WCM Focused International Growth Fund

Investor Class Shares – WCMRX
Institutional Class Shares – WCMIX

 

WCM China Quality Growth Fund

Investor Class Shares – WCQGX

Institutional Class Shares – WCMCX

 

WCM Focused Emerging Markets Fund
Investor Class Shares – WFEMX

Institutional Class Shares – WCMEX

 

WCM Developing World Equity Fund

Investor Class Shares – WCMUX

Institutional Class Shares – WCMDX

 

WCM Focused Global Growth Fund

Investor Class Shares – WFGGX

Institutional Class Shares – WCMGX

 

WCM International Equity Fund

Investor Class Shares – WESGX

Institutional Class Shares – WCMMX

 

WCM International Small Cap Growth Fund
Institutional Class Shares – WCMSX

 

WCM Focused International Value Fund

Investor Class Shares – WLIVX
Institutional Class Shares – WCMVX

 

WCM Small Cap Growth Fund

Investor Class Shares – WCMNX

Institutional Class Shares – WCMLX

 

WCM Focused International Opportunities Fund

Investor Class Shares – WCFOX

Institutional Class Shares – WCMOX

WCM SMID Quality Value Fund (formerly,
WCM Focused Small Cap Fund)

Investor Class Shares – WCMJX

Institutional Class Shares – WCMFX

WCM Mid Cap Quality Value Fund (formerly,
WCM Focused Mid Cap Fund)

Investor Class Shares – WMIDX

Institutional Class Shares – WCMAX

 

 

WCM Focused Emerging Markets ex China Fund

Investor Class SharesWCFEX

Institutional Class SharesWCMWX

 

PROSPECTUS

April 30, 2023

 

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

 

WCM Focused International Growth Fund

WCM Focused Emerging Markets Fund

WCM Focused Global Growth Fund

WCM International Small Cap Growth Fund

WCM Small Cap Growth Fund

WCM SMID Quality Value Fund

WCM China Quality Growth Fund

WCM Developing World Equity Fund

WCM International Equity Fund

WCM Focused International Value Fund

WCM Focused International Opportunities Fund

WCM Mid Cap Quality Value Fund

WCM Focused Emerging Markets ex China Fund

 

Each a series of Investment Managers Series Trust (the “Trust”)

Each of the funds described in this Prospectus is referred to as a “Fund” and together as the “Funds”

 

 

Table of Contents

 

SUMMARY SECTION - WCM Focused International Growth Fund 1
SUMMARY SECTION - WCM Focused Emerging Markets Fund 7
SUMMARY SECTION - WCM Focused Global Growth Fund 14
SUMMARY SECTION – WCM International Small Cap Growth Fund 20
SUMMARY SECTION – WCM Small Cap Growth Fund 27
SUMMARY SECTION – WCM SMID Quality Value Fund 32
SUMMARY SECTION – WCM China Quality Growth Fund 38
SUMMARY SECTION – WCM Developing World Equity Fund 46
SUMMARY SECTION – WCM International Equity Fund 53
SUMMARY SECTION – WCM Focused International Value Fund 60
SUMMARY SECTION – WCM Focused International Opportunities Fund 66
SUMMARY SECTION – WCM Mid Cap Quality Value Fund 74
SUMMARY SECTION – WCM Focused Emerging Markets ex China Fund 79
MORE ABOUT THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS 85
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS 108
DISTRIBUTION AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICE PLAN 122
YOUR ACCOUNT WITH THE FUNDS 123
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 134
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES 134
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 136
APPENDIX A – CERTAIN INFORMATION RELATED TO PURCHASE OF SHARES THROUGH CERTAIN BROKERAGE PLATFORMS 161
FOR MORE INFORMATION 163

This Prospectus sets forth basic information about the Funds that you should know before investing. It should be read and retained for future reference.

 

The date of this Prospectus is April 30, 2023.

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTION - WCM Focused International Growth Fund

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the WCM Focused International Growth Fund (the “Fund”) is long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

   

Investor

Class Shares

      Institutional Class Shares  
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases   None       None  
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)   None       None  
Wire fee   $20       $20  
Overnight check delivery fee   $25       $25  
Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fee)   $15       $15  
               
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management fees     0.85%       0.85%  
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fee     0.25%       None  
Other expenses     0.19%       0.19%  
Shareholder service fee 0.10%       0.10%      
All other expenses 0.09%       0.09%      
Total annual fund operating expenses     1.29%       1.04%  
                 

 

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:

 

  One Year Three Years Five Years Ten Years
Investor Class $131 $409 $708 $1,556
Institutional Class $106 $331 $574 $1,271

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period May 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 17% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

  1  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused International Growth Fund

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 75% of its net assets in equity securities of non-U.S. domiciled companies or depositary receipts of non-U.S. domiciled companies located in developed countries and in emerging and frontier market countries. Emerging and frontier countries or markets are those countries or markets with low- to middle-income economies as classified by the World Bank or included in any of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) emerging markets or frontier markets indices. The Fund’s advisor considers a company to be located in a country if the company has been organized under the laws of, has its principal offices in, or has its securities principally traded in, the country, or if the company derives at least 50% of its revenues or net profits from, or has at least 50% of its assets or production capacities in, the country.

 

The Fund’s investments in equity securities may include common stocks and depositary receipts. The Fund’s investments in depositary receipts may include American, European, Canadian and Global Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”, “EDRs”, “CDRs” and “GDRs”, respectively). ADRs are receipts that represent interests in foreign securities held on deposit by U.S. banks. EDRs and GDRs have the same qualities as ADRs, except that they may be traded in several international trading markets.

 

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

 

Although the Fund may invest in any size companies, it generally invests in large capitalization established multinational companies. The Fund’s advisor considers large capitalization companies to be those with market capitalization of $5 billion or greater at the time of investment. The Fund generally invests in securities of companies located in different regions and in at least three different countries. However, from time to time, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in the securities of companies in one or a few countries or regions. The Fund may make significant investments in certain sectors or group of sectors within a particular industry or industries from time to time.

 

Principal Risks of Investing

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  2  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused International Growth Fund

 

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

 

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

 

Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Growth funds generally focus on stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and when it appears that those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth securities typically fall.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  3  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused International Growth Fund

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2022, 25.0% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the health care sector. Performance of companies in the health care sector may be affected by, among other things, government regulation, industry innovation, and extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims.

 

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

 

Performance

 

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

 

Annual Total Return (before taxes) for Institutional Class Shares

 

For each calendar year at NAV

 

 

 

Year

The year-to-date return as of March 31, 2023, was 10.58%.

 

Institutional Shares
Highest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV 25.68% Quarter Ended 06/30/2020
Lowest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV (17.44)% Quarter Ended 06/30/2022

 

Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2022)
1 Year 5 Years

 

10 Years

Institutional Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (28.90)% 6.73% 8.91%
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions* (28.92)% 6.25% 8.57%
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares* (17.10)% 5.34% 7.35%
Investor Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (29.06)% 6.48% 8.66%
MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (16.00)% 0.88% 3.80%

 

  4  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused International Growth Fund

 

* After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After–tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Institutional Class Shares only and after-tax returns for classes other than Institutional Class will vary from returns shown for Institutional Class.

