•Durable
Profitability.
Companies with attractive margins and favorable margin trends can drive superior
earnings growth.
•Sustainable
Revenue
Growth. Solid barriers to entry, favorable pricing and demonstrated
product/service track record can aid top-line prospects.
•Favorable
Industry
dynamics.
•Management
strength and integrity is a critical element of a high quality company. Growth,
profitability and shareholder returns provide insight into
management
effectiveness. The Advisor seeks companies with management that position their
company’s balance sheet to be a source of strength.
•Understanding
market Expectations
of a company is important in assessing risk/return opportunities.
The
Advisor believes an analysis of these PRIME factors yields insights to the
competitive strength of a business model.
The
Advisor applies the following strategies when purchasing securities for the
Fund’s portfolio:
•Intentionally
avoiding short-term trading strategies and rapid shifts in industry positions.
•Setting
sector limits at the greater of 30% of the Fund’s total assets or double the
weighting of the Russell Midcap®
Growth Index in any one sector, as defined by such index.
•Typically
holding the securities of fewer than 60 companies with exposure to at least 20
industries.
•Seeking
securities whose growth prospects, in the Advisor’s opinion, are not reflected
in their current stock prices.
•Limiting
the size of any one new position. No security will represent more than 5% of the
Fund’s total assets at the time of purchase.
• Leveraging
key tools, such as the Advisor’s proprietary tier-board, which provides a visual
representation of portfolio positions and enables discussion on relative weights
of underlying positions.
The Advisor may sell a security due to
achievement of valuation targets, significant change in the initial investment
premise or fundamental deterioration.
Principal Risks
Please be aware that you may lose money by investing in
the Fund. The following is a summary description of certain
risks of investing in the Fund.
Stock
Market Risks
Stock
prices vary and may fall, thus reducing the value of the Fund’s investments.
Certain stocks selected for the Fund’s portfolio may decline in value more than
the overall stock market. U.S. and international markets have experienced price
volatility in recent months and years. Continuing market volatility may have
adverse effects on the Fund.
Growth-Style
Investing Risks
Because
the Fund focuses on growth-style stocks, its performance may at times be better
or worse than the performance of funds that focus on other types of stocks or
that have a different investment style. Growth stocks are often characterized by
high price-to-earnings ratios, which may be more volatile than stocks with lower
price-to-earnings ratios.
Management
Risks
The
Advisor’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation
of particular companies’ stocks may prove to be incorrect. Such errors could
result in a negative return to the Fund and a loss to you.
Equity
Securities Risks
Equity
securities may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods
of decline in value. This change may occur because of factors that affect
securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors
or companies in which the Fund invests.
Common
Stock Risks
Common
stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile
increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of
their issuers change. Holders of common stocks are generally subject to greater
risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations of the same issuer
because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payments
from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders,
bondholders and other creditors.
Mid-Capitalization
Risks
Mid-capitalization
stocks are often more volatile and less liquid than investments in larger
companies. The frequency and volume of trading in securities of mid-size
companies may be substantially less than is typical of larger companies.
Therefore, the securities of mid-size companies may be subject to greater and
more abrupt price fluctuations. In addition, mid-size companies may lack the
management experience, financial resources and product diversification of larger
companies, making them more susceptible to market pressures and business
failure.
Foreign
Securities Risks
Securities
of foreign issuers and ADRs are subject to certain inherent risks, such as
political or economic instability of the country of issue and government
policies, tax rates, withholding of foreign taxes, prevailing interest rates and
credit conditions that may differ from those affecting domestic corporations.
Securities of foreign issuers and ADRs may also be subject to currency
fluctuations and controls and greater fluctuation in price than the securities
of domestic corporations. Foreign companies generally are subject to different
auditing and financial reporting standards than those applicable to domestic
companies.
Cybersecurity
Risk
With
the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the
Fund is susceptible to operational, information security, and related risks.
Cyber incidents affecting the Fund or its service providers may cause
disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial
losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments
to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of
applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational
damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance
costs.
Recent
Market Events
Russia’s
ongoing war with Ukraine has heightened global geopolitical tensions, resulting
in an elevated risk environment and increased volatility in asset prices. The
uncertain course of the war may have a significant negative impact on the global
economy. U.S. relations with China have become increasingly strained, and
tension between the U.S. and China may have a significant negative impact on the
global economy and asset prices. Measures of inflation reached levels not
experienced in several decades, leading the Federal Reserve to raise short-term
interest rates significantly over the last year, with the potential for further
rate increases in 2023. Uncertainty regarding the ability of the Federal Reserve
to successfully control inflation, the potential for incremental rate increases,
and the full impact of prior rate increases on the economy and other factors,
such as disruption in the banking sector, may negatively impact asset prices and
increase market volatility. The possibility of a U.S. or global recession may
also contribute to market volatility. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused
significant economic disruption in recent years as countries worked to limit the
negative health impacts of the virus. While the virus appears to be entering an
endemic stage, significant outbreaks or new variants present a continued risk to
the global economy. It is possible that these or other geopolitical events could
have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance.
Performance
The performance
information presented below provides some indication of the risks of investing
in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year-to-year and
by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for one, five and ten years and
since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market
performance. Past performance, before and
after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in
the future. Updated performance information is available on the
Fund’s website at www.bairdfunds.com
or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-866-442-2473.
Calendar Year Returns for Institutional Class
Shares
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Best
quarter: |
2nd quarter 2020 |
29.44 |
% |
Worst
quarter: |
1st quarter 2020 |
-19.30 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Average Annual Total Returns as of
December 31, 2022 |
| 1
Year |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Since
Inception
12/29/00 |
Institutional
Class |
|
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
-27.64% |
9.89% |
11.16% |
7.92% |
Return After Taxes on
Distributions |
-27.91% |
7.93% |
9.94% |
7.03% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and
Sale of Fund Shares |
-16.16% |
7.87% |
9.21% |
6.64% |
Investor
Class |
|
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
-27.82% |
9.60% |
10.88% |
7.66% |
Russell
MidCap®
Growth Index
(reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses or taxes) |
-26.72% |
7.64% |
11.41% |
7.14% |
After‑tax returns are shown
only for Institutional Class shares, and the after‑tax returns for Investor
Class shares will vary. 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.
Your actual after‑tax returns
depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After‑tax returns
are not relevant if you hold your shares through a tax‑deferred or other
tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement
account.
The Return After Taxes on
Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other return figures
when a capital loss occurs upon the redemption of Fund shares and provides an
assumed tax benefit that increases the after‑tax
return.
Investment
Advisor
Robert
W. Baird & Co. Incorporated is the Fund’s investment advisor.
Portfolio
Managers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Name |
Portfolio Manager
of the Fund Since |
Title |
Charles
F. Severson, CFA |
2000 |
Senior
Portfolio Manager for Baird Equity Asset Management and Managing Director
of the Advisor |
Kenneth
M. Hemauer, CFA |
2010 |
Senior
Portfolio Manager for Baird Equity Asset Management and Managing Director
of the Advisor |
For
important information about the purchase and sale of Fund shares, tax
information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares, Taxes and Financial Intermediary Compensation” on page
40.
Investment Objective
The investment objective of
the Baird Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund (the “Fund”) is to provide long-term growth
of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below 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.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your
investment)
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Investor
Class
Shares |
Institutional
Class
Shares |
Management
Fees |
0.75% |
0.75% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1)
Fees
|
0.25% |
None |
Other
Expenses |
0.23% |
0.23% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.23% |
0.98% |
Less:
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement(1) |
-0.13% |
-0.13% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense
Reimbursement |
1.10% |
0.85% |
(1)Robert W. Baird & Co.
Incorporated (the “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive management fees
and/or reimburse other expenses in order to limit the Fund’s total annual fund
operating expenses to 1.10% of average daily net assets for the Investor Class
shares and 0.85% of average daily net assets for the Institutional Class shares.
The Advisor’s expense reimbursement agreement includes fees and expenses
incurred by the Fund in connection with the Fund’s investments in other
investment companies (to the extent, in the aggregate, such expenses exceed
0.0049% of the Fund’s average daily net assets) and interest expense, but
excludes taxes, brokerage commissions and extraordinary expenses. If such
excluded expenses were incurred, Fund expenses would be higher. The Advisor is
entitled to recoup the fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed within a
three-year period from the time the expenses were incurred, provided that the
aggregate amount actually paid by the Fund toward the operating expenses in any
month (taking into account the recoupment) will not cause the Fund to exceed the
lesser of: (1) the expense cap in place at the time of the fee waiver and/or
expense reimbursement; or (2) the expense cap in place at the time of the
recoupment. The agreement will continue in effect at least through
April 30,
2024 and may only be terminated prior to the end of this term by
or with the consent of the Board of Directors.
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. Please
note that the one-year numbers below are based on the Fund’s net expenses
resulting from the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement described
above. Although your actual costs may be higher
or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Investor
Class Shares |
$112 |
$377 |
$663 |
$1,477 |
Institutional
Class Shares |
$87 |
$299 |
$529 |
$1,190 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction
costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over”
its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction
costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable
account. These costs, which are not reflected in total 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 39% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The
Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for
investment purposes, in the equity securities of U.S. and foreign small- and
mid-capitalization companies, principally common stocks and American Depositary
Receipts (“ADRs”) that are traded on major U.S. exchanges. Although the Fund
principally invests in U.S. companies, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its
total assets in equity securities (consisting of common stocks, ordinary shares
and ADRs) of foreign companies. The Fund defines small- and mid-capitalization
companies as those companies with a market capitalization within the range of
companies in the Russell 2500®
Growth Index at the time of investment.
When
analyzing equity securities to be purchased by the Fund, the Advisor emphasizes
a company’s growth prospects. The Fund’s investments are selected using a
variety of both quantitative techniques and fundamental research in seeking to
maximize the Fund’s expected return while controlling risk.
The
Fund seeks a portfolio comprised of companies which reflect “PRIME” growth
factors. These factors are analyzed as part of the Advisor’s investment process
and are represented in the following ways:
•Durable
Profitability.
Companies with attractive margins and favorable margin trends can drive superior
earnings growth.
•Sustainable
Revenue
Growth. Solid barriers to entry, favorable pricing and demonstrated
product/service track records can aid top-line prospects.
•Favorable
Industry
dynamics.
•Management
strength and integrity is a critical element of a high quality company. Growth,
profitability and shareholder returns provide insight into management
effectiveness. The Advisor seeks companies with management that position their
company’s balance sheet to be a source of strength.
•Understanding
market Expectations
of a company is important in assessing risk/return opportunities.
The
Advisor believes an analysis of these PRIME factors yields insights into the
competitive strength of a business model.
The
Advisor applies the following strategies when purchasing securities for the
Fund’s portfolio:
•Typically
holding the securities of fewer than 70 companies with exposure to approximately
20 industries.
•Seeking
securities whose growth prospects, in the Advisor’s opinion, are not reflected
in their current stock prices.
•Limiting
the size of any one new position. No security will represent more than 5% of the
Fund’s total assets at the time of purchase.
The Advisor may sell a security when the
price meets or exceeds the Advisor’s targeted valuation or price range for the
security, when a significant change occurs that adversely affects the Advisor’s
premise or reasons for investing in the security or when the company experiences
a fundamental deterioration in its business, financial condition or results, or
growth prospects.
Principal Risks
Please be aware that you may lose money by investing in
the Fund. The following is a summary description of certain
risks of investing in the Fund.
Stock
Market Risks
Stock
prices vary and may fall, thus reducing the value of the Fund’s investments.
Certain stocks selected for the Fund’s portfolio may decline in value more than
the overall stock market. U.S. and international markets have experienced price
volatility in
recent
months and years. Continuing market volatility may have adverse effects on the
Fund.
Growth-Style
Investing Risks
Because
the Fund focuses on growth-style stocks, its performance may at times be better
or worse than the performance of funds that focus on other types of stocks or
that have a different investment style. Growth stocks are often characterized by
high price-to-earnings ratios, which may be more volatile than stocks with lower
price-to-earnings ratios.
Management
Risks
The
Advisor’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation
of particular companies’ stocks may prove to be incorrect. Such errors could
result in a negative return to the Fund and a loss to you.
Equity
Securities Risks
Equity
securities may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods
of decline in value. This change may occur because of factors that affect
securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors
or companies in which the Fund invests.
Common
Stock Risks
Common
stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile
increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of
their issuers change. Holders of common stocks are generally subject to greater
risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations of the same issuer
because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payments
from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders,
bondholders and other creditors.
Small-
and Mid-Capitalization Risks
Small-
and mid-capitalization stocks are often more volatile and less liquid than
investments in larger companies. The frequency and volume of trading in
securities of small- and mid-size companies may be substantially less than is
typical of larger companies. Therefore, the securities of small- and mid-size
companies may be subject to greater and more abrupt price fluctuations. In
addition, small- and mid-size companies may lack the management experience,
financial resources and product diversification of larger companies, making them
more susceptible to market pressures and business failure. Small- and mid-size
companies in which the Fund may invest may be in the early stages of development
and may not yet be profitable. These risks may be more pronounced for
small-capitalization companies than for mid-capitalization companies.
Foreign
Securities Risks
Securities
of foreign issuers and ADRs are subject to certain inherent risks, such as
political or economic instability of the country of issue and government
policies, tax rates, withholding of foreign taxes, prevailing interest rates and
credit conditions that may differ from those affecting domestic corporations.
Securities of foreign issuers and
ADRs
may also be subject to currency fluctuations and controls and greater
fluctuation in price than the securities of domestic corporations. Foreign
companies generally are subject to different auditing and financial reporting
standards than those applicable to domestic companies.
Cybersecurity
Risk
With
the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the
Fund is susceptible to operational, information security, and related risks.
Cyber incidents affecting the Fund or its service providers may cause
disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial
losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments
to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of
applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational
damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance
costs.
Recent
Market Events
Russia’s
ongoing war with Ukraine has heightened global geopolitical tensions, resulting
in an elevated risk environment and increased volatility in asset prices. The
uncertain course of the war may have a significant negative impact on the global
economy. U.S. relations with China have become increasingly strained, and
tension between the U.S. and China may have a significant negative impact on the
global economy and asset prices. Measures of inflation reached levels not
experienced in several decades, leading the Federal Reserve to raise short-term
interest rates significantly over the last year, with the potential for further
rate increases in 2023. Uncertainty regarding the ability of the Federal Reserve
to successfully control inflation, the potential for incremental rate increases,
and the full impact of prior rate increases on the economy and other factors,
such as disruption in the banking sector, may negatively impact asset prices and
increase market volatility. The possibility of a U.S. or global recession may
also contribute to market volatility. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused
significant economic disruption in recent years as countries worked to limit the
negative health impacts of the virus. While the virus appears to be entering an
endemic stage, significant outbreaks or new variants present a continued risk to
the global economy. It is possible that these or other geopolitical events could
have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance.
Performance
The performance
information presented below provides some indication of the risks of investing
in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year-to-year and
by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for one year and since
inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market
performance. Past performance, before and
after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in
the future. Updated performance information is available on the
Fund’s website at www.bairdfunds.com
or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-866-442-2473.
Calendar Year Returns for Institutional Class
Shares
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Best
quarter: |
2nd quarter 2020 |
33.43 |
% |
Worst
quarter: |
1st quarter 2020 |
-18.52 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Average Annual Total Returns as of
December 31, 2022 |
| 1
Year |
Since
Inception 10/31/18 |
Institutional
Class |
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
-27.14% |
10.73% |
Return After Taxes on
Distributions |
-27.26% |
10.33% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and
Sale of Fund Shares |
-15.98% |
8.49% |
Investor
Class |
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
-27.29% |
10.39% |
Russell
2500®
Growth Index
(reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses or taxes) |
-26.21% |
6.73% |
After‑tax returns are shown
only for Institutional Class shares, and the after‑tax returns for Investor
Class shares will vary. 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.
Your actual after‑tax returns
depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After‑tax returns
are not relevant if you hold your shares through a tax‑deferred or other
tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement
account.
The Return After Taxes on
Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other return figures
when a capital loss occurs upon the redemption of Fund shares and provides an
assumed tax benefit that increases the after‑tax
return.
Investment
Advisor
Robert
W. Baird & Co. Incorporated is the Fund’s investment advisor.
Portfolio
Manager
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Name |
Portfolio Manager of
the Fund Since |
Title |
Jonathan
Good |
2018 |
Portfolio
Manager for Baird Equity Asset Management and Director of the
Advisor |
For
important information about the purchase and sale of Fund shares, tax
information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares, Taxes and Financial Intermediary Compensation” on page
40.
Investment Objective
The investment objective of
the Baird Equity Opportunity Fund (the “Fund”) is to provide long-term capital
appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below 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.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your
investment)
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Investor
Class
Shares |
Institutional
Class
Shares |
Management
Fees |
1.25% |
1.25% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1)
Fees
|
0.25% |
None |
Other
Expenses |
0.48% |
0.48% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.98% |
1.73% |
Less:
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement(1) |
-0.48% |
-0.48% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense
Reimbursement |
1.50% |
1.25% |
(1)Robert W. Baird & Co.
Incorporated (the “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive management fees
and/or reimburse other expenses in order to limit the Fund’s total annual fund
operating expenses to 1.25% and 1.50% of average daily net assets for the
Institutional Class and Investor Class shares, respectively. The Advisor’s
expense reimbursement agreement includes the fees and expenses incurred by the
Fund in connection with the Fund’s investments in other investment companies (to
the extent, in the aggregate, such expenses exceed 0.0049% of the Fund’s average
daily net assets) and interest expense, but excludes taxes, brokerage
commissions and extraordinary expenses. If such excluded expenses were incurred,
Fund expenses would be higher. The agreement will continue in effect through at
least April 30,
2025 and may only be terminated prior to the end of this term by
or with the consent of the Board of Directors. The Advisor is not entitled to
recoup any fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed under the
agreement.
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. Please
note that the one-year numbers below are based on the Fund’s net expenses
resulting from the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement described
above. Although your actual costs may be higher
or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Investor
Class Shares |
$153 |
$474 |
$926 |
$2,183 |
Institutional
Class Shares |
$127 |
$397 |
$796 |
$1,913 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction
costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over”
its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction
costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable
account. These costs, which are not reflected in total 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 72% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The
Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for
investment purposes, in equity securities. However, the Fund will not borrow for
investment purposes.
The
Fund invests primarily in a select portfolio of equity securities of companies
with small- to medium-market capitalizations (those with market capitalizations,
at the time of purchase, of less than $20 billion). Although the Fund invests
principally in U.S. companies, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets
in equity securities of foreign companies.
Equity
securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks,
American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or other depositary shares or receipts,
rights, warrants, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), and options whose reference
asset is an equity security or equity securities index.
In
addition to equity ETFs, the Fund may also invest in ETFs generally. The Fund
may also purchase and sell (or write) options to hedge its portfolio or enhance
returns.
The
Fund
will normally hold a limited number (typically 25 to 50) of companies. However,
the Fund may hold fewer or more companies from time to time and invest in
companies with larger market capitalizations when Greenhouse Funds LLLP (the
“Subadvisor”), the Fund’s sub-advisor, believes doing so will help efforts to
achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund will hold a mix of both value
and growth stocks as part of the Subadvisor’s opportunistic approach to
investing.
The
Fund is “non-diversified,” meaning that it may invest a greater percentage of
its total assets in a smaller number of companies than a diversified mutual
fund. Given the Subadvisor’s opportunistic investment strategy, the Fund will
generally be overweight in certain sectors and underweight in other sectors, as
compared to the sector weightings of the Russell 2000®
Index (the Fund’s benchmark index), based on the Subadvisor’s judgment of the
sectors’ relative attractiveness and its individual securities selection. The
Fund may have little or no exposure to certain sectors. The Fund’s sector
exposures will likely change over time, as macroeconomic, market, sector and
company-specific conditions change.
In
selecting investments for the Fund, the Subadvisor employs bottom-up research
and fundamental analyses with a focus on companies that the Subadvisor believes
possess a favorable risk/return profile. The Subadvisor seeks attractive
opportunities for the Fund by evaluating industry dynamics and competitive
forces as well as a company’s business model, earnings quality, profitability,
cash flows, management acumen and demonstrated capital stewardship. Extensive
financial modeling and valuation assessments are then used to calculate the
expected risk and return, after which the Subadvisor exercises its experience
and judgment to determine timing and position sizing.
The
Subadvisor seeks companies with the following key attributes:
•Large
addressable market with a well-structured competitive landscape;
•Attractive
business model with a sustainable competitive advantage;
•Stable
or expanding profit margins and return on capital;
•Positive
and growing free cash flow;
•Disciplined
management team practicing intelligent capital deployment; and
•The
presence or prediction of meaningful change including business model, product
set, management, capital allocation strategy and valuation.
The
Subadvisor also considers environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors as
part of its overall investment decision-making because of the impacts those
factors may have on a company’s performance. The Subadvisor believes ESG factors
vary across companies, industries and sectors and therefore does not apply
exclusionary ESG screens in selecting investments for the Fund. There are no
universally accepted ESG factors and the Subadvisor will consider them at its
discretion.
The
Subadvisor considers the following factors, among others, in deciding to sell
positions: when the price objective has been reached with no change to
underlying fundamentals, when a significant negative event changes the
Subadvisor’s view of the company’s prospects, when target catalysts are
realized
or
when an investment loses its attractiveness relative to other potential
opportunities. The Subadvisor will also trim or sell securities to manage the
Fund’s risk related to position sizing.
