Copeland SMID Cap Dividend Growth Fund Class A (CSDGX)

Overview

The described fund specializes in investing in a diversified mix of assets, focusing primarily on equities that include common and preferred stocks, alongside exposure to specialized investment vehicles such as master limited partnerships (MLPs) and equity real estate investment trusts (REITs). Its geographic focus is on U.S. companies, particularly those that fall within the small and mid-capitalization brackets. Central to its investment strategy is a commitment to securities that not only pay dividends but have shown a pattern of increasing these dividends in their most recent fiscal year. This approach indicates a preference for companies exhibiting financial health and a shareholder-friendly policy of sharing profits. The investment philosophy also includes a proactive asset management policy, whereby securities are divested if they cease to meet the criteria of dividend growth or fail to align with the fund’s fundamental stock selection metrics. This strategy ensures the portfolio remains focused on dividend growth as a key indicator of company performance and investment potential.

Products and Services

• Common and Preferred Stocks

  These are equity investments in public companies domiciled in the United States. Common stocks offer ownership stakes, voting rights, and dividends to shareholders, while preferred stocks provide a higher claim on assets and earnings than common stocks, often with fixed dividend payments. The fund's focus is on companies with a track record of dividend growth, reflecting their ongoing profitability and reliability.

• Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs)

  MLPs are investments in partnership units, typically in the energy sector, offering potential tax benefits and a share in the income generated from the operation of assets. The fund includes MLPs due to their tendency to distribute a high portion of their cash flow as dividends, aligning with the fund's dividend-growth investment criterion.

• Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

  Equity REITs invest in real property and make their earnings available to investors through dividends. This aligns with the fund's strategy of investing in income-generating assets that have the potential for dividend growth. The focus on equity REITs emphasizes the fund's commitment to real estate investments that both pay dividends and have the potential for capital appreciation.