 

Investment Advisor

 

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

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The portfolio management team is comprised of Sanjay Ayer, CFA, Portfolio Manager, Paul R. Black, President and CEO, Michael B. Trigg, Portfolio Manager, and Jon Tringale, Portfolio Manager. Messrs. Black and Trigg have served as portfolio managers of the Fund since its inception on May 31, 2011. Mr. Ayer has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since June 30, 2020. Mr. Tringale has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since March 31, 2022. The members of the portfolio management team are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

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

 

  Investor Class Institutional Class
Minimum Investments To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account
Direct Regular Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Direct Retirement Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Automatic Investment Plan $100 $50 $5,000 $2,500
Gift Account For Minors $1,000 $500 $100,000 $5,000

 

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

 

Tax Information

 

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

 

  5  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused International Growth Fund

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

  6  

 

SUMMARY SECTION - WCM Focused Emerging Markets Fund

 

 

Investment Objective

 

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

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

     

Investor

Class Shares

      Institutional Class Shares  

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases     None       None  
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)     None       None  
Wire fee     $20       $20  
Overnight check delivery fee     $25       $25  
Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fee)     $15       $15  
                 

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

Management fees     1.00%       1.00%  
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fee     0.25%       None  
Other expenses     0.37%       0.37%  
Shareholder service fee 0.13%       0.13%      
All other expenses 0.24%       0.24%      
Total annual fund operating expenses     1.62%       1.37%  
Fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed1     (0.12%)       (0.12%)  
Total annual fund operating expenses after waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses1     1.50%       1.25%  
                 

 

1 The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with Form N-1A), professional fees related to services for the collection of foreign tax reclaims, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.50% and 1.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Investor Class and Institutional Class shares of the Fund, respectively. This agreement is in effect until April 30, 2024, and it may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Fund’s advisor is permitted to seek reimbursement from the Fund, subject to certain limitations, of fees waived or payments made to the Fund for a period ending three full fiscal years after the date of the waiver or payment. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement.

 

  7  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused Emerging Markets Fund

 

Example

 

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example reflects the Fund’s contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement only for the term of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.

 

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

 

  One Year Three Years Five Years Ten Years
Investor Class $153 $499 $870 $1,912
Institutional Class $127 $422 $739 $1,636

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period May 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 18% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

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

 

The Fund’s advisor expects the Fund to primarily invest in equity securities under normal circumstances. The Fund’s equity investments include common stock, common stock that is offered in initial public offerings (“IPOs”) and depositary receipts. The Fund’s investments in depositary receipts may include American, European, Canadian and Global Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”, “EDRs”, “CDRs” and “GDRs”, respectively).

 

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

 

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

 

  8  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused Emerging Markets Fund

 

Principal Risks of Investing

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Risks Associated with China. Investments in Chinese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to China. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of Chinese companies. For example, as of December 31, 2022, 27.6% of the Fund’s assets were invested in such securities. The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. A relatively small number of Chinese companies represent a large portion of China’s total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China’s political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. International trade tensions may arise from time to time which can result in trade tariffs, embargoes, trade limitations, trade wars and other negative consequences. These consequences may trigger a reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry with a potentially severe negative impact to the Fund. From time to time, China has experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses, and the country may be subject to other public health threats or similar issues in the future. Any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the Chinese economy.

 

  9  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused Emerging Markets Fund

 

Risks of Investing in A-Shares. The A-Share market is volatile with a risk of suspension of trading in a particular security or multiple securities or government intervention. Securities in the A-Share market may be suspended from trading without an indication of how long the suspension will last, which may impair the liquidity of such securities and may impact the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy. The Chinese securities markets are emerging markets characterized by relatively low trading volume, resulting in substantially less liquidity and greater price volatility. Liquidity risks may be more pronounced for the A-Share market than for Chinese securities markets generally because the A-Share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including trading suspensions. China A-Shares are only available to non-mainland China investors (i) through the QFII Programs or (ii) through Stock Connect.

 

A-Shares Tax Risk. The Fund’s investments in A-Shares will be subject to a number of taxes and tax regulations in China. The application of many of these tax regulations is at present uncertain. Moreover, the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years, including the value added tax reform, and may continue to amend or revise existing PRC tax laws in the future. Changes in applicable PRC tax law, particularly taxation on a retrospective basis, could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund directly or indirectly by reducing the after-tax profits of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. Uncertainties in the Chinese tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments in A-Shares could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The Fund’s investments in securities issued by Chinese companies, including A-Shares, may cause the Fund to become subject to withholding income tax and other taxes imposed by the PRC. The PRC taxation rules are evolving, may change, and new rules may be applied retroactively. Any such changes could have an adverse impact on Fund performance.

 

Risks of Investing through Stock Connect. Investing in A-Shares through Stock Connect is subject to trading, clearance, settlement and other procedures, which could pose risks to the Fund. Trading through Stock Connect is also subject to a daily quota (the “Daily Quota”), which limits the maximum net purchases under Stock Connect each day, and as such, buy orders for A-Shares would be rejected once the Daily Quota is exceeded (although the Fund will be permitted to sell A-Shares regardless of the Daily Quota balance). Thus, the Daily Quota may restrict the Fund’s ability to invest in A-Shares through Stock Connect on a timely basis and could affect the Fund’s ability to effectively pursue its investment strategy. Stock Connect will only operate on days when both the Chinese and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. Therefore, an investment in A-Shares through Stock Connect may subject the Fund to the risk of price fluctuations on days when the Chinese markets are open, but Stock Connect is not trading.

 

  10  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused Emerging Markets Fund

 

Risks of Investing in H-Shares. H-Shares are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and they must meet Hong Kong’s listing and disclosure requirements. In addition to the risks described herein, H-shares are subject to the risk that the Hong Kong stock market may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese stock market. There may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the mainland Chinese stock market.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2022, 27.4% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the information technology sector. Companies in the information technology sector can be significantly affected by intense competition, consumer preferences, problems with product compatibility and government regulation.

 

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

 

  11  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused Emerging Markets Fund

 

Performance

 

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

 

Annual Total Return (before taxes) for Institutional Class Shares

 

For each calendar year at NAV

 

 

 

Year

The year-to-date return as of March 31, 2023, was 3.26%.

 

Institutional Shares
Highest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV 27.34% Quarter Ended 06/30/2020
Lowest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV  (21.09)% Quarter Ended 03/31/2020

 

Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2022)
1 Year 5 Years Since Inception Inception Date
Institutional Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (30.69)% 2.24% 3.64% June 28, 2013
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions* (30.77)% 1.85% 3.38% June 28, 2013
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares* (18.12)% 1.73% 2.86% June 28, 2013
Investor Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (30.86)% 2.05% 3.49% June 28, 2013
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (20.09)% (1.40)% 2.59% June 28, 2013

 

* After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After–tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Institutional Class Shares only and after-tax returns for classes other than Institutional Class will vary from returns shown for Institutional Class.

 

  12  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused Emerging Markets Fund

 

Investment Advisor

 

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

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The portfolio management team is comprised of Sanjay Ayer, CFA, Portfolio Manager, Michael B. Trigg, Portfolio Manager, Gregory S. Ise, CFA, Portfolio Manager, and Mike Tian, CFA, Portfolio Manager. Messrs. Ayer and Trigg have served as portfolio managers of the Fund since its inception on June 28, 2013. Messrs. Ise and Tian have served as portfolio managers of the Fund since June 30, 2018. The members of the portfolio management team are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

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

 

  Investor Class Institutional Class
Minimum Investments To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account
Direct Regular Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Direct Retirement Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Automatic Investment Plan $100 $50 $5,000 $2,500
Gift Account For Minors $1,000 $500 $100,000 $5,000

 

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

 

Tax Information

 

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

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

  13  

 

SUMMARY SECTION - WCM Focused Global Growth Fund

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the WCM Focused Global Growth Fund (the “Fund”) is long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

    Investor Class Shares       Institutional Class Shares  

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases   None       None  
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)   None       None  
Wire fee     $20       $20  
Overnight check delivery fee     $25       $25  
Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fees)     $15       $15  
                 

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

Management fees     0.85%       0.85%  
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fee     0.25%       None  
Other expenses     0.34%       0.34%  
Shareholder service fee 0.10%       0.10%      
All other expenses 0.24%       0.24%      
Total annual fund operating expenses     1.44%       1.19%  
Fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed1     (0.14%)       (0.14%)  
Total annual fund operating expenses after waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses1   1.30%       1.05%  
               

 

1 The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses as determined in accordance with Form N-1A, professional fees related to services for the collection of foreign tax reclaims, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.30% and 1.05% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively. This agreement is in effect until April 30, 2024, and it may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Fund’s advisor is permitted to seek reimbursement from the Fund, subject to certain limitations, of fees waived or payments made to the Fund for a period ending three full fiscal years after the date of the waiver or payment. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement.

 

  14  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused Global Growth Fund

 

Example

 

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example reflects the Fund’s contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement only for the term of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.