Although
the Subadvisor’s target investment horizon is generally measured in years, the
Subadvisor may from time to time engage in short-term trading for the Fund to
take advantage of potential opportunities, which may increase portfolio
turnover.
Principal Risks
Please be aware that you may lose money by investing in
the Fund. The following is a summary description of certain
risks of investing in the Fund.
Stock
Market Risks
Stock
prices vary and may fall, thus reducing the value of the Fund’s investments.
Certain stocks selected for the Fund’s portfolio may decline in value more than
the overall stock market. U.S. and international markets have experienced price
volatility in recent months and years. Continuing market volatility may have
adverse effects on the Fund.
Management
Risks
The
Subadvisor’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential
appreciation of particular companies’ stocks may prove to be incorrect. Such
errors could result in a negative return to the Fund and a loss to you.
Non-Diversified
Fund Risks
As a non-diversified fund, the Fund may
invest a larger percentage of its total assets in a smaller number of companies
compared to a diversified fund. As a result, a decline in value of one or a few
securities held by the Fund will more adversely impact the Fund’s performance
than if the Fund’s total assets were more evenly invested in a larger number of
companies. The Fund’s share price can be expected to fluctuate more than that of
a similar fund that is diversified.
Equity
Securities Risks
Equity
securities may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods
of decline in value. This change may occur because of factors that affect
securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors
or companies in which the Fund invests.
Common
Stock Risks
Common
stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile
increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of
their issuers change. Holders of common stocks are generally subject to greater
risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations of the same issuer
because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payments
from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders,
bondholders and other creditors.
Smaller
Market Capitalization Risks
Stocks
of companies with small- and medium-market capitalizations involve a higher
degree of risk than investments in the broad-based equities market. Small- to
mid-capitalization stocks are often more volatile and less liquid than
investments in larger companies, and are more likely to be adversely affected by
poor economic or market conditions. In addition, small- to mid-capitalization
companies may lack the
management
experience, financial resources and product diversification of larger companies,
making them more susceptible to market pressures and business
failure.
Economic
Sector Risks
The
Fund may invest a higher percentage of its total assets in one or more economic
sectors, which may involve being overweight in those sectors relative to the
Fund’s benchmark index. Adverse conditions impacting those sectors may have a
significant negative impact on the Fund’s absolute and relative performance.
Conversely, the Fund may be underweight or not invested in certain sectors
relative to the Fund’s benchmark index. Should those sectors experience
outperformance, the Fund may underperform relative to the benchmark
index.
Options
Risks
The
Fund may purchase and sell (or write) call and put options. Options are subject
to various types of risks, including market risk, liquidity risk, volatility
risk, counterparty risk, legal risk and operations risk. With options purchased
by the Fund, the risk is limited to the premium paid for the option if the
underlying stock price moves in the opposite direction from desired and the
option expires worthless. For options sold or written by the Fund, the primary
risk is that the underlying stock price may move directionally away from the
exercise price resulting in the option holder exercising the option and
requiring the Fund to either deliver the securities (in the case of a call
option) or pay for the securities (in the case of a put option) and recognize a
significant loss.
ETF
Risks
You
will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in which the Fund
invests, in addition to the Fund’s direct fees and expenses. Accordingly, your
cost of investing in the Fund will generally be higher than the cost of
investing directly in the ETF. The market price of ETF shares may trade at a
discount to their net asset value (“NAV”) or an active trading market for ETF
shares may not develop or be maintained. ETFs in which the Fund invests
typically will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the
underlying assets they track.
Portfolio
Turnover Risks
The
Fund may from time to time buy and sell portfolio securities and other assets to
rebalance the Fund’s exposure to various economic sectors. Higher portfolio
turnover may result in the Fund paying higher levels of transaction costs and
generating greater tax liabilities for shareholders. Portfolio turnover risk may
cause the Fund’s performance to be less than you expect.
Foreign
Securities Risks
Securities
of foreign issuers and ADRs are subject to certain inherent risks, such as
political or economic instability of the country of issue and government
policies, tax rates, withholding of foreign taxes, prevailing interest rates and
credit conditions that may differ from those affecting domestic corporations.
Securities of foreign issuers and ADRs may also be subject to currency
fluctuations and controls and greater fluctuation in price than the securities
of domestic corporations. Foreign companies generally are
subject
to different auditing and financial reporting standards than those applicable to
domestic companies.
Small
Fund Risk
There
can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically
viable size.
Shareholder
Concentration Risk
A
large percentage of the Fund’s shares are held by a small number of
shareholders, including persons and entities related to the Advisor and
Subadvisor. A large redemption by one or more of these shareholders could
materially increase the Fund’s transaction costs and could increase the Fund’s
ongoing operating expenses, which would negatively impact the remaining
shareholders of the Fund.
Valuation
Risks
When
the Fund values foreign equity portfolio securities that are traded in a local
foreign market, an evaluated adjustment factor supplied by the Fund’s fair value
pricing service will generally be used. The prices of the Fund’s securities, as
modified by the evaluated adjustment factor, may be different from the prices
used by other mutual funds or from the prices at which the Fund’s securities are
actually bought or sold.
ESG
Considerations Risk
Consideration
of ESG factors in the investment process may cause the Subadvisor to forgo
opportunities to invest in certain companies or to gain exposure to certain
industries or regions and, therefore, carries the risk that, under certain
market conditions, the Fund may underperform funds that do not consider such
factors.
Cybersecurity
Risk
With
the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the
Fund is susceptible to operational, information security, and related risks.
Cyber incidents affecting the Fund or its service providers may cause
disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial
losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments
to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of
applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational
damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance
costs.
Recent
Market Events
Russia’s
ongoing war with Ukraine has heightened global geopolitical tensions, resulting
in an elevated risk environment and increased volatility in asset prices. The
uncertain course of the war may have a significant negative impact on the global
economy. U.S. relations with China have become increasingly strained, and
tension between the U.S. and China may have a significant negative impact on the
global economy and asset prices. Measures of inflation reached levels not
experienced in several decades, leading the Federal Reserve to raise short-term
interest rates significantly over the last year, with the potential for further
rate increases in 2023. Uncertainty regarding the ability of the Federal Reserve
to successfully control inflation, the potential for incremental rate
increases, and the full impact of prior
rate increases on the economy and other factors, such as disruption in the
banking sector, may negatively impact asset prices and increase market
volatility. The possibility of a U.S. or global recession may also contribute to
market volatility. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused significant
economic disruption in recent years as countries worked to limit the negative
health impacts of the virus. While the virus appears to be entering an endemic
stage, significant outbreaks or new variants present a continued risk to the
global economy. It is possible that these or other geopolitical events could
have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance.
Performance
The performance
information presented below provides some indication of the risks of investing
in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year-to-year and
by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for one, five and ten years and
since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market
performance. Past performance, before and
after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in
the future. As of December 12, 2021, the Subadvisor became the
Fund’s sub-advisor, the Fund’s name changed to the Baird Equity Opportunity
Fund, and the Fund became classified as non-diversified for purposes of the
Investment Company Act of 1940. Prior to December 12, 2021, the Fund was known
as the Baird SmallCap Value Fund and was managed by the Advisor without the use
of a sub-advisor and with a different investment strategy. The performance
results shown in the bar chart and table below for periods prior to December 12,
2021 reflect periods during which the Fund was managed by the Advisor prior to
the retention of the Subadvisor and when the Fund was managed as a diversified
portfolio for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The performance
record for periods prior to December 12, 2021 does not illustrate the
performance of the Subadvisor or the Fund’s investment strategy in effect as of
the date of this prospectus. Updated performance information is available on the
Fund’s website at www.bairdfunds.com
or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1‑866-442-2473.
Calendar Year Returns for Institutional Class
Shares
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Best
quarter: |
4th quarter 2020 |
27.62 |
% |
Worst
quarter: |
1st quarter 2020 |
-27.11 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Average Annual Total Returns as of
December 31, 2022 |
| 1
Year |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Since
Inception
5/1/12 |
Institutional
Class |
|
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
-11.56% |
1.45% |
6.88% |
6.78% |
Return After Taxes on
Distributions |
-16.84% |
-0.52% |
5.63% |
5.58% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and
Sale of Fund Shares |
-3.08% |
1.07% |
5.52% |
5.45% |
Investor
Class |
|
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
-11.77% |
1.20% |
6.62% |
6.52% |
Russell
2000®
Index
(reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses or taxes) |
-20.44% |
4.13% |
9.01% |
8.93% |
After‑tax returns are shown
only for Institutional Class shares, and the after‑tax returns for Investor
Class shares will vary. 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.
Your actual after‑tax returns
depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After‑tax returns
are not relevant if you hold your shares through a tax‑deferred or other
tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement
account.
The Return After Taxes on
Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other return figures
when a capital loss occurs upon the redemption of Fund shares and provides an
assumed tax benefit that increases the after‑tax
return.
Investment
Advisor
Robert
W. Baird & Co. Incorporated is the Fund’s investment advisor.
Investment
Subadvisor
Greenhouse
Funds LLLP is the Fund’s sub-advisor.
Portfolio
Manager
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Name |
Portfolio Manager
of the Fund Since |
Title |
Joseph
Milano, CFA |
December
2021 |
Founder
and Chief Investment Officer of the Subadvisor
|
For
important information about the purchase and sale of Fund shares, tax
information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares, Taxes and Financial Intermediary Compensation” on page
40.
Investment Objective
The investment objective of
the Baird Chautauqua International Growth Fund (the “Fund”) is to provide
long‑term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below 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.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your
investment)
None
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Investor
Class
Shares |
Institutional
Class
Shares |
Management
Fees |
0.75% |
0.75% |
Distribution
and Service (12b‑1) Fees |
0.25% |
None |
Other
Expenses |
0.12% |
0.12% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.12% |
0.87% |
Less:
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement(1) |
-0.07% |
-0.07% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense
Reimbursement |
1.05% |
0.80% |
(1)Robert W. Baird & Co.
Incorporated (the “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive management fees
and/or reimburse other expenses in order to limit the Fund’s total annual fund
operating expenses to 1.05% of average daily net assets for the Investor Class
shares and 0.80% of average daily net assets for the Institutional Class shares.
The Advisor’s expense reimbursement agreement includes the fees and expenses
incurred by the Fund in connection with the Fund’s investments in other
investment companies (to the extent, in the aggregate, such expenses exceed
0.0049% of the Fund’s average daily net assets) and interest expense, but
excludes taxes, brokerage commissions and extraordinary expenses. If such
excluded expenses were incurred, Fund expenses would be higher. The Advisor is
entitled to recoup the fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed within a
three‑year period from the time the expenses were incurred provided that the
aggregate amount actually paid by the Fund toward the operating expenses in any
month (taking into account the recoupment) will not cause the Fund to exceed the
lesser of: (1) the expense cap in place at the time of the fee waiver and/or
expense reimbursement; or (2) the expense cap in place at the time of the
recoupment. The agreement will continue in effect at least through
April 30,
2024 and may only be terminated prior to the end of this term by
or with the consent of the Board of Directors.
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. Please
note that the one-year numbers below are based on the Fund’s net expenses
resulting from the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement described
above. Although your actual costs may be higher
or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Investor
Class Shares |
$107 |
$349 |
$610 |
$1,357 |
Institutional
Class Shares |
$82 |
$271 |
$475 |
$1,066 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction
costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over”
its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction
costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable
account. These costs, which are not reflected in total 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 23% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The
Fund invests primarily in equity securities of non‑U.S. companies with medium to
large market capitalizations (i.e.,
those typically with market capitalizations in excess of U.S. $5 billion at the
time of purchase). Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common
stocks, preferred stocks, depositary shares and receipts, rights, warrants and
exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). Under normal market conditions, the Fund will
invest at least 65% of its total assets at the time of purchase in non‑U.S.
companies. The Fund will normally be diversified among at least three countries
other than the U.S. The Fund invests in developed markets and emerging markets.
In evaluating potential investments, the Advisor considers companies with growth
characteristics that the Advisor believes are likely to benefit from current
macro‑economic and global trends and possess sustainable competitive advantages.
The Fund will normally hold the securities of a limited number (generally 25 to
35) of companies. While the Fund may invest in U.S. companies as a part of its
investment strategy, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its total assets in
non-U.S. companies and may at times have little or no investment in U.S.
companies.
In
determining whether a company is a U.S. or non-U.S. company, the Advisor
considers a number of factors, including the company’s jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization, the location of the company’s corporate or
operational headquarters or
principal
place of business, the location of the principal trading market for the
company’s common stock, the location(s) of a majority of the company’s assets or
production of its goods and services, and the locations of the primary sources
of the company’s revenues or profits.
The
Advisor believes that environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors can
have a material effect on investment returns. The Advisor seeks to understand
pertinent ESG topics that are relevant to individual companies that are being
considered for investment in the Fund. Examples include, but are not limited to,
corporate governance structure, climate change, supply chain integrity, labor
practices and human resource management. There are no universally accepted ESG
factors and the Advisor will consider them at its discretion.
The
Fund may invest in ETFs. For example, the Fund may invest cash temporarily in
ETFs until individual securities are identified for purchase or until the Fund
is able to purchase securities in a particular country or region.
The Advisor will typically sell or reduce a
position to mitigate a specific risk, to take advantage of better opportunities,
to avoid country risks, when the Advisor believes that valuations are high
relative to changes in the company’s fundamentals, or when operational
performance does not meet the Advisor’s expectations.
Principal Risks
Please be aware that you may lose money by investing in
the Fund. The following is a summary description of certain
risks of investing in the Fund.
Stock
Market Risks
Stock
prices vary and may fall, thus reducing the value of the Fund’s investments.
Certain stocks selected for the Fund’s portfolio may decline in value more than
the overall stock market. U.S. and international markets have experienced price
volatility in recent months and years. Continuing market volatility may have
adverse effects on the Fund.
Growth-Style
Investing Risks
Because
the Fund focuses on growth-style stocks, its performance may at times be better
or worse than the performance of funds that focus on other types of stocks or
that have a different investment style. Growth stocks are often characterized by
high price-to-earnings ratios, which may be more volatile than stocks with lower
price-to-earnings ratios.
Limited
Holdings Risks
Although
it is diversified, the Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of total
assets in a focused number of issuers, which may result in increased volatility.
Management
Risks
The
Advisor’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation
of particular companies’ stocks may prove to be incorrect. Such errors could
result in a negative return to the Fund and a loss to you.
Equity
Securities Risks
Equity
securities may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods
of decline in value. This change may occur because of factors that affect
securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors
or companies in which the Fund invests.
Common
Stock Risks
Common
stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile
increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of
their issuers change. Holders of common stocks are generally subject to greater
risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations of the same issuer
because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payments
from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders,
bondholders and other creditors.
Currency
Risks
The
value of foreign investments held by the Fund may be significantly affected by
changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Generally, when the U.S. dollar
rises in value against a foreign currency, an investment in that foreign
currency loses value because it is worth fewer U.S. dollars. The foreign
currency exchange market can be highly volatile for a variety of reasons. For
example, changes in monetary policy, macro-economic factors, currency conversion
expenses, restrictions, exchange control regulation, devaluation and political
developments may have a significant impact on the value of any investments
denominated in that currency.
Medium
and Large Capitalization Risks
Stocks
of companies with a certain market capitalization may perform differently from
the equities markets generally. At times, medium and large capitalization stocks
may underperform as compared to small capitalization stocks. Larger, more
established companies may be unable to respond to new competitive challenges
such as changes in consumer tastes or innovative smaller competitors. Moreover,
medium capitalization stocks may perform differently from large capitalization
stocks, as medium capitalization stocks may be less liquid and more volatile
than large capitalization stocks.
Foreign
Securities Risks
Securities
of foreign issuers and ADRs are subject to certain inherent risks, such as
political or economic instability of the country of issue and government
policies, tax rates, withholding of foreign taxes, prevailing interest rates and
credit conditions that may differ from those affecting domestic corporations.
Securities of foreign issuers and ADRs may also be subject to currency
fluctuations and controls and greater fluctuation in price than the securities
of domestic corporations. Foreign companies generally are
subject
to different auditing and financial reporting standards than those applicable to
domestic companies.
Emerging
Market Risks
Investments
in emerging markets can involve risks in addition to and greater than those
generally associated with investing in more developed foreign markets. The
extent of economic development, political stability, market depth,
infrastructure, capitalization, and regulatory oversight can be less than in
more developed markets. Emerging market economies can be subject to greater
social, economic, regulatory, and political uncertainties, including
interruptions in trading. All of these factors can make emerging market
securities more volatile and potentially less liquid than securities issued in
more developed markets.
Region,
Country, Sector Risks
The
Fund may invest a higher percentage of its total assets in a particular country,
region or sector of international markets as compared to its benchmark index,
which may have a significant negative impact on the Fund’s absolute and relative
performance. Conversely, the Fund may be underweight in certain countries,
regions or sectors relative to the Fund’s benchmark index. Should those
countries, regions or sectors experience outperformance, the Fund may
underperform relative to the benchmark index.
◦Information
Technology Sector Risk. To
the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the
information technology sector, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its
performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the
information technology sector. Companies in the information technology sector
and companies that rely heavily on technology are particularly vulnerable to
rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence,
government regulation and competition.
ETF
Risks
You
will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in which the Fund
invests, in addition to the Fund’s direct fees and expenses. Accordingly, your
cost of investing in the Fund will generally be higher than the cost of
investing directly in the ETF. The market price of ETF shares may trade at a
discount to their net asset value (“NAV”) or an active trading market for ETF
shares may not develop or be maintained. ETFs in which the Fund invests
typically will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the
underlying assets they track.
Valuation
Risks
When
the Fund values foreign equity portfolio securities that are traded in a local
foreign market, an evaluated adjustment factor supplied by the Fund’s fair value
pricing service will generally be used. The prices of the Fund’s securities, as
modified by the evaluated adjustment factor, may be different from the prices
used by other mutual funds or from the prices at which the Fund’s securities are
actually bought or sold.
ESG
Considerations Risk
Consideration
of ESG factors in the investment process may cause the Advisor to forgo
opportunities to invest in certain companies or to gain exposure to certain
industries or regions and, therefore, carries the risk that, under certain
market conditions, the Fund may underperform funds that do not consider such
factors.
Cybersecurity
Risk
With
the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the
Fund is susceptible to operational, information security, and related risks.
Cyber incidents affecting the Fund or its service providers may cause
disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial
losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments
to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of
applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational
damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance
costs.
Recent
Market Events
Russia’s
ongoing war with Ukraine has heightened global geopolitical tensions, resulting
in an elevated risk environment and increased volatility in asset prices. The
uncertain course of the war may have a significant negative impact on the global
economy. U.S. relations with China have become increasingly strained, and
tension between the U.S. and China may have a significant negative impact on the
global economy and asset prices. Measures of inflation reached levels not
experienced in several decades, leading the Federal Reserve to raise short-term
interest rates significantly over the last year, with the potential for further
rate increases in 2023. Uncertainty regarding the ability of the Federal Reserve
to successfully control inflation, the potential for incremental rate increases,
and the full impact of prior rate increases on the economy and other factors,
such as disruption in the banking sector, may negatively impact asset prices and
increase market volatility. The possibility of a U.S. or global recession may
also contribute to market volatility. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused
significant economic disruption in recent years as countries worked to limit the
negative health impacts of the virus. While the virus appears to be entering an
endemic stage, significant outbreaks or new variants present a continued risk to
the global economy. It is possible that these or other geopolitical events could
have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance.
Performance
The performance
information presented below provides some indication of the risks of investing
in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and
by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for one year, five year, and
since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market
performance. Past performance, before and
after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in
the future. Updated performance information is available on the
Fund’s website at www.bairdfunds.com
or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-866-442-2473.
Calendar Year Returns for Institutional Class
Shares
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Best
quarter: |
2nd quarter 2020 |
25.57 |
% |
Worst
quarter: |
4th quarter
2018 |
-16.88 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Average Annual Total Returns as of
December 31, 2022 |
| 1
Year |
5
Year |
Since
Inception
4/15/16 |
Institutional
Class |
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
-17.84% |
5.27% |
8.07% |
Return After Taxes on
Distributions |
-17.90% |
4.96% |
7.65% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and
Sale of Fund Shares |
-10.33% |
4.10% |
6.36% |
Investor
Class |
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
-18.03% |
4.98% |
7.80% |
MSCI
ACWI ex USA Index
(reflects no deductions for
fees, expenses or taxes) |
-16.00% |
0.88% |
4.79% |
After‑tax returns are shown
only for Institutional Class shares, and the after‑tax returns for Investor
Class shares will vary. 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.
Your actual after‑tax returns
depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After‑tax returns
are not relevant if you hold your shares through a tax‑deferred or other
tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement
account.
The Return After Taxes on
Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other return figures
when a capital loss occurs upon the redemption of Fund shares and provides an
assumed tax benefit that increases the after‑tax
return.
Investment
Advisor
Robert
W. Baird & Co. Incorporated is the Fund’s investment advisor.
Portfolio
Managers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Name |
Portfolio Manager
of the Fund Since |
Title |
Jesse
A. Flores, CFA |
2020 |
Portfolio
Manager of the Fund, Partner of the Advisor’s Chautauqua Capital
Management Division, and Director of the Advisor |
Haicheng
Li, CFA |
2020 |
Portfolio
Manager of the Fund, Managing Partner of the Advisor’s Chautauqua Capital
Management Division, and Director of the Advisor |
Nathaniel
R. Velarde |
2020 |
Portfolio
Manager of the Fund, Partner of the Advisor’s Chautauqua Capital
Management Division, and Director of the
Advisor |
For
important information about the purchase and sale of Fund shares, tax
information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares, Taxes and Financial Intermediary Compensation” on page
40.
