Nicholas Equity Income Fund N-CSRSCertified semi-annual shareholder report (management investment company)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number 811-08062

Nicholas Equity Income Fund, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as specified in charter)

411 East Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 2100, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)          (Zip Code)

Jennifer R. Kloehn, Senior Vice President and Treasurer

411 East Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 2100

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 414-272-4650

Date of fiscal year end: 03/31/2025

Date of reporting period: 09/30/2024

Item 1. Report to Stockholders.  

(a)

Nicholas Equity Income Fund, Inc.   NSEIX

What Were the Portfolio Costs for the Last Six Months?

(based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)

Portfolio Name	Costs of a $10,000 investment	Annualized costs paid as a percentage of a $10,000 investment
Nicholas Equity Income Fund	$36	0.70%

 

Key Fund Statistics

As of September 30, 2024

Net Assets	$487,519,819
Number of Portfolio Holdings	61
Portfolio Turnover Rate	23.60%

Top Ten Equity Holdings

As of September 30, 2024

Name	Percentage of Net Assets
Microsoft Corporation	3.51%
Astrazeneca PLC Sponsored ADR	2.45%
CMS Energy Corporation	2.42%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.	2.37%
Abbott Laboratories	2.35%
Chevron Corporation	2.31%
Oracle Corporation	2.30%
Broadcom Inc.	2.15%
TJX Companies Inc	2.14%
International Business Machines Corporation	2.09%
Total of top ten	24.09%

Sector Diversification (As a Percentage of Total Investments)
Graphical Representation of Holdings

As of September 30, 2024

Sector	% of Net Assets
Health Care	18.30%
Financials	15.13%
Information Technology	14.76%
Consumer Staples	10.53%
Industrials	8.68%
Materials	6.36%
Consumer Discretionary	5.13%
Utilities	5.00%
Real Estate	4.76%
Energy	4.10%
Communication Services	1.11%
Short-Term Investments	6.14%

Where can I find additional information about the Fund?

Additional information is available on the Fund's website, www.nicholasfunds.com, including its:

• prospectus

• financial information

• proxy voting information

Mailings of your shareholder documents may be householded indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please call the Fund at 1-800-544-6547.

(b) Not applicable.

Item 2. Code of Ethics. 

Applicable only to annual reports.

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert. 

Applicable only to annual reports.

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services. 

Applicable only to annual reports.

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants. 

Not applicable to this filing.

Item 6. Investments. 

The schedule of investments in securities of unaffiliated issuers is included as part of the financial statements and financial highlights for open-end management investment companies under Item 7 of this Form N-CSR.

Item 7. Financial Statements and Financial Highlights for Open-End Management Investment Companies. 

The accompanying notes to financial statements are an integral part of these highlights.

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The accompanying notes to financial statements are an integral part of this schedule.

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The accompanying notes to financial statements are an integral part of this schedule.

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The accompanying notes to financial statements are an integral part of this schedule.

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The accompanying notes to financial statements are an integral part of this schedule.

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The accompanying notes to financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

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The accompanying notes to financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

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The accompanying notes to financial statements are an integral part of these statements.

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These financial statements have been prepared pursuant to reporting rules for interim financial statements. Accordingly, these financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for annual financial statements. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and financial highlights and notes in the Fund’s Annual Report on Form N-CSR for the year ended March 31, 2024.

These financial statements have not been audited. Management believes that these financial statements include all adjustments (which, unless otherwise noted, include only normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the financial results for each period shown.

Nicholas Equity Income Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) is organized as a Maryland corporation and is registered as an open-end, diversified management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The primary objective of the Fund is to produce reasonable income with moderate long-term growth. The following is a summary of the significant accounting policies of the Fund:

In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820-10, “Fair Value Measurement” (“ASC 820-10”), fair value is defined as the price that the Fund would receive upon selling an investment in a timely transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. ASC 820-10 established a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk, for example, the

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risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value such as a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad levels listed below.

