Investment Strategy
The Aston/ABN AMRO Real Estate Fund combines top-down/bottom-up research and analysis with a long-term investment horizon, to construct a portfolio with direct property characteristics, and the positive attributes of indirect real estate. The focus is on local property markets with a preference for locally dominant players.
Objective
The Fund seeks total return through a combination of growth and income.
Main Risks
All investments are subject to risks and investing in sector-specific mutual funds may entail greater risks than investments in funds diversified across sectors. Because such a fund may invest in a limited number of industries within a sector such as real estate, the fund may be subject to a greater level of market risk and may be more volatile. Risks also include declines in the value of real estate, general and economic conditions, changes in the value of the underlying property and defaults by borrowers.
Note: Real Estate funds may be subject to a higher degree of market risk because of concentration in a specific industry or geographic sector. Risks include declines in the value of real estate, general and economic conditions, changes in the value of the underlying property and defaults by borrowers.
| Fund Overview |
| Inception Date |
12/30/1997 |
| Ticker |
ARFCX |
| Cusip |
00078H620 |
| Load |
None |
| Fund Statistics (as of
3/31/2008) |
|
|
$68,273,204.00 |
| Expense Ratio |
1.37% |
| Minimum Investment |
$2,500 |
| Alpha (3 yr.) |
-1.31 |
| Beta (3 yr.) |
1.00 |
| R-Squared (3 yr.) |
0.98 |
| Standard Dev (3 yr.) |
17.07 |
| Sharpe Ratio (3 yr.) |
0.61 |
|
|
| Sector Breakdown (as of
3/31/2008) |
| Retail |
26.72% |
| Residential |
16.61% |
| Office Properties |
15.72% |
| Industrials |
8.79% |
| Health Care |
7.91% |
| Self Storage |
6.70% |
| Cash Equivalents & Other |
5.26% |
| Hotels |
4.33% |
| Diversified |
3.44% |
| Net Lease |
3.09% |
| Financials |
1.43% |
*Total Net Assets include N and I Classes
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of mutual funds will vary with market conditions, so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
Expense Ratio. A fund's cost of doing business, expressed as a percentage of its assets and disclosed in a prospectus.
Turnover. The number of shares traded for a period as a percentage of the total shares in a portfolio or of an exchange.
Alpha. Measures the difference between a fund’s actual returns and its expected performance, given its level of risk.
Beta. The measure of risk which shows a fund’s volatility relative to an index.
R-Squared. The percentage of a fund’s movement that can be explained by movements in its benchmark index.
Standard Deviation. A statistical measure of the historical volatility of a mutual fund or portfolio, usually computed using 36 monthly returns. More generally, a measure of the extent to which numbers are spread around their average.
Sharpe Ratio. A risk-adjusted measure used to determine reward per unit of risk.