Investment Objective
The investment objective of
the Baird Chautauqua Global Growth Fund (the “Fund”) is to provide long‑term
capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below 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.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your
investment)
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Investor
Class
Shares |
Institutional
Class
Shares |
Management
Fees |
0.75% |
0.75% |
Distribution
and Service (12b‑1) Fees |
0.25% |
None |
Other
Expenses |
0.17% |
0.17% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.17% |
0.92% |
Less:
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement(1) |
-0.12% |
-0.12% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense
Reimbursement |
1.05% |
0.80% |
(1)Robert W. Baird & Co.
Incorporated (the “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive management fees
and/or reimburse other expenses in order to limit the Fund’s total annual fund
operating expenses to 1.05% of average daily net assets for the Investor Class
shares and 0.80% of average daily net assets for the Institutional Class shares.
The Advisor’s expense reimbursement agreement includes the fees and expenses
incurred by the Fund in connection with the Fund’s investments in other
investment companies (to the extent, in the aggregate, such expenses exceed
0.0049% of the Fund’s average daily net assets) and interest expense, but
excludes taxes, brokerage commissions and extraordinary expenses. If such
excluded expenses were incurred, Fund expenses would be higher. The Advisor is
entitled to recoup the fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed within a
three‑year period from the time the expenses were incurred; provided that the
aggregate amount actually paid by the Fund toward the operating expenses in any
month (taking into account the recoupment) will not cause the Fund to exceed the
lesser of: (1) the expense cap in place at the time of the fee waiver and/or
expense reimbursement or (2) the expense cap in place at the time of the
recoupment. The agreement will continue in effect at least through
April 30,
2024 and may only be terminated prior to the end of this term by
or with the consent of the Board of Directors.
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. Please
note that the one-year numbers below are based on the Fund’s net expenses
resulting from the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement described
above. Although your actual costs may be higher
or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Investor
Class Shares |
$107 |
$360 |
$632 |
$1,410 |
Institutional
Class Shares |
$82 |
$281 |
$498 |
$1,120 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction
costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over”
its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction
costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable
account. These costs, which are not reflected in total 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 12% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The
Fund invests primarily in equity securities of both U.S. and non‑U.S. companies
with medium to large market capitalizations (i.e.,
those typically with market capitalizations in excess of U.S. $5 billion at the
time of purchase). Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common
stocks, preferred stocks, depositary shares and receipts, rights, warrants and
exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). Under normal market conditions, the Fund will
invest at least 40% of its total assets at the time of purchase in non‑U.S.
companies. The Fund will normally be diversified among at least three different
countries, including the United States. The Fund invests in developed markets
and emerging markets. In evaluating potential investments, the Advisor considers
companies with growth characteristics that the Advisor believes are likely to
benefit from current macro‑economic and global trends and possess sustainable
competitive advantages. The Fund will normally hold a limited number (generally
35 to 45) of companies.
In
determining whether a company is a U.S. or non-U.S. company, the Advisor
considers a number of factors, including the company’s jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization, the location of the company’s corporate or
operational headquarters or principal place of business, the location of the
principal trading market for the company’s common stock, the location(s) of a
majority of the company’s assets or
production
of its goods and services, and the locations of the primary sources of the
company’s revenues or profits.
The
Advisor believes that environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors can
have a material effect on investment returns. The Advisor seeks to understand
pertinent ESG topics that are relevant to individual companies that are being
considered for investment in the Fund. Examples include, but are not limited to,
corporate governance structure, climate change, supply chain integrity, labor
practices and human resource management. There are no universally accepted ESG
factors and the Advisor will consider them at its discretion.
The
Fund may invest in ETFs. For example, the Fund may invest cash temporarily in
ETFs until individual securities are identified for purchase or until the Fund
is able to purchase securities in a particular country or region.
The Advisor will typically sell or reduce a
position to mitigate a specific risk, to take advantage of better opportunities,
to avoid country risks, when the Advisor believes that valuations are high
relative to the changes in the company’s fundamentals, or when operational
performance does not meet the Advisor’s expectations.
Principal Risks
Please be aware that you may lose money by investing in
the Fund. The following is a summary description of certain
risks of investing in the Fund.
Stock
Market Risks
Stock
prices vary and may fall, thus reducing the value of the Fund’s investments.
Certain stocks selected for the Fund’s portfolio may decline in value more than
the overall stock market. U.S. and international markets have experienced price
volatility in recent months and years. Continuing market volatility may have
adverse effects on the Fund.
Growth-Style
Investing Risks
Because
the Fund focuses on growth-style stocks, its performance may at times be better
or worse than the performance of funds that focus on other types of stocks or
that have a different investment style. Growth stocks are often characterized by
high price-to-earnings ratios, which may be more volatile than stocks with lower
price-to-earnings ratios.
Limited
Holdings Risks
Although
it is diversified, the Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of total
assets in a focused number of issuers, which may result in increased volatility.
Management
Risks
The
Advisor’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation
of particular companies’ stocks may prove to be incorrect. Such errors could
result in a negative return to the Fund and a loss to you.
Equity
Securities Risks
Equity
securities may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods
of decline in value. This change may occur because of factors that affect
securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors
or companies in which the Fund invests.
Common
Stock Risks
Common
stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile
increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of
their issuers change. Holders of common stocks are generally subject to greater
risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations of the same issuer
because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payments
from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders,
bondholders and other creditors.
Currency
Risks
The
value of foreign investments held by the Fund may be significantly affected by
changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Generally, when the U.S. dollar
rises in value against a foreign currency, an investment in that foreign
currency loses value because it is worth fewer U.S. dollars. The foreign
currency exchange market can be highly volatile for a variety of reasons. For
example, changes in monetary policy, macro-economic factors, currency conversion
expenses, restrictions, exchange control regulation, devaluation and political
developments may have a significant impact on the value of any investments
denominated in that currency.
Medium
to Large Capitalization Risks
Stocks
of companies with a certain market capitalization may perform differently from
the equities markets generally. At times, medium capitalization and large
capitalization stocks may underperform as compared to small capitalization
stocks. Larger, more established companies may be unable to respond to new
competitive challenges such as changes in consumer tastes or innovative smaller
competitors. Moreover, medium capitalization stocks may perform differently from
large capitalization stocks, as medium capitalization stocks may be less liquid
and more volatile than large capitalization stocks.
Foreign
Securities Risks
Securities
of foreign issuers and ADRs are subject to certain inherent risks, such as
political or economic instability of the country of issue and government
policies, tax rates, withholding of foreign taxes, prevailing interest rates and
credit conditions that may differ from those affecting domestic corporations.
Securities of foreign issuers and ADRs may also be subject to currency
fluctuations and controls and greater fluctuation in price than the securities
of domestic corporations. Foreign companies generally are
subject
to different auditing and financial reporting standards than those applicable to
domestic companies.
Emerging
Market Risks
Investments
in emerging markets can involve risks in addition to and greater than those
generally associated with investing in more developed foreign markets. The
extent of economic development, political stability, market depth,
infrastructure, capitalization, and regulatory oversight can be less than in
more developed markets. Emerging market economies can be subject to greater
social, economic, regulatory, and political uncertainties, including
interruptions in trading. All of these factors can make emerging market
securities more volatile and potentially less liquid than securities issued in
more developed markets.
Region,
Country, Sector Risks
The
Fund may invest a higher percentage of its total assets in a particular country,
region or sector of international markets as compared to its benchmark index,
which may have a significant negative impact on the Fund’s absolute and relative
performance. Conversely, the Fund may be underweight in certain countries,
regions or sectors relative to the Fund’s benchmark index. Should those
countries, regions or sectors experience outperformance, the Fund may
underperform relative to the benchmark index.
◦Information
Technology Sector Risk. To
the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the
information technology sector, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its
performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the
information technology sector. Companies in the information technology sector
and companies that rely heavily on technology are particularly vulnerable to
rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence,
government regulation and competition.
ETF
Risks
You
will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in which the Fund
invests, in addition to the Fund’s direct fees and expenses. Accordingly, your
cost of investing in the Fund will generally be higher than the cost of
investing directly in the ETF. The market price of ETF shares may trade at a
discount to their net asset value (“NAV”) or an active trading market for ETF
shares may not develop or be maintained. ETFs in which the Fund invests
typically will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the
underlying assets they track.
Valuation
Risks
When
the Fund values foreign equity portfolio securities that are traded in a local
foreign market, an evaluated adjustment factor supplied by the Fund’s fair value
pricing service will generally be used. The prices of the Fund’s securities, as
modified by the evaluated adjustment factor, may be different from the prices
used by other mutual funds or from the prices at which the Fund’s securities are
actually bought or sold.
ESG
Considerations Risk
Consideration
of ESG factors in the investment process may cause the Advisor to forgo
opportunities to invest in certain companies or to gain exposure to certain
industries or regions and, therefore, carries the risk that, under certain
market conditions, the Fund may underperform funds that do not consider such
factors.
Cybersecurity
Risk
With
the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the
Fund is susceptible to operational, information security, and related risks.
Cyber incidents affecting the Fund or its service providers may cause
disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial
losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments
to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of
applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational
damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance
costs.
Recent
Market Events
Russia’s
ongoing war with Ukraine has heightened global geopolitical tensions, resulting
in an elevated risk environment and increased volatility in asset prices. The
uncertain course of the war may have a significant negative impact on the global
economy. U.S. relations with China have become increasingly strained, and
tension between the U.S. and China may have a significant negative impact on the
global economy and asset prices. Measures of inflation reached levels not
experienced in several decades, leading the Federal Reserve to raise short-term
interest rates significantly over the last year, with the potential for further
rate increases in 2023. Uncertainty regarding the ability of the Federal Reserve
to successfully control inflation, the potential for incremental rate increases,
and the full impact of prior rate increases on the economy and other factors,
such as disruption in the banking sector, may negatively impact asset prices and
increase market volatility. The possibility of a U.S. or global recession may
also contribute to market volatility. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused
significant economic disruption in recent years as countries worked to limit the
negative health impacts of the virus. While the virus appears to be entering an
endemic stage, significant outbreaks or new variants present a continued risk to
the global economy. It is possible that these or other geopolitical events could
have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance.
Performance
The performance
information presented below provides some indication of the risks of investing
in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and
by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for one year, five years and
since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market
performance. Past performance, before and
after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in
the future. Updated performance information is available on the
Fund’s website at www.bairdfunds.com
or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-866-442-2473.
Calendar Year Returns for Institutional Class
Shares
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Best
quarter: |
2nd quarter 2020 |
24.11 |
% |
Worst
quarter: |
4th quarter
2018 |
-18.81 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Average Annual Total Returns as of
December 31, 2022 |
| 1
Year |
5
Year |
Since
Inception
4/15/16 |
Institutional
Class |
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
-20.11% |
6.68% |
10.21% |
Return After Taxes on
Distributions |
-20.06% |
6.51% |
9.89% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and
Sale of Fund Shares |
-11.81% |
5.24% |
8.15% |
Investor
Class |
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
-20.32% |
6.46% |
9.97% |
MSCI
ACWI Index
(reflects no deductions for
fees, expenses or taxes) |
-18.36% |
5.23% |
8.19% |
After‑tax returns are shown
only for Institutional Class shares, and the after‑tax returns for Investor
Class shares will vary. 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.
Your actual after‑tax returns
depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After‑tax returns
are not relevant if you hold your shares through a tax‑deferred or other
tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement
account.
The Return After Taxes on
Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other return figures
when a capital loss occurs upon the redemption of Fund shares and provides an
assumed tax benefit that increases the after‑tax
return.
Investment
Advisor
Robert
W. Baird & Co. Incorporated is the Fund’s investment advisor.
Portfolio
Managers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Name |
Portfolio
Manager
of
the
Fund
Since |
Title |
Jesse
A. Flores, CFA |
2020 |
Portfolio
Manager of the Fund, Partner of the Advisor’s Chautauqua Capital
Management Division, and Director of the Advisor |
Haicheng
Li, CFA |
2020 |
Portfolio
Manager of the Fund, Managing Partner of the Advisor’s Chautauqua Capital
Management Division, and Director of the Advisor |
Nathaniel
R. Velarde |
2020 |
Portfolio
Manager of the Fund, Partner of the Advisor’s Chautauqua Capital
Management Division, and Director of the
Advisor |
For
important information about the purchase and sale of Fund shares, tax
information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares, Taxes and Financial Intermediary Compensation” on page
40.
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
You
may purchase or redeem shares of each Fund on any day the New York Stock
Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open by written request via mail (Baird Funds, Inc. c/o
U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701) or
overnight delivery (Baird Funds, Inc. c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, 615 E.
Michigan Street, Third Floor, Milwaukee, WI 53202), by wire transfer, by
telephone at 1‑866‑442-2473, or through a financial intermediary. Purchases and
redemptions by telephone are only permitted if you previously established these
options on your account.
The
minimum initial and subsequent investment amounts are shown below, although the
Funds may reduce or waive them in some cases in their discretion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Initial
Purchase |
Subsequent
Purchases |
Investor
Class |
$1,000
– Individual Retirement Accounts (Traditional/Roth/SIMPLE/SEP IRAs)
|
$100 |
| $2,500
– All Other Accounts |
$100 |
Institutional
Class |
$10,000
– All Account Types |
No
minimum |
Tax
Information
Each
Fund’s distributions may be subject to federal income tax and may be taxed as
ordinary income or long-term capital gains unless you are investing through a
tax-deferred arrangements or other tax-advantaged arrangements, such as a 401(k)
plan or an individual retirement account (“IRA”). You may be taxed later upon
the withdrawal of monies from such tax-deferred or other tax-advantaged
arrangements.
Payments
to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If
you purchase Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary
(such as a bank), 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. In addition,
some broker-dealers may regard Institutional Class shares of the Fund as “clean”
shares and will charge you a commission on the purchase of such shares. Ask your
salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more
information.
This
Prospectus describes the Baird Mid Cap Growth Fund (“Mid Cap Growth Fund”),
Baird Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund (“Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund”), Baird Equity
Opportunity Fund (“Equity Opportunity Fund”), Baird Chautauqua International
Growth Fund (“International Growth Fund”) and Baird Chautauqua Global Growth
Fund (“Global Growth Fund”) (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”), five
mutual funds offered by Baird Funds, Inc. (“Baird Funds” or the
“Company”).
Mid
Cap Growth Fund
The
investment objective of the Mid Cap Growth Fund is to provide long-term growth
of capital.
Small/Mid
Cap Growth Fund
The
investment objective of the Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund is to provide long-term
growth of capital.
Equity
Opportunity Fund
The
investment objective of the Equity Opportunity Fund is to provide long-term
capital appreciation.
International
Growth Fund
The
investment objective of the International Growth Fund is to provide long‑term
capital appreciation.
Global
Growth Fund
The
investment objective of the Global Growth Fund is to provide long‑term capital
appreciation.
These
investment objectives are fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder
approval. The percentage limitations set forth under “Principal Investment
Strategies” are measured at the time of investment.
Mid
Cap Growth Fund
The
Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for
investment purposes, in the equity securities of mid-capitalization companies,
principally common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common
stocks and ADRs that are traded on major U.S. exchanges. Although the Fund
principally invests in U.S. companies, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its
total assets in equity securities (consisting of common stocks, ordinary shares
and ADRs) of foreign companies. The Fund defines mid-capitalization companies as
those companies with a market capitalization within the range of companies in
the Russell Midcap®
Growth Index at the time of investment. As of March 31, 2023, the market
capitalization of companies in the Russell MidCap®
Growth Index ranged from $454.5 million to $58.9 billion, with median and
weighted average market capitalizations of $11.3 billion and $26.4 billion,
respectively. The Index is reconstituted annually in June. The Russell
Midcap®
Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell Midcap®
companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.
The Russell Midcap®
Index consists of the 800 smallest companies in the Russell 1000®
Index. The Russell 1000®
Index consists of the largest 1,000 companies in the Russell 3000®
Index, which in turn consists of the 3,000 largest U.S. domiciled publicly
traded common stocks by market capitalization. These indices do not reflect any
deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. A direct investment in an index is not
possible.
When
analyzing equity securities to be purchased by the Fund, the Advisor emphasizes
a company’s growth prospects. The Fund’s investments are selected using a
variety of both quantitative techniques and fundamental research in seeking to
maximize the Fund’s expected return while controlling risk.
The
Fund seeks a portfolio comprised of companies which reflect “PRIME” growth
factors. These factors are analyzed as part of the Advisor’s investment process
and are represented in the following ways:
•Durable
Profitability.
Companies with attractive margins and favorable margin trends can drive superior
earnings growth.
•Sustainable
Revenue
Growth. Solid barriers to entry, favorable pricing and demonstrated
product/service track record can aid top-line prospects.
•Favorable
Industry
dynamics.
•Management
strength and integrity is a critical element of a high quality company. Growth,
profitability and shareholder returns provide insight into management
effectiveness. The Advisor seeks companies with management that position their
company’s balance sheet to be a source of strength.
•Understanding
market Expectations
of a company is important in assessing risk/return opportunities.
The
Advisor believes an analysis of these PRIME factors yields insights to the
competitive strength of a business model.
The
Advisor applies the following strategies when purchasing securities for the
Fund’s portfolio:
•Intentionally
avoiding short-term trading strategies and rapid shifts in industry
positions.
•Setting
sector limits at the greater of 30% of the Fund’s total assets or double the
weighting of the Russell Midcap®
Growth Index in any one sector, as defined by such index. Thus, the Fund may be
heavily invested in a single sector. However, a single sector may include
numerous subsectors or industries. The Fund may therefore be concentrated in one
sector, while being diversified among several industries.
•Typically
holding the securities of fewer than 60 companies with exposure to at least 20
industries.
•Seeking
securities whose growth prospects, in the Advisor’s opinion, are not reflected
in their current stock prices.
•Limiting
the size of any one new position. No security will represent more than 5% of the
Fund’s total assets at the time of purchase.
•Leveraging
key tools, such as the Advisor’s proprietary tier-board, which provides a visual
representation of portfolio positions and enables discussion on relative weights
of underlying positions.
The
Advisor may sell a security due to achievement of valuation targets, significant
change in the initial investment premise or fundamental deterioration.
Fundamental deterioration occurs when a company is no longer able to achieve the
results generally expected by the investment management team due to a specific
issue, such as a loss of a key customer or pricing pressure in the
industry.
Small/Mid
Cap Growth Fund
The
Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for
investment purposes, in the equity securities of U.S. and foreign small- and
mid-capitalization companies, principally common stocks and American Depositary
Receipts (“ADRs”) that are traded on major U.S. exchanges. Although the Fund
principally invests in U.S. companies, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its
total assets in equity securities (consisting of common stocks, ordinary shares
and ADRs) of foreign companies. The Fund defines small- and mid-capitalization
companies as those companies with a market capitalization within the range of
companies in the Russell
2500®
Growth Index at the time of investment. As of March 31, 2023, the market
capitalization of companies in the Russell 2500®
Growth Index ranged from $11.9 million to $23.8 billion, with median and
weighted average market capitalizations of $1.6 billion and $6.2 billion,
respectively. The Russell 2500®
Growth Index is reconstituted annually in June. The Russell 2500®
Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell 2500®
companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.
When sorted by market cap, the Russell 2500®
Index consists of all of the companies in the Russell 3000®
Index, except for the 500 largest companies by market capitalization in that
index. The Russell 3000®
Index consists of the 3,000 largest U.S. domiciled publicly traded common stocks
by market capitalization. These indices do not reflect any deduction for fees,
expenses or taxes. A direct investment in an index is not possible.
When
analyzing equity securities to be purchased by the Fund, the Advisor emphasizes
a company’s growth prospects. The Fund’s investments are selected using a
variety of both quantitative techniques and fundamental research in seeking to
maximize the Fund’s expected return while controlling risk.
The
Fund seeks a portfolio comprised of companies which reflect “PRIME” growth
factors. These factors are analyzed as part of the Advisor’s investment process
and are represented in the following ways:
•Durable
Profitability.
Companies with attractive margins and favorable margin trends can drive superior
earnings growth.
•Sustainable
Revenue
Growth. Solid barriers to entry, favorable pricing and demonstrated
product/service track records can aid top-line prospects.
•Favorable
Industry
dynamics.
•Management
strength and integrity is a critical element of a high quality company. Growth,
profitability and shareholder returns provide insight into management
effectiveness. The Advisor seeks companies with management that position their
company’s balance sheet to be a source of strength.
•Understanding
market Expectations
of a company is important in assessing risk/return opportunities.
The
Advisor believes an analysis of these PRIME factors yields insights into the
competitive strength of a business model.
The
Advisor applies the following strategies when purchasing securities for the
Fund’s portfolio:
•Typically
holding the securities of fewer than 70 companies with exposure to approximately
20 industries.
•Seeking
securities whose growth prospects, in the Advisor’s opinion, are not reflected
in their current stock prices.
•Limiting
the size of any one new position. No security will represent more than 5% of the
Fund’s total assets at the time of purchase.