 

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

 

  One Year Three Years Five Years Ten Years
Investor Class $132 $442 $774 $1,712
Institutional Class $107 $364 $641 $1,431

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period May 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 36% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of companies located throughout the world, including the United States. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 40% of its net assets in companies organized, headquartered or doing a substantial amount of business outside the United States including emerging and frontier market countries. Emerging and frontier countries or markets are those countries or markets with low- to middle-income economies as classified by the World Bank or included in any of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) emerging markets or frontier markets indices. The Fund’s advisor considers a company to be located in a country if the company has been organized under the laws of, has its principal offices in, or has its securities principally traded in, the country, or if the company derives at least 50% of its revenues or net profits from, or has at least 50% of its assets or production capacities in, the country. The Fund’s advisor considers a company that has at least 50% of its assets, or derives at least 50% of its revenues from business, outside the United States as doing a substantial amount of business outside the United States.

 

The Fund’s equity investments include common stock and depositary receipts. The Fund’s investments in depositary receipts may include American, European, Canadian and Global Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”, “EDRs”, “CDRs” and “GDRs”, respectively).

 

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

 

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

 

  15  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused Global Growth Fund

 

Principal Risks of Investing

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Growth funds generally focus on stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and when it appears that those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth securities typically fall.

 

  16  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused Global Growth Fund

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2022, 25.0% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the information technology sector. Companies in the information technology sector can be significantly affected by intense competition, consumer preferences, problems with product compatibility and government regulation.

 

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

 

  17  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused Global Growth Fund

 

Performance

 

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

 

Annual Total Return (before taxes) for Institutional Class Shares

 

For each calendar year at NAV

 

 

 

Year

The year-to-date return as of March 31, 2023, was 9.84%.

 

Institutional Shares
Highest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV 24.91% Quarter Ended 06/30/2020
Lowest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV (18.11)% Quarter Ended 06/30/2022

 

Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2022)
1 Year 5 Years Since Inception Inception Date
Institutional Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (30.57)% 7.58% 10.04% June 28, 2013
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions* (31.12)% 6.50% 8.91% June 28, 2013
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares* (17.69)% 6.09% 8.05% June 28, 2013
Investor Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (30.76)% 7.29% 9.79% June 28, 2013
MSCI ACWI Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (18.36)% 5.23% 7.74% June 28, 2013

 

* After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After–tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Institutional Class Shares only and after-tax returns for classes other than Institutional Class will vary from returns shown for Institutional Class.

 

  18  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Focused Global Growth Fund

 

Investment Advisor

 

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

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The portfolio management team is comprised of Sanjay Ayer, CFA, Portfolio Manager, Paul R. Black, President and CEO, Michael B. Trigg, Portfolio Manager, and Jon Tringale, Portfolio Manager. Messrs. Ayer, Black, and Trigg have served as portfolio managers of the Fund since its inception on June 28, 2013. Mr. Tringale has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since March 31, 2022. The members of the portfolio management team are jointly and primarily responsible of the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

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

 

  Investor Class Institutional Class
Minimum Investments To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account
Direct Regular Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Direct Retirement Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Automatic Investment Plan $100 $50 $5,000 $2,500
Gift Account For Minors $1,000 $500 $100,000 $5,000

 

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

 

Tax Information

 

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

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

  19  

 

SUMMARY SECTION – WCM International Small Cap Growth Fund

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the WCM International Small Cap Growth Fund (the “Fund”) is long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

     

Institutional

Class Shares

 

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases     None  
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)     None  
Wire fee     $20  
Overnight check delivery fee     $25  
Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fees)     $15  
         

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

Management fees      1.00%  
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fee     None  
Other expenses     0.48%  
Shareholder service fee 0.13%      
All other expenses 0.35%      
Total annual fund operating expenses      1.48%  
Fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed1     (0.23%)  
Total annual fund operating expenses after waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses1      1.25%  
         

 

1 The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with SEC Form N-1A), professional fees related to services for the collection of foreign tax reclaims, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.25% of the average daily net assets of the Institutional Class Shares of the Fund. This agreement is in effect until April 30, 2024, and it may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Fund’s advisor is permitted to seek reimbursement from the Fund, subject to certain limitations, of fees waived or payments made to the Fund for a period ending three full fiscal years after the date of the waiver or payment. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement.

 

  20  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM International Small Cap Growth Fund

 

Example

 

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example reflects the Fund’s contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement only for the term of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.

 

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

 

  One Year Three Years Five Years Ten Years
Institutional Class $127 $445 $786 $1,749

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period May 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 56% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities or depositary receipts of small capitalization companies domiciled outside of the United States, including in emerging and frontier market countries. Emerging and frontier countries or markets are those countries or markets with low- to middle-income economies as classified by the World Bank or included in any of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) emerging markets or frontier markets indices. The Fund’s advisor considers a company to be located in a country if the company has been organized under the laws of, has its principal offices in, or has its securities principally traded in, the country, or if the company derives at least 50% of its revenues or net profits from, or has at least 50% of its assets or production capacities in, the country. The Fund’s advisor considers small capitalization companies to be companies with market capitalizations within the range of those companies included in the MSCI ACWI Ex-US Small Cap Index at the time of purchase. Because small capitalization companies are defined by reference to an index, the range of market capitalization of companies in which the Fund invests may vary with market conditions. As of March 31, 2023, the market capitalizations of companies included in the MSCI ACWI Ex-US Small Cap Index were between $55.43 million and $7.73 billion. The Fund’s advisor will consider the market capitalization range by country. Investments in companies that move above or below the capitalization range of the MSCI ACWI Ex-US Small Cap Index may continue to be held by the Fund in the Fund’s advisor’s sole discretion.

 

The Fund’s investments in equity securities may include common stock, common stock that is offered in initial public offerings (“IPOs”), depositary receipts and China A-shares (“China A-Shares” or “A-Shares”). The Fund’s investments in depositary receipts may include American, European, Canadian and Global Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”, “EDRs”, “CDRs” and “GDRs”, respectively). ADRs and CDRs are receipts that represent interests in foreign securities held on deposit by U.S. and Canadian banks or trust companies, respectively. EDRs and GDRs have the same qualities as ADRs, although they may be traded in several international trading markets. China A-Shares are equity securities issued by companies located in the People’s Republic of China (“China” or the “PRC”) that are denominated and traded in Renminbi (“RMB”) on the Shanghai Stock Exchange or the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The Fund may invest in China A-Shares through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programs (collectively, “Stock Connect”), or through the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor and Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor systems (collectively, the “QFII Programs”). The Fund may also invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund may also use participatory notes (commonly known as “P-notes”) issued by foreign banks or brokers evidencing ownership of underlying stock issued by a foreign company. P-notes are used by foreign investors to access local markets and to gain exposure to, primarily, equity securities of issuers listed on a local exchange. For purposes of the Fund’s 80% policy described above, P-notes are classified according to their underlying or referenced security.

 

  21  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM International Small Cap Growth Fund

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests in the securities of companies located in different countries and in at least three different countries. However, from time to time, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in the securities of companies in one or a few countries or regions. The Fund may make significant investments in certain sectors or group of sectors from time to time. The Fund will be managed pursuant to a “focused” strategy, whereby the Fund’s advisor will typically invest the Fund’s assets in the equity securities of a small number of issuers.

 

The Fund’s advisor uses a bottom-up approach that seeks to identify companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in the rate of return on invested capital and assets. The advisor’s investment process seeks companies that are industry leaders with sustainable competitive advantages; corporate cultures emphasizing strong, quality and experienced management; low or no debt; and attractive relative valuations. In selecting securities, the Fund’s advisor also considers other factors including, among others, political risk, monetary policy risk, and regulatory risk specific to an issuer’s country of domicile.

 

Principal Risks of Investing

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Small-Cap Company Risk. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.

 

Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include ADRs, EDRs, CDRs and GDRs. Unsponsored depositary receipts involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends.

