11/05/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/05/2024 16:02
Catalyst/CIFC Senior Secured Income Fund
(formerly, Catalyst/CIFC Floating Rate Income Fund)
Class A: CFRAX Class C: CFRCX Class C-1: CFRFX Class I: CFRIX
summary PROSPECTUS
NOVEMBER 1, 2024
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's complete prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund's prospectus and other information about the Fund at https://catalystmf.com/literature-and-forms/. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-866-447-4228, emailing [email protected] or by asking any financial intermediary that offers shares of the Fund. The Fund's prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated November 1, 2024 are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus and may be obtained, free of charge, at the website or phone number noted above.
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FUND SUMMARY: CATALYST/CIFC SENIOR SECURED INCOME FUND (formerly Catalyst/CIFC Floating Rating Income Fund)
Investment Objective: The Fund's objective is current income.
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. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and is included in the section of the Fund's prospectus entitled How to Buy Shares on page 100 and Appendix A - Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers, and in the sections of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information entitled Reduction of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares on page 61 and Waivers of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares on page 62.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class C-1 |
Class I |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price) |
4.75% | None | None | None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price) |
1.00%1 | None | 1.00%2 | None |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions |
None | None | None | None |
Redemption Fee | None | None | None | None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
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Management Fees | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 1.00% | 1.00% | 0.00% |
Other Expenses | 0.23% | 0.23% | 0.23% | 0.23% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses3 | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 1.50% | 2.25% | 2.25% | 1.25% |
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement4 | (0.33)% | (0.33)% | (0.33)% | (0.33)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement4 | 1.17% | 1.92% | 1.92% | 0.92% |
1 The 1.00% maximum deferred sales charge may be assessed in the case of investments at or above the $1 million breakpoint (where you do not pay an initial sales charge) on shares redeemed within two years of purchase.
2. The 1.00% maximum deferred sales charge on Class C-1 shares applies to shares sold within 12 months of purchase.
3 Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The total annual fund operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.
4. The Fund's investment advisor, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC (the "Advisor"), has contractually agreed to waive management fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund to the extent necessary to limit total annual fund operating expenses (excluding brokerage costs; borrowing costs such as (a) interest and (b) dividends on securities sold short; taxes; underlying fund expenses; and extraordinary expenses, such as regulatory inquiry and litigation expenses) at 1.15%, 1.90%, 1.90% and 0.90% for Class A shares, Class C shares, Class C-1 shares and Class I shares, respectively, through October 31, 2025. This agreement may be terminated by the Trust's Board of Trustees only on 60 days' written notice to the Advisor, by the Advisor with the consent of the Board of Trustees, or upon the termination of the investment advisory agreement between the Trust and the Advisor. Fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment by the Advisor from the Fund in future years on a rolling three-year basis (within the three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed) so long as such recoupment does not cause the
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Fund's expense ratio (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed the lesser of: (i) the Fund's expense limitation at the time such expenses were waived and (ii) the Fund's current expense limitation at the time of recoupment.
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 only accounts for the Fund's expense limitation in place through its expiration period, October 31, 2025, and then depicts the Fund's total annual expenses thereafter. 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:
YEAR | Class A | Class C |
Class C-1 (with redemption) |
Class C-1 (no redemption) |
Class I |
1 | $589 | $195 | $295 | $195 | $94 |
3 | $896 | $672 | $672 | $672 | $364 |
5 | $1,225 | $1,175 | $1,175 | $1,175 | $655 |
10 | $2,154 | $2,559 | $2,559 | $2,559 | $1,482 |
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. The portfolio turnover rate of the Fund for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 was 103% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies:
In order to accomplish the Fund's objective, the Fund invests in a portfolio composed mainly of senior secured corporate loans (sometimes referred to as "adjustable rate loans," "floating rate loans" or "bank loans"). These loans hold a senior position in the capital structure and, at the time of purchase, are typically rated below investment grade. Such loans are considered to be speculative investments. The senior secured corporate loans in which the Fund invests generally are expected to bear interest at floating rate based on SOFR or such other alternative reference rate as has been adopted with respect to each loan in replacement of LIBOR. The Fund may invest in loans with financial maintenance covenants and loans that contain limited, if any, financial maintenance covenants that protect lenders (sometimes referred to as "covenant-lite" obligations). The Fund invests primarily in floating rate loans and other floating rate investments, but also may invest in other debt securities, including high yield securities (commonly referred to as "junk bonds").