The
Advisor may sell a security when the price meets or exceeds the Advisor’s
targeted valuation or price range for the security, when a significant change
occurs that adversely affects the Advisor’s premise or reasons for investing in
the security or when the company experiences a fundamental deterioration in its
business, financial condition or results, or growth prospects. For example, if
the Advisor’s premise for investing in a security is its belief that the company
has strong management, that the company’s profitability will improve or that the
company will be successful in expending its product or service offerings or in
entering new markets, and an adverse event or development significantly impacts
that premise, the Advisor would generally sell that security. Fundamental
deterioration occurs when a company is no longer able to achieve the results
generally expected by the investment management team due to a specific issue,
such as a loss of a key customer or pricing pressure in the
industry.
Equity
Opportunity Fund
The
Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for
investment purposes, in equity securities. However, the Fund will not borrow for
investment purposes.
The
Fund invests primarily in a select portfolio of equity securities of companies
with small- to medium-market capitalizations (those with market capitalizations,
at the time of purchase, of less than $20 billion). Although the Fund invests
principally in U.S. companies, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets
in equity securities of foreign companies.
Equity
securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks,
ADRs or other depositary shares or receipts, rights, warrants, ETFs, and options
whose reference asset is an equity security or equity securities index. In
addition to equity ETFs, the Fund may also invest in ETFs generally, or may
invest cash temporarily in ETFs until individual securities are identified for
purchase or until the Fund is able to purchase securities in a sector. The Fund
may also purchase and sell (or write) options to hedge its portfolio or enhance
returns. Options are a type of derivatives instrument. The Fund qualifies as a
“limited derivatives user” under the SEC’s derivatives rule (Rule
18f-4).
The
Fund will normally hold a limited number (typically 25 to 50) of companies.
However, the Fund may hold fewer or more companies from time to time and invest
in companies with larger market capitalizations when the Subadvisor believes
doing so will help efforts to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund
will hold a mix of both value and growth stocks as part of the Subadvisor’s
opportunistic approach to investing.
The
Fund is “non-diversified,” meaning that it may invest a greater percentage of
its total assets in a smaller number of companies than a diversified mutual
fund. Given the Subadvisor’s opportunistic investment strategy, the Fund will
generally be overweight in certain sectors and underweight in other sectors, as
compared to the sector weightings in the Russell 2000®
Index (the Fund’s benchmark index), based on the Subadvisor’s judgment of the
sectors’ relative attractiveness and its individual securities selection. The
Fund may have little or no exposure to certain sectors. The Fund’s sector
exposures will likely change over time, as macroeconomic, market, sector and
company-specific conditions change.
In
selecting investments for the Fund, the Subadvisor employs bottom-up research
and fundamental analyses with a focus on companies that the Subadvisor believes
possess a favorable risk/return profile. The Subadvisor seeks attractive
opportunities for the Fund by evaluating industry dynamics and competitive
forces as well as a company’s business model, earnings quality, profitability,
cash flows, management acumen and demonstrated capital stewardship. Extensive
financial modeling and valuation assessments are then used to calculate the
expected risk and return, after which the Subadvisor exercises its experience
and judgment to determine timing and position sizing.
The
Subadvisor seeks companies with the following key attributes:
•Large
addressable market with a well-structured competitive landscape;
•Attractive
business model with a sustainable competitive advantage;
•Stable
or expanding profit margins and return on capital;
•Positive
and growing free cash flow;
•Disciplined
management team practicing intelligent capital deployment; and
•The
presence or prediction of meaningful change including business model, product
set, management, capital allocation strategy and valuation.
The
Subadvisor also considers ESG factors as part of its overall investment
decision-making because of the impacts those factors may have on a company’s
performance. The Subadvisor believes ESG factors vary across companies,
industries and sectors and therefore does not apply exclusionary ESG screens in
selecting investments for the Fund.
There
are no universally accepted ESG factors and the Subadvisor will consider them at
its discretion.
The
Subadvisor considers the following factors, among others, in deciding to sell
positions: when the price objective has been reached with no change to
underlying fundamentals, when a significant negative event changes the
Subadvisor’s view of the company’s prospects, when target catalysts are realized
or when an investment loses its attractiveness relative to other potential
opportunities. The Subadvisor will also trim or sell securities to manage the
Fund’s risk related to position sizing.
Although
the Subadvisor’s target investment horizon is generally measured in years, the
Subadvisor may from time to time engage in short-term trading for the Fund to
take advantage of potential opportunities,
which
may increase portfolio turnover.
|
| |
Other
Principal Investment Strategies (all
Funds) |
|
|
|
|
| |
Cash
or Similar Investments; Temporary Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, each Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in
cash or similar short-term investment grade securities (such as U.S.
government securities, money market funds, repurchase agreements,
commercial paper or certificates of deposit). Each Fund may invest up to
100% of its total assets in cash or the similar investments set forth
above as a temporary defensive position during adverse market, economic or
political conditions and in other limited circumstances. To the extent a
Fund engages in any temporary strategies or maintains a substantial cash
position, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent
that a Fund invests in money market funds, there will be some duplication
of expenses because the Fund would bear its pro rata portion of such money
market fund’s management fees and operational expenses. |
Investment
Grade Securities are:
Securities
rated in one of the four highest categories by Standard & Poor’s
(“S&P”), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), Fitch Ratings
(“Fitch”) or another nationally recognized statistical rating
organization. |
|
Mid
Cap Growth Fund, Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund and Equity Opportunity
Fund
Each
Fund will provide its shareholders with at least a 60-day notice of any change
in such Fund’s policy to invest at least 80% of its net assets in the types of
securities suggested by its name. For each Fund, the percentage limitations set
forth under “Principal Investment Strategies” are measured at the time of
investment.
Temporary
Investment Measures
Each
Fund may temporarily depart from the policy to invest at least 80% of its net
assets in the types of securities suggested by its name when doing so is
believed to be in the Fund’s best interest, so long as the investment is
consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. For instance, a Fund may
temporarily invest in other securities that are consistent with the Fund’s
objective when the Advisor deems appropriate, such as in response to economic or
market conditions or when needed for liquidity.
Foreign
Securities and ADRs
Each
Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets in common stocks, ADRs or other
depositary shares or receipts, or ordinary shares of publicly-traded foreign
issuers and ADRs that are traded on a major U.S. exchange. ADRs are receipts
generally issued by
U.S.
banks or trust companies evidencing ownership of the underlying foreign
securities and denominated in U.S. dollars. ADRs may be sponsored or
unsponsored. “Sponsored” ADRs are issued jointly by the issuer of the underlying
security and the depository and “unsponsored” ADRs are issued without the
participation of the issuer of the deposited security. Holders of unsponsored
ADRs generally bear all costs of the facility. With sponsored facilities, the
underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the
facility.
International
Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund
The
International Growth Fund invests primarily in equity securities of non‑U.S.
companies with medium to large market capitalizations (i.e.,
those typically with market capitalizations in excess of U.S. $5 billion at the
time of purchase). Equity securities in which the International Growth Fund may
invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, depositary shares and receipts,
rights, warrants and ETFs. Under normal conditions, the International Growth
Fund will invest at least 65% of its total assets at the time of purchase in
non‑U.S. companies. The International Growth Fund invests in developed markets
and emerging markets. The International Growth Fund will typically own 25 to 35
companies in its portfolio. Under normal market conditions, the International
Growth Fund will maintain investments in companies in at least three countries,
other than the United States. While the Fund may invest in U.S. companies as
part of its investment strategy, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its total
assets in non-U.S. companies and may at times have little or no investment in
U.S. companies.
The
Global Growth Fund invests primarily in equity securities of both U.S. and
non‑U.S. companies with medium to large market capitalizations (i.e.,
those typically with market capitalizations in excess of U.S. $5 billion at the
time of purchase). Equity securities in which the Global Growth Fund may invest
include common stocks, preferred stocks, depositary shares and receipts, rights,
warrants and ETFs. Under normal market conditions, the Global Growth Fund will
invest at least 40% of its total assets at the time of purchase in non‑U.S.
companies. The Global Growth Fund invests in developed markets and emerging
markets. The Global Growth Fund will typically own 35 to 45 companies in its
portfolio. Under normal market conditions, the Global Growth Fund will maintain
investments in at least three countries including the United
States.
In
determining whether a company is a U.S. or non‑U.S. company, the Advisor
considers a number of factors, including the company’s jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization, the location of the company’s corporate or
operational headquarters or principal place of business, the location of
principal trading market for the company’s common stock, the location(s) of a
majority of the company’s assets or production of its goods and services, and
the locations of the primary sources of the company’s revenues or profits. The
International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund will generally invest in
companies with medium and larger market capitalizations (i.e.,
more than U.S. $5 billion at the time of purchase).
The
Advisor seeks to identify companies to which the Advisor assigns a conviction
weighting, which takes into account the company’s long‑term appreciation
potential as adjusted for the risk of possible disappointment. In evaluating
potential investments, the Advisor considers companies with growth
characteristics that the Advisor believes are likely to benefit from current
macro‑economic and global trends and possess sustainable competitive advantages.
The Advisor’s investment process involves a simultaneous assessment of both
top‑down and bottom‑up factors. The objective of the Advisor’s top-down analysis
is to identify trends in economic and business developments and to understand
the economic and currency impacts in the countries where the companies are doing
business. With respect to its bottom‑up research, the Advisor utilizes both
qualitative analysis as well as quantitative screens to select the best
companies for the portfolios. With respect to quantitative screens, the Advisor
primarily seeks companies that are growing faster and are more profitable than
their peers. The Advisor also checks to ensure that a company meets its strict
quality criteria including conservative accounting and balance sheet strength.
The Advisor seeks to manage risk through the application of valuation analysis,
an emphasis on quality and thoughtful diversification based on sector, country,
and region.
The
Advisor believes that environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors can
affect investment returns. The Advisor believes that well-run companies are good
corporate citizens that embrace environmental stewardship and have proper
governance. The Advisor seeks to minimize negative outcomes by understanding
pertinent ESG topics that are relevant to individual companies that are being
considered for investment in the Fund. Examples include, but are not limited to,
corporate governance structure, climate change, supply chain integrity, labor
practices and human resource management. There are no universally accepted ESG
factors and the Advisor will consider them at its discretion.
The
Advisor will typically sell or reduce a position to mitigate a specific risk, to
take advantage of better opportunities, to avoid country risks, when the Advisor
believes that valuations are high relative to the company’s fundamentals, or
when operational performance does not meet expectations.
Note
Regarding Percentage Limitations
Whenever
an investment objective, policy or strategy of a Fund set forth in this
Prospectus or the Funds’ SAI states a maximum (or minimum) percentage of a
Fund’s assets that may be invested in any type of security or asset class, the
percentage is determined immediately after the Fund’s acquisition of that
investment, except with respect to percentage limitations on temporary borrowing
and illiquid investments. Accordingly, any later increase or decrease resulting
from a change in the market value of a security or in a Fund’s assets
(e.g.,
due to net sales or redemptions of Fund shares) will not cause the Fund to
violate a percentage limitation. As a result, due to market fluctuations, cash
inflows or outflows or other factors, a Fund may exceed such percentage
limitations from time to time.
The
main risks of investing in each of the Funds are:
Stock
Market Risks
Equity
security prices vary and may fall, thus reducing the value of a Fund’s
investments. Certain stocks selected for a Fund’s portfolio may decline in value
more than the overall stock market. U.S. and international markets have
experienced price volatility in recent months and years. As a result, many of
the above risks may be increased. Continuing market volatility may have adverse
effects on the Funds.
Growth-Style
Investing Risks (Mid Cap Growth Fund, Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund, International
Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund only)
Different
types of stocks tend to shift into and out of favor with stock market investors
depending on market and economic conditions. Because the Mid Cap Growth Fund,
Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund, International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund
focus on growth-style stocks, the Funds’ performance may at times be better or
worse than the performance of funds that focus on other types of stocks or that
have a different investment style. Growth stocks are often characterized by high
price-to-earnings ratios, which may be more volatile than stocks with lower
price-to-earnings ratios.
Limited
Holdings Risks (International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund
only)
Although
they are diversified, the International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund may
have a relatively high percentage of total assets in a smaller number of issuers
and may have fewer holdings than other mutual funds. As a result, a decline in
the value of an investment in a single issuer could cause a Fund’s overall value
to decline to a greater degree than if the Fund held a more diverse
portfolio.
Management
Risks
The
Advisor’s (or Subadvisor’s, for the Equity Opportunity Fund) judgment about the
attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular companies’ stocks
may prove to be incorrect. Such errors could result in a negative return to a
Fund and a loss to you.
Equity
Securities Risks
Equity
securities may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods
of decline in value. This change may occur because of factors that affect the
securities markets in general, such as adverse changes in economic conditions,
the general outlook for corporate earnings, interest rates or investor
sentiment. Equity securities may also lose value because of factors affecting an
entire industry or sector, such as increases in production costs, or factors
directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its
management.
Common
Stock Risks
Common
stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile
increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of
their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and
unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic,
monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion
or contraction; and global or regional political, economic and banking crises.
Holders of common stocks are generally subject to greater risk than holders of
preferred stocks and debt obligations of the same issuer because common
stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in
comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders and other
creditors.
Non-Diversified
Fund Risks (Equity Opportunity Fund only)
As
a non-diversified fund, the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its total
assets in a smaller number of companies compared to a diversified fund. As a
result, a decline in value of one or a few securities held by the Fund will more
adversely impact the Fund’s performance than if the Fund’s total assets were
more evenly invested in a larger number of companies. The Fund’s share price can
be expected to fluctuate more than that of a similar fund that is
diversified.
ETF
Risks (Equity Opportunity Fund, International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund
only)
The
price of an ETF can fluctuate within a wide range, and a Fund could lose money
investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down. In
addition, ETFs are subject to risks that the market price of ETF shares may
trade at a discount to their NAV, an active trading market for ETF shares may
not develop or be maintained, or trading of ETF shares may be halted if the
listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are
de-listed from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers”
(which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading
generally. Additionally, a Fund will bear its proportionate share of an ETF’s
fees and expenses (including management fees, administration fees and custodian
fees) in addition to the fees and expenses of the Fund.
Currency
Risks (Equity Opportunity Fund, International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund
only)
The
value of foreign investments held by the Equity Opportunity Fund, International
Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund may be significantly affected by changes in
foreign currency exchange rates. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value
against a foreign currency, an investment in that foreign currency loses value
because it is worth fewer U.S. dollars. The foreign currency exchange market can
be highly volatile for a variety of reasons. For example, changes in monetary
policy, macro-economic factors, currency conversion expenses, restrictions,
exchange control regulation, devaluation and political developments may have a
significant impact on the value of any investments denominated in that
currency.
Medium
and Large Market Capitalization Risks (International Growth Fund and Global
Growth Fund only)
Stocks
of companies with certain market capitalizations may perform differently from
the equities markets generally. The Funds’ investments will focus on companies
with medium and large market capitalizations. At times, medium capitalization
and large capitalization stocks may underperform as compared to small
capitalization stocks. Larger, more established companies may be unable to
respond to new competitive challenges such as changes in consumer tastes or
innovative smaller competitors. Moreover, medium capitalization stocks may
perform differently from large capitalization stocks, as medium capitalization
stocks may be less liquid and more volatile than large capitalization
stocks.
Mid-Market
Capitalization Risks (Mid Cap Growth Fund only)
The
Fund invests primarily in mid-capitalization stocks, which are often more
volatile and less liquid than investments in larger companies. The frequency and
volume of trading in securities of mid-size companies may be substantially less
than is typical of larger companies. Therefore, the securities of mid-size
companies may be subject to greater and more abrupt price fluctuations. In
addition, mid-size companies may lack the management experience, financial
resources and product diversification of larger companies, making them more
susceptible to market pressures and business failure. You should expect that the
value of the Fund’s shares will be more volatile than the value of shares in a
fund that invests primarily in large-capitalization companies.
Smaller
Market Capitalization Risks (Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund and Equity Opportunity
Fund only)
Stocks
of companies with small- and medium-market capitalizations involve a higher
degree of risk than investments in the broad-based equities market. Small- to
mid-capitalization stocks are often more volatile and less liquid than
investments in larger companies, and are more likely to be adversely affected by
poor economic or market conditions. The frequency and volume of trading in
securities of smaller companies may be substantially less than is typical of
larger companies. Therefore, the securities of small- to mid-capitalization
companies may be subject to greater and more abrupt price fluctuations. In
addition, small- to mid-capitalization companies may lack the management
experience, financial resources and product diversification of larger companies,
making them more susceptible to market pressures and business failure. A
significant percentage of the outstanding shares of a smaller company may also
be held by management, which could cause management to have greater influence
over actions requiring shareholder approval. The risks of investing in smaller
companies generally increase as the size of the companies
decreases.
Small
Fund Risk (Equity Opportunity Fund only)
There
can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically
viable size, in which case the Board of Directors may determine to liquidate the
Fund. Liquidation of the Fund can be initiated without shareholder approval by
the Board of Directors if it determines that liquidation is in the best
interests of the Fund. While such
risk
may apply to funds of any size, such risk is heightened in funds with fewer
assets under management.
Economic
Sector Risks (Equity Opportunity Fund only)
The
Fund may invest a higher percentage of its total assets in one or more economic
sectors, which may involve being overweight in those sectors relative to the
Fund’s benchmark index. Adverse conditions impacting those sectors may have a
significant negative impact on the Fund’s absolute and relative performance.
Conversely, the Fund may be underweight or not invested in certain sectors
relative to the Fund’s benchmark index. Should those sectors experience
outperformance, the Fund may underperform relative to the benchmark
index.
Foreign
Securities Risks
Securities
of foreign issuers and ADRs are subject to certain inherent risks, such as
political or economic instability of the country of issue, the difficulty of
predicting international trade patterns and the possibility of imposition of
exchange controls. Such securities may also be subject to greater fluctuations
in price than securities of domestic corporations. In addition, there may be
less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a
domestic company. Foreign companies generally are subject to different
accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards than those applicable to
domestic companies. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is a
possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, or diplomatic
developments, which could affect investments in those countries. These risks are
more pronounced in emerging market countries.
There
is still considerable uncertainty regarding the potential consequences of Brexit
(the United Kingdom’s (UK) withdrawal from the European Union (EU)). There is
significant market uncertainty regarding Brexit’s longer term ramifications, and
the range of possible political, regulatory, economic and market outcomes are
difficult to predict. The uncertainty surrounding the UK’s economy may continue
to be a source of instability and cause considerable disruption in securities
markets, including increased volatility and illiquidity, as well as currency
fluctuations in the British pound’s exchange rate against the U.S. dollar.
Emerging
Market Risks (International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund
only)
Investments
in emerging markets can involve risks in addition to and greater than those
generally associated with investing in more developed foreign markets. The
extent of economic development, political stability, market depth,
infrastructure, capitalization, and regulatory oversight can be less than in
more developed markets. Emerging market economies can be subject to greater
social, economic, regulatory and political uncertainties, including trading
suspensions or stock market closures. The frequency, availability and quality of
financial information about investments in emerging markets varies. Shareholders
have limited rights and few practical remedies in emerging markets and the
ability of U.S. authorities to bring enforcement actions in emerging markets may
be limited. All of these factors can make emerging market securities more
volatile and potentially less liquid than securities issued in more developed
markets.
Options
Risks (Equity Opportunity Fund only)
The
Fund may purchase and sell (or write) call and put options. Options are subject
to various types of risks, including market risk, liquidity risk, volatility
risk, counterparty risk, legal risk and operations risk. With options purchased
by the Fund, the risk is limited to the premium paid for the option if the
underlying stock price moves in the opposite direction from desired and the
option expires worthless. For options sold or written by the Fund, the primary
risk is that the underlying stock price may move directionally away from the
exercise price resulting in the option holder exercising the option and
requiring the Fund to either deliver the securities (in the case of a call
option) or pay for the securities (in the case of a put option) and recognize a
significant loss.
Portfolio
Turnover Risks (Equity Opportunity Fund only)
The
Fund may from time to time buy and sell portfolio securities and other assets to
rebalance the Fund’s exposure to various economic sectors. Higher portfolio
turnover may result in the Fund paying higher levels of transaction costs and
generating greater tax liabilities for shareholders. Portfolio turnover risk may
cause the Fund’s performance to be less than you expect.
Region,
Country, Sector Risks (International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund
only)
A
particular Fund may invest a higher percentage of its total assets in a
particular country, region or sector of worldwide markets as compared to its
benchmark index. In such a case, changes affecting that particular country,
region or sector may have a significant negative impact on a Fund’s absolute and
relative performance. Conversely, the Fund may be underweight in certain
countries, regions or sectors relative to the Fund’s benchmark index. Should
those countries, regions or sectors experience outperformance, the Fund may
underperform relative to the benchmark index.
◦Information
Technology Sector Risk. To
the extent a Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the information
technology sector, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance
will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the information
technology sector. Companies in the information technology sector and companies
that rely heavily on technology are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in
technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and
competition.
Valuation
Risks (Equity Opportunity Fund, International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund
only)
When
the Equity Opportunity Fund, International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund
value foreign equity portfolio securities that are traded in a local foreign
market, an evaluated adjustment factor supplied by the Funds’ fair value pricing
service will generally be used. The use of an evaluated adjustment factor in
such instances is intended to price each such security at its fair value at the
time a Fund calculates its NAV by estimating the impact of market fluctuation or
movement on a security’s value if the applicable local foreign market were still
open for trading alongside the U.S. markets. The prices of the Funds’
securities, as modified by the evaluated adjustment
factor,
may be different from the prices used by other mutual funds or from the prices
at which the Funds’ securities are actually bought and sold.
