P R O S P E C T U S
M A Y 1 , 2 0 1 4
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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
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Summary Sections
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Value Line Fund Summary Page 2
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Value Line Fund Page 32
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Value Line Core Bond Fund Page 34
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Value Line Larger Companies Fund Page 40
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Value Line Premier Growth Fund Page 42
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Investment Adviser Page 49
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Management fees Page 49
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Portfolio management Page 50
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How to buy shares Page 52
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How to sell shares Page 56
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Special services Page 60
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Financial Highlights Page 66
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V A L U E L I N E F U N D S U M M A R Y
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Investment objectives
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The Fund’s primary investment objective is long-term growth of capital. Current income is a secondary investment objective.
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Fees and expenses
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This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. There are no shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment) when you buy and sell shares of the Fund. Future expenses may be greater or less.
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
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Management Fee
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0.69%
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Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees(1)
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0.25%
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Other Expenses
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0.32%
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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1.26%
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(1)
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The expense information in the table has been restated to reflect the elimination of the Fund’s 12b-1 fee waiver, effective August 1, 2013, as if such waiver had been eliminated prior to the start of the Fund’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2013. If not restated, the Fund’s expenses reflected in the table would be lower.
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Example
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This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated whether or not you redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
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1 year
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3 years
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5 years
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10 years
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Value Line Fund
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$128
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$400
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$692
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$1,523
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2 |
Portfolio turnover
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The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 7% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Principal investment strategies of the Fund
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To achieve the Fund’s investment objectives, EULAV Asset Management (the “Adviser”) invests substantially all of the Fund’s net assets in common stocks. While the Fund is actively managed by the Adviser, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Value Line Timeliness™ Ranking System (the “Ranking System”) in selecting securities for purchase or sale. The Ranking System is a proprietary quantitative system that compares an estimate of the probable market performance of each stock within a universe during the next six to twelve months to that of all stocks within that universe and ranks stocks on a scale of 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest). The universe followed by the Ranking System consists of stocks of approximately 1,700 companies accounting for approximately 95% of the market capitalization of all stocks traded on the U.S. securities exchanges. All the stocks followed by the Ranking System are listed on U.S. stock exchanges or traded in the U.S. over-the-counter markets. The Fund’s investments principally are selected from common stocks ranked 1, 2 or 3 by the Ranking System at the time of purchase. Apart from the diversification requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) applicable to diversified funds (which generally means that it will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the stocks of any one company), the Fund is not subject to any limit on the percentage of its assets that may be invested in any particular stock. Because the Adviser relies on the Ranking System in managing the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund is not limited to investments according to a company’s size.
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The Adviser may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.
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As described above, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Ranking System in selecting stocks for the Fund, but has discretion, including whether and which ranked stocks to include within the Fund’s portfolio, whether and when to buy or sell stocks based upon changes in their rankings, and the frequency and timing of rebalancing the Fund’s portfolio. The Adviser will determine the percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in each stock based on the stock’s relative attractiveness.
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3 |
Principal risks of investing in the Fund
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Investing in any mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment, and that you may lose money. Therefore, before you invest in the Fund you should carefully evaluate the risks.
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Market Risk. The chief risk that you assume when investing in the Fund is market risk, which is the possibility that the securities in a certain market will decline in value because of factors such as economic conditions. Market risk may affect a single issuer, an industry, a sector of the economy or the market as a whole.
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Equity Securities. Equity securities represent ownership in a corporation and their prices fluctuate for a number of reasons including issuer-specific events, market perceptions and general movements in the equity markets. The resulting fluctuation in the price of equity securities may take the form of a drastic movement or a sustained trend. If an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds will take precedence over the claims of owners of common stocks. Historically, the prices of equity securities have fluctuated more than bond prices.
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Ranking System Risk. The Adviser’s use of the results of the Ranking Systems in managing the Fund involves the risk that the Ranking Systems may not have the predictive qualities anticipated by the Adviser or that over certain periods of time the price of securities not covered by the Ranking Systems, or lower ranked securities, may appreciate to a greater extent than those securities in the Fund’s portfolio.
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Active Management Risk. Because the Fund is actively managed, its investment return depends on the ability of the Adviser to manage its portfolio successfully. There can be no guarantee that the Adviser’s investment strategies will produce the desired results.
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An investment in the Fund is not a complete investment program and you should consider it just one part of your total investment program. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. For a more complete discussion of risk, please turn to page 44.