The Fund invests a majority of its assets in the securities of U.S. issuers, but may also invest in securities of non-U.S. issuers including, without limitation, securities issued by Canadian, U.K., and European corporations. The Fund has no restrictions on investment maturity. The Fund may invest in both the primary and secondary markets and may invest in secured corporate loans and other debt securities (which may be unsecured) made in connection with highly leveraged transactions, including but not limited to operating loans, leveraged buyout loans and bonds, and leveraged recapitalization loans and bonds. The Fund may also invest in
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debtor-in-possession loans (i.e., senior obligations issued in connection with restructuring proceedings).
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in senior secured debt instruments. Such debt instruments include: floating rate bonds; floating rate notes; floating rate debentures; tranches of floating rate asset-backed securities, including structured notes, made to, or issued by, U.S. and non-U.S. corporations or other business entities; and other investment companies (including exchange traded funds) ("ETFs") that invest primarily in floating rate assets. The Fund considers the investments of the underlying funds when determining its compliance with this 80% policy. Asset-backed securities include collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs"). The Fund may invest in senior or subordinate tranches of a CLO or other structured product. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets, measured at the time of purchase, in a combination of one or more of the following types of U.S. dollar denominated investments: senior or subordinated fixed rate debt instruments, including notes and bonds, whether secured or unsecured; short-term debt obligations, repurchase agreements and cash and cash equivalents that do not otherwise qualify as floating rate debt; and other investment companies including money market funds and ETFs (other than ETFs that invest primarily in floating rate assets). Additionally, the Fund may receive equity securities from capital restructurings related to the floating rate instruments in which it invests. The Fund may sell or hold the equity securities received incidental to these investments for a period of time depending on market conditions. The Fund's portfolio may be focused on a limited number of industries, asset classes, countries or issuers.
In constructing the Fund's portfolio, the Fund's sub-advisor, CIFC Investment Management LLC (the "Sub-Advisor"), uses a bottom-up approach that seeks to identify instruments that it believes are either mispriced relative to their risk or have a likelihood of near-term price appreciation. In addition, the Sub-Advisor seeks opportunities that generate income and have profit potential while managing default risk. In its assessment of individual instruments, the Sub-Advisor utilizes a disciplined approach that focuses on credit fundamentals, relative value, and active risk management. The Sub-Advisor monitors the Fund's investments on an ongoing basis and sells an investment when the value of the investment relative to its risk profile no longer meets the Sub-Advisor's criteria for inclusion in the portfolio or when a more attractive investment becomes available.
The Sub-Advisor also may implement a hedging strategy, when deemed appropriate to reduce risk of loss, that utilizes short sales and derivative instruments, including futures contracts, options, swap contracts, and options on futures and swap contracts. In particular, the Fund may take short positions, or obtain short exposure through derivatives, in U.S. Treasury bonds.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund:
As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its objective. Investment markets are unpredictable and there will be certain market conditions where the Fund will not meet its investment objective and will lose money. The Fund's net asset value and returns will vary and you could lose money on your investment in the Fund and those losses could be significant.
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The following summarizes the principal risks of investing in the Fund. These risks could adversely affect the net asset value, total return and the value of the Fund and your investment.
Bank Loans Risk. The market for bank loans, also known as loans or corporate loans, of which senior secured loans are a type, may not be highly liquid and the Fund may have difficulty selling them. These investments expose the Fund to the credit risk of both the financial institution and the underlying borrower. Bank loans settle on a delayed basis, potentially leading to the sale proceeds of such loans not being available to meet redemptions for a substantial period of time after the sale of the bank loans. Certain bank loans may not be considered "securities," and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the protections of federal securities laws, including anti-fraud provisions.
Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions Risk. Future interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve could cause the value of any Fund that invests in fixed income securities to decrease. Federal Reserve policy changes may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain Fund investments, which could cause the value of the Fund's investments and share price to decline. If the Fund invests in derivatives tied to fixed-income markets, the Fund may be more substantially exposed to these risks than a fund that does not invest in derivatives. To the extent the Fund experiences high redemptions because of these policy changes, the Fund may experience increased portfolio turnover, which will increase the costs the Fund incurs and may lower its performance. Furthermore, if rising interest rates cause the Fund to lose enough value, the Fund could also face increased shareholder redemptions, which could force the Fund to liquidate investments at disadvantageous times or prices, therefore adversely affecting the Fund. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity may persist in the future, potentially leading to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets.
