The Fund views common stock ownership as an investment in a business, and therefore invests for the long term. The Fund seeks to invest in securities when it believes valuations are modest relative to earnings, cash flow or asset values. The Fund invests principally in common stock of large capitalization domestic companies characterized by operating profitability, conservative financial structures, sustainable dividend policies and shareholder-oriented management. Investments are held as long as the issuers’ fundamentals remain intact, and the Fund believes issuers’ shares are reasonably valued.

Consistency of profitability is a cornerstone of the strategy, with strong operating cash flow and free cash flow per share essential metrics for funding and growing dividends without jeopardizing business health or growth needs. The Fund reviews company balance sheets (total debt, term structure, debt issuance and retirement) for industry appropriate debt levels, and operating cash flow relative to debt service requirements. Monitoring share count and management’s use of share buybacks, alongside dividends, can be an indicator of a commitment to returning capital to shareholders when excess cash is available and internal investment opportunities are limited. These factors help the Fund identify high-quality companies that are financially sound, managed in a way that supports long-term, stable cash returns for investors and offer a higher probability of positive risk-adjusted returns.

The Fund pursues its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities, such as common stocks, preferred stocks, and convertible preferred stocks. This 80% investment policy is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders. The Fund will exclude deep out-of-the-money convertible securities from the 80% investment policy.

The Fund usually holds between 20-25 stocks, with positions in individual issuers generally ranging between 3% and 5% of the Fund’s assets. Generally, positions in individual issuers will not exceed 6% of Fund assets. The Fund will not concentrate its investments in any industries, but the Fund may, at certain times and depending on market conditions and other factors, have concentrations in one or more sectors. The Fund currently expects to invest a significant portion of its assets in the Financial sector. The Fund will also invest in U.S. Treasury securities and other cash equivalents.