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4 |
Fund performance
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This bar chart and table can help you evaluate the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart below shows how returns for the Fund’s shares have varied over the past ten calendar years, and the table below shows the average annual total returns (before and after taxes) of these shares for one, five, and ten years. These returns are compared to the performance of the S&P 500® Index, which is a broad based market index. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at: www.vlfunds.com.
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Total returns (before taxes) as of 12/31 each year (%)
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Best Quarter: Q4 2004 +13.28
Worst Quarter: Q4 2008 –27.78 |
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After-tax returns in the table below are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (“IRA”).
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5 |
Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2013
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1 year
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5 years
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10 years
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Return before taxes
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30.86%
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16.87%
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5.45%
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Return after taxes on distributions
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30.73%
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16.84%
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4.02%
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Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares
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17.58%
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13.69%
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4.03%
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S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
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32.38%
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17.94%
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7.40%
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Management
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Investment Adviser. The Fund’s investment adviser is EULAV Asset Management.
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Portfolio Manager. Stephen E. Grant is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Mr. Grant has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since 2009.
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Purchase and sale of Fund shares
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Minimum initial investment in the Fund: $1,000.
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Minimum additional investment in the Fund: $100.
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The Fund’s shares are redeemable and you may redeem your shares (sell them back to the Fund) through your broker-dealer, financial advisor or financial intermediary, by telephone or by mail, by writing to: Value Line Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 219729, Kansas City, MO 64121.9729. See “How to sell shares” on page 56.
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Tax Information and Financial Intermediary Compensation
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For important information about taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “All Funds – Tax Information and Financial Intermediary Compensation” on page 31.
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6 |
V A L U E L I N E C O R E B O N D F U N D S U M M A R Y
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Investment objectives
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The Fund’s investment objective is to maximize current income. Capital appreciation is a secondary objective but only when consistent with the Fund’s primary objective.
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Fees and expenses
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This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. There are no shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment).
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
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Management Fees
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0.50%
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Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
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0.25%
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Other Expenses(1)(2)
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0.55%
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1)
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1.30%
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Less Management Fee and 12b-1 Fee Waivers(3)
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–0.15%
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Net Expenses(1)
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1.15%
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(1)
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In 2013, the Fund changed its fiscal year end from January 31 to December 31. Expenses have been annualized for the 11-month period ended December 31, 2013.
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(2)
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In accordance with applicable requirements, “Other Expenses” do not include extraordinary expenses incurred by your Fund in connection with the reorganization of Value Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc. into your Fund. Had such expenses been included in the table, “Other Expenses” would have been higher.
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(3)
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The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s management fee so that the management fee rate equals 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Distributor has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 fees in an amount equal to 0.05% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. These waivers cannot be modified or terminated before June 30, 2015 without the approval of the Fund’s Board. There is no assurance that the Distributor or the Adviser, as applicable, will extend the fee waiver beyond June 30, 2015. The expense information in the table has been restated to reflect the change in the Fund’s 12b-1 fee waiver, effective June 1, 2013, as if in effect throughout the Fund’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2013. If not restated, the Fund’s expenses reflected in the table would be lower.
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7 |
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Example
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This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated whether or not you redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same except in year one. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
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1 year
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3 years
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5 years
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10 years
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Value Line Core Bond Fund
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$117
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$397
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$699
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$1,555
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Portfolio turnover
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The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 61% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Principal investment strategies of the Fund
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The Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of primarily investment grade bonds and other debt instruments. Sovereign debt, or securities issued or secured by non-U.S. governments, as well as securities issued by supranational agencies, may be held by the Fund, provided the investments are U.S. dollar-denominated.
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Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt instruments (“80% Policy”). The Fund’s 80% Policy may be changed without shareholder approval. However, shareholders will be given notice at least 60 days prior to any such change. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any type, including corporate bonds, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (U.S. government securities), mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, and other fixed income securities.
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8 |
The Fund invests principally in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and by U.S. corporations. The U.S. government securities in which the Fund may invest include a variety of securities that are issued or guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the U.S. government, and by various agencies or instrumentalities that have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. The corporate debt obligations in which the Fund may invest include, but are not limited to, bonds, notes, debentures, and commercial paper of U.S. companies.
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The Fund’s assets may also be invested in mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or by government-sponsored corporations. Other mortgage-backed securities in which the Fund may invest are issued by certain private, non-government entities. The Fund may also invest in securities that are backed by assets such as receivables on home equity and credit card loans, automobile, mobile home, recreational vehicle and other loans, wholesale dealer floor plans, and leases.