ESG
Considerations Risk (Equity Opportunity Fund, International Growth Fund and
Global Growth Fund)
Consideration
of ESG factors in the investment process may cause the Advisor or Subadvisor to
forgo opportunities to invest in certain companies or to gain exposure to
certain industries or regions and, therefore, carries the risk that, under
certain market conditions, the Fund may underperform funds that do not consider
such factors. There are no universally accepted ESG factors and the Advisor or
Subadvisor will consider them at their discretion.
Cybersecurity
Risk
With
the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the
Funds are susceptible to operational, information security, and related risks.
In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional
events. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized
access to digital systems (e.g.,
through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating
assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational
disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not
require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks
on websites (i.e.,
efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber incidents
affecting the Funds or their service providers have the ability to cause
disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial
losses, interference with the Funds’ ability to calculate their NAV, impediments
to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of
applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational
damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance
costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cyber incidents affecting
issuers of securities in which the Funds invest, counterparties with which the
Funds engage in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities,
exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers,
insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial
intermediaries and service providers for shareholders) and other parties. In
addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber
incidents in the future. While the Funds’ service providers have established
business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to
prevent, such cyber incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and
systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified.
Furthermore, the Funds cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put
in place by their service providers or any other third parties whose operations
may affect the Funds or their shareholders. As a result, the Funds and their
shareholders could be negatively impacted.
Shareholder
Concentration Risk (Equity Opportunity Fund only)
A
large percentage of the Fund’s shares are held by a small number of
shareholders, including persons and entities related to the Advisor and
Subadvisor. A large redemption by one or more of these shareholders could
materially increase the Fund’s transaction costs and could increase the Fund’s
ongoing operating expenses, which would negatively impact the remaining
shareholders of the Fund.
Recent
Market Events
Russia’s
ongoing war with Ukraine has heightened global geopolitical tensions, resulting
in an elevated risk environment and increased volatility in asset prices. The
uncertain course of the war may have a significant negative impact on the global
economy. U.S. relations with China have become increasingly strained, and
tension between the U.S. and China may have a significant negative impact on the
global economy and asset prices.
Measures
of inflation reached levels not experienced in several decades, leading the
Federal Reserve to raise short-term interest rates significantly over the last
year, with the potential for further rate increases in 2023. Uncertainty
regarding the ability of the Federal Reserve to successfully control inflation,
the potential for incremental rate increases, and the full impact of prior rate
increases on the economy and other factors, such as disruption in the banking
sector, may negatively impact asset prices and increase market volatility. The
possibility of a U.S. or global recession may also contribute to market
volatility.
The
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused significant economic disruption in recent
years as countries worked to limit the negative health impacts of the virus.
While the virus appears to be entering an endemic stage, significant outbreaks
or new variants present a continued risk to the global economy.
It
is possible that these or other geopolitical events could have an adverse effect
on a Fund’s performance.
The
Funds cannot guarantee that they will achieve their respective investment
objectives.
A
description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure
of the Funds’ portfolio holdings is available in the Statement of Additional
Information (“SAI”) and on the Company’s website at
www.bairdfunds.com.
The
Funds may be appropriate for investors who:
•Wish
to invest for the long-term;
•Want
to realize capital appreciation on investments in equity
securities;
•Are
looking for an equity component to their portfolio;
•Are
willing to assume the risk of investing in equity securities; and
•Have
long-term goals such as planning for retirement.
The
Funds are not appropriate for investors who have short-term financial
goals.
Before
investing in a Fund, you should carefully consider:
•Your
investment goals;
•The
amount of time you are willing to leave your money invested; and
•The
amount of risk you are willing to take.
Robert
W. Baird & Co. Incorporated (the “Advisor”), subject to the general
supervision of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), serves as each
Fund’s investment advisor and administers the Company’s business affairs. The
Advisor is responsible for supervising the management of the Equity Opportunity
Fund’s portfolio by the Subadvisor, and for the day-to-day management, including
making investment decisions and buying and selling securities, of the Mid Cap
Growth Fund, Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund, International Growth Fund and Global
Growth Fund in accordance with each Fund’s investment objective and policies.
Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Company and the
Advisor, for its services, the Advisor receives an annual fee of:
•0.75%
of the average daily net assets of the Mid Cap Growth Fund, Small/Mid Cap Growth
Fund, International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund; and
•1.25%
of the average daily net assets of the Equity Opportunity Fund.
The
advisory fee is accrued daily and paid monthly.
The
Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or reimburse the total
annual fund operating expenses at least through April 30, 2024 for the Mid Cap
Growth Fund, Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund, International Growth Fund and Global
Growth Fund,
and
at least through April 30, 2025 for the Equity Opportunity Fund, to the extent
necessary to ensure that each Fund’s total operating expenses, including the
fees and expenses incurred by a Fund in connection with the Fund’s investments
in other investment companies (to the extent, in the aggregate, such fees and
expenses on an annual basis exceed 0.0049% of a Fund’s average daily net assets)
and interest expense, but excluding taxes, brokerage commissions and
extraordinary expenses, do not exceed an annual rate of:
•1.10%
of the Investor Class’s average daily net assets and 0.85% of the Institutional
Class’s average daily net assets for the Mid Cap Growth Fund;
•1.10%
of the Investor Class’s average daily net assets and 0.85% of the Institutional
Class’s average daily net assets for the Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund;
•1.50%
of the Investor Class’s average daily net assets and 1.25% of the Institutional
Class’s average daily net assets for the Equity Opportunity Fund;
•1.05%
of the Investor Class’s average daily net assets and 0.80% of the Institutional
Class’s average daily net assets for the International Growth Fund;
and
•1.05%
of the Investor Class’s average daily net assets and 0.80% of the Institutional
Class’s average daily net assets for the Global Growth Fund.
Except
with respect to the Equity Opportunity Fund, the Advisor can recoup any expenses
or fees of the Funds it has waived or reimbursed within a three-year period
provided that the aggregate amount actually paid by a Fund toward the operating
expenses in any month (taking into account the recoupment) will not cause the
Fund to exceed the lesser of: (1) the expense caps in place at the time of
the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement; or (2) the expense cap in place at
the time of the recoupment.
Any
waivers or reimbursements have the effect of lowering the overall expense ratio
for the applicable Fund and increasing the overall return to investors at the
time any such amounts are waived and/or reimbursed.
After
expense waivers, the net advisory fee paid to the Advisor for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2022 was equal to 0.75% of the Mid Cap Growth Fund’s
average daily net assets, 0.62% of the Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund’s average daily
net assets, 0.77% of the Equity Opportunity Fund’s average daily net assets,
0.68% of the International Growth Fund’s average daily net assets and 0.63% of
the Global Growth Fund’s average daily net assets.
Discussions
regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the investment advisory
agreements with respect to the Funds are available in the Funds’ 2022 annual
report.
The
Advisor was founded in 1919 and has its main office at 777 East Wisconsin
Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. The Advisor provides investment management
services for individuals and institutional clients including pension and profit
sharing plans. As of December 31, 2022, the Advisor had approximately $177.1
billion in assets under discretionary management.
Effective
December 12, 2021, the Advisor has entered into a sub-advisory agreement with
Greenhouse Funds LLLP pursuant to which the Subadvisor manages the Equity
Opportunity Fund’s portfolio. Greenhouse is an SEC-registered investment adviser
located at 605 South Eden Street, Suite 250, Baltimore, MD 21231. Founded by
Joseph Milano in June 2013, Greenhouse provides investment advisory services to
private funds (hedge funds and long-only funds) and separately managed accounts,
in addition to its subadvisory services to the Fund. As of December 31,
2022, the Subadvisor had approximately $1.1 billion in assets under management.
Subject
to the Advisor’s supervision, Greenhouse is responsible for the day-to-day
management of the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and
policies. The Subadvisor provides continuous advice and recommendations
concerning the Fund’s investments and is responsible for selecting the
broker-dealers who execute the portfolio transactions.
Under
the sub-advisory agreement, the Subadvisor receives compensation from the
Advisor for its services to the Fund at an annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s
average daily net assets.
A
discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the sub-advisory
agreement with respect to the Equity Opportunity Fund is available in the Fund’s
2021 annual report.
Mid
Cap Growth Fund
Charles
F. Severson, CFA
Chuck
co-manages the Mid Cap Growth Fund. He is a Managing Director of the Advisor and
a Senior Portfolio Manager for Baird Equity Asset Management. He joined the
Advisor in 1987 as an Institutional Salesman. In 1991, Chuck joined Baird Equity
Asset Management as a Portfolio Manager. He has a B.B.A. degree in Accounting
and Finance and an M.S. degree in Finance from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in
1990.
Kenneth
M. Hemauer, CFA
Ken
co-manages the Mid Cap Growth Fund. He is a Managing Director of the Advisor and
a Senior Portfolio Manager for Baird Equity Asset Management. He joined Baird
Equity Asset Management in 2001, after spending seven years as a Senior Analyst
in the Equity Research Department of the Advisor. He received both a B.B.A.
degree and an M.S. degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1995.
Small/Mid
Cap Growth Fund
Jonathan
Good
Jonathan
serves as the portfolio manager of the Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund. He is a
Director of the Advisor and Portfolio Manager for Baird Equity Asset Management.
Jonathan has over 20 years of investment experience and has been with Baird
Equity Asset Management’s Growth team since 2006. Jonathan earned his B.S.
degree in applied and biomedical sciences from the University of Pennsylvania
and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern
University.
Equity
Opportunity Fund
Joseph
Milano, CFA
Joe
serves as the portfolio manager for the Equity Opportunity Fund and has managed
the Fund since December 2021. Joe is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of
the Subadvisor, having served in such capacities since establishing the
Subadvisor in June 2013. Joe is the portfolio manager of the Greenhouse Master
Fund LP and Greenhouse Long Only Master Fund LP, two private funds of which the
Subadvisor is the investment manager, and manages Greenhouse’s separately
managed accounts. Joe previously served as portfolio manager of the T. Rowe
Price New America Growth Fund from July 2002 until May 2013. Joe previously
served as a vice president of T. Rowe Price, which he joined in 1996. He earned
his B.A. from Duke University in 1994.
International
Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund
Jesse
Flores, Haicheng Li and Nathaniel Velarde co-manage the International Growth and
Global Growth Funds. All members of the team share decision-making
responsibilities for those Funds.
Jesse
A. Flores, CFA
Jesse
serves as a portfolio manager of the International Growth and Global Growth
Funds. Jesse is a Director of the Advisor and Partner of the Advisor’s
Chautauqua Capital Management division. He joined Chautauqua Capital in 2013
upon earning his MBA. Before graduate school, Jesse was an investment analyst at
Blavin & Company where he was a generalist responsible for both equity and
high-yield debt securities. Additionally, he covered U.S. semiconductors and
hardware as a research analyst at
Lehman
Brothers and Roth Capital Partners. Jesse has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell
University (McMullen Dean’s Scholar, Rawlings Presidential Research Scholar) and
an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a CFA
charterholder.
Haicheng
Li, CFA
Haicheng
serves as a portfolio manager of the International Growth and Global Growth
Funds. Haicheng is a Director of the Advisor and Managing Partner of the
Advisor’s Chautauqua Capital Management division. Prior to joining the Advisor
in 2016, Haicheng worked 14 years as a senior vice president, senior analyst and
portfolio manager at TCW Group with specific expertise in healthcare. Haicheng
earned an MBA from Stanford, a master’s degree in biological and biomedical
sciences from Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and a master’s
degree in medical sciences from Harvard Medical School, where she was a research
fellow. Haicheng graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University and was
awarded a prestigious Phi Beta Kappa key for academic achievement. Haicheng is a
CFA charterholder.
Nathaniel
R. Velarde
Nate
serves as a portfolio manager of the International Growth and Global Growth
Funds. Nate is a Director of the Advisor and Partner of the Advisor’s Chautauqua
Capital Management division. Prior to joining the Advisor in 2019, Nate was
senior vice president, global equity analyst at PIMCO. Nate also spent 7 years
at Nuveen Investments in the Tradewinds Global Investors and NWQ Investment
Management divisions as managing director, senior equity analyst and director of
research. Prior to Nuveen, Nate served as vice president, equity analyst at TCW
Group primarily covering industrials, business services and basic materials.
Nate earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and an MBA with concentrations in
finance and strategic management from the University of Chicago, and a Master’s
of Information and Data Science from the University of California -
Berkeley.
The
Funds’ SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers,
including other accounts they manage, their ownership of Fund shares and their
compensation.
Greenhouse
manages a long-only equity fund (the “Long-Only Fund”), an unregistered private
fund launched in 2019 that has an investment objective, policies and strategies
substantially similar to those of the Baird Equity Opportunity Fund (the “Fund”)
under Greenhouse’s management. The Long-Only Fund is managed solely by Joseph
Milano, the Equity Opportunity Fund’s portfolio manager since December 12, 2021,
while he has been a portfolio manager at Greenhouse.
The
performance information for the Long-Only Fund shown below is based on the
actual performance of the Long-Only Fund since its launch on January 1, 2019.
The returns presented below have not been verified by any third party and are
unaudited.
The
performance information shown below represents the historical information of the
Long-Only Fund and is not the performance of the Fund. This performance
information should not be considered indicative of the Fund’s future
performance.
The
returns information presented below for the Long-Only Fund is calculated on a
total return basis and includes all dividends and interest, accrued income, and
realized and unrealized gains and losses and is net of transaction costs.
All
returns presented below reflect the deduction the Fund’s Institutional Class
total annual fund operating expenses, both before and after the Advisor’s
contractual fee waiver and expense reimbursement, as set forth under the heading
“Fees and Expenses of the Fund.”
Securities transactions are accounted for on the trade date and accrual
accounting is utilized. Cash and cash equivalents are included in performance
returns.
The
methodology used to calculate total returns presented below for the Long-Only
Fund differs from the standards required by the SEC for calculation of
performance for registered investment companies. Results may differ between the
Long-Only Fund and the Fund due to differences in fees, expenses and cash flows
as well as differences in the size of positions taken in relation to the size of
portfolios. The Long-Only Fund is not subject to the diversification
requirements, tax restrictions or investment limitations imposed on the Fund by
the 1940 Act, or Subchapter M of the Code. Consequently, the performance results
of the Long-Only Fund could have been adversely affected if it had been
regulated under the federal securities and tax laws.
Greenhouse
Long-Only Equity Fund
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Periods
Ending 12/31/22
|
Average
Annual Total Returns
(after
deducting the Fund’s Net Annual Operating Expenses) |
Average
Annual Total Returns
(after
deducting the Fund’s Total Annual Operating Expenses) |
Russell
2000®
Total
Return Index(2) |
|
|
| |
1
Year |
-14.04% |
-14.46% |
-20.44% |
3
Year |
13.97% |
13.43% |
3.09% |
Since
Inception(1) |
18.45% |
17.89% |
8.29% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Periods
Ending 12/31
|
Total
Returns
(after
deducting the Fund’s Net Annual Operating Expenses) |
Total
Returns
(after
deducting the Fund’s Total Annual Operating Expenses) |
Russell
2000®
Total
Return
Index
(2) |
2022 |
-14.04% |
-14.46% |
-20.44% |
2021 |
23.01% |
22.43% |
14.81% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
2020 |
40.01% |
39.35% |
19.94% |
2019(1) |
32.99% |
32.36% |
25.53% |
|
| |
(1)
The
Greenhouse Long-Only Equity Fund commenced operations on January 1,
2019. |
(2)
The Russell 2000®
Total Return Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of
the U.S. equity universe and includes approximately 2,000 small-cap
companies. The Russell 2000®
Total Return Index is a subset of the Russell 3000®
Index, which consists of the 3,000 largest U.S. domiciled publicly traded
common stocks by market capitalization. The Russell 2000®
Total Return Index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. A
direct investment in an index is not
possible. |
The
financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each Fund’s
financial performance for the past five fiscal years or the life of the Fund, as
indicated in the tables below. Certain information reflects financial results
for a single Fund share. The total returns presented in the table represent the
rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund for
the stated periods (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This
information has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., the independent
registered public accounting firm of the Fund, whose report, along with each
Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Funds’ Annual
Report,
which is available upon request. The Baird Equity Opportunity Fund was formerly
known as the Baird SmallCap Value Fund and the Baird Mid Cap Growth Fund was
formerly known as the Baird MidCap Fund. The Baird Chautauqua International
Growth and Baird Chautauqua Global Growth Funds were formerly known as the
Chautauqua International Growth and Chautauqua Global Growth Funds,
respectively.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Baird
Mid Cap Growth Fund – Institutional Class |
| Year
Ended December 31, |
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
| 2018 |
| |
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$29.50 |
|
| $28.17 |
|
| $22.90 |
|
| $17.72 |
|
| $19.16 |
|
| |
Income
from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment loss(1) |
(0.07) |
|
| (0.15) |
|
| (0.08) |
|
| (0.02) |
|
| (0.03) |
|
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments |
(8.08) |
|
| 6.30 |
|
| 7.99 |
|
| 6.44 |
|
| (0.30) |
|
| |
Total
from investment operations |
(8.15) |
|
| 6.15 |
|
| 7.91 |
|
| 6.42 |
|
| (0.33) |
|
| |
Less
distributions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net realized gains |
(0.34) |
|
| (4.82) |
|
| (2.64) |
|
| (1.24) |
|
| (1.11) |
|
| |
Total
distributions |
(0.34) |
|
| (4.82) |
|
| (2.64) |
|
| (1.24) |
|
| (1.11) |
|
| |
Net
asset value, end of year |
$21.01 |
|
| $29.50 |
|
| $28.17 |
|
| $22.90 |
|
| $17.72 |
|
| |
Total
return |
(27.64) |
% |
| 22.51 |
% |
| 34.81 |
% |
| 36.31 |
% |
| (1.61) |
% |
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year (millions) |
$1,762.8 |
|
| $2,334.3 |
|
| $2,065.5 |
|
| $1,825.8 |
|
| $1,337.4 |
|
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
0.81 |
% |
| 0.80 |
% |
| 0.82 |
% |
| 0.82 |
% |
| 0.81 |
% |
| |
Ratio
of net investment loss to average net assets |
(0.29) |
% |
| (0.49) |
% |
| (0.35) |
% |
| (0.07) |
% |
| (0.15) |
% |
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate(2) |
26 |
% |
| 31 |
% |
| 47 |
% |
| 43 |
% |
| 38 |
% |
| |
(1)Calculated
using average shares outstanding during the year.
(2)Portfolio
turnover is calculated on the basis of the Fund as a whole without
distinguishing between the classes of shares issued and excludes in-kind
transactions, where applicable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Baird
Mid Cap Growth Fund – Investor Class |
| Year
Ended December 31, |
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
| 2018 |
| |
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$27.04 |
|
| $26.22 |
|
| $21.53 |
|
| $16.76 |
|
| $18.23 |
|
| |
Income
from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment loss(1) |
(0.11) |
|
| (0.21) |
|
| (0.14) |
|
| (0.07) |
|
| (0.08) |
|
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments |
(7.41) |
|
| 5.85 |
|
| 7.47 |
|
| 6.08 |
|
| (0.28) |
|
| |
Total
from investment operations |
(7.52) |
|
| 5.64 |
|
| 7.33 |
|
| 6.01 |
|
| (0.36) |
|
| |
Less
distributions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net realized gains |
(0.34) |
|
| (4.82) |
|
| (2.64) |
|
| (1.24) |
|
| (1.11) |
|
| |
Total
distributions |
(0.34) |
|
| (4.82) |
|
| (2.64) |
|
| (1.24) |
|
| (1.11) |
|
| |
Net
asset value, end of year |
$19.18 |
|
| $27.04 |
|
| $26.22 |
|
| $21.53 |
|
| $16.76 |
|
| |
Total
return |
(27.82) |
% |
| 22.25 |
% |
| 34.32 |
% |
| 35.94 |
% |
| (1.86) |
% |
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year (millions) |
$153.6 |
|
| $233.7 |
|
| $200.3 |
|
| $148.3 |
|
| $95.5 |
|
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
1.06 |
% |
| 1.05 |
% |
| 1.07 |
% |
| 1.07 |
% |
| 1.06 |
% |
| |
Ratio
of net investment loss to average net assets |
(0.54) |
% |
| (0.74) |
% |
| (0.60) |
% |
| (0.32) |
% |
| (0.40) |
% |
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate(2) |
26 |
% |
| 31 |
% |
| 47 |
% |
| 43 |
% |
| 38 |
% |
| |
(1)Calculated
using average shares outstanding during the year.