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of September 30, 2024 in valuing the Fund’s investments carried at value:

The Fund did not hold any Level 3 investments during the period.

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on date of distribution. Generally, discounts and premiums on long-term debt security purchases, if any, are amortized over the expected lives of the respective securities using the effective yield method.

The amount of distributions from net investment income and net realized capital gain are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP for financial reporting purposes. Financial reporting records are adjusted for permanent book-to-tax differences to reflect tax character.

The tax character of distributions paid during the six months ended September 30, 2024 and the year ended March 31, 2024 was as follows:

The following information for the Fund is presented on an income tax basis as of March 31, 2024.

The differences between U.S. GAAP financial statement and tax-basis cost is attributable primarily to the Fund’s holdings in partnership interests.

The Fund had no material uncertain tax positions and has not recorded a liability for unrecognized tax benefits as of September 30, 2024. Also, the Fund recognized no interest and penalties related to uncertain tax benefits during the period ended September 30, 2024. At September 30, 2024, the fiscal years 2021 through 2024 remain open to examination in the Fund’s major tax jurisdictions.

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The Fund has an agreement with Nicholas Company, Inc. (with whom certain officers and directors of the Fund are affiliated) (the “Adviser”) to serve as investment adviser and manager. Under the terms of the agreement, a monthly fee is paid to the Adviser based on an annualized fee of 0.70% of the average net asset value up to and including $50 million and 0.60% of the average net asset value in excess of $50 million.

The Adviser may be paid for accounting and administrative services rendered by its personnel, subject to the following guidelines: (i) up to five basis points, on an annual basis, of the average net asset value of the Fund up to and including $2 billion and up to three basis points, on an annual basis, of the average net asset value of the Fund greater than $2 billion, based on the average net asset value of the Fund as determined by valuations made at the close of each business day of each month, and (ii) where the preceding calculation results in an annual payment of less than $50,000, the Adviser, in its discretion, may charge the Fund up to $50,000 for such services.

A director of the Adviser is affiliated with a law firm that provides services to the Fund. The Fund incurred expenses of $3,794 for the period ended September 30, 2024 for legal services rendered by this law firm.

For the period ended September 30, 2024, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales of investment securities, other than short-term obligations, aggregated $52,660,270 and $61,831,220, respectively.

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In May 2024, the Board of Directors of the Fund renewed the one-year term of the Investment Advisory Agreement by and between the Fund and the Adviser through May 2025. In connection with the renewal of the Investment Advisory Agreement, no changes to the amount or manner of calculation of the management fee or the terms of the agreement were proposed by the Adviser or adopted by the Board. For the annual period ended March 31, 2024, the management fee was 0.61% and the Fund’s total expense ratio (including the management fee) was 0.70%. In renewing the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Board carefully considered the following factors on an absolute basis and relative to the Fund’s peer group (i) the Fund’s expense ratio, which was low compared to the overall peer group; (ii) the Fund’s performance on a short-term and long-term basis; (iii) the Fund’s management fee; (iv) the range and quality of the services offered by the Adviser. The peer group fund data included mid-, large- and small-cap blend and value focused funds with similar asset sizes and a prospectus objective of equity income. In terms of the peer group data used for performance comparisons, the Fund was ranked 14th, 14th, 9th and 10th out of 21 funds for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods ended March 31, 2024. The Fund had the second lowest expense ratio among its peer group. The Board also reviewed the twelve-month yield and Fund’s risk/return profile as measured by standard deviation and the Fund’s Morningstar rankings.

The Board considered the range of services to be provided by the Adviser to the Fund under the Advisory Agreement. The Board concluded that the nature, extent, and quality of the services to be provided were consistent with the terms of the Advisory Agreement and the needs of the Fund, and that the services provided were of a high quality.

