The value of U.S. equity securities, including exchange-traded funds, is determined
by valuing securities traded on national securities markets or in the over-the-counter markets at the last sale price or, if
applicable, the official closing price or, in the absence of a recent sale on the date of determination, at the mean between the last
reported bid and ask prices.
The value of foreign equity securities is generally determined based upon the last
sale price on the foreign exchange or market on which it is primarily traded and in the currency of that market as of the close
of the appropriate exchange or, if there have been no sales during that day, at the mean between the last reported bid and ask prices.
The Adviser has determined that the passage of time between when the foreign exchanges or markets close and when the Funds
compute their net asset values could cause the value of foreign equity securities to no longer be representative
or accurate and, as a result, may necessitate that such securities be fair valued. Accordingly, for foreign equity securities, the
Funds may use an independent pricing service to fair value price the security as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. As a result, a Fund’s value for a foreign security may be different from the last sale price (or the mean between the last reported bid
and ask prices). As of September 30, 2024, fair valuation estimates for foreign equity securities were not obtained.
Fixed income securities are generally valued using evaluated prices provided by an
independent pricing service. The evaluated prices are formed using various market inputs that the pricing service believes accurately
represent the market value of a security at a particular point in time. The pricing service determines evaluated prices
for fixed income securities using inputs including, but not limited to, recent transaction prices for such securities, dealer
quotes, transaction prices for other securities with similar characteristics, collateral characteristics, credit quality, payment
history, liquidity and market conditions.
Repurchase agreements are valued at cost, which approximates fair value.
Forward foreign currency contracts are valued on the basis of the value of the underlying
currencies at the prevailing currency exchange rate as supplied by an independent pricing service.
Swaps that are centrally cleared through an exchange are valued at the most recent
settlement price provided by the exchange on which they are cleared. Total return swaps on equities, equity baskets, indices
and other financial instruments are valued by an independent pricing service, or if unavailable, based on the security’s or instrument’s underlying reference asset.
Securities, and other assets, for which a market quotation is not available or is
deemed unreliable (e.g., securities affected by unusual or extraordinary events, such as natural disasters or securities affected
by market or economic events, such as bankruptcy filings), or the value of which is affected by a significant valuation
event, are valued at a fair value. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees has designated the Adviser as
the valuation designee to perform fair value determinations for the Funds. The value of these fair valued securities may be different
from the last sale price (or the mean between the last reported bid and ask prices), and there is no guarantee that a fair
valued security will be sold at the price at which a Fund is carrying the security.
(b)
Fair Value Measurements
Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling a security
in an orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market for the investment. Various inputs
are used in determining the value of a Fund’s investments. A three-tier hierarchy of inputs is used to classify fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad levels listed below:
• Level 1—Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for an identical security.
• Level 2—Prices determined using other significant observable inputs. Observable inputs are inputs that other market participants would use in pricing a security. These may include quoted prices for
similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, and others. In addition, other observable inputs such
as foreign exchange rates, benchmark securities indices and foreign futures contracts may be utilized in the
valuation of certain foreign securities when significant events occur between the last sale on the foreign securities exchange
and the time at which the net asset value of the Fund is calculated.
• Level 3—Prices determined using significant unobservable inputs. In situations where quoted prices or observable inputs are unavailable (for example, when there is little or no market activity for
an investment), unobservable inputs may be used. Unobservable inputs reflect the Fund’s own assumptions about the factors market participants would use in pricing an investment, and are based on the best information available.