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The Adviser invests at least 80% of the Fund’s assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in debt securities that are investment grade at the time of purchase, but may invest up to 20% of the Fund’s assets in debt securities that are below investment grade (commonly called “high yield” or “junk” bonds). Investment grade debt securities are rated within the four highest grades by at least one major rating agency, such as Standard & Poor’s (at least BBB-), Moody’s (at least Baa3) or Fitch (at least BBB-), or are determined by the Adviser to be of comparable credit quality. The Fund estimates that the average credit quality rating of Fund assets will be investment grade.
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The Fund invests in debt securities of any maturity, and there is no limit on the Fund’s maximum average portfolio maturity. The Fund estimates that the weighted average maturity of its portfolio will range between three to fifteen years.
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In deciding which securities to buy, hold or sell, the Adviser considers a number of factors, including the issuer’s creditworthiness, economic prospects and interest rate trends as well as the security’s credit rating.
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9 |
Principal risks of investing in the Fund
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Investing in any mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment, and that you may lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, before you invest in this Fund you should carefully evaluate the risks. The price of Fund shares will increase and decrease according to changes in the value of the Fund’s investments. The other principal risks of investing in the Fund are:
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■ Interest Rate and Reinvestment Risk. As with most bond funds, the income on and market price of your shares in the Fund will fluctuate along with interest rates. When interest rates rise, the market prices of the debt securities the Fund owns usually decline but the Fund’s income tends to decline. Such decline follows quickly for most variable rate securities and eventually for fixed rate securities as the Fund must reinvest the proceeds it receives from existing investments (upon their maturity, prepayment, buy-back, call, etc.) at a lower rate of interest or return. When interest rates fall, the market prices of these securities usually increase. Generally, the market price of debt securities with longer durations or fixed rates of return will fluctuate more in response to changes in interest rates than the market price of shorter-term securities or variable rate debt securities, respectively.
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■ Credit Risk. Debt securities are also subject to credit risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a debt security will be unable to make interest or principal payments on time. A debt security’s credit rating reflects the credit risk associated with the debt obligation. Generally, higher-rated debt securities involve lower credit risk than lower-rated debt securities. Credit risk is often higher for corporate, mortgage-backed, asset-backed and foreign government debt securities than for U.S. Government debt securities.
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■ Below Investment Grade Credit. Below investment grade securities (commonly called “high yield” or “junk” bonds) are speculative and involve a greater risk of default and price change due to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness or the risky nature of an investment for which limited or no recourse to the issuer is provided. The market prices of these debt securities usually fluctuate more than that of investment grade debt securities and may decline more significantly in periods of general economic difficulty.
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■ Mortgage-Backed/Asset-Backed Securities. Investing in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities poses additional risks, principally with respect to increased interest rate risk, prepayment risk and extension risk.
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10 |
■ Prepayment and Extension Risk. Many debt securities give the issuer the option to prepay principal prior to maturity. During periods of falling interest rates, prepayments may accelerate and the Fund may be forced to reinvest the proceeds at a lower interest rate. When interest rates rise, the term of a debt security is at greater risk of extension because rates of prepayments fall and rates of late payments and defaults rise. Extending the duration of a security “locks in” lower interest rates if the extension occurs in a rising interest rate environment.
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■ Foreign Investments. Investing in foreign securities poses additional risks. The performance of foreign securities can be adversely affected by the different political, regulatory and economic environments in countries where the Fund invests, and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may also adversely affect the value of foreign securities. In addition, emerging markets tend to be more volatile than the U.S. market or developed foreign markets.
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■ Active Management. Because the Fund is actively managed, its investment return depends on the ability of the Adviser to manage its portfolio successfully. There can be no guarantee that the Adviser’s investment strategies will produce the desired results.
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An investment in the Fund is not a complete investment program and you should consider it just one part of your total investment program. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. The Fund is not recommended for investors whose principal objective is long-term growth. For a more complete discussion of risk, please turn to page 44.
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11 |
Fund performance
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This bar chart and table can help you evaluate the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart below shows how returns for the Fund’s shares have varied over the past ten calendar years, and the table below shows the average annual total returns (before and after taxes) of these shares for one, five, and ten years compared to the performance of two broad-based market indices: the Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the Barclays Capital U.S. Corporate High-Yield Bond Index. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Prior to December 10, 2012, the Fund was managed pursuant to a different investment strategy and its performance for periods prior to December 10, 2012 may be higher than that it may be able to achieve under its current investment strategy. Updated performance information is available at: www.vlfunds.com.