 

  22  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM International Small Cap Growth Fund

 

Risks Associated with China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

China: Investments in Chinese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to China. The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. A relatively small number of Chinese companies represent a large portion of China’s total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China’s political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. International trade tensions may arise from time to time which can result in trade tariffs, embargoes, trade limitations, trade wars and other negative consequences. These consequences may trigger a reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry with a potentially severe negative impact to the Fund. From time to time, China has experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses, and the country may be subject to other public health threats or similar issues in the future. Any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the Chinese economy.

 

Hong Kong: Investments in Hong Kong issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to Hong Kong. If China were to exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance and have an adverse effect on the Fund’s investments.

 

Taiwan: Investments in Taiwanese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to Taiwan. Taiwan’s geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions between the two countries, which could have an adverse impact on the values of investments in either China or Taiwan, or make investments in China and/or Taiwan impractical or impossible.

 

Risks of Investing in A-Shares. The A-Share market is volatile with a risk of suspension of trading in a particular security or multiple securities or government intervention. Securities in the A-Share market may be suspended from trading without an indication of how long the suspension will last, which may impair the liquidity of such securities and may impact the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy. The Chinese securities markets are emerging markets characterized by relatively low trading volume, resulting in substantially less liquidity and greater price volatility. Liquidity risks may be more pronounced for the A-Share market than for Chinese securities markets generally because the A-Share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including trading suspensions. China A-Shares are only available to non-mainland China investors (i) through the QFII Programs or (ii) through Stock Connect.

 

A-Shares Tax Risk. The Fund’s investments in A-Shares will be subject to a number of taxes and tax regulations in China. The application of many of these tax regulations is at present uncertain. Moreover, the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years, including the value added tax reform, and may continue to amend or revise existing PRC tax laws in the future. Changes in applicable PRC tax law, particularly taxation on a retrospective basis, could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund directly or indirectly by reducing the after-tax profits of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. Uncertainties in the Chinese tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments in A-Shares could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The Fund’s investments in securities issued by Chinese companies, including A-Shares, may cause the Fund to become subject to withholding income tax and other taxes imposed by the PRC. The PRC taxation rules are evolving, may change, and new rules may be applied retroactively. Any such changes could have an adverse impact on Fund performance.

 

  23  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM International Small Cap Growth Fund

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Risks of Investing through Stock Connect. Investing in A-Shares through Stock Connect is subject to trading, clearance, settlement and other procedures, which could pose risks to the Fund. Trading through Stock Connect is also subject to a daily quota (the “Daily Quota”), which limits the maximum net purchases under Stock Connect each day, and as such, buy orders for A-Shares would be rejected once the Daily Quota is exceeded (although the Fund will be permitted to sell A-Shares regardless of the Daily Quota balance). Thus, the Daily Quota may restrict the Fund’s ability to invest in A-Shares through Stock Connect on a timely basis and could affect the Fund’s ability to effectively pursue its investment strategy. Stock Connect will only operate on days when both the Chinese and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. Therefore, an investment in A-Shares through Stock Connect may subject the Fund to the risk of price fluctuations on days when the Chinese markets are open, but Stock Connect is not trading.

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2022, 37.5% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the information technology sector. Companies in the information technology sector can be significantly affected by intense competition, consumer preferences, problems with product compatibility and government regulation.

 

Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Growth funds generally focus on stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and when it appears that those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth securities typically fall.

 

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

 

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

 

  24  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM International Small Cap Growth Fund

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Performance

 

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

 

Annual Total Return (before taxes) for Institutional Class Shares

 

For each calendar year at NAV

 

 

 

Year

The year-to-date return as of March 31, 2023, was 8.61%.

 

Institutional Shares    
Highest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV 43.49% Quarter Ended 06/30/2020
Lowest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV (25.60)% Quarter Ended 06/30/2022

 

  25  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM International Small Cap Growth Fund

 

 Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2022)
1 Year 5 Years Since Inception Inception Date
Institutional Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (42.12)% 6.60% 10.11% November 30, 2015
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions* (42.12)% 5.60% 9.32% November 30, 2015
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares* (24.94)% 5.23% 8.20% November 30, 2015
MSCI ACWI ex USA Small Cap Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (19.97)% 0.67% 5.03% November 30, 2015

 

* After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After–tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

Investment Advisor

 

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

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Gregory S. Ise, CFA, Portfolio Manager, and Sanjay Ayer, CFA, Portfolio Manager, have been jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio since its inception on November 30, 2015.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

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

 

Minimum Investments To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account
Direct Regular Accounts $100,000 $5,000
Direct Retirement Accounts $100,000 $5,000
Automatic Investment Plan $5,000 $2,500
Gift Account For Minors $100,000 $5,000

 

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

 

Tax Information

 

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

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

  26  

 

SUMMARY SECTION – WCM Small Cap Growth Fund

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the WCM Small Cap Growth Fund (the “Fund”) is long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

   

Investor

Class Shares

      Institutional Class Shares  
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
             
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases   None       None  
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)   None       None  
Wire fee   $20       $20  
Overnight check delivery fee   $25       $25  
Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fee)   $15       $15  
               
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management fees     0.99%       0.99%  
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fee     0.25%       None  
Other expenses     0.95%       0.95%  
Shareholder service fee 0.12%       0.12%      
All other expenses 0.83%        0.83%      
Total annual fund operating expenses     2.19%       1.94%  
Fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed1     (0.95%)       (0.95%)  
Total annual fund operating expenses after waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses1     1.24%       0.99%  
                 

 

1 The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with SEC Form N-1A), expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.24% and 0.99% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively. This agreement is in effect until April 30, 2033, and it may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Fund’s advisor is permitted to seek reimbursement from the Fund, subject to certain limitations, of fees waived or payments made to the Fund for a period ending three full years after the date of the waiver or payment. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement.

 

  27  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Small Cap Growth Fund

 

Example

 

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example reflects the Fund’s contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement only for the term of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.

 

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

 

  One Year Three Years Five Years Ten Years
Investor Class $126 $393 $681 $1,500
Institutional Class $101 $315 $547 $1,213

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period May 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 45% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small capitalization companies. The Fund primarily invests in common stocks of U.S. companies. The Fund may also invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund’s advisor considers small capitalization companies to be companies with market capitalizations within the range of those companies included in the Russell 2000® Index at the time of purchase. Because small capitalization companies are defined by reference to an index, the range of market capitalization of companies in which the Fund invests may vary with market conditions. As of March 31, 2023, the market capitalizations of companies included in the Russell 2000® Index were between $5.54 million and $7.91 billion. Investments in companies that move above or below the capitalization range of the Russell 2000® Index may continue to be held by the Fund in the Fund advisor’s sole discretion.

 

The Fund’s advisor uses a bottom-up approach that seeks to identify companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in the rate of return on invested capital and assets. The advisor’s investment process seeks companies that are industry leaders with sustainable competitive advantages; corporate cultures emphasizing strong, quality and experienced management; little or no debt; attractive relative valuations; and potential for asset base growth. The Fund’s advisor employs a dynamic process to analyze corporate performance and valuation, which includes evaluating the current trajectory and outlook for each company held by the Fund, as well as the value the market is assigning to the cash flow the company can generate. In selecting securities, the Fund’s advisor also considers other factors including, among others, political risk, monetary policy risk, and regulatory risk.

 

Principal Risks of Investing

 

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

 

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

 

  28  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Small Cap Growth Fund

 

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

 

Small-Cap Company Risk. The securities of small capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2022, 26.9% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the information technology sector. Companies in the information technology sector can be significantly affected by intense competition, consumer preferences, problems with product compatibility and government regulation.

 

Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Growth funds generally focus on stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and when it appears that those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth securities typically fall.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Risk. The Fund’s investment in REITs will subject the Fund to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes and operating expenses.

 

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

 

  29  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Small Cap Growth Fund

 

Performance

 

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

 

Annual Total Return (before taxes) for Institutional Class Shares

 

For each calendar year at NAV

 

 

 

Year

The year-to-date return as of March 31, 2023, was 8.36%.