CLOs Risk. CLOs are securities backed by an underlying portfolio of loan obligations. CLOs issue classes or "tranches" of debt that vary in risk and yield and may experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, decrease of market value due to collateral defaults and exhaustion of subordinate tranches, market anticipation of defaults and investor aversion to CLO securities as a class. The risks of investing in CLOs depend largely on the tranche invested in and the type of the underlying loans in the tranche of the CLO in which the Fund invests. Subordinate tranche investments involve greater risk of loss than more senior tranches. CLOs also carry risks including, but not limited to, interest rate risk and credit risk.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, and the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
"Covenant-lite" Obligations Risk. Covenant-lite obligations contain fewer maintenance covenants than other obligations, or no maintenance covenants, and may not include terms that allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a
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default if certain criteria are breached. Covenant-lite obligations may carry more risk than traditional loans as they allow borrowers to engage in activities that would otherwise be difficult or impossible under a covenant-heavy loan agreement. In the event of default, covenant-lite obligations may exhibit diminished recovery values as the lender may not have the opportunity to negotiate with the borrower prior to default. As a result of its investments in covenant-lite obligations, the Fund may suffer increased losses, especially during a downturn in the credit cycle or changes in market conditions.
Credit Risk for Floating Rate Loans. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a loan or other instrument will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due, reducing the Fund's total return. The value of the Fund's shares, and the Fund's ability to pay dividends, is dependent upon the performance of the assets in its portfolio. Prices of the Fund's investments can fall if the actual or perceived financial health of the borrowers or issuers of such investments deteriorates, whether because of broad economic or issuer-specific reasons. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a loan or debt security defaults or fails to pay interest or principal when it is due or otherwise fails to honor its obligations. In the event of bankruptcy of a borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing a senior loan. Senior loans and other floating rate instruments that are rated below investment grade are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to make timely principal and interest payments. The credit risk of a particular issuer's debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt instruments have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) debt instruments. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated debt instruments while continuing to make payments on senior debt instruments. In the event an issuer fails to pay scheduled interest or principal payments on an investment held by the Fund, the Fund will experience a reduction in its income and a decline in the market value of such investment. This will likely reduce the amount of dividends paid by the Fund and likely lead to a decline in the net asset value of the Fund's shares. Credit risk may be substantial for the Fund.
Debtor-In-Possession Loan Risks. Debtor-in-possession (DIP) loans can provide creditors with varying levels of protection, as they may carry super-priority repayment status, be secured by a lien on the borrower's otherwise unencumbered assets, or be secured by a junior lien on the borrower's encumbered assets. These financings are subject to the risk that the borrower will not emerge successfully from the bankruptcy/reorganization proceedings and will be forced to liquidate its assets. In the event of liquidation, the Fund's only recourse will be against the property securing the DIP loan and any remaining unencumbered assets, which might be insufficient to repay the DIP loan in full.
Demand for Loans Risk. An increase in demand for loans may benefit the Fund by providing increased liquidity for such loans and higher sales prices, but it may also adversely affect the rate of interest payable on such loans acquired by the Fund and the rights provided to the Fund under the terms of the applicable loan agreement, and may increase the price of loans that the Fund wishes to purchase in the secondary market. A decrease in the demand for loans may adversely affect the price of loans in the Fund's portfolio, which could cause the Fund's net asset value to decline.
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Derivatives Risk. The use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities. In addition, Rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which governs the use of derivatives and certain related instruments (including non-standard settlement cycle securities, such as bank loans), provides that a transaction with a non-standard settlement cycle will be deemed not to involve a senior security provided that the Fund intends to physically settle the transaction and the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date. Compliance with Rule 18f-4 could have an adverse impact on the Fund's performance and ability to implement its strategies. If more than a limited number of transactions with non-standard settlement cycles (including bank loans), settle later than 35 days of their trade date, such transactions could be deemed "derivatives transactions" for purposes of Rule 18f-4, requiring the Fund to adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program and apply a value-at-risk based limit to its use of derivatives transactions.
Equity Securities Incidental to Investments in Loans Risk. The value of equity securities held by the Fund may be affected more rapidly, and to a greater extent, by company-specific developments and general market conditions. These risks may increase fluctuations in the Fund's net asset value.