(2)Portfolio
turnover is calculated on the basis of the Fund as a whole without
distinguishing between the classes of shares issued and excludes in-kind
transactions, where applicable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Baird
Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund – Institutional Class |
| Year
Ended December 31, |
| Period
Ended December 31, |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
|
2018(1) |
|
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of period |
$ |
19.94 |
|
| $ |
17.39 |
|
| $ |
12.26 |
|
| $ |
8.95 |
|
| $ |
10.00 |
| |
Income
from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment loss(2) |
(0.05) |
|
| (0.12) |
|
| (0.06) |
|
| (0.03) |
|
| (0.00 |
) |
(3) |
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments |
(5.36) |
|
| 3.29 |
|
| 5.52 |
|
| 3.34 |
|
| (1.05) |
| |
Total
from investment operations |
(5.41) |
|
| 3.17 |
|
| 5.46 |
|
| 3.31 |
|
| (1.05) |
| |
Less
distributions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net realized gains |
(0.10) |
|
| (0.62) |
|
| (0.33) |
|
| — |
|
| — |
| |
Total
distributions |
(0.10) |
|
| (0.62) |
|
| (0.33) |
|
| — |
|
| — |
| |
Net
asset value, end of period |
$ |
14.43 |
|
| $ |
19.94 |
|
| $ |
17.39 |
|
| $ |
12.26 |
|
| $ |
8.95 |
| |
Total
return |
(27.14) |
% |
| 18.42 |
% |
| 44.57 |
% |
| 36.98 |
% |
| (10.50) |
% |
(4) |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of period (millions) |
$ |
147.1 |
|
| $ |
164.3 |
|
| $ |
51.2 |
|
| $ |
18.3 |
|
| $ |
7.3 |
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
0.85 |
% |
| 0.85 |
% |
| 0.85 |
% |
| 0.85 |
% |
| 0.85 |
% |
(5) |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets (before waivers) |
0.98 |
% |
| 1.00 |
% |
| 1.43 |
% |
| 2.10 |
% |
| 3.88 |
% |
(5) |
Ratio
of net investment loss to average net assets |
(0.33) |
% |
| (0.63) |
% |
| (0.41) |
% |
| (0.25) |
% |
| (0.03) |
% |
(5) |
Ratio
of net investment loss to average net assets (before
waivers) |
(0.45) |
% |
| (0.78) |
% |
| (0.99) |
% |
| (1.50) |
% |
| (3.06) |
% |
(5) |
Portfolio
turnover rate(6) |
39 |
% |
| 50 |
% |
| 65 |
% |
| 60 |
% |
| 9 |
% |
(4) |
(1)Inception
was close of business on October 31, 2018.
(2)Calculated
using average shares outstanding during the period.
(3)Amount
is less than $0.005.
(4)Not
annualized.
(5)Annualized.
(6)Portfolio
turnover is calculated on the basis of the Fund as a whole without
distinguishing between the classes of shares issued and excludes in-kind
transactions, where applicable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Baird
Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund – Investor Class |
| Year
Ended December 31, |
| Period
Ended December 31, |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
|
2018(1) |
|
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of period |
$ |
19.72 |
|
| $ |
17.25 |
|
| $ |
12.21 |
|
| $ |
8.94 |
|
| $ |
10.00 |
| |
Income
from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment loss(2) |
(0.09) |
|
| (0.17) |
|
| (0.09) |
|
| (0.06) |
|
| (0.00 |
) |
(3) |
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments |
(5.29) |
|
| 3.26 |
|
| 5.46 |
|
| 3.33 |
|
| (1.06) |
| |
Total
from investment operations |
(5.38) |
|
| 3.09 |
|
| 5.37 |
|
| 3.27 |
|
| (1.06) |
| |
Less
distributions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net realized gains |
(0.10) |
|
| (0.62) |
|
| (0.33) |
|
| — |
|
| — |
| |
Total
distributions |
(0.10) |
|
| (0.62) |
|
| (0.33) |
|
| — |
|
| — |
| |
Net
asset value, end of period |
$ |
14.24 |
|
| $ |
19.72 |
|
| $ |
17.25 |
|
| $ |
12.21 |
|
| $ |
8.94 |
| |
Total
return |
(27.29) |
% |
| 18.10 |
% |
| 43.89 |
% |
| 36.69 |
% |
| (10.60) |
% |
(4) |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of period (thousands) |
$ |
779.4 |
|
| $ |
863.7 |
|
| $ |
661.0 |
|
| $ |
287.3 |
|
| $ |
8.9 |
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
1.10 |
% |
| 1.10 |
% |
| 1.10 |
% |
| 1.10 |
% |
| 1.10 |
% |
(5) |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets (before waivers) |
1.23 |
% |
| 1.25 |
% |
| 1.68 |
% |
| 2.35 |
% |
| 4.13 |
% |
(5) |
Ratio
of net investment loss to average net assets |
(0.58) |
% |
| (0.88) |
% |
| (0.66) |
% |
| (0.50) |
% |
| (0.28) |
% |
(5) |
Ratio
of net investment loss to average net assets (before
waivers) |
(0.70) |
% |
| (1.03) |
% |
| (1.24) |
% |
| (1.75) |
% |
| (3.31) |
% |
(5) |
Portfolio
turnover rate(6) |
39 |
% |
| 50 |
% |
| 65 |
% |
| 60 |
% |
| 9 |
% |
(4) |
(1)Inception
was close of business on October 31, 2018.
(2)Calculated
using average shares outstanding during the period.
(3)Amount
is less than $0.005.
(4)Not
annualized.
(5)Annualized.
(6)Portfolio
turnover is calculated on the basis of the Fund as a whole without
distinguishing between the classes of shares issued and excludes in-kind
transactions, where applicable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Baird
Equity Opportunity Fund – Institutional Class |
| Year
Ended December 31, |
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
| 2018 |
| |
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$17.68 |
|
| $15.56 |
|
| $15.96 |
|
| $13.58 |
|
| $16.99 |
|
| |
Income
from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment income (loss)(1) |
(0.09) |
|
| 0.14 |
|
| 0.03 |
|
| 0.13 |
|
| 0.05 |
|
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments |
(1.95) |
|
| 2.82 |
|
| 0.43 |
|
(2) |
2.36 |
|
| (2.85) |
|
| |
Total
from investment operations |
(2.04) |
|
| 2.96 |
|
| 0.46 |
|
| 2.49 |
|
| (2.80) |
|
| |
Less
distributions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net investment income |
— |
|
| (0.17) |
|
| (0.03) |
|
| (0.11) |
|
| (0.06) |
|
| |
Distributions
from net realized gains |
(3.92) |
|
| (0.67) |
|
| (0.83) |
|
| — |
|
| (0.55) |
|
| |
Total
distributions |
(3.92) |
|
| (0.84) |
|
| (0.86) |
|
| (0.11) |
|
| (0.61) |
|
| |
Net
asset value, end of year |
$11.72 |
|
| $17.68 |
|
| $15.56 |
|
| $15.96 |
|
| $13.58 |
|
| |
Total
return |
(11.56) |
% |
| 19.40 |
% |
| 2.85 |
% |
| 18.40 |
% |
| (16.45) |
% |
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year (millions) |
$57.8 |
|
| $61.0 |
|
| $30.4 |
|
| $33.0 |
|
| $28.8 |
|
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
1.25 |
% |
| 0.98 |
% |
(4) |
0.95 |
% |
| 0.95 |
% |
| 1.00 |
% |
(3) |
|
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets (before waivers) |
1.73 |
% |
| 1.53 |
% |
| 1.64 |
% |
| 1.44 |
% |
| 1.38 |
% |
| |
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets |
(0.55) |
% |
| 0.82 |
% |
| 0.21 |
% |
| 0.87 |
% |
| 0.29 |
% |
| |
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (before
waivers) |
(1.02) |
% |
| 0.27 |
% |
| (0.48) |
% |
| 0.38 |
% |
| (0.09) |
% |
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate(6) |
72 |
% |
| 67 |
% |
(5) |
61 |
% |
| 55 |
% |
| 36 |
% |
| |
(1) Calculated
using average shares outstanding during the year.
(2) Due
to timing of capital share transactions, the per share amount of net realized
and unrealized gain (loss) on investments varies from the amounts shown in the
Statement of Operations.
(3) Blended
rate. Pursuant to the Expense Cap/Reimbursement Agreement effective December 1,
2018, the expense cap decreased to 0.95%. Prior to December 1, 2018, the expense
cap was 1.00%.
(4) Blended
rate. Pursuant to the Expense Cap/Reimbursement Agreement effective December 12,
2021, the expense cap increased to 1.25%. Prior to December 12, 2021, the
expense cap was 0.95%.
(5) The
cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of securities that were incurred by
the Fund subsequent to Greenhouse’s appointment as subadvisor to the Baird
Equity Opportunity Fund that related to the alignment of the Fund’s portfolio
with Greenhouse’s investment style are excluded from the portfolio turnover rate
calculation. See Note 10 of the Notes to Financial Statements for further
information regarding Greenhouse’s appointment as subadvisor and other changes
impacting the Fund. If such amounts had not been excluded, the portfolio
turnover rate would have been 189% for the year ended December 31,
2021.
(6) Portfolio
turnover is calculated on the basis of the Fund as a whole without
distinguishing between the classes of shares issued and excludes in-kind
transactions, where applicable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Baird
Equity Opportunity Fund – Investor Class |
| Year
Ended December 31, |
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
| 2018 |
| |
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$17.65 |
|
| $15.52 |
|
| $15.97 |
|
| $13.58 |
|
| $16.97 |
|
| |
Income
from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment income (loss)(1) |
(0.13) |
|
| 0.10 |
|
| (0.01) |
|
| 0.09 |
|
| 0.01 |
|
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments |
(1.95) |
|
| 2.83 |
|
| 0.42 |
|
(2) |
2.37 |
|
| (2.85) |
|
| |
Total
from investment operations |
(2.08) |
|
| 2.93 |
|
| 0.41 |
|
| 2.46 |
|
| (2.84) |
|
| |
Less
distributions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net investment income |
— |
|
| (0.13) |
|
| (0.03) |
|
| (0.07) |
|
| — |
|
| |
Distributions
from net realized gains |
(3.92) |
|
| (0.67) |
|
| (0.83) |
|
| — |
|
| (0.55) |
|
| |
Total
distributions |
(3.92) |
|
| (0.80) |
|
| (0.86) |
|
| (0.07) |
|
| (0.55) |
|
| |
Net
asset value, end of year |
$11.65 |
|
| $17.65 |
|
| $15.52 |
|
| $15.97 |
|
| $13.58 |
|
| |
Total
return |
(11.77) |
% |
| 19.16 |
% |
| 2.54 |
% |
| 18.19 |
% |
| (16.71) |
% |
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year (thousands) |
$2.3 |
|
| $2.6 |
|
| $295.7 |
|
| $883.8 |
|
| $758.6 |
|
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
1.50 |
% |
| 1.23 |
% |
(4) |
1.20 |
% |
| 1.20 |
% |
| 1.25 |
% |
(3) |
|
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets (before waivers) |
1.98 |
% |
| 1.78 |
% |
| 1.89 |
% |
| 1.69 |
% |
| 1.63 |
% |
| |
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets |
(0.80) |
% |
| 0.57 |
% |
| (0.04) |
% |
| 0.62 |
% |
| 0.04 |
% |
| |
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (before
waivers) |
(1.27) |
% |
| 0.02 |
% |
| (0.73) |
% |
| 0.13 |
% |
| (0.34) |
% |
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate(6) |
72 |
% |
| 67 |
% |
(5) |
61 |
% |
| 55 |
% |
| 36 |
% |
| |
(1) Calculated
using average shares outstanding during the year.
(2) Due
to timing of capital share transactions, the per share amount of net realized
and unrealized gain (loss) on investments varies from the amounts shown in the
Statement of Operations.
(3) Blended
rate. Pursuant to the Expense Cap/Reimbursement Agreement effective December 1,
2018, the expense cap decreased to 1.20%. Prior to December 1, 2018, the expense
cap was 1.25%.
(4) Blended
rate. Pursuant to the Expense Cap/Reimbursement Agreement effective December 12,
2021, the expense cap increased to 1.50%. Prior to December 12, 2021, the
expense cap was 1.20%.
(5) The
cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of securities that were incurred by
the Fund subsequent to Greenhouse’s appointment as subadvisor to the Baird
Equity Opportunity Fund that related to the alignment of the Fund’s portfolio
with Greenhouse’s investment style are excluded from the portfolio turnover rate
calculation. See Note 10 of the Notes to Financial Statements for further
information regarding Greenhouse’s appointment as subadvisor and other changes
impacting the Fund. If such amounts had not been excluded, the portfolio
turnover rate would have been 189% for the year ended December 31,
2021.
(6) Portfolio
turnover is calculated on the basis of the Fund as a whole without
distinguishing between the classes of shares issued and excludes in-kind
transactions, where applicable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Baird
Chautauqua International Growth Fund – Institutional Class |
| Year
Ended December 31, |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
| 2018 |
|
| |
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$18.65 |
|
| $17.51 |
|
| $12.62 |
|
| $10.17 |
|
| $12.59 |
|
|
| |
Income
from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment income(1) |
0.06 |
|
| 0.04 |
|
| 0.01 |
|
| 0.30 |
|
| 0.06 |
|
|
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments and foreign currency
translation |
(3.38) |
|
| 1.19 |
|
| 5.00 |
|
| 2.42 |
|
| (2.19) |
|
|
| |
Total
from investment operations |
(3.32) |
|
| 1.23 |
|
| 5.01 |
|
| 2.72 |
|
| (2.13) |
|
|
| |
Less
distributions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net investment income |
(0.03) |
|
| (0.09) |
|
| (0.12) |
|
| (0.27) |
|
| (0.06) |
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net realized gains |
(0.11) |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
| (0.23) |
|
|
| |
Total
distributions |
(0.14) |
|
| (0.09) |
|
| (0.12) |
|
| (0.27) |
|
| (0.29) |
|
|
| |
Paid
in capital from redemption fees(4) |
— |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(2) |
0.00 |
|
(2) |
0.00 |
|
(2) |
0.00 |
|
(2) |
| |
Net
asset value, end of year |
$15.19 |
|
| $18.65 |
|
| $17.51 |
|
| $12.62 |
|
| $10.17 |
|
|
| |
Total
return |
(17.84) |
% |
| 6.90 |
% |
| 39.84 |
% |
| 26.72 |
% |
| (16.94) |
% |
|
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year (millions) |
$479.1 |
|
| $468.2 |
|
| $321.8 |
|
| $172.7 |
|
| $85.4 |
|
|
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
0.80 |
% |
| 0.80 |
% |
| 0.80 |
% |
| 0.80 |
% |
| 0.94 |
% |
(3) |
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets (before waivers) |
0.87 |
% |
| 0.86 |
% |
| 0.90 |
% |
| 0.96 |
% |
| 1.07 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment income to average net assets |
0.37 |
% |
| 0.20 |
% |
| 0.07 |
% |
| 2.56 |
% |
| 0.51 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (before
waivers) |
0.31 |
% |
| 0.14 |
% |
| (0.03) |
% |
| 2.40 |
% |
| 0.38 |
% |
|
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate(5) |
23 |
% |
| 14 |
% |
| 31 |
% |
| 31 |
% |
| 42 |
% |
|
| |
(1)Calculated
using average shares outstanding during the year.
(2)Amount
is less than $0.005.
(3)Blended
rate. Pursuant to the Expense Cap/Reimbursement Agreement effective December 1,
2018, the expense cap decreased to 0.80%. Prior to December 1, 2018, the expense
cap was 0.95%.
(4)Effective
December 1, 2021, the Fund eliminated the 2.00% redemption fee charged on
amounts redeemed for shares held 90 days or less. See Note 8 of Notes to the
Financial Statements.
(5)Portfolio
turnover is calculated on the basis of the Fund as a whole without
distinguishing between the classes of shares issued and excludes in-kind
transactions, where applicable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Baird
Chautauqua International Growth Fund – Investor Class |
| Year
Ended December 31, |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
| 2018 |
|
| |
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$18.58 |
|
| $17.48 |
|
| $12.60 |
|
| $10.15 |
|
| $12.57 |
|
|
| |
Income
from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment income (loss)(1) |
0.02 |
|
| (0.01) |
|
| (0.02) |
|
| 0.27 |
|
| 0.03 |
|
|
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments and foreign currency
translation |
(3.37) |
|
| 1.20 |
|
| 4.95 |
|
(2) |
2.41 |
|
| (2.19) |
|
|
| |
Total
from investment operations |
(3.35) |
|
| 1.19 |
|
| 4.93 |
|
| 2.68 |
|
| (2.16) |
|
|
| |
Less
distributions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net investment income |
(0.01) |
|
| (0.09) |
|
| (0.05) |
|
| (0.23) |
|
| (0.03) |
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net realized gains |
(0.11) |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
| (0.23) |
|
|
| |
Total
distributions |
(0.12) |
|
| (0.09) |
|
| (0.05) |
|
| (0.23) |
|
| (0.26) |
|
|
| |
Paid
in capital from redemption fees(5) |
— |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
| |
Net
asset value, end of year |
$15.11 |
|
| $18.58 |
|
| $17.48 |
|
| $12.60 |
|
| $10.15 |
|
|
| |
Total
return |
(18.03) |
% |
| 6.62 |
% |
| 39.37 |
% |
| 26.42 |
% |
| (17.21) |
% |
|
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year (thousands) |
$13,993.5 |
|
| $608.0 |
|
| $697.4 |
|
| $1,494.8 |
|
| $2,147.0 |
|
|
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
1.05 |
% |
| 1.05 |
% |
| 1.05 |
% |
| 1.05 |
% |
| 1.19 |
% |
(4) |
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets (before waivers) |
1.12 |
% |
| 1.11 |
% |
| 1.15 |
% |
| 1.21 |
% |
| 1.32 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets |
0.12 |
% |
| (0.05) |
% |
| (0.18) |
% |
| 2.31 |
% |
| 0.26 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (before
waivers) |
0.06 |
% |
| (0.11) |
% |
| (0.28) |
% |
| 2.15 |
% |
| 0.13 |
% |
|
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate(6) |
23 |
% |
| 14 |
% |
| 31 |
% |
| 31 |
% |
| 42 |
% |
|
| |
(1)Calculated
using average shares outstanding during the year.
(2)Due
to timing of capital share transactions, the per share amount of net realized
and unrealized gain (loss) on investments varies from the amounts shown in the
Statement of Operations.
(3)Amount
is less than $0.005.
(4)Blended
rate. Pursuant to the Expense Cap/Reimbursement Agreement effective December 1,
2018, the expense cap decreased to 1.05%. Prior to December 1, 2018, the expense
cap was 1.20%.
(5)Effective
December 1, 2021, the Fund eliminated the 2.00% redemption fee charged on
amounts redeemed for shares held 90 days or less. See Note 8 of Notes to the
Financial Statements.
(6)Portfolio
turnover is calculated on the basis of the Fund as a whole without
distinguishing between the classes of shares issued and excludes in-kind
transactions, where applicable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Baird
Chautauqua Global Growth Fund – Institutional Class |
| Year
Ended December 31, |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
| 2018 |
|
| |
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$22.36 |
|
| $19.85 |
|
| $14.47 |
|
| $11.29 |
|
| $13.43 |
|
|
| |
Income
from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment income (loss)(1) |
0.04 |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(2) |
(0.03) |
|
| 0.22 |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(2) |
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments and foreign currency
translation |
(4.54) |
|
| 2.59 |
|
| 5.49 |
|
| 3.18 |
|
| (1.98) |
|
|
| |
Total
from investment operations |
(4.50) |
|
| 2.59 |
|
| 5.46 |
|
| 3.40 |
|
| (1.98) |
|
|
| |
Less
distributions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net investment income |
— |
|
| (0.08) |
|
| (0.09) |
|
| (0.16) |
|
| (0.00 |
) |
(2) |
| |
Distributions
from net realized gains |
(0.02) |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
| (0.06) |
|
| (0.16) |
|
|
| |
Total
distributions |
(0.02) |
|
| (0.08) |
|
| (0.09) |
|
| (0.22) |
|
| (0.16) |
|
|
| |
Paid
in capital from redemption fees(4) |
— |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(2) |
0.01 |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(2) |
0.00 |
|
(2) |
| |
Net
asset value, end of year |
$17.84 |
|
| $22.36 |
|
| $19.85 |
|
| $14.47 |
|
| $11.29 |
|
|
| |
Total
return |
(20.11) |
% |
| 12.93 |
% |
| 37.97 |
% |
| 30.14 |
% |
| (14.70) |
% |
|
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year (millions) |
$264.9 |
|
| $314.7 |
|
| $137.3 |
|
| $55.8 |
|
| $36.8 |
|
|
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
0.80 |
% |
| 0.80 |
% |
| 0.80 |
% |
| 0.80 |
% |
| 0.94 |
% |
(3) |
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets (before waivers) |
0.92 |
% |
| 0.92 |
% |
| 1.04 |
% |
| 1.23 |
% |
| 1.34 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets |
0.20 |
% |
| 0.01 |
% |
| (0.17) |
% |
| 1.64 |
% |
| 0.01 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (before
waivers) |
0.09 |
% |
| (0.11) |
% |
| (0.41) |
% |
| 1.21 |
% |
| (0.39) |
% |
|
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate(5) |
12 |
% |
| 13 |
% |
| 24 |
% |
| 26 |
% |
| 38 |
% |
|
| |
(1)Calculated
using average shares outstanding during the year.
(2)Amount
is less than $0.005.
(3)Blended
rate. Pursuant to the Expense Cap/Reimbursement Agreement effective December 1,
2018, the expense cap decreased to 0.80%. Prior to December 1, 2018, the expense
cap was 0.95%.
(4)Effective
December 1, 2021, the Fund eliminated the 2.00% redemption fee charged on
amounts redeemed for shares held 90 days or less. See Note 8 of Notes to the
Financial Statements.