 

Institutional Shares    
Highest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV 33.85% Quarter Ended 06/30/2020
Lowest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV (25.65)% Quarter Ended 03/31/2020

 

Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2022)
1 Year Since Inception Inception Date
Institutional Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (23.26)% 5.21% October 30, 2019
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions* (23.30)% 4.21% October 30, 2019
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares* (13.75)% 3.93% October 30, 2019
Investor Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (23.47)% 4.95% October 30, 2019
Russell 2000 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (26.36)% 2.99% October 30, 2019

 

* After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After–tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

  30  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Small Cap Growth Fund

 

Investment Advisor

 

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

 

Portfolio Managers

 

John Rackers, Portfolio Manager, and Chad Hoffman, Portfolio Manager, have been jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio since its inception on October 30, 2019.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

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

 

  Investor Class Institutional Class
Minimum Investments To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account
Direct Regular Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Direct Retirement Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Automatic Investment Plan $100 $50 $5,000 $2,500
Gift Account For Minors $1,000 $500 $100,000 $5,000

 

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

 

Tax Information

 

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

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

  31  

 

SUMMARY SECTION – WCM SMID Quality Value Fund

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the WCM SMID Quality Value Fund (formerly, WCM Focused Small Cap Fund) (the “Fund”) is long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

   

Investor

Class Shares

      Institutional Class Shares  
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
             
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases   None       None  
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)   None       None  
Wire fee   $20       $20  
Overnight check delivery fee   $25       $25  
Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fee)   $15       $15  
               
Annual Fund Operating Expenses1
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
             
Management fees     0.85%       0.85%  
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fee     0.25%       None  
Other expenses     0.41%       0.41%  
Shareholder service fee 0.09%       0.09%      
All other expenses 0.32%       0.32%      
Total annual fund operating expenses     1.51%       1.26%  
Fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed2     (0.41%)       (0.41%)  
Total annual fund operating expenses after waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses1, 2     1.10%       0.85%  
                 

 

1 The expense information in the table has been restated to reflect the current management fees and expense cap, effective November 30, 2022.
2 The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with SEC Form N-1A), expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.10% and 0.85% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively. This agreement is in effect until April 30, 2033, and may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Fund’s advisor is permitted to seek reimbursement from the Fund, subject to certain limitations, of fees waived or payments made to the Fund for a period ending three full years after the date of the waiver or payment. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement.

 

  32  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM SMID Quality Value Fund

 

Example

 

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example reflects the Fund’s contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement only for the term of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.

 

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

 

  One Year Three Years Five Years Ten Years
Investor Class $112 $350 $606 $1,340
Institutional Class $87 $271 $471 $1,049

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period May 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 53% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies the Fund’s advisor believes to be undervalued. Value investing involves buying stocks that are out of favor and/or undervalued in comparison to their peers or their prospects for growth. The Fund primarily invests in common stocks of U.S. companies. The Fund may also invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund’s advisor considers small- and mid-capitalization companies to be companies with market capitalizations within the range of those companies included in the Russell 2500® Index at the time of purchase. Because small- and mid-capitalization companies are defined by reference to an index, the range of market capitalization of companies in which the Fund invests may vary with market conditions. As of March 31, 2023, the market capitalizations of companies included in the Russell 2500® Index were between $5.54 million and $24.00 billion. Investments in companies that move above or below the capitalization range of the Russell 2500® Index may continue to be held by the Fund in the Fund advisor’s sole discretion. The Fund will be managed pursuant to a “focused” strategy whereby the Fund’s investment advisor will typically invest the Fund’s assets in the equity securities of a small number of issuers. Generally, the Fund expects to hold the equity securities of approximately 45 or less issuers.

 

The Fund’s advisor uses a bottom-up approach that seeks to identify companies trading at discounts to their intrinsic value. The Fund’s advisor seeks to determine a company’s intrinsic value through disciplined financial analysis. The Fund’s advisor believes that equities purchased at prices below their intrinsic value may afford capital protection from permanent loss and may result in substantial appreciation if the market recognizes the company’s intrinsic value. The advisor’s investment process seeks companies that are industry leaders with sustainable competitive advantages; corporate cultures emphasizing strong, quality and experienced management; little or no debt; and attractive relative valuations. In selecting securities, the Fund’s advisor also considers other factors including, among others, political risk, monetary policy risk, and regulatory risk.

 

Principal Risks of Investing

 

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

 

  33  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM SMID Quality Value Fund

 

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

 

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

 

Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Company Risk. The securities of small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.

 

Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Risk. The Fund’s investment in REITs will subject the Fund to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes and operating expenses.

 

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

 

Value-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Value stocks are those that are believed to be undervalued in comparison to their peers due to adverse business developments or other factors.  Value investing is subject to the risk that the market will not recognize a security’s inherent value for a long time or at all, or that a stock judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced or overvalued. In addition, during some periods (which may be extensive) value stocks generally may be out of favor in the markets.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  34  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM SMID Quality Value Fund

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2022, 24.7% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the industrials sector. Performance of companies in the industrials sector may be affected by, among other things, supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general. Moreover, government regulation, world events, exchange rates and economic conditions, technological developments, fuel prices, labor agreements, insurance costs, and liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities will likewise affect the performance of these companies.

 

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

 

Performance

 

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year for Institutional Class Shares and by showing how the average annual total returns of the Fund compare with the average annual total returns of broad-based market indexes. Prior to November 30, 2022, the Fund was named the WCM Focused Small Cap Fund and invested primarily in equity securities of small capitalization companies the Fund’s advisor believes to be undervalued. Updated performance information is available at the Fund’s website www.wcminvestfunds.com, or by calling the Fund at 1-888-988-9801. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Annual Total Return (before taxes) for Institutional Class Shares

 

For each calendar year at NAV

 

 

Year

 

The year-to-date return as of March 31, 2023, was 8.65%.

 

Institutional Shares    
Highest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV 23.61% Quarter Ended 12/31/2020
Lowest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV  (33.81)% Quarter Ended 03/31/2020

 

  35  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM SMID Quality Value Fund

 

Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2022)
1 Year Since Inception Inception Date
Institutional Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (13.65)% 2.42% October 30, 2019
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions* (14.05)% 1.61% October 30, 2019
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares* (7.85)% 1.70% October 30, 2019
Investor Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (13.91)% 2.12% October 30, 2019
Russell 2500® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)** (13.08)% 6.50% October 30, 2019
Russell 2000® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (14.48)% 12.09% October 30, 2019

 

* After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After–tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
** Effective November 30, 2022, the Fund changed its primary performance benchmark from the Russell 2000® Value Index to the Russell 2500® Value Index. WCM Investment Management, LLC, the Fund’s advisor, believes the Russell 2500® Value Index represents a better benchmark with which to compare performance of the Fund in light of the Fund’s investment strategy change as of November 30, 2022.

 

Investment Advisor

 

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

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Jon Detter, Portfolio Manager, Pat McGee, Portfolio Manager, and Anthony Glickhouse, Portfolio Manager, have been jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio since its inception on October 30, 2019.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

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

 

  Investor Class Institutional Class
Minimum Investments To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account
Direct Regular Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Direct Retirement Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Automatic Investment Plan $100 $50 $5,000 $2,500
Gift Account For Minors $1,000 $500 $100,000 $5,000

 

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

 

  36  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM SMID Quality Value Fund

 

Tax Information

 

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

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

  37  

 

SUMMARY SECTION – WCM China Quality Growth Fund

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the WCM China Quality Growth Fund (the “Fund”) is long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

   

Investor

Class Shares

      Institutional Class Shares  
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
             
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases   None       None  
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)   None       None  
Wire fee   $20       $20  
Overnight check delivery fee   $25       $25  
Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fee)   $15       $15  
               
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
             
Management fees     1.00%       1.00%  
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fee     0.25%       None  
Other expenses     3.27%       3.27%  
Shareholder service fee 0.15%       0.15%      
All other expenses 3.12%       3.12%      
Total annual fund operating expenses     4.52%       4.27%  
Fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed1     (3.02%)       (3.02%)  
Total annual fund operating expenses after waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses1     1.50%       1.25%  
                 

 

1 The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with SEC Form N-1A), professional fees related to services for the collection of foreign tax reclaims, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.50% and 1.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively. This agreement is in effect until April 30, 2033, and it may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Fund’s advisor is permitted to seek reimbursement from the Fund, subject to certain limitations, of fees waived or payments made to the Fund for a period ending three full years after the date of the waiver or payment. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement.