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Total returns (before taxes) as of 12/31 each year (%)
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Best Quarter: Q2 2009 +11.97
Worst Quarter: Q4 2008 –16.73
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After-tax returns in the table below are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRA”).
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12 |
Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2013
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1 year
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5 years
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10 years
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Return before taxes
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–3.16%
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11.85%
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5.69%
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Return after taxes on distributions
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–3.66%
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9.87%
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3.58%
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Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares
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–1.77%
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8.66%
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3.62%
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Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
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–2.02%
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4.44%
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4.54%
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Management
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Investment Adviser. The Fund’s investment adviser is EULAV Asset Management.
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Portfolio Manager. Liane Rosenberg and Jeffrey Geffen are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Ms. Rosenberg has been a portfolio manager with the Adviser since 2009 and has been one of the Fund’s portfolio managers since December 2012. Mr. Geffen has been a portfolio manager with the Adviser since 2001 and has been one of the Fund’s portfolio managers since December 2010.
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Purchase and sale of Fund shares
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Minimum initial investment in the Fund: $1,000.
|
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Minimum additional investment in the Fund: $250.
|
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The Fund’s shares are redeemable and you may redeem your shares (sell them back to the Fund) through your broker-dealer, financial advisor or financial intermediary, by telephone or by mail by writing to: Value Line Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 219729, Kansas City, MO 64121-9729. See “How to Sell Shares” on Page 56.
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Tax Information and Financial Intermediary Compensation
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For important information about taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “All Funds – Tax Information and Financial Intermediary Compensation” on page 31.
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13 |
V A L U E L I N E I N C O M E A N D G R O W T H F U N D S U M M A R Y
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Investment objectives
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The Fund’s primary investment objective is income, as high and dependable as is consistent with reasonable risk. Capital growth to increase total return is a secondary objective
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Fees and expenses
|
|||
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. There are no shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment) when you buy and sell shares of the Fund. Future expenses may be greater or less.
|
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
|
||||
Management Fees
|
0.67%
|
|||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
|
0.25%
|
|||
Other Expenses
|
0.24%
|
|||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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1.16%
|
|||
Less: 12b-1 Fee Waiver(1)
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-0.05%
|
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Net Expenses
|
1.11%
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(1)
|
Effective March 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015, EULAV Securities LLC (the “Distributor”) has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s 12b-1 fee in an amount equal to 0.05% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The waiver cannot be modified or terminated before June 30, 2015 without the approval of the Fund’s Board of Directors. There is no assurance that the Distributor will extend the fee waiver beyond June 30, 2015.
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Example
|
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This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated whether or not you redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same except in year one. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
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14 |
1 year
|
3 years
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
||
Value Line Income and Growth Fund
|
$113
|
$364
|
$634
|
$1,405
|
Portfolio turnover
|
|||
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 27% of the average value of its portfolio.
|
|||
Principal investment strategies of the Fund
|
|||
To achieve the Fund’s goals, EULAV Asset Management (the “Adviser”) invests not less than 50% of the Fund’s net assets in common or preferred stocks or securities convertible into common stock which may or may not pay dividends. The balance of the Fund’s net assets are primarily invested in U.S. government securities, money market securities and investment grade debt securities rated at the time of purchase from the highest (AAA) to medium (BBB) quality. While the Fund is actively managed by the Adviser, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Value Line Timeliness™ Ranking System or the Value Line Performance™ Ranking System (the “Ranking Systems”) in selecting securities for purchase or sale. The Ranking Systems are proprietary quantitative systems that compare an estimate of the probable market performance of each stock within a universe during the next six to twelve months to that of all stocks within that universe and ranks stocks on a scale of 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest). The common stocks in which the Fund invests usually, as measured by the number and total value of purchases, are selected from those securities ranked 1, 2 or 3 by either Ranking System at the time of purchase. Although the Fund can invest in companies of any size, it generally invests in U.S. securities issued by larger, more established companies (those with a market capitalization of more than $5 billion).
|
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The Adviser may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.
|
15 |
As described above, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Ranking Systems in selecting stocks for the Fund, but has discretion, including whether and which ranked stocks to include within the Fund’s portfolio, whether and when to buy or sell stocks based upon changes in their rankings, and the frequency and timing of rebalancing the Fund’s portfolio. The Adviser will determine the percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in each stock based on the stock’s relative attractiveness.