(5)Portfolio
turnover is calculated on the basis of the Fund as a whole without
distinguishing between the classes of shares issued and excludes in-kind
transactions, where applicable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Baird
Chautauqua Global Growth Fund – Investor Class |
| Year
Ended December 31, |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
| 2018 |
|
| |
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$22.18 |
|
| $19.74 |
|
| $14.36 |
|
| $11.22 |
|
| $13.37 |
|
|
| |
Income
from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment income (loss)(1) |
(0.01) |
|
| (0.05) |
|
| (0.06) |
|
| 0.19 |
|
| (0.03) |
|
|
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments and foreign currency
translation |
(4.50) |
|
| 2.57 |
|
| 5.44 |
|
| 3.15 |
|
| (1.96) |
|
|
| |
Total
from investment operations |
(4.51) |
|
| 2.52 |
|
| 5.38 |
|
| 3.34 |
|
| (1.99) |
|
|
| |
Less
distributions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net investment income |
— |
|
| (0.08) |
|
| (0.05) |
|
| (0.14) |
|
| — |
|
|
| |
Distributions
from net realized gains |
(0.02) |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
| (0.06) |
|
| (0.16) |
|
|
| |
Total
distributions |
(0.02) |
|
| (0.08) |
|
| (0.05) |
|
| (0.20) |
|
| (0.16) |
|
|
| |
Paid
in capital from redemption fees(4) |
— |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(2) |
0.05 |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(2) |
0.00 |
|
(2) |
| |
Net
asset value, end of year |
$17.65 |
|
| $22.18 |
|
| $19.74 |
|
| $14.36 |
|
| $11.22 |
|
|
| |
Total
return |
(20.32) |
% |
| 12.64 |
% |
| 37.94 |
% |
| 29.73 |
% |
| (14.86) |
% |
|
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year (thousands) |
$931.8 |
|
| $1,590.1 |
|
| $1,676.7 |
|
| $1,606.9 |
|
| $713.9 |
|
|
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
1.05 |
% |
| 1.05 |
% |
| 1.05 |
% |
| 1.05 |
% |
| 1.19 |
% |
(3) |
| |
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets (before waivers) |
1.17 |
% |
| 1.17 |
% |
| 1.29 |
% |
| 1.48 |
% |
| 1.59 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets |
(0.05) |
% |
| (0.24) |
% |
| (0.42) |
% |
| 1.39 |
% |
| (0.24) |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (before
waivers) |
(0.16) |
% |
| (0.36) |
% |
| (0.66) |
% |
| 0.96 |
% |
| (0.64) |
% |
|
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate(5) |
12 |
% |
| 13 |
% |
| 24 |
% |
| 26 |
% |
| 38 |
% |
|
| |
(1)Calculated
using average shares outstanding during the year.
(2)Amount
is less than $0.005.
(3)Blended
rate. Pursuant to the Expense Cap/Reimbursement Agreement effective December 1,
2018, the expense cap decreased to 1.05%. Prior to December 1, 2018, the expense
cap was 1.20%.
(4)Effective
December 1, 2021, the Fund eliminated the 2.00% redemption fee charged on
amounts redeemed for shares held 90 days or less. See Note 8 of Notes to the
Financial Statements.
(5)Portfolio
turnover is calculated on the basis of the Fund as a whole without
distinguishing between the classes of shares issued and excludes in-kind
transactions, where applicable.
Distributor
The
Advisor, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, is also the distributor (the
“Distributor”) of shares of the Funds, and a member of the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
Rule
12b-1 Plan
The
Funds have adopted a distribution and shareholder service plan on behalf of
Investor Class shares and pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Rule
12b-1 Plan”). Under the Rule 12b-1 Plan, Investor Class shares of the Funds pay
the Distributor a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of their respective average
daily net asset value. The Distributor uses this fee primarily to finance
activities that promote the sale of Investor Class shares. Such activities
include, but are not necessarily limited to, compensating brokers, dealers,
financial intermediaries and sales personnel for distribution and shareholder
services, printing and mailing prospectuses to persons other than current
shareholders, and printing and mailing sales literature, and advertising.
Because 12b-1 fees are ongoing, over time these fees will increase the cost of
your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales
charges.
Referral
Program
The
Distributor has established a referral program pursuant to which it may pay cash
compensation to its sales personnel for sales of Institutional Class shares of
the Funds. Compensation paid to participants in this program for sales of
Institutional Class shares of the Funds may be more or less than compensation
they receive for sales of shares of other investment companies. These payments
may influence the Distributor’s sales personnel to recommend the Institutional
Class shares of the Funds over another investment. These payments are only made
for sales to non-ERISA institutional accounts. The Distributor will pay
compensation under the referral program out of its own resources. Accordingly,
the referral program will not affect the price an investor will pay for
Institutional Class shares of the Funds. Please see “Fees and Expenses of the
Funds” for information about the Funds’ fees and expenses.
Fund
Purchases Through a Financial Intermediary
Financial
intermediaries, such as banks, fiduciaries, custodians, investment advisers, and
broker-dealers, hold shares of the Funds for their clients through omnibus or
networked accounts. The Funds, and/or the Distributor on behalf of the Funds,
retain financial intermediaries, as agents, to provide sub-transfer agency,
administrative or
related
shareholder services to their clients for the Funds. The Advisor, the
Distributor and/or the Funds pay certain financial intermediaries for performing
such services.
The
Distributor may also retain financial intermediaries to provide sales, marketing
support, or related services to their clients who beneficially own Fund shares.
From time to time, the Advisor or the Distributor may pay those financial
intermediaries for the provision of those services. Any such payments will be
made from the Advisor’s or the Distributor’s own resources. These payments,
sometimes referred to as marketing support or revenue sharing payments, are in
addition to or in lieu of any amounts payable to the financial intermediary
under the Funds’ Rule 12b-1 Plan for the provision of distribution and
shareholder services provided by financial intermediaries on behalf of Investor
Class shares.
The
payments made to these financial intermediaries vary based on a number of
factors, including the types of services provided and amount of their clients’
assets invested in the Funds and, with respect to marketing support payments,
the level of sales activity. These payments may influence the financial
intermediary to recommend the Funds, or a particular class of Fund shares, over
another investment.
Each
Fund offers two classes of shares: Investor Class and Institutional Class. The
classes differ with respect to their minimum investments and expenses. Investor
Class shares impose a Rule 12b-1 fee that is assessed against the average daily
net assets of a Fund attributable to that class. Accordingly, the performance
information for the Investor Class shares would be lower than the performance
information shown for the Institutional Class shares above under “Performance in
the Summary Section” for each Fund.
Financial
institutions may receive Rule 12b-1 fees from the Distributor based upon
Investor Class shares owned by their clients or customers. The Distributor will
determine the schedule of such fees and the basis upon which such fees will be
paid.
Shares
of each class in a Fund are sold at their net asset value (“NAV”). Shares may be
purchased or redeemed on days the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open.
The NYSE is on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.
Day, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National
Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas
Day.
|
|
|
|
| |
The
NAV for each class of shares of a Fund is determined as of the close of
regular trading on the NYSE (normally 3:00 p.m., Central time) Monday
through Friday, except on days the NYSE is not open. If the NYSE closes
early, the Fund will calculate the NAV at the closing time on that day. If
an emergency exists as permitted by the SEC, NAV may be calculated at a
different time. |
When
making a purchase request, make sure your request is in good order. “Good
order” means your purchase request includes:
•The
name of the Fund and share class;
•The
dollar amount of shares to be purchased;
•Purchase
application or investment stub; and
•Check
payable to Baird Funds or, if paying by wire, receipt of Federal
Funds. |
|
The
NAV for a class of shares is determined by adding the value of each Fund’s
investments, cash and other assets attributable to a particular share
class, subtracting the liabilities attributable to that class and then
dividing the result by the total number of shares outstanding in the
class. |
The
Board has adopted Pricing and Valuation Committee Procedures (“Pricing
Procedures”), which specify how a Fund’s investments are to be valued when
calculating the Fund’s NAV. The Funds’ accounting agent calculates the
daily NAV for each Fund.
Each
Fund’s portfolio investments are generally valued using pricing information
provided by a primary independent pricing service. If pricing information is not
readily available from the primary pricing service, pricing information from an
approved secondary independent pricing service or another source set forth in
the Pricing Procedures may be used. Should pricing information not be readily
available from a primary or secondary pricing service or another permitted
source, or if the Advisor deems the price received to not represent fair value,
the investment will be priced at its “fair value” as determined by the Advisor,
as the valuation designee of the Board, subject to oversight by the Board. The
Advisor has designated its Valuation Committee to be responsible for fair value
determinations.
Equity
securities, including ETFs and closed-end funds, that are listed on a securities
exchange are generally valued at the last sale price or official closing price
at the close of the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic). If, on a
particular day, an exchange-listed security does not trade, then the security
will be valued at the average of the most recent bid and asked prices.
Over-the-counter equity securities for which reliable quotations are available
are valued at the last quoted sales price or at the average of the most recent
bid and asked prices.
When
pricing foreign equity securities held by the Equity Opportunity Fund,
International Growth Fund and Global Growth Fund that are traded on markets that
have closed prior to the U.S. markets, an evaluated adjustment factor provided
by the
Funds’
fair value pricing service will generally be applied to the prices of such
securities. The use of an evaluated adjustment factor in such instances is
intended to price each such security at its fair value at the time a Fund
calculates its NAV by estimating the impact of market fluctuation or movement on
a security’s value if its local market were still open for trading alongside the
U.S. markets. An evaluated adjustment factor will not be applied to securities
primarily traded on markets that are open at the same time as U.S. equity
markets are open, or when a reliable evaluated adjustment factor is
unavailable.
Shares
of mutual funds are generally valued at their last calculated NAV.
Exchange-traded options purchased by a Fund will be valued at the last sale
price at the close of the primary exchange or at a snapshot price provided by a
pricing service, or, in the absence of such a price, at the mean between the
last reported bid and asked prices.
Debt
obligations are generally valued using evaluated bid prices provided by the
primary pricing service. If the primary pricing service does not price a
particular debt obligation, or if the primary pricing service does not provide a
fully evaluated price, a Fund may use an evaluated price provided by a secondary
pricing service. If a secondary pricing service does not price a particular debt
obligation, the Advisor may obtain and use a valuation from a dealer who was the
underwriter for the issuance or who makes a market in that debt obligation or
similar debt obligations. If the Advisor cannot obtain a price provided by such
a dealer, the debt obligation will generally be priced at fair value by the
Valuation Committee. Debt obligations purchased with a remaining maturity of 60
days or less are valued at acquisition cost, plus or minus any amortized
discount or premium (“amortized cost”), or, if the Advisor does not believe
amortized cost is reflective of the fair value of the debt obligation, the debt
obligation will be priced at fair value by the Valuation Committee.
If
market quotations are not readily available for a security, the security will be
priced at fair value by the Advisor. Fair value pricing involves subjective
judgments and there is no single standard for determining a security’s fair
value. The price of a security used by a Fund to calculate its NAV may
differ from quoted or published prices for the same security. It is possible
that the fair value determined for a security is materially different from the
value that could be realized upon the sale of that security or from the values
that other mutual funds may determine. In addition, during periods of market
volatility or illiquidity, the prices determined for any individual investment
on any given day may vary significantly from the amount that can be obtained in
an actual sale of that investment, and the Funds’ respective NAVs may fluctuate
significantly from day to day or from period to period.
Minimum
Investments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Initial
Purchase |
Subsequent
Purchases |
Investor
Class |
$1,000
– Individual Retirement Accounts (Traditional/Roth/SIMPLE/SEP
IRAs) |
$100 |
| $2,500
– All Other Accounts |
$100 |
Institutional
Class |
$10,000
– All Account Types |
No
minimum |
Minimum
Investment Waivers – Institutional Class Shares
The
minimum initial investment amount for Institutional Class shares is waived for
all employees, directors and officers of the Advisor or the Company and members
of their families (including parents, grandparents, siblings, spouses, children
and in-laws of such employees, directors and officers). It is also waived for
clients of the Advisor who acquire shares of a Fund made available through a
mutual fund asset allocation program offered by the Advisor. The investment
minimum for Institutional Class shares of the Equity Opportunity Fund is also
waived for former Investor Class shareholders of the Baird SmallCap Value Fund
who received Institutional Class shares pursuant to a Plan of Conversion
effective with the retention of the Subadvisor and former Investor Class
shareholders of the Baird Small/Mid Cap Value Fund who received Institutional
Class shares pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization.
Minimum
Investment Reductions – Investor and Institutional Class Shares
The
investment minimums noted above are waived for investments in Investor and
Institutional Class shares by 401(k) and other employer-sponsored retirement
plans (excluding IRAs and other one person retirement plans). Also, the minimum
initial investment amount for Institutional Class and Investor Class shares may
be waived or reduced at the discretion of the Distributor, including waivers or
reductions for purchases by health savings plans or made through certain
registered investment advisers and qualified third-party platforms.
In-Kind
Payments
Payment
for shares of the Funds may, in the discretion of the Funds, be made in the form
of securities that are permissible investments for the Funds as described in
this Prospectus. For further information about this form of payment, contact the
Funds (toll-free) at 1-866-442-2473. In connection with an in-kind securities
payment, a Fund will require, among other things, that the securities be valued
on the day of purchase in accordance with the pricing methods used by the Fund;
that the Fund receives satisfactory assurances that it will have good and
marketable title to the securities received by it; that the securities be in
proper form for transfer to the Fund; that adequate information be provided to
the Fund concerning certain tax matters relating to
the
securities; and that the amount of the purchase be at least $1,000,000. You may
realize a taxable gain or loss on the contributed securities at the time of the
in-kind securities payment.
Timing
of Requests
Shares
may only be purchased on days when the NYSE is open for business. Your price per
share will be the NAV next computed after your request is received in good order
by a Fund or its agents. All requests received in good order before the close of
regular trading on the NYSE (normally, 3:00 p.m., Central time) will be executed
at the NAV computed on that day. Requests received after the close of regular
trading on the NYSE will receive the next business day’s NAV.
Receipt
of Orders
The
Funds may authorize one or more broker-dealers to accept on their behalf
purchase and redemption orders that are in good order. In addition, these
broker-dealers may designate other financial intermediaries to accept purchase
and redemption orders on a Fund’s behalf. Contracts with these agents require
the agents to track the time that purchase and redemption orders are received.
Purchase and redemption orders must be received by the Funds or their authorized
intermediaries before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, 3:00
p.m., Central time) to receive
that
day’s share price.
Customer
Identification Procedures
The
Company, on behalf of each Fund, is required to comply with various anti-money
laundering laws and regulations. To help the government fight the funding of
terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial
institutions, including mutual funds, to obtain, verify and record information
that identifies each person who opens an account.
In
compliance with the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate
Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “USA PATRIOT
Act”), please note that U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, the Company’s transfer
agent (the “Transfer Agent”), will verify certain information on your account
application as part of the Funds’ Anti-Money Laundering Program. As requested on
the account application, you must supply your full name, date of birth, social
security number and permanent street address. Mailing addresses containing only
a P.O. Box will not be accepted. If you are opening the account in the name of a
legal entity (e.g.,
partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, etc.), you
must also supply the identity of the beneficial owners. If you require
assistance when completing your application, please call (toll free)
1-866-442-2473.
If
the Company or the Transfer Agent does not have a reasonable belief of the
identity of a shareholder, the initial purchase will be rejected or the
shareholder will not be allowed to perform a transaction on the account until
such information is received. In
the
rare event that the Transfer Agent is unable to verify a shareholder’s identity,
the Fund reserves the right to redeem the shareholder’s account at the current
day’s NAV. The shareholder will be notified of a rejected purchase order or
account closure within five business days. Any delay in processing a
shareholder’s order will affect the purchase price a shareholder receives for
its shares. The Company, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent are not liable
for fluctuations in NAV experienced as a result of such delays in processing. If
at any time the Company or the Transfer Agent detects suspicious behavior or if
certain account information matches government lists of suspicious persons, the
Company or the Transfer Agent may determine not to open an account, may reject
additional purchases, may close an existing account, may file a suspicious
activity report and/or may take other action.
The
Funds may not be sold to investors residing outside the U.S. and its
territories, except upon evidence of compliance with the laws of the applicable
foreign jurisdictions.
The
Company has appointed an anti-money laundering compliance officer to oversee the
implementation of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program.
Market
Timing Policy
Depending
on various factors (including the size of the Fund, the amount of assets the
Advisor typically maintains in cash or cash equivalents, and the dollar amount,
number and frequency of trades), short-term or excessive trading into and out of
the Funds, generally known as market timing, may harm all shareholders by:
disrupting investment strategies; increasing brokerage, administrative and other
expenses; decreasing tax efficiency; diluting the value of shares held by
long-term shareholders; and impacting Fund performance. The Board has approved
policies that seek to discourage frequent purchases and redemptions and curb the
disruptive effects of market timing (the “Market Timing Policy”). Pursuant to
the Market Timing Policy, the Funds may decline to accept an application or may
reject a purchase request, including an exchange, from a market timer or an
investor who, in the Advisor’s sole discretion, has a pattern of short-term or
excessive trading or whose trading has been or may be disruptive to the Funds.
For these purposes, the Advisor may consider an investor’s trading history in
the Funds or other Baird Funds. The Funds, the Advisor, the Subadvisor and
affiliates thereof are prohibited from entering into arrangements with any
shareholder or other person to permit frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund
shares.
The
Company monitors and enforces its market timing policy through:
•Monitoring
of trade activity;
•Restrictions
and prohibitions on purchases and/or exchanges by persons believed to engage in
frequent trading activity; and
•Regular
reports to the Board by the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer regarding any
instances of suspected market timing.
In
addition, if market timing is detected in an omnibus account held by a financial
intermediary, the Funds may request that the intermediary restrict or prohibit
further purchases or exchanges of Fund shares by any shareholder that has been
identified as having violated the Market Timing Policy. The Funds may also
request that the intermediary provide identifying information, such as social
security numbers, and trading information about the underlying shareholders in
the account in order to review any unusual patterns of trading activity
discovered in the omnibus account.
While
the Funds seek to take action that will detect and deter market timing, the
risks of market timing cannot be completely eliminated. For example, the Funds
may not be able to identify or reasonably detect or deter market timing
transactions that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or made
difficult to identify through the use of omnibus accounts by those
intermediaries that transmit purchase, exchange, or redemption orders to the
Funds on behalf of their customers who are the beneficial owners. More
specifically, unless the financial intermediaries have the ability to detect and
deter market timing transactions themselves, the Funds may not be able to
determine whether the purchase or sale is connected with a market timing
transaction. In certain cases, the Company may rely on the market timing
policies of financial intermediaries, even if those policies are different from
the policy of the Company, when the Advisor believes that the policies are
reasonably designed to prevent excessive trading practices that are detrimental
to the Funds. Additionally, there can be no assurance that the systems and
procedures of the Funds, Advisor, Subadvisor or Distributor will be able to
monitor all trading activity in a manner that would detect market timing.
However, the Funds, the Advisor, Subadvisor and the Distributor will attempt to
detect and deter market timing in transactions by all Fund investors, whether
directly through the Transfer Agent or through financial
intermediaries.
Householding
In
an effort to decrease costs, the Funds intend to reduce the number of duplicate
prospectuses, proxy statements and other regulatory mailings you receive by
sending only one copy of each to those addresses shared by two or more accounts
and to shareholders we reasonably believe are from the same family or household.
Once implemented, if you would like to discontinue householding for your
accounts, please call the Funds toll-free at 1-866-442-2473 to request
individual copies of these documents. Once the Funds receive notice to stop
householding, we will begin sending individual copies 30 days after receiving
your request. This policy does not apply to account statements.
Methods
of Buying
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| To
Open an Account |
To
Add to an Account |
By
Telephone |
You
may not use the telephone purchase option for your initial purchase of a
Fund’s shares. However, you may call the Funds (toll-free) at
1-866-442-2473 to open a new account by requesting an exchange into
another Baird Fund. See “Exchanging Shares.” |
After
your account has been open for seven business days, you may call the Funds
(toll-free) at 1-866-442-2473 to place your order for Fund shares. Money
will then be moved from your bank account to your Fund account upon
request. Only bank accounts held at domestic institutions that are
Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) members may be used for telephone
transactions. The minimum telephone purchase is $100. |
By
Mail |
Make
your check payable to “Baird Funds.” All checks must be in U.S. dollars
drawn on a U.S. financial institution. Forward the check and your
application to the address below. To prevent fraud, the Funds will not
accept cash, money orders, third party checks, traveler’s checks, credit
card checks, starter checks or U.S. Treasury checks for the purchase of
shares. If your check is returned for any reason, a $25 fee will be
assessed against your account and you will be responsible for any loss
incurred by the Fund(s). The Funds are unable to accept post-dated checks
or any conditional order or payment. |
Fill
out the Invest by Mail form from your confirmation statement, or indicate
the Fund name, your name, address, and account number on a separate piece
of paper along with your check. Make your check payable to “Baird Funds.”
Forward the check and Invest by Mail form or separate letter of
instruction to the address below. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| To
Open an Account |
To
Add to an Account |
By
Federal Funds Wire |
Forward
your application to Baird Funds at the address below. Call (toll-free)
1-866-442-2473 to obtain an account number. Wire funds using the
instructions to the right. |
Notify
the Funds of an incoming wire by calling (toll-free) 1-866-442-2473. Use
the following instructions:
U.S.
Bank National Association
777
E. Wisconsin Ave.
Milwaukee,
WI 53202
ABA#:
075000022
Credit:
U.S.
Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
Account
#: 112-952-137
Further
Credit:
(name
of Fund, share class)
(name/title
on the account)
(account
#)
Wired
funds must be received prior to 3:00 pm Central time to be eligible for
same day pricing. The Funds, the Advisor and the Transfer Agent are not
responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or
Federal Reserve Wire system, or from incomplete wiring
instructions. |
Automatic
Investment Plan |
Open
a Fund account with one of the other methods. If by mail, be sure to
include your bank account number on the appropriate section of your
application and enclose a voided check or deposit slip with your initial
purchase application. |
Call
the Funds (toll-free) at 1-866-442-2473 for instructions on how to set up
an Automatic Investment Plan if you did not select the option on your
original application. Regular automatic investments (minimum of $100) will
be taken from your checking or savings account on a monthly basis. If you
do not have sufficient funds in your account or if your account is closed
at the time of the automatic transaction, you will be assessed a $25 fee.
Any request to change or terminate your Automatic Investment Plan should
be submitted to the Transfer Agent 5 days prior to effective
date. |
Through
Shareholder Service Organizations |
To
purchase shares for another investor, call the Funds (toll-free) at
1-866-442-2473. |
To
purchase shares for another investor, call the Funds (toll-free) at
1-866-442-2473. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| To
Open an Account |
To
Add to an Account |
By
Exchange |
Call
the Funds (toll-free) at 1-866-442-2473 to obtain exchange
information. See “Exchanging Shares.” |
Call
the Funds (toll-free) at 1-866-442-2473 to obtain exchange
information. See “Exchanging
Shares.” |
You
should use the following addresses when sending documents by mail or by
overnight delivery:
|
|
|
|
| |
By
Mail
Baird
Funds, Inc.
c/o
U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O.
Box 701
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin 53201-0701 |
By
Overnight Delivery
Baird
Funds, Inc.
c/o
U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615
E. Michigan Street, Third Floor
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin 53202 |
NOTE:
The Funds and the Transfer Agent do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or
other independent delivery services to be their agents. Only actual physical
receipt by the Transfer Agent of purchase orders or redemption requests
(e.g.,
retrieving mail from the post office box or accepting delivery from a delivery
service) constitutes receipt by the Transfer Agent. Therefore, deposit in the
mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box,
of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the
Transfer Agent.
Receipt
of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received
at the Transfer Agent’s offices.
Methods
of Selling
|
|
|
|
| |
| To
Sell Some or All of Your Shares |
By
Telephone |
If
you did not decline telephone redemption options, call the Funds
(toll-free) at 1-866-442-2473 to place the order. (Note: for security
reasons, requests by telephone will be recorded.) Telephone redemptions
involving $50,000 or more of Investor Class shares are not
permitted. |
By
Mail |
Send
a letter to the Funds that indicates the dollar amount or number of shares
you wish to redeem. The letter should contain the Fund’s name, the account
number and the number of shares or the dollar amount of shares to be
redeemed. Be sure to have all shareholders sign the letter and, if
necessary, have the signature guaranteed. For IRAs, requests submitted
without an election regarding tax withholding will be subject to tax
withholding. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| To
Sell Some or All of Your Shares |
Systematic
Withdrawal Plan |
The
Funds offer shareholders a Systematic Withdrawal Plan. Call the Funds
(toll-free) at 1-866-442-2473 to obtain information on how to arrange for
regular monthly or quarterly fixed withdrawal payments. The minimum
payment you may receive is $50 per period. In order to participate in the
Plan, your account balance must be at least $5,000 and the minimum payment
you may receive is $50 per period. If you elect this method of redemption,
the Fund will send a check to your address of record or will send the
payment via electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House
(ACH) network directly to your bank account. For payment through the ACH
network, your bank must be an ACH member and your bank account information
must be maintained on your Fund account. This program may be terminated at
any time by the Fund. You may also elect to terminate your participation
in this Plan at any time by contacting the Transfer Agent at least five
days prior to the next scheduled withdrawal.
Note
that this Plan may deplete your investment and affect your income or
yield. |
By
a Financial Intermediary |
Consult
your account agreement for information on redeeming
shares. |
By
Exchange |
Call
the Funds (toll‑free) at 1‑866‑442-2473 to obtain exchange information.
See “Exchanging Shares” for further
information. |
Payment
of Redemption Proceeds
|
|
|
|
| |
You
may request redemption of your shares at any time. Shares may be redeemed
on days the NYSE is open. The NYSE is closed on most national holidays.
Your shares will be redeemed at the next NAV per share calculated after
your order is received in good order by a Fund or its agents. All requests
received in good order before the close of regular trading on the NYSE
(normally, 3:00 p.m., Central time) will be executed at the NAV computed
on that day. Requests received after the close of regular trading on the
NYSE will receive the next business day’s NAV. Payment of redemption
proceeds for all methods of payment will be made promptly, typically
within one to two days, and in any event not later than seven days after
the receipt of a redemption request in proper form as discussed in this
Prospectus. You may receive the proceeds in one of three ways: |
When
making a redemption request, make sure your request is in good order.
“Good order” means your letter of instruction includes:
•The
name of the Fund;
•The
number of shares or the dollar amount of shares to be
redeemed;
•Signatures
of all registered shareholders exactly as the shares are registered and,
if necessary, with a signature guarantee; and
•The
account number. |
•A
check mailed to your account’s address. Your proceeds will typically be sent on
the business day following the day on which the Fund or its agent receives your
request in good order. Checks will not be forwarded by the U.S. Postal Service,
so please notify us if your address has changed prior to a redemption request. A
redemption request made within 15 days of an address change will require a
signature guarantee. Proceeds will be sent to you in this way, unless you
request one of the alternatives described below.
•The
proceeds transmitted by Electronic Funds Transfer (“EFT”) to a properly
pre-authorized bank account. The proceeds usually will arrive at your bank two
banking days after we process your redemption.
•The
proceeds transmitted by wire to a pre-authorized bank account for a $15 fee.
This fee will be deducted from your redemption proceeds for complete and
share-specific redemptions. In the case of a partial redemption, the fee will be
deducted from the remaining account balance. The fee is paid to the Transfer
Agent to cover costs associated with the transfer. The Advisor reserves the
right to waive the wire fee in limited circumstances. The proceeds usually will
arrive at your bank the first banking day after we process your redemption. Be
sure to have all necessary information from your bank. Your bank may charge a
fee to receive wired funds.
Before
selling recently purchased shares, please note that if the Transfer Agent has
not yet collected payment for the shares you are selling, there may be a delay
in sending the proceeds until the payment is collected, which may take up to 12
calendar days from the purchase date. This procedure is intended to protect the
Funds and their shareholders from loss. This delay will not apply if you
purchased your shares via wire payment.
The
Funds typically expect they will hold cash or cash equivalents to meet
redemption requests. The Funds may also use the proceeds from the sale of
portfolio securities to meet redemption requests if consistent with the
management of the Funds. The Funds may also meet redemption requests through the
use of a line of credit. The Funds may also make redemptions in-kind
(i.e.,
payments in portfolio securities rather than cash) to meet redemption requests.
These redemption methods will be used regularly and may also be used in stressed
market conditions.
The
Transfer Agent will send redemption proceeds by wire or EFT only to the bank and
account designated on the account application or in written instructions (with
signatures guaranteed) subsequently received by the Transfer Agent, and only if
the bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System. If the dollar or share
amount requested to be redeemed is greater than the current value of your
account, your entire account balance will be redeemed. If you choose to redeem
your account in full, any Automatic Investment Plan currently in effect for the
account will be terminated unless you indicate otherwise in writing and any
Systematic Withdrawal Plan will be terminated.
Signature
Guarantees
The
Transfer Agent may require a signature guarantee for certain redemption
requests. A signature guarantee ensures that your signature is genuine and
protects you from unauthorized account redemptions. A signature guarantee, from
either a Medallion program member or a non-Medallion program member, or other
acceptable signature verification of each owner is required in the following
situations:
•If
you are requesting a change in ownership on your account;
•When
redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account
not on record;
•When
a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent and the account address
has changed within the last 15 calendar days;
•For
all redemptions of Investor Class shares totaling $50,000 or more from any
shareholder account.
The
Funds reserve the right to waive any signature requirement at their
discretion.
In
addition to the situations described above, the Funds and/or the Transfer Agent
reserve the right to require a signature guarantee or other acceptable signature
verification in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the
particular situation.
Signature
guarantees are designed to protect both you and the Funds from fraud. Signature
guarantees can be obtained from most banks, credit unions or saving
associations, or from broker-dealers, national securities exchanges, registered
securities exchanges or clearing agencies deemed eligible by the SEC. Notaries
cannot provide signature guarantees.
Non-financial
transactions including establishing or modifying certain services on an account
may require signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member,
or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial
institution.
Corporate,
Trust and Other Accounts
Redemption
requests from corporate, trust and institutional accounts, and executors,
administrators and guardians, require documents in addition to those described
above evidencing the authority of the officers, trustees or others. In order to
avoid delays in processing redemption requests for these accounts, you should
call the Funds (toll-free) at 1-866-442-2473 before making the redemption
request to determine what additional documents are required.
Transfer
of Ownership
In
order to change the account registrant or transfer ownership of an account,
additional documents will be required. To avoid delays in processing these
requests, you should call the Funds (toll-free) at 1-866-442-2473 before making
your request to determine what additional documents are required.
You
may exchange all or a portion of your investment from the same class of one
Baird Fund to an identically registered account in another Baird Fund. You may
also convert Investor Class shares of a Baird Fund to Institutional Class shares
of the same Baird Fund if you meet the minimum investment requirements for
Institutional Class shares at the time of conversion. Any new account
established through an exchange or conversion will be subject to the minimum
investment requirements applicable to the shares acquired. Exchanges and
conversions will be executed on the basis of the relative NAV of the shares
exchanged or converted, as applicable. The exchange and conversion privileges
may be exercised only in those states where the class of shares of the Fund
being acquired legally may be sold.
To
obtain more information about share class conversions, or to place conversion
orders, contact the Transfer Agent, or, if your shares are held in an account
with a financial intermediary, contact the financial intermediary. Your
financial intermediary may impose conditions on such transactions in addition to
those disclosed in this Prospectus, or may not permit share class conversions.
An
exchange from one Baird Fund to another Baird Fund is considered to be a sale of
shares for federal income tax purposes on which you may realize a taxable
capital gain or loss unless you are a tax-exempt investor or hold your shares
through a tax-deferred or other tax-advantaged account such as a 401(k) plan or
an IRA. A conversion from Investor Class shares to Institutional Class shares
within the same Baird Fund is generally not a taxable transaction for federal
income tax purposes.
Call
the Funds (toll‑free) at 1-866-442-2473 to learn more about exchanges,
conversions and other Baird Funds.
More
Information about Exchange and Conversion Privileges
The
Funds are intended as long‑term investment vehicles and not to provide a means
of speculating on short‑term market movements. In addition, excessive trading
can hurt a Fund’s performance and shareholders. Therefore, each Fund may
terminate, without notice, the exchange privilege of any shareholder who uses
the exchange privilege excessively. See “Your Account—Buying Shares—Market
Timing Policy.” Each Fund also reserves the right to terminate the conversion
privilege. The Funds may also change or temporarily suspend the exchange and
conversion privileges during unusual market conditions.
The
Funds reserve the right to:
•Vary
or waive any minimum investment requirement.
•Refuse,
change, discontinue, or temporarily suspend account services, including
purchase, exchange, or telephone redemption privileges, for any
reason.
•Reject
any purchase or the purchase side of an exchange request for any reason.
Generally, a Fund does this if the purchase or exchange is disruptive to the
efficient management of the Fund (due to the timing of the investment or a
shareholder’s history of excessive trading).
•Reinvest
a distribution check in your account at a Fund’s then-current NAV and reinvest
all subsequent distributions if you elect to receive distributions in cash and
the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver your check, or if a distribution check
remains uncashed for six months. You may change the distribution option on your
account at any time by writing or calling the transfer agent. Any request for
change should be submitted five days prior to the next
distribution.
•Redeem
all shares in your account if your balance falls below a Fund’s minimum initial
purchase amount for the applicable class of shares. If, within 60 days of a
Fund’s written request, you have not increased your account balance, you may be
required to redeem your shares. The Funds will not require you to redeem shares
if the value of your account drops below the investment minimum due to
fluctuations of NAV.
•Delay
paying redemption proceeds for up to seven days after receiving a request in
proper form as described in this Prospectus.
•Modify
or terminate the Automatic Investment and Systematic Withdrawal Plans at any
time.
•Modify
or terminate the exchange privilege after a 60-day written notice to
shareholders.
•Make
a “redemption in-kind” (a payment in portfolio securities rather than cash) if
the amount you are redeeming is in excess of the lesser of (i) $250,000 or (ii)
1% of a Fund’s assets in any 90-day period. In such cases, you may incur
brokerage costs in converting these securities to cash. The Funds expect that
any redemptions in-kind will be made with readily marketable securities.
However,
shareholders who receive a redemption in-kind will bear market risk until they
sell the securities. For federal income tax purposes, redemptions in-kind are
taxed in the same manner to a redeeming shareholder as redemptions made in cash.
The redeeming shareholder will generally receive a pro rata share of each
security and cash position held by the distributing Fund (e.g.,
rounding such security positions to the nearest 100 shares or other appropriate
rounding lot method), with adjustments for restricted securities, odd lots or
fractional shares, or such other method of redemption that addresses any
potential for overreaching or other concerns that underlie Section 17 of the
Investment Company Act if applicable. The distributing Fund will distribute cash
in lieu of securities held in the Fund not amounting to round lots or other
securities not distributed pursuant to the adjustments described
above.
•Reject
any purchase or redemption request that does not contain all required
documentation.
If
you did not decline telephone privileges on the account application or in a
letter to the Funds, you may be responsible for any fraudulent telephone orders
as long as the Funds have taken reasonable precautions to verify your identity.
If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, the Funds will
accept telephone instructions from any one owner or authorized person. In
addition, once you place a telephone transaction request, it cannot be canceled
or modified after the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, 3:00 p.m.
Central time).
Telephone
trades must be received by or prior to the close of regular trading on the NYSE
(normally, 3:00 p.m. Central time). During periods of significant economic or
market change, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits and
telephone transactions may be difficult to complete. Please allow sufficient
time to place your telephone transaction. If you are unable to contact the Funds
by telephone, you may also mail the requests to the Funds at the address listed
under “Buying Shares.”
Your
broker-dealer or other financial organization may establish policies that differ
from those of the Funds. For example, the organization may charge transaction
fees, set higher minimum investments, or impose certain limitations on buying or
selling shares in addition to those identified in this Prospectus. Contact your
broker-dealer or other financial organization for details.
Lost
Shareholders, Inactive Accounts and Unclaimed Property.
It is important that the Funds maintain a correct address for each shareholder.
An incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other
mailings to be returned to the Funds. Based upon statutory requirements for
returned mail, the Funds will attempt to locate the shareholder or rightful
owner of the account. If the Funds are unable to locate the shareholder, then
they will determine whether the shareholder’s account can legally be considered
abandoned. Your mutual fund account may be transferred to the state government
of your state of residence if no activity occurs within your account during
the
“inactivity period” specified in your state’s abandoned property laws. The Funds
are legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the
appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with
statutory requirements. The shareholder’s last known address of record
determines which state has jurisdiction. Please proactively contact the Transfer
Agent toll-free at 1-877-677-9414 at least annually to ensure your account
remains in active status.
If
you are a resident of the state of Texas, you may designate a representative to
receive notifications that, due to inactivity, your mutual fund account assets
may be delivered to the Texas Comptroller. Please contact the Transfer Agent if
you wish to complete a Texas Designation of Representative form.
Each
Fund makes distributions to its shareholders from the Fund’s net investment
income and any realized net capital gain.
Distributions
from a Fund’s net investment income are declared and paid annually. Net capital
gain, if any, is generally distributed annually. It is expected that each Fund’s
distributions will be primarily distributions of net capital gain.
Each
share class determines its net investment income and net capital gain
distributions in the same manner. However, because Investor Class shares pay
Rule 12b-1 fees, distributions of net investment income paid to Investor Class
shareholders will be lower per share than those paid to Institutional Class
shareholders.
All
of your distributions from a Fund’s net investment income and net capital gain
will be reinvested in additional shares of the same class of that Fund unless
you instruct otherwise on your account application or have redeemed all shares
you held in the Fund.
Changes
in income tax laws, potentially with retroactive effect, could impact a Fund’s
investments or the tax consequences to you of investing in a Fund. Some of the
changes could affect the timing, amount and tax treatment of Fund distributions
made to shareholders. Please consult your tax adviser before
investing.
Fund
distributions are taxable regardless of whether the distributions are received
in cash or reinvested in additional Fund shares, unless you are a tax-exempt
investor or hold your shares through a tax-deferred or other tax-advantaged
arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA. Distributions of a Fund’s
investment company taxable income (which includes dividends, interest, net
short-term capital gain and net gain from foreign currency transactions), if
any, generally are taxable to the Fund’s shareholders as ordinary income, except
to the extent any of the distributions are attributable to and reported as
“qualified dividend income,” as described below. For corporate shareholders,
distributions of a Fund’s investment company taxable income may be eligible for
the intercorporate dividends-received deduction. Fund distributions may not be
subject to federal income tax if you are a tax-exempt investor or are investing
through a tax-deferred or other tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k)
plan or an IRA, in which case you may be subject to federal income tax upon
withdrawal of money from such tax-deferred or other tax-advantaged arrangements.
A Fund may be required to withhold federal income tax at a rate set under
Section 3406 of the Code (backup withholding) from dividend payments,
distributions, and redemption proceeds if you fail to furnish that Fund with
your correct Social Security or other applicable taxpayer identification number.
You must certify that the number is correct and that you are not subject to
backup withholding. The certification is included as part of the share purchase
application form.
For
non-corporate shareholders, to the extent that a distribution of investment
company taxable income is attributable to and reported as “qualified dividend”
income, such income may be eligible for the reduced federal income tax rates
applicable to net long-term capital gain. If for any taxable year a Fund has
gross income (excluding net capital gain) of which at least 95% was “qualified
dividends,” all of that Fund’s distributions of investment company taxable
income for such taxable year will be eligible for the lower federal income tax
rates on “qualified dividends.” Certain holding period requirements also must be
satisfied by both a Fund and the shareholder to obtain “qualified dividend”
treatment.
Distributions
of a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net
short-term capital loss) will generally be taxable as long-term capital gains
whether reinvested in additional Fund shares or received in cash and regardless
of the length of time that a shareholder has owned Fund shares.
A
distribution of a Fund’s investment company taxable income or net capital gain
declared by the Fund in October, November or December, but paid during January
of the following year, is taxable as if received on December 31 of the year such
distribution was declared.
If
the value of shares is reduced below a shareholder’s cost basis as a result of a
distribution by a Fund, the distribution will be taxable even though it, in
effect, represents a return of invested capital. Investors considering buying
shares just prior to a distribution of a Fund’s investment company taxable
income or net capital gain should be aware that, although the price of shares
purchased at that time may reflect the
amount
of the forthcoming distribution, such distribution may nevertheless be taxable
to them.
Certain
individuals, trusts and estates may be subject to a Net Investment Income
(“NII”) tax of 3.8% (in addition to regular income tax). The NII tax is imposed
on the lesser of (i) a taxpayer’s investment income, net of deductions properly
allocable to such income or (ii) the amount by which such taxpayer’s modified
adjusted gross income exceeds certain thresholds ($250,000 for married
individuals filing jointly, $200,000 for unmarried individuals and $125,000 for
married individuals filing separately). Each Fund’s distributions are includable
in a shareholder’s investment income for purposes of this NII tax. In addition,
any capital gain realized by a shareholder upon a sale, exchange or redemption
of Fund shares is includable in the shareholder’s investment income for purposes
of this NII tax.
The
federal income tax status of all distributions made by each Fund for the
preceding year will be reported to shareholders annually. Distributions made by
the Funds may also be subject to state and local taxes. Please note that
distributions of both investment company taxable income and net capital gain are
taxable even if reinvested in additional Fund shares.
Shareholders
who sell, exchange or redeem shares generally will have a capital gain or loss
from the sale, exchange or redemption. The amount of the gain or loss and the
rate of federal income tax will depend mainly upon the amount paid for the
shares, the amount received from the sale, exchange or redemption, and the
length of time that the shares were held by a shareholder. Gain or loss realized
upon a sale, exchange or redemption of Fund shares will generally be treated as
a long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one
year, and, if held for one year or less, as a short-term capital gain or loss.
Any loss arising from the sale, exchange or redemption of shares held for six
months or less, however, is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of
any distributions of net capital gain received or deemed to be received with
respect to such shares. In determining the holding period of such shares for
this purpose, any period during which your risk of loss is offset by means of
options, short sales or similar transactions is not counted. If you purchase
Fund shares (through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days
before or after selling, exchanging or redeeming shares of the same Fund at a
loss, all or part of that loss will not be deductible and will instead increase
the basis of the newly acquired shares to preserve the loss until a future sale,
exchange or redemption.
If
more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable
year consists of stock and securities in foreign corporations, the Fund will be
eligible to, and may, file an election with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”)
that would enable the Fund’s shareholders, in effect, to receive the benefit of
the foreign tax credit with respect to any income taxes paid by the Fund to
foreign countries and U.S. possessions. Please see the SAI for additional
information regarding the foreign tax credit.
Each
Fund is required to report to certain shareholders and the IRS the cost basis of
Fund shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, when such shareholders
subsequently
sell,
exchange or redeem those Fund shares. The Funds will determine cost basis using
the average cost method unless you elect in writing (and not over the telephone)
any alternate IRS-approved cost basis method. Please see the SAI for more
information regarding cost basis reporting.
Additional
tax information may be found in the SAI. Because everyone’s tax situation is
unique, always consult your tax professional about federal, state and local tax
consequences of an investment in the Funds.