 

  38  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM China Quality Growth Fund

 

Example

 

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example reflects the Fund’s contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement only for the term of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.

 

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

 

  One Year Three Years Five Years Ten Years
Investor Class $153 $474 $818 $1,791
Institutional Class $127 $397 $686 $1,511

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period May 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 26% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in equity securities of Chinese companies. The Fund’s advisor considers a company to be a Chinese company if it has been organized under the laws of, has its principal offices in, or has its securities principally traded in, China, or if the company derives at least 50% of its revenues or net profits from, or has at least 50% of its assets or production capacities in, China. For purposes of the Fund’s investments, China also includes its special administrative regions and other districts, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan.

 

The Fund’s investments in equity securities may include common stock, including A-Shares, H-Shares, and depositary receipts. The Fund’s investments in depositary receipts may include American, European, Canadian and Global Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”, “EDRs”, “CDRs” and “GDRs”, respectively). ADRs and CDRs are receipts that represent interests in foreign securities held on deposit by U.S. and Canadian banks or trust companies, respectively. EDRs and GDRs have the same qualities as ADRs, although they may be traded in several international trading markets. The Fund may invest in China A-Shares through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programs (collectively, “Stock Connect”), or through the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor and Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor systems (collectively, the “QFII Programs”). The Fund may also use participation certificates issued by foreign banks or brokers evidencing ownership of underlying stock issued by a foreign company. Participation certificates are used by foreign investors to access local markets and to gain exposure to, primarily, equity securities of issuers listed on a local exchange.

 

The Fund’s advisor uses a bottom-up approach that seeks to identify companies believed to be quality companies and have above-average potential for growth in assets and the rate of return on invested capital. The Fund’s advisor considers quality growth companies to: (i) have a history of predictable and consistent earnings growth; (ii) have regular, growing dividend payments; (iii) be industry leaders with sustainable competitive advantages; (iv) have corporate cultures emphasizing strong, quality and experienced management; (v) have little or no debt; (vi) have attractive relative valuations; and (vii) have potential for asset base growth. In selecting securities, the Fund’s advisor also considers other factors including, among others, political risk, monetary policy risk, and regulatory risk. The Fund will generally hold the equity securities of approximately 30 to 50 issuers, and the Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization. The Fund generally invests in companies in any sector, however, from time to time the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies in one or more sectors.

 

  39  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM China Quality Growth Fund

 

The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), which means that it may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than “diversified” funds.

 

Principal Risks of Investing

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Risks Associated with China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

China: Investments in Chinese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to China. The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. A relatively small number of Chinese companies represent a large portion of China’s total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China’s political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. International trade tensions may arise from time to time which can result in trade tariffs, embargoes, trade limitations, trade wars and other negative consequences. These consequences may trigger a reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry with a potentially severe negative impact to the Fund. From time to time, China has experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses, and the country may be subject to other public health threats or similar issues in the future. Any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the Chinese economy.

 

  40  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM China Quality Growth Fund

 

Hong Kong: Investments in Hong Kong issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to Hong Kong. If China were to exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance and have an adverse effect on the Fund’s investments.

 

Taiwan: Investments in Taiwanese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to Taiwan. Taiwan’s geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions between the two countries, which could have an adverse impact on the values of investments in either China or Taiwan, or make investments in China and/or Taiwan impractical or impossible.

 

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

 

Risks of Investing in A-Shares. The A-Share market is volatile with a risk of suspension of trading in a particular security or multiple securities or government intervention. Securities in the A-Share market may be suspended from trading without an indication of how long the suspension will last, which may impair the liquidity of such securities and may impact the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy. The Chinese securities markets are emerging markets characterized by relatively low trading volume, resulting in substantially less liquidity and greater price volatility. Liquidity risks may be more pronounced for the A-Share market than for Chinese securities markets generally because the A-Share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including trading suspensions. China A-Shares are only available to non-mainland China investors (i) through the QFII Programs or (ii) through Stock Connect.

 

A-Shares Tax Risk. The Fund’s investments in A-Shares will be subject to a number of taxes and tax regulations in China. The application of many of these tax regulations is at present uncertain. Moreover, the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years, including the value added tax reform, and may continue to amend or revise existing PRC tax laws in the future. Changes in applicable PRC tax law, particularly taxation on a retrospective basis, could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund directly or indirectly by reducing the after-tax profits of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. Uncertainties in the Chinese tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments in A-Shares could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The Fund’s investments in securities issued by Chinese companies, including A-Shares, may cause the Fund to become subject to withholding income tax and other taxes imposed by the PRC. The PRC taxation rules are evolving, may change, and new rules may be applied retroactively. Any such changes could have an adverse impact on Fund performance.

 

Risks of Investing through Stock Connect. Investing in A-Shares through Stock Connect is subject to trading, clearance, settlement and other procedures, which could pose risks to the Fund. Trading through Stock Connect is also subject to a daily quota (the “Daily Quota”), which limits the maximum net purchases under Stock Connect each day, and as such, buy orders for A-Shares would be rejected once the Daily Quota is exceeded (although the Fund will be permitted to sell A-Shares regardless of the Daily Quota balance). Thus, the Daily Quota may restrict the Fund’s ability to invest in A-Shares through Stock Connect on a timely basis and could affect the Fund’s ability to effectively pursue its investment strategy. Stock Connect will only operate on days when both the Chinese and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. Therefore, an investment in A-Shares through Stock Connect may subject the Fund to the risk of price fluctuations on days when the Chinese markets are open, but Stock Connect is not trading.

 

  41  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM China Quality Growth Fund

 

Risks of Investing in H-Shares. H-Shares are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and they must meet Hong Kong’s listing and disclosure requirements. In addition to the risks described herein, H-shares are subject to the risk that the Hong Kong stock market may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese stock market. There may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the mainland Chinese stock market.

 

Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Growth funds generally focus on stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and when it appears that those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth securities typically fall.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Participation Certificates Risk.  Participation certificates represent interests in securities listed on certain foreign exchanges, and thus present similar risks to investing directly in such securities. The risks of investing in participation certificates includes foreign investment risk. Participation certificates also expose investors to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the entity issuing the note may not be able to honor its financial commitments. The purchaser of a participation certificate must rely on the credit worthiness of the bank or broker who issues the participation certificate, and these notes do not have the same rights as a shareholder of the underlying foreign security.

 

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

 

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

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors.

 

  42  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM China Quality Growth Fund

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified,” which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.

 

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

 

Performance

 

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

 

Annual Total Return (before taxes) for Institutional Class Shares

 

For each calendar year at NAV

 

 

 

 

The year-to-date return as of March 31, 2023, was 1.77%.