|
|||
Principal risks of investing in the Fund
|
|||
Investing in any mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment, and that you may lose money. Therefore, before you invest in the Fund you should carefully evaluate the risks.
|
|||
■ |
Market Risk. The chief risk that you assume when investing in the Fund is market risk, which is the possibility that the securities in a certain market will decline in value because of factors such as economic conditions. Market risk may affect a single issuer, an industry, a sector of the economy or the market as a whole.
|
||
■ |
Equity Securities. Equity securities represent ownership in a corporation and their prices fluctuate for a number of reasons including issuer-specific events, market perceptions and general movements in the equity markets. The resulting fluctuation in the price of equity securities may take the form of a drastic movement or a sustained trend. If an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds will take precedence over the claims of owners of common stocks. Historically, the prices of equity securities have fluctuated more than bond prices.
|
||
■ |
Ranking System Risk. The Adviser’s use of the results of the Ranking Systems in managing the Fund involves the risk that the Ranking Systems may not have the predictive qualities anticipated by the Adviser or that over certain periods of time the price of securities not covered by the Ranking Systems, or lower ranked securities, may appreciate to a greater extent than those securities in the Fund’s portfolio.
|
||
■ |
Active Management Risk. Because the Fund is actively managed, its investment return depends on the ability of the Adviser to manage its portfolio successfully. There can be no guarantee that the Adviser’s investment strategies will produce the desired results.
|
16 |
■ |
Interest Rate and Reinvestment Risk. The income on and market price of debt securities fluctuate with changes in interest rates. When interest rates rise, the market prices of the debt securities the Fund owns usually decline. When interest rates fall, the market prices of debt securities usually increase, but the Fund’s income tends to decline. Such decline follows quickly for most variable rate securities and eventually for fixed rate securities as the Fund must reinvest the proceeds it receives from existing investments (upon their maturity, prepayment, buy-back, call, etc.) at a lower rate of interest or return. Generally, the market price of debt securities with longer durations or fixed rates of return will fluctuate more in response to changes in interest rates than the market price of shorter-term securities or variable rate debt securities, respectively.
|
||
■ |
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a debt security will be unable to make interest or principal payments on time. A debt security’s credit rating reflects the credit risk associated with the debt obligation. Generally, higher-rated debt securities involve lower credit risk than lower-rated debt securities. Credit risk is often greater for corporate, mortgage-backed, asset-backed, and foreign government debt securities than for U.S. government debt securities.
|
||
An investment in the Fund is not a complete investment program and you should consider it just one part of your total investment program. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. For a more complete discussion of risk, please turn to page 44.
|
|||
Fund performance
|
|||
This bar chart and table can help you evaluate the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart below shows how returns for the Fund’s shares have varied over the past ten calendar years, and the table below shows the average annual total returns (before and after taxes) of these shares for one, five, and ten years. These returns are compared to the performance of a custom index comprised of the returns of the S&P 500® Index (weighted 60%) and the Barclays Capital U.S. Government/Credit Index (weighted 40%), which are broad based equity and bond market indices, respectively. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at: www.vlfunds.com.
|
17 |
Total returns (before taxes) as of 12/31 each year (%)
|
|||
|
|||
Best Quarter: Q2 2009 +11.29
Worst Quarter: Q4 2008 –13.78
|
|||
After-tax returns in the table below are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRA”).
|
Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2013
|
|||||
1 year
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
|||
Return before taxes
|
19.54%
|
12.25%
|
7.74%
|
||
Return after taxes on distributions
|
18.04%
|
11.64%
|
6.56%
|
||
Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares
|
12.26%
|
9.87%
|
6.14%
|
||
60/40 S&P® 500 Index/Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)(1)
|
18.63%
|
12.53%
|
6.26%
|
||
(1)
|
This custom index is composed of a 60% weighting in the S&P® 500 Index and a 40% weighting in the Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index, calculated on a total return basis with dividends reinvested.
|
18 |
Management
|
|||
Investment Adviser. The Fund’s investment adviser is EULAV Asset Management.
|
|||
Portfolio Manager. Stephen E. Grant is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s equity portfolio. Liane Rosenberg is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the non-equity portion of the Fund’s portfolio. Mr. Grant has been a portfolio manager with the Adviser or its predecessor since 1991 and has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since 2014; Ms. Rosenberg has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2011.
|
|||
Purchase and sale of Fund shares
|
|||
Minimum initial investment in the Fund: $1,000.
|
|||
Minimum additional investment in the Fund: $100.