The Board considered the investment performance of the Fund and the Adviser. Among other things, the Board noted its consideration of the Fund’s performance relative to peer funds. The Board reviewed the actual relative short-term and long-term performance of the Fund. The Board agreed that the Fund demonstrated strong long-term performance relative to benchmarks and its peers. The Board also discussed the extent to which economies of scale would be realized, and whether such economies were reflected in the Fund’s fee levels and concluded that the Adviser had been instrumental in holding down Fund costs, citing consistently low fees relative to comparable funds.

The Board considered the cost of services provided by the Adviser. The Board also considered the profits realized by the Adviser in connection with the management and distribution of the Fund, as expressed by the Adviser’s management in general terms. The Board expressed the opinion that given the Board’s focus on performance and maintaining a low fee structure that the Adviser’s profits were not relevant.

The Board determined that the Adviser had fully and adequately carried out the terms and conditions of its contract with the Fund. The Board expressed satisfaction with the Fund’s performance, management’s control of expenses and the rate of the management fee for the Fund and the overall level of services provided to the Fund by the Adviser.

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A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, without charge, upon request by calling 800-544-6547 or 414-276-0535. It also appears in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information, which can be found on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. A record of how the Fund voted its proxies for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30, also is available on the Fund’s website, www.nicholasfunds.com, and the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

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Please call a shareholder representative for further information on the above services or with any other questions you may have regarding the Nicholas Funds.

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Directors and Officers

DAVID O. NICHOLAS, President and Director

JOHN A. HAUSER, Director

DAVID P. PELISEK, Director

JULIE M. VAN CLEAVE, Director

JENNIFER R. KLOEHN, Senior Vice President,
Treasurer and Chief Compliance Officer

LAWRENCE J. PAVELEC, Senior Vice President and Secretary

MICHAEL L. SHELTON, Senior Vice President

PAUL J. KNYCH, Vice President

Investment Adviser

NICHOLAS COMPANY, INC.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

www.nicholasfunds.com

414-276-0535 or 800-544-6547

Accountant
Dividend Disbursing Agent
Transfer Agent

U.S. BANCORP FUND SERVICES, LLC

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

414-276-0535 or 800-544-6547

Distributor

QUASAR DISTRIBUTORS, LLC

Portland, Maine

Custodian

U.S. BANK N.A.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Counsel

MICHAEL BEST & FRIEDRICH LLP

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The statutory and summary prospectus contain this and other important information about the investment company, and it may be obtained by calling 1-800-544-6547 or visiting www.nicholasfunds.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

There have been no such changes in or disagreements with accountants as contemplated by Item 304 of Regulation S-K.

Not applicable for this reporting period.

The remuneration paid to directors, officers, and others is disclosed in the Statement of Operations included under Item 7.(a) Financial Statements and Financial Highlights for Open-End Management Investment Companies of this Report.

The basis for approval of the investment advisory contract is included under Item 7.(a) Financial Statements and Financial Highlights for Open-End Management Investment Companies of this Report.

Item 12. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Applicable only to closed-end funds.

Item 13. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Applicable only to closed-end funds.

Item 14. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers. 

Applicable only to closed-end funds.

Item 15. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders. 

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s board of directors.

Item 16. Controls and Procedures. 

(a) The Fund’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) are effective, based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of the report that includes the disclosure required by this paragraph, based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(b) There were no changes in the registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the 1940 Act) that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Item 17. Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies. 

Applicable only to closed-end funds.

Item 18. Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation. 

Not applicable to this filing.

Item 19. Exhibits. 

(a)(1) Sarbanes-Oxley Code of Ethics for Principal Executive and Senior Financial Officers (that is the subject of the disclosure required by Item 2).

Applicable only to annual reports.

(a)(2) Not applicable to this filing.

(a)(3) Certifications of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, attached hereto as EX-99.CERT.

(a)(4) Change in the registrant’s independent public accountant. 

Not applicable to this filing.

(b) Certifications of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, attached hereto as EX-99.906 CERT.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

(Registrant) Nicholas Equity Income Fund, Inc.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.