 

Institutional Shares    
Highest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV 16.53% Quarter Ended 12/31/2022
Lowest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV (21.14)% Quarter Ended 03/31/2022

 

  43  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM China Quality Growth Fund

 

Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2022)
1 Year Since Inception Inception Date
Institutional Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (26.62)% 8.63% March 31, 2020
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions* (26.71)% 7.14% March 31, 2020
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares* (15.75)% 6.38% March 31, 2020
Investor Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (26.79)% 8.38% March 31, 2020
MSCI China All Shares Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (23.61)% (0.55)% March 31, 2020

 

* After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After–tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

Investment Advisor

 

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

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The portfolio management team is comprised of Michael Tian, CFA, Portfolio Manager, and Yan Gao, Portfolio Manager. Mr. Tian has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception on March 31, 2020. Ms. Gao has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since December 31, 2022. The members of the portfolio management team are jointly and primarily responsible of the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

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

 

  Investor Class Institutional Class
Minimum Investments To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account
Direct Regular Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Direct Retirement Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Automatic Investment Plan $100 $50 $5,000 $2,500
Gift Account For Minors $1,000 $500 $100,000 $5,000

 

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

 

Tax Information

 

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

 

  44  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM China Quality Growth Fund

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

  45  

 

SUMMARY SECTION – WCM Developing World Equity Fund

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the WCM Developing World Equity Fund (the “Fund”) is long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

   

Investor

Class
Shares

      Institutional Class
Shares
 
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
             
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases   None       None  
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)   None       None  
Wire fee   $20       $20  
Overnight check delivery fee   $25       $25  
Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fee)   $15       $15  
               
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
             
Management fees      1.00%       1.00%  
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fee      0.25%       None  
Other expenses     12.75%       12.75%  
Shareholder service fee   0.12%        0.12%      
All other expenses 12.63%       12.63%      
Total annual fund operating expenses     14.00%       13.75%  
Fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed1     (12.50%)       (12.50%)  
Total annual fund operating expenses after waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses1     1.50%       1.25%  
                 

 

1 The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with SEC Form N-1A), professional fees related to services for the collection of foreign tax reclaims, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.50% and 1.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively. This agreement is in effect until April 30, 2033, and may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Fund’s advisor is permitted to seek reimbursement from the Fund, subject to certain limitations, of fees waived or payments made to the Fund for a period ending three full years after the date of the waiver or payment. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement.

 

  46  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Developing World Equity Fund

 

Example

 

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example reflects the Fund’s contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement only for the term of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.

 

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

 

  One Year Three Years Five Years Ten Years
Investor Class $153 $474 $818 $1,791
Institutional Class $127 $397 $686 $1,511

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period May 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 30% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies located in developing countries. In determining whether a country is a developing country, the Fund’s investment advisor will consider, among other things, whether the country is generally considered to be a developing country by the international financial community; the country’s per capita gross domestic product; the percentage of the country’s economy that is industrialized; market capital as a percentage of the country’s gross domestic product; and the overall regulatory environment of the country, including the presence of governmental regulation limiting or banning foreign ownership and restrictions on repatriation of initial capital, dividends, interest and/or capital gains. For example, the investment advisor expects that most countries classified by the World Bank as having low- to middle-income economies, or that are included in any of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) emerging markets or frontier markets indices, will be treated as developing countries. The Fund’s advisor considers a company to be located in a country if the company has been organized under the laws of, has its principal offices in, or has its securities principally traded in, the country, or if the company derives at least 50% of its revenues or net profits from, or has at least 50% of its assets or production capacities in, the country.

 

The Fund’s investments in equity securities may include common stock and depositary receipts. The Fund’s investments in depositary receipts may include American, European, Canadian and Global Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”, “EDRs”, “CDRs” and “GDRs”, respectively). ADRs and CDRs are receipts that represent interests in foreign securities held on deposit by U.S. and Canadian banks or trust companies, respectively. EDRs and GDRs have the same qualities as ADRs, although they may be traded in several international trading markets. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests in the securities of companies located in at least three different countries outside of the United States, and the Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies located in one or a few developing countries or regions.

 

  47  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Developing World Equity Fund

 

The advisor’s investment process begins with bottom-up, fundamental research, which involves examining and ranking companies based on the following factors: (i) the company’s corporate performance; (ii) the company’s competitive position; (iii) the company’s potential future growth; and (iv) the company’s intrinsic value. The advisor’s fundamental research also involves an analysis of a company’s environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) characteristics. The Fund’s advisor utilizes a proprietary, qualitative analysis in screening companies for the Fund’s portfolio that satisfy its ESG criteria. Industry-specific, material ESG value drivers are identified for each company based on the internally derived criteria as well as from information sourced from corporate disclosures, specialized datasets and other publicly filed information. The advisor’s strategy is focused on identification and analysis of material ESG drivers, which are the most relevant and financially important ESG aspects of the company’s business model. In the advisor’s view, these ESG drivers can have a significant short- or long-term impact on the company’s financial performance and the sustainability of that performance. The advisor’s methodology determines what it believes the impact each of the drivers has on the metrics such as revenue, profits, cash flow, returns and risks. These drivers serve as a tool to identify companies’ with improving ESG characteristics (i.e., the company’s “ESG Trajectory”). The advisor’s approach is also informed by industry-based standards for material ESG factors established by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board. In addition, the Fund’s advisor will review company financial filings, proxy disclosures, corporate sustainability reports, Carbon Disclosure Project scores, government databases, Bloomberg ESG analytics, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”) reports and engage with company management as part of its screening process. The advisor’s environmental assessment includes identifying companies that provide products or services that are tied to an environmental competitive advantage as compared to their peers. For example, the Fund may invest in companies offering products or services with superior energy efficiency, better management of energy, water and waste resources, or offer solutions to emissions regulations.  Social assessment includes identifying companies that promote societal benefits or address societal challenges. For example, the Fund may invest in companies with good diversity practices, lower employee turnover, and solid employee safety track-records.  Governance assessment includes a focus on shareholder rights, senior management compensation, board structure, and audit/accounting risk. Based on the advisor’s deeper qualitative ESG assessment, the Fund’s advisor selects companies that demonstrate a strong or improving ESG Trajectory and generally excludes companies with weak ESG performance. The Fund’s ESG screening process is designed to exclude companies that are involved in and derive significant revenue from certain industries or product lines, including:

 

· tobacco,
· gambling,
· civil firearms (i.e., those firearms typically available for consumer use in the United States),
· controversial weapons (e.g., land mines), and
· pornography.

 

The Fund’s ESG screening process does not exclude traditional defense contractors nor does it exclude all alcohol. The Fund’s advisor does not utilize third-party ESG rankings or a scoring mechanism in the Fund’s portfolio construction process. 

 

The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), which means that it may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than “diversified”.

 

Principal Risks of Investing

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  48  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Developing World Equity Fund

 

Risks Associated with China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

China: Investments in Chinese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to China. The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. A relatively small number of Chinese companies represent a large portion of China’s total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China’s political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. International trade tensions may arise from time to time which can result in trade tariffs, embargoes, trade limitations, trade wars and other negative consequences. These consequences may trigger a reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry with a potentially severe negative impact to the Fund. From time to time, China has experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses, and the country may be subject to other public health threats or similar issues in the future. Any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the Chinese economy.

 

Hong Kong: Investments in Hong Kong issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to Hong Kong. If China were to exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance and have an adverse effect on the Fund’s investments.

 

Taiwan: Investments in Taiwanese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to Taiwan. Taiwan’s geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions between the two countries, which could have an adverse impact on the values of investments in either China or Taiwan, or make investments in China and/or Taiwan impractical or impossible.

 

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

 

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

 

ESG Criteria Risk. While the Fund’s advisor believes that the integration of ESG analysis as part of the investment process contributes to its risk management approach, the Fund’s consideration of ESG criteria in making its investment decisions may affect the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with certain issuers, industries and sectors, which may impact the Fund’s investment performance. In addition, because the Fund’s ESG criteria exclude securities of certain issuers, the Fund may forgo some market opportunities available to funds that do not use these criteria. There are significant differences in interpretations of what it means for a company to have positive ESG characteristics. Furthermore, ESG information from third-party data providers may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable which could cause the Fund’s advisor to incorrectly assess a company’s ESG characteristics.

 

  49  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Developing World Equity Fund

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2022, 25.5% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the financial sector. The performance of companies in the financial sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others: government regulations of, or related to, the sector; governmental monetary and fiscal policies; economic, business or political conditions; credit rating downgrades; changes in interest rates; price competition; and decreased liquidity in credit markets.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified,” which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.

 

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

 

  50  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Developing World Equity Fund

 

Performance

 

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

 

Annual Total Return (before taxes) for Institutional Class Shares

 

For each calendar year at NAV

 

 

Year

 

The year-to-date return as of March 31, 2023, was 5.58%.