|
|||
The Fund’s shares are redeemable and you may redeem your shares (sell them back to the Fund) through your broker-dealer, financial advisor or financial intermediary, by telephone or by mail, by writing to: Value Line Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 219729, Kansas City, MO 64121-9729. See “How to sell shares” on page 56.
|
|||
Tax Information and Financial Intermediary Compensation
|
|||
For important information about taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “All Funds - Tax Information and Financial Intermediary Compensation” on page 31.
|
19 |
Investment objective
|
|||||||||||||
The Fund’s sole investment objective is to realize capital growth.
|
|||||||||||||
Fees and expenses
|
|||||||||||||
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and holdshares of the Fund. There are no shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment) when you buy and sell shares of the Fund. Future expenses may be greater or less.
|
|||||||||||||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
|
|||||||||||||
Management Fee
|
0.75%
|
||||||||||||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
|
0.25%
|
||||||||||||
Other Expenses
|
0.25%
|
||||||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
|
1.25%
|
||||||||||||
Less 12b-1 Fee Waivers(1)
|
–0.10%
|
||||||||||||
Net Expenses
|
1.15%
|
||||||||||||
(1)
|
Effective August 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015, EULAV Securities LLC (the “Distributor”) has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s 12b-1 fee equal to 0.10% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. This waiver can be terminated or changed before June 30, 2015 only with the approval of the Fund’s board and the Distributor. The expense information in the table has been restated to reflect the change in the Fund’s 12b-1 fee waiver, effective August 1, 2013, as if in effect throughout the Fund’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2013. If not restated, the Fund’s expenses reflected in the table would be lower.
|
||||||||||||
Example
|
|||||||||||||
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated whether or not you redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same except in year one. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
|||||||||||||
1 year
|
3 years
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
||||||||||
Value Line Larger Companies Fund
|
$117
|
$387
|
$677
|
$1,503
|
20 |
Portfolio turnover
|
|||
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 8% of the average value of its portfolio.
|
|||
Principal investment strategies of the Fund
|
|||
To achieve the Fund’s investment objective, EULAV Asset Management (the “Adviser”) invests substantially all of the Fund’s assets in common stock. While the Fund is actively managed by the Adviser, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Value Line Timeliness™ Ranking System (the “Ranking System”) in selecting securities for purchase or sale. The Ranking System is a proprietary quantitative system that compares an estimate of the probable market performance of each stock within a universe during the next six to twelve months to that of all stocks within that universe and ranks stocks on a scale of 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest). The universe consists of stocks of approximately 1,700 companies under review by the Ranking System accounting for approximately 95% of the market capitalization of all stocks traded on the U.S. securities exchanges, including stocks of foreign companies. The Fund’s investments usually, as measured by the number and total value of purchases, are selected from common stocks of the 100 largest companies by capitalization that are ranked 1, 2, or 3 by the Ranking System; the Adviser usually sells a stock when its rank falls below 3. In addition to selling a stock when its rank falls below 3, the Adviser may sell securities for other reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.
|
|||
As described above, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Ranking System in managing the Fund, and the Fund’s portfolio will consist primarily of stocks ranked 1, 2, or 3 by the Ranking System. The Adviser has, however, discretion in managing the Fund, including whether and which ranked stocks to include within the Fund’s portfolio, whether and when to buy or sell stocks based upon changes in their rankings, and the frequency and timing of rebalancing the Fund’s portfolio. The Adviser will determine the percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in each stock based on the stock’s relative attractiveness.
|
21 |
Principal risks of investing in the Fund
|
||||
Investing in any mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment, and that you may lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, before you invest in the Fund you should carefully evaluate the risks.
|
||||
■
|
Market Risk. The chief risk that you assume when investing in the Fund is market risk, which is the possibility that the securities in a certain market will decline in value because of factors such as economic conditions. Market risk may affect a single issuer, an industry, a sector of the economy or the market as a whole.
|
|||
■
|
Equity Securities. Equity securities represent ownership in a corporation and their prices fluctuate for a number of reasons including issuer-specific events, market perceptions and general movements in the equity markets. The resulting fluctuation in the price of equity securities may take the form of a drastic movement or a sustained trend. If an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds will take precedence over the claims of owners of common stocks. Historically, the prices of equity securities have fluctuated more than bond prices.
|
|||
■
|
Ranking System Risk. The Adviser’s use of the results of the Ranking Systems in managing the Fund involves the risk that the Ranking Systems may not have the predictive qualities anticipated by the Adviser or that over certain periods of time the price of securities not covered by the Ranking Systems, or lower ranked securities, may appreciate to a greater extent than those securities in the Fund’s portfolio.