Focused Investment Risk. The Fund's portfolio may be focused on a limited number of industries, asset classes, countries, or issuers. Investments focused on a limited number of industries, asset classes, countries, or issuers that are subject to the same or similar risk factors, and investments whose prices are closely correlated, are subject to greater overall risk than investments that are more diversified or whose prices are not as closely correlated. The focus of the Fund's portfolio in any issuers would subject the Fund to a greater degree of risk with respect to market price volatility or defaults by such issuers, and the focus of the portfolio in any one industry, asset class or country would subject the Fund to a greater degree of risk with respect to economic downturns relating to such industry, asset class, or country.
Foreign Securities/Investments Risk. The value of foreign investments is indirectly subject to currency fluctuations. Foreign companies are generally not subject to the same regulatory requirements of U.S. companies thereby resulting in less publicly available information about these companies. In addition, foreign accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards generally differ from those applicable to U.S. companies. To the extent investments are made in the instruments of issuers from a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund.
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Foreign investments may have less liquid trading markets, extreme price volatility, changes in economic, political, regulatory and social conditions, sustained economic downturns, financial instability, tax burdens, and investment and repatriation restrictions. Withholding and other non-U.S. taxes may decrease the Fund's return. Non-U.S. issuers may be located in parts of the world that have historically been prone to natural disasters.
Futures Contract Risk. The Fund's use of futures contracts involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) leverage risk, which means that a small percentage of assets invested in futures contracts can have a disproportionately large impact; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the futures contract may not correlate perfectly with the underlying index. Investments in futures contracts involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in futures contracts can have a disproportionately large impact on the Fund. This risk could cause the Fund to lose more than the principal amount invested. Futures contracts may become mispriced or improperly valued when compared to the Sub-Advisor's expectation and may not produce the desired investment results. Additionally, changes in the value of futures contracts may not track or correlate perfectly with the underlying index because of temporary, or even long-term, supply and demand imbalances and because futures contracts do not pay dividends unlike the stocks upon which they are based.
Hedging Risk. Hedging is a strategy in which the Fund uses a derivative or other type of security to offset the risks associated with other Fund holdings. There can be no assurance that the Fund's hedging strategy will reduce risk or that hedging transactions will be either available or cost effective.
Income Risk. Income risk is the risk that the income from the Fund's portfolio will decline because of falling market interest rates. This can result when the Fund invests the proceeds from new share sales, or from matured or called bonds, at market interest rates that are below the portfolio's current earnings rate.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that bond prices overall, including the prices of fixed rate instruments held by the Fund, will decline over short or even long periods of time due to rising interest rates. Fixed-rate bonds with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to interest rates than bonds with shorter maturities. For example, if interest rates go up by 1.0%, the price of a 4% coupon bond will decrease by approximately 1.0% for a bond with 1 year to maturity and approximately 4.4% for a bond with 5 years to maturity. Rising interest rates pose a heightened risk to the Fund's longer-term fixed income securities.
In addition, an economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market of these instruments and reduce the Fund's ability to sell them, negatively impacting the performance of the Fund. The Fund's floating rate loans are subject to potentially higher interest rate risk as the interest paid on the floating rate loans adjusts periodically based on changes in widely accepted reference rates such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"). A substantial increase in interest rates could have a material adverse effect on the performance of the Fund.
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Junk Bond Risk. Lower-quality bonds and other debt including lower-quality loans, known generally as "high yield" or "junk" bonds, present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default, illiquidity of the instrument, and changes in value based on public perception of the issuer. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund's ability to sell its bonds. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund's share price. The credit rating for these instruments could also be further downgraded after they are purchased by the Fund, which would reduce their value. The value of lower-quality investments often fluctuates in response to company, political, or economic developments and can decline significantly over short periods of time or during periods of general or regional economic difficulty. Lower-quality instruments can be thinly traded or have restrictions on resale, making them difficult to sell at an acceptable price.
Limited Secondary Market for Floating Rate Loans Risk. There is no organized exchange or board of trade on which floating rate loans are traded. Instead, the secondary market for floating rate loans is a private, unregulated inter-dealer or inter-bank resale market. Floating rate loans usually trade in large denominations. Trades can be infrequent and the market for floating rate loans may experience substantial volatility.
Liquidity for Floating Rate Loans Risk. Some instruments held by the Fund may be difficult to sell, or illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil. Illiquid instruments may also be difficult to value. If the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, the Fund may be forced to sell at a loss or be unable to sell an investment, thereby having the effect of decreasing the Fund's overall level of liquidity.