 

Institutional Shares    
Highest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV 15.29% Quarter Ended 12/31/2022
Lowest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV (13.48)% Quarter Ended 06/30/2022

 

Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2022)
1 Year Since Inception Inception Date
Institutional Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (13.61)% 10.44% March 31, 2020
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions* (13.87)% 9.48% March 31, 2020
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares* (7.87)% 7.92% March 31, 2020
Investor Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (13.82)% 10.16% March 31, 2020
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (20.09)% 7.04% March 31, 2020

 

* After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After–tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

  51  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM Developing World Equity Fund

 

Investment Advisor

 

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

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The portfolio management team is comprised of Pablo Echavarria, Portfolio Manager, Rolf Kelly, Portfolio Manager, and Rob Quirk, Portfolio Manager. Messrs. Echevarria and Kelly have served as portfolio managers of the Fund since its inception on March 31, 2020. Mr. Quirk has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since June 30, 2021. The members of the portfolio management team are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

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

 

  Investor Class Institutional Class
Minimum Investments To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account
Direct Regular Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Direct Retirement Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000
Automatic Investment Plan $100 $50 $5,000 $2,500
Gift Account For Minors $1,000 $500 $100,000 $5,000

 

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

 

Tax Information

 

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

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

  52  

 

SUMMARY SECTION – WCM International Equity Fund

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the WCM International Equity Fund (the “Fund”) is long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

   

Investor

Class
Shares

      Institutional Class
Shares
 
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
             
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases   None       None  
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)   None       None  
Wire fee   $20       $20  
Overnight check delivery fee   $25       $25  
Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fee)   $15       $15  
               
Annual Fund Operating Expenses1
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
             
Management fees     0.85%       0.85%  
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fee     0.25%       None  
Other expenses     1.88%       1.88%  
Shareholder service fee 0.10%       0.10%      
All other expenses 1.78%       1.78%      
Total annual fund operating expenses     2.98%       2.73%  
Fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed2     (1.63%)       (1.63%)  
Total annual fund operating expenses after waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses2     1.35%       1.10%  
                 

 

1 The expense information in the table has been restated to reflect the current expense cap, effective December 31, 2022.
2 The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with SEC Form N-1A), professional fees related to services for the collection of foreign tax reclaims, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.35% and 1.10% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively. This agreement is in effect until April 30, 2033, and may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Fund’s advisor is permitted to seek reimbursement from the Fund, subject to certain limitations, of fees waived or payments made to the Fund for a period ending three full years after the date of the waiver or payment. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement.

 

  53  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM International Equity Fund

 

Example

 

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example reflects the Fund’s contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement only for the term of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.

 

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

 

  One Year Three Years Five Years Ten Years
Investor Class $137 $428 $739 $1,624
Institutional Class $112 $350 $606 $1,340

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period May 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

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

 

The Fund’s investments in equity securities may include common stock and depositary receipts. The Fund’s investments in depositary receipts may include American, European, Canadian and Global Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”, “EDRs”, “CDRs” and “GDRs”, respectively). ADRs and CDRs are receipts that represent interests in foreign securities held on deposit by U.S. and Canadian banks or trust companies, respectively. EDRs and GDRs have the same qualities as ADRs, although they may be traded in several international trading markets. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests in the securities of companies domiciled in at least three different countries outside of the United States, and the Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies domiciled in one or a few countries or regions.

 

The advisor’s investment process begins with bottom-up, fundamental research, which involves examining and ranking companies based on the following factors: (i) the company’s corporate performance; (ii) the company’s competitive position; (iii) the company’s potential future growth; and (iv) the company’s intrinsic value. The advisor’s fundamental research also involves an analysis of a company’s environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) characteristics. The Fund’s advisor utilizes a proprietary, qualitative analysis in screening companies for the Fund’s portfolio that satisfy its ESG criteria. Industry-specific, material ESG value drivers are identified for each company based on the internally derived criteria as well as from information sourced from corporate disclosures, specialized datasets and other publicly filed information. The advisor’s strategy is focused on identification and analysis of material ESG drivers, which are the most relevant and financially important ESG aspects of the company’s business model. In the advisor’s view, these ESG drivers can have a significant short- or long-term impact on the company’s financial performance and the sustainability of that performance. The advisor’s methodology determines what it believes the impact each of the drivers has on the metrics such as revenue, profits, cash flow, returns and risks. These drivers serve as a tool to identify companies’ with improving ESG characteristics (i.e., the company’s “ESG Trajectory”). The advisor’s approach is also informed by industry-based standards for material ESG factors established by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board. In addition, the Fund’s advisor will review company financial filings, proxy disclosures, corporate sustainability reports, Carbon Disclosure Project scores, government databases, Bloomberg ESG analytics, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”) reports and engage with company management as part of its screening process. The advisor’s environmental assessment includes identifying companies that provide products or services that are tied to an environmental competitive advantage as compared to their peers. For example, the Fund may invest in companies offering products or services with superior energy efficiency, better management of energy, water and waste resources, or offer solutions to emissions regulations.  Social assessment includes identifying companies that promote societal benefits or address societal challenges. For example, the Fund may invest in companies with good diversity practices, lower employee turnover, and solid employee safety track-records.  Governance assessment includes a focus on shareholder rights, senior management compensation, board structure, and audit/accounting risk. Based on the advisor’s deeper qualitative ESG assessment, the Fund’s advisor selects companies that demonstrate a strong or improving ESG Trajectory and generally excludes companies with weak ESG performance. The Fund’s ESG screening process is designed to exclude companies that are involved in and derive significant revenue from certain industries or product lines, including:

 

· tobacco,
· gambling,
· civil firearms (i.e., those firearms typically available for consumer use in the United States),
· controversial weapons (e.g., land mines), and
· pornography.

 

The Fund’s ESG screening process does not exclude traditional defense contractors nor does it exclude all alcohol. The Fund's advisor does not utilize third-party ESG rankings or a scoring mechanism in the Fund's portfolio construction process.

 

  54  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM International Equity Fund

 

Principal Risks of Investing

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  55  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM International Equity Fund

 

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

 

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

 

ESG Criteria Risk. While the Fund’s advisor believes that the integration of ESG analysis as part of the investment process contributes to its risk management approach, the Fund’s consideration of ESG criteria in making its investment decisions may affect the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with certain issuers, industries and sectors, which may impact the Fund’s investment performance. In addition, because the Fund’s ESG criteria exclude securities of certain issuers, the Fund may forgo some market opportunities available to funds that do not use these criteria. There are significant differences in interpretations of what it means for a company to have positive ESG characteristics. Furthermore, ESG information from third-party data providers may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable, which could cause the Fund’s advisor to incorrectly assess a company’s ESG characteristics.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  56  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM International Equity Fund

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2022, 24.1% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the financial sector. The performance of companies in the financial sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others: government regulations of, or related to, the sector; governmental monetary and fiscal policies; economic, business or political conditions; credit rating downgrades; changes in interest rates; price competition; and decreased liquidity in credit markets.

 

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

 

Performance

 

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

 

Annual Total Return (before taxes) for Institutional Class Shares

 

For each calendar year at NAV

 

 

Year

 

The year-to-date return as of March 31, 2023, was 5.96%.

 

Institutional Shares    
Highest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV 16.25% Quarter Ended 12/31/2022
Lowest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV (13.96)% Quarter Ended 06/30/2022

 

  57  

 

SUMMARY SECTION             WCM International Equity Fund

 

Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2022)

 

1 Year

Since Inception

 

Inception Date

Institutional Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (13.25)% 12.67% March 31, 2020
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions* (13.26)% 12.11% March 31, 2020
Institutional Class Shares — Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares* (7.84)% 9.80% March 31, 2020
Investor Class Shares — Return Before Taxes (13.48)% 12.37% March 31, 2020
MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (16.00)% 10.23% March 31, 2020

 

* After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After–tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

Investment Advisor

 

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

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The portfolio management team is comprised of Pablo Echavarria, Portfolio Manager, Rolf Kelly, Portfolio Manager, and Rob Quirk, Portfolio Manager. Messrs. Echevarria and Kelly have served as portfolio managers of the Fund since its inception on March 31, 2020. Mr. Quirk has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since June 30, 2021. The members of the portfolio management team are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

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

 

  Investor Class Institutional Class
Minimum Investments To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account To Open Your Account To Add to Your Account
Direct Regular Accounts $1,000 $100 $100,000 $5,000