|
|||
■
|
Active Management Risk. Because the Fund is actively managed, its investment return depends on the ability of the Adviser to manage its portfolio successfully. There can be no guarantee that the Adviser’s investment strategies will produce the desired results.
|
|||
■
|
Foreign Investments. Investing in foreign securities poses additional risks. The performance of foreign securities can be adversely affected by the different political, regulatory and economic environments in countries where the Fund invests, and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may also adversely affect the value of foreign securities. These risks tend to be more volatile in emerging markets (as compared to the U.S. market or developed foreign markets).
|
22 |
■
|
Portfolio Turnover. The Fund’s annual portfolio turnover rate has exceeded 100% in two of the last five years. A rate of portfolio turnover of 100% would occur if all of the Fund’s portfolio were replaced in a period of one year. To the extent the Fund engages in short-term trading in attempting to achieve its investment objective, it will increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate and the Fund will incur higher brokerage commissions and other expenses.
|
|||
An investment in the Fund is not a complete investment program and you should consider it just one part of your total investment program. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. For a more complete discussion of risk, please turn to page 44.
|
||||
Fund performance
|
||||
This bar chart and table can help you evaluate the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart below shows how returns for the Fund’s shares have varied over the past ten calendar years, and the table below shows the average annual total returns (before and after taxes) of these shares for one, five, and ten years. These returns are compared to the performance of the S&P 500® Index, which is a broad based market index. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at: www.vlfunds.com.
|
23 |
Total returns (before taxes) as of 12/31 each year (%)
|
||||||||||||||
Best Quarter:
|
Q1 2012
|
+13.79
|
||||||||||||
Worst Quarter:
|
Q4 2008
|
–21.54
|
||||||||||||
After-tax returns in the table below are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRA”).
|
||||||||||||||
Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2013
|
||||||||||||||
1 year
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
||||||||||||
Return before taxes
|
30.05%
|
14.83%
|
6.65%
|
|||||||||||
Return after taxes on distributions
|
29.86%
|
14.73%
|
5.03%
|
|||||||||||
Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares
|
17.16%
|
11.98%
|
5.01%
|
|||||||||||
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
|
32.38%
|
17.94%
|
7.40%
|
24 |
Management
|
|||
Investment Adviser. The Fund’s investment adviser is EULAV Asset Management.
|
|||
Portfolio Manager. Stephen E. Grant has principal responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Mr. Grant has been a portfolio manager with the Adviser or its predecessor since 1991 and has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since 2014.
|
|||
Purchase and sale of Fund shares
|
|||
Minimum initial investment in the Fund: $1,000.
|
|||
Minimum additional investment in the Fund: $100.
|
|||
The Fund’s shares are redeemable and you may redeem your shares (sell them back to the Fund) through your broker-dealer, financial advisor or financial intermediary, by telephone or by mail by writing to: Value Line Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 219729, Kansas City, MO 64121-9729. See “How to sell shares” on page 56.
|
|||
Tax Information and Financial Intermediary Compensation
|
|||
For important information about taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “All Funds - Tax Information and Financial Intermediary Compensation” on page 31.
|
25 |
Investment objective
|
|||
The Fund primarily seeks long-term growth of capital.
|
|||
Fees and expenses
|
|||
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. There are no shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment) when you buy and sell shares of the Fund. Future expenses may be greater or less.
|
|||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
|
Management Fees
|
0.75%
|
|||||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
|
0.25%
|
|||||
Other Expenses
|
0.24%
|
|||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
|
1.24%
|
Example
|
|||
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated whether or not you redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
1 year
|
3 years
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
||||
Value Line Premier Growth
|
$126
|
$393
|
$681
|
$1,500
|
26 |
Portfolio turnover
|
|||
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 11% of the average value of its portfolio.
|
|||
Principal investment strategies of the Fund
|
|||
To achieve the Fund’s goal, the Fund’s investment adviser, EULAV Asset Management (the “Adviser”), invests at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in a diversified portfolio of U.S. equity securities with favorable growth prospects. In selecting securities for purchase or sale, the Adviser generally analyzes the issuer of a security using fundamental factors such as growth potential and earnings estimates and quantitative factors such as historical earnings, earnings momentum and price momentum. The Fund may invest in small, mid or large capitalization companies, including foreign companies. There are no set limitations of investments according to a company’s size, or to a sector weighting. At December 31, 2013, approximately 10% of the Fund’s investment securities were in consumer discretionary securities, 13% were in health care securities and approximately 28% were in industrial securities.