Loan Risk. Investments in bank loans, also known as loans or corporate loans, of which senior loans are a type, may subject the Fund to heightened credit risks because such loans tend to be highly leveraged and potentially more susceptible to the risks of interest deferral, default and/or bankruptcy. Senior floating rate loans are often rated below investment grade, but may also be unrated. The risks associated with these loans can be similar to the risks of below investment grade fixed income instruments. An economic downturn would generally lead to a higher non-payment rate, and a senior floating rate loan may lose significant market value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a senior floating rate loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the loan's value. Unlike the securities markets, there is no central clearinghouse for loan trades, and the loan market has not established enforceable settlement standards or remedies for failure to settle. Therefore, portfolio transactions in loans may have uncertain settlement time periods.
Management Risk. The portfolio managers' judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular loans or other instruments in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the portfolio managers' judgment will produce the desired results.
Market Risk. The success of the Fund's investment activities will be affected by general economic and market conditions, as well as by changes in applicable laws, trade barriers,
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currency exchange controls, rate of inflation, currency depreciation, asset reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and national and international political and socioeconomic circumstances in respect of the countries in which the Fund may invest.
Options Risk. There are risks associated with the sale and purchase of call and put options. As the seller (writer) of a call option, the Fund assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the purchase price of the underlying security less the premium received, and gives up the opportunity for gain on the underlying security above the exercise option price. As the buyer of a put or call option, the Fund risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the Fund does not exercise the option. As a seller (writer) of a put option, the Fund will lose money if the value of the security falls below the strike price. If unhedged, the Fund's written calls expose the Fund to potentially unlimited losses.
Prepayment and Extension Risks for Floating Rate Loans. Prepayment risk is the risk that principal on a debt obligation may be repaid earlier than anticipated. Floating rate loans typically have no or limited call protection and may be prepaid partially or in full at certain times and, in certain circumstances, without penalty. If a floating rate loan is prepaid, the Fund may realize proceeds that are less than the value that had been assigned to the loan and/or may be forced to reinvest the proceeds in assets with lower yields than the loan that was repaid. Prepayment risk on fixed rate investments is the risk that principal on loans or other obligations underlying a security may be repaid prior to the stated maturity date, which may reduce the market value of the security and the anticipated yield-to-maturity. Extension risk is the risk that an issuer will exercise its right to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected, which may decrease the value of the obligation and prevent the Fund from investing expected repayment proceeds in instruments paying higher yields.
Senior Loan Risk. Senior bank loans are subject to the risk that a court could subordinate a senior loan, which typically holds the most senior position in the issuer's capital structure, to presently existing or future indebtedness or take other action detrimental to the holders of senior loans. Lack of an active trading market, restrictions on resale, irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads, and extended trade settlement periods may impair the Fund's ability to sell senior loans within its desired time frame or at an acceptable price. Senior loans are generally less liquid than many other debt instruments and there may be less public information available about senior loans as compared to other debt instruments. Senior loans settle on a delayed basis, potentially leading to the sale proceeds of such loans not being available to meet redemptions for a substantial period of time after the sale of the senior loans. Certain senior loans may not be considered "securities," and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the protections of federal securities laws, including anti-fraud provisions.
Short Selling Risk. The Fund's use of short positions to eliminate or reduce risk exposure in the Fund's long positions may not be successful and the Fund may lose money on its long positions. An increase in the value of a security over the price at which it was sold short will result in a loss to the Fund, and there can be no assurance that the Sub-Advisor will be able to close out the position at any particular time or at an
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acceptable price. The loss from a short position is potentially unlimited. The Fund's use of short sales will likely result in the creation of leverage in the Fund.
Swaps Risk. The Fund may use swaps to enhance returns and manage risk. The Fund's use of swaps involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index.
Turnover Rate Risk. A Fund may trade securities actively, which could increase its transaction costs (thereby lowering its performance) and could increase the amount of taxes you owe by generating short-term gains, which may be taxed at a higher rate.
Underlying Fund Risk. Because the Fund may invest in other investment companies, including mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds or private funds, the value of your investment will fluctuate in response to the performance of the underlying funds. Investing in underlying funds involves certain additional expenses and certain tax results that would not arise if you invested directly in the underlying funds. By investing in underlying funds, you will bear not only your proportionate share of the Fund's expenses (including operating costs and investment advisory and administrative fees), but also, indirectly, similar expenses and charges of the underlying funds, including any contingent deferred sales charges and redemption charges. Finally, you may incur increased tax liabilities by investing in the Fund rather than directly in the underlying funds. Each underlying fund is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of its investment strategy, including liquidity risk and default risk on the assets held by the underlying fund.
