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Funds Group: Camelot Funds
Management Company: Camelot Funds LLC
Funds Affected: Camelot Excalibur Small Cap Income Fund, Camelot Premium Return Fund
Principal Sustainable Investment Management Strategy:
Negative screening (exclusions), impact
Summary:
The advisor seeks to invest in companies that operate with integrity in relation to all stakeholders (stockholder, employees, customers, community, and the environment). Preference in the fund’s portfolio will be given to companies that, in the advisor’s opinion, demonstrate integrity (a high regard for life, family values, liberty, and stewardship). As determined by the advisor, integrity is demonstrated by engaging in business activities including, but not limited to the following:
• Stockholders – strong stewardship of capital and authority (such as returning capital to shareholders (dividends and prudent stock buybacks),        wise acquisitions, prudent balance sheet, reasonable executive compensation)
• Employees – treating them ethically and providing opportunities for growth and enhancement (such as providing proper training)
• Customers – treating them ethically and providing products or services that do not harm or take advantage of those who are vulnerable
• Community and Environment – treating them ethically and seeking to have a positive and supportive impact.

The advisor believes there are certain business activities that violate these principles, and companies that engage in these business activities are excluded from the Fund’s portfolio. These business activities include, but are not limited to:
• Abortion: manufacturing of emergency contraceptives or abortifacients (i.e., drugs or devices used to cause an abortion), being a medical facility that performs elective abortions, and insuring elective abortions regardless of whether these activities are primary business activities
• Pornography: producing pornography or operating adult clubs, intentionally distributing pornography as a primary business activity
• Gambling: manufacturing gambling or gaming devices as a primary business activity
• Tobacco: producing or distributing tobacco products as a primary business activity
• Financial Usury: auto title lending, check cashing, pay day lending, refund anticipation lending, and renting-to-own as a primary business activity

The Advisor defines a primary business activity as one from which 5% or more of a company’s revenue is derived.

*Effective January 2020.

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Research

Research and analysis to keep sustainable investors up to-date on a broad range of topics that include trends and developments in sustainable investing and sustainable finance, regulatory updates, performance results and considerations, investing through index funds and actively managed portfolios, asset allocation updates, expenses, ESG ratings and data, company and product news, green, social and sustainable bonds, green bond funds as well as reporting and disclosure practices, to name just a few.

A continuously updated Funds Directory is also available to investors.  This is intended to become a comprehensive listing of sustainable mutual funds, ETFs and other investment products along with a description of their sustainable investing approaches as set out in fund prospectuses and related regulatory filings.

Getting started

Many questions have surfaced in recent years regarding sustainable and ESG investing.  Here, investors and financial intermediaries will find materials that describe the various approaches to sustainable investing and their implementation.  While sustainable investing approaches vary and they have thus far defied universally accepted definitions, many practitioners agree that they fall into the following broad categories:  Values-based investing, investing via exclusions, impact investing, thematic investments and ESG integration.  In conjunction with each of these approaches, investors may also adopt various issuer engagement procedures and proxy voting practices.  That said, sustainable investing approaches will continue to evolve.

In addition to periodic updates regarding sustainable investing and how this form of investing is evolving, investors and financial intermediaries interested in implementing a sustainable investing approach will also find source materials that cover basic investing themes as well as asset allocation tactics.

Inesting ideas

Thoughts and ideas targeting sustainable investing strategies executed through various registered and non-registered sustainable investment funds and products such as mutual funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs), closed-end funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Unit Investment Trusts (UITs). Coverage extends to investment management firms as well as fund groups. 

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