Valuation of Loans Risk. The Fund values its assets daily. However, because the secondary market for floating rate loans is limited, it may be difficult to value loans. Reliable market value quotations may not be readily available for some loans and valuation of such loans may require more research than for liquid securities. In addition, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of loans than for securities with a more developed secondary market because there is less reliable, objective market value data available. In addition, if the Fund purchases a relatively large portion of a loan, the limitations of the secondary market may inhibit the Fund from selling a portion of the loan and reducing its exposure to a borrower when the Sub-Advisor deems it advisable to do so.
Performance:
The bar chart and accompanying table shown below provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the total return of its Class A shares for each of the last ten full calendar years. Although Class C, Class C-1 and Class I shares have similar annual returns to Class A shares because the classes are invested in the same portfolio of investments, the returns for Class C, Class C-1 and Class I shares are different from Class A shares because Class C, Class C-1 and Class I shares have different expenses than Class A shares. The
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performance table shows average annual total returns for Class A, Class C and Class I shares and how their average annual returns compare over time with those of a broad-based market index and a supplemental index. Sales charges are reflected in the information shown in the table, but the information shown in the bar chart does not reflect sales charges, and, if it did, returns would be lower. How the Fund has performed in the past (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.
Prior to August 1, 2018, the Fund was managed by a different sub-advisor with different investment strategies and policies. The Fund's past performance may have been different if the Fund were managed by the current Sub-Advisor and consequently the performance record may be less pertinent for investors considering whether to purchase shares of the Fund. The Fund's investment strategies changed on November 1, 2020 to permit the Fund to use derivative instruments for hedging purposes.
Updated performance information is available at no cost by calling 1-866-447-4228 and on the Fund's website at www.CatalystMF.com.
Annual Total Returns
During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 8.70% (quarter ended June 30, 2020), and the lowest return for a quarter was (11.08)% (quarter ended March 31, 2020). The Fund's Class A shares year-to-date return as of September 30, 2024 was 6.43%.
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Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2023)
Class A | 1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year |
Return Before Taxes | 7.79% | 4.26% | 3.26% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 4.14% | 2.10% | 1.15% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 4.50% | 2.31% | 1.49% |
Class C | |||
Return Before Taxes | 12.18% | 4.48% | 2.98% |
Class I | |||
Return Before Taxes | 13.27% | 5.51% | 4.02% |
Class C-1 | 1 Year |
Since Inception (11/1/2022) |
|
Return Before Taxes | 12.33% | n/a | 11.94% |
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 1 | 5.53% | 1.10% |
1.81% (10 Year) 7.42% (Since 11/1/22) |
S&P LSTA U.S. Leveraged Loan 100 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 1 | 5.53% | 5.78% |
4.00% (10 Year) 12.89% (Since 11/1/22) |
1 The Fund has changed its primary benchmark from the S&P LSTA U.S. Leveraged Loan 100 Index to the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index to comply with new regulatory requirements.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rate and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholder's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant for shareholders who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns are only shown for Class A shares. After-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Advisor: Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC is the Fund's investment advisor.
Sub-Advisor: CIFC Investment Management LLC serves as the Fund's sub-advisor.
Portfolio Managers: Stan Sokolowski (Senior Portfolio Manager, Managing Director and Deputy Chief Investment Officer of the Sub-Advisor), and Rick Lam (CFA, Managing Director, Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Trading of the Sub-Advisor) serve as the Fund's portfolio managers and are primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Mr. Sokolowski has served the Fund in this capacity since August 2018. Mr. Lam has served the Fund in this capacity since July 2023.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares: The minimum initial investment in each share class of the Fund is $2,500 for a regular account, and for tax-deferred plans such as an IRA or 401(k), and $100 for an automatic investment plan account. The minimum subsequent investment in the Fund is $50. You may purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York
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Stock Exchange is open. Redemption requests may be made in writing, by telephone or through a financial intermediary to the Fund or the Transfer Agent and will be paid by check or wire transfer.
Tax Information: Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund, whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash, are taxable to you at either ordinary income or capital gains tax rates unless you are investing through a tax-deferred plan such as an IRA or 401(k) plan. If you are investing in a tax-deferred plan, distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from the plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries: If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
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