|
|||
The Adviser may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.
|
|||
Principal risks of investing in the Fund
|
|||
Investing in any mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment, and that you may lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, before you invest in the Fund you should carefully evaluate the risks.
|
|||
■
|
Market Risk. The chief risk that you assume when investing in the Fund is market risk, which is the possibility that the securities in a certain market will decline in value because of factors such as economic conditions. Market risk may affect a single issuer, an industry, a sector of the economy or the market as a whole.
|
27 |
■
|
Equity Securities. Equity securities represent ownership in a corporation and their prices fluctuate for a number of reasons including issuer-specific events, market perceptions and general movements in the equity markets. The resulting fluctuation in the price of equity securities may take the form of a drastic movement or a sustained trend. If an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds will take precedence over the claims of owners of common stocks. Historically, the prices of equity securities have fluctuated more than bond prices.
|
||
■
|
Sector Allocation Risk. A sector is a group of selected industries within the economy, such as technology. The Fund may, from time to time, be overweighted or underweighted in certain sectors, which may cause the Fund’s performance to be more or less sensitive, respectively, to developments affecting those sectors.
|
||
■
|
Active Management Risk. Because the Fund is actively managed, its investment return depends on the ability of the Adviser to manage its portfolio successfully. There can be no guarantee that the Adviser’s investment strategies will produce the desired results.
|
||
■
|
Foreign Investments. Investing in foreign securities poses additional risks. The performance of foreign securities can be adversely affected by the different political, regulatory and economic environments in countries where the Fund invests, and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may also adversely affect the value of foreign securities. These risks tend to be more volatile in emerging markets (as compared to the U.S. market or developed foreign markets).
|
||
■
|
Small Capitalization and Newer Companies. Investing in the securities of a small capitalization or newer company poses greater risk than investing in larger, more established companies. Small capitalization and newer companies often have more volatile market prices, less capital, a shorter history of operations, and less experienced management than larger companies.
|
||
An investment in the Fund is not a complete investment program and you should consider it just one part of your total investment program. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. For a more complete discussion of risk, please turn to page 44.
|
28 |
Fund performance
|
|||
This bar chart and table can help you evaluate the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart below shows how returns for the Fund’s shares have varied over the past ten calendar years, and the table below shows the average annual total returns (before and after taxes) of these shares for one, five, and ten years. These returns are compared to the performance of the S&P 500® Index, which is a broad based market index. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at: www.vlfunds.com.
|
|||
Total returns (before taxes) as of 12/31 each year (%)
|
|||
Best Quarter:
|
Q2 2009
|
+18.60
|
|||
Worst Quarter:
|
Q4 2008
|
–24.67
|
After-tax returns in the table below are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRA”).
|
||||||||
Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2013
|
||||||||
1 year
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
||||||
Return before taxes
|
26.56%
|
20.19%
|
10.01%
|
|||||
Return after taxes on distributions
|
24.49%
|
19.33%
|
9.20%
|
|||||
Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares
|
16.72%
|
16.66%
|
8.32%
|
|||||
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
|
32.39%
|
17.94%
|
7.40%
|
29 |
Management
|
|||
Investment Adviser. The Fund’s investment adviser is EULAV Asset Management.
|
|||
Portfolio Manager. Stephen Grant is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Mr. Grant has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since 1996.
|
|||
Purchase and sale of Fund shares
|
|||
Minimum initial investment in the Fund: $1,000.
|
|||
Minimum additional investment in the Fund: $100.
|
|||
The Fund’s shares are redeemable and you may redeem your shares (sell them back to the Fund) through your broker-dealer, financial advisor or financial intermediary, by telephone or by mail by writing to: Value Line Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 219729, Kansas City, MO 64121-9729. See “How to sell shares” on page 56.
|
|||
Tax Information and Financial Intermediary Compensation
|
|||
For important information about taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “All Funds - Tax Information and Financial Intermediary Compensation” on page 31.
|
30 |
Tax information
|
|||
The Fund’s distributions generally are taxable as ordinary income or capital gains for federal income tax purposes unless you are tax exempt or investing through a tax-deferred account, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA.
|
|||
Payments to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries
|
|||
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
|
31 |
Investment objectives
|
||
The Fund’s primary investment objective is long-term growth of capital. Current income is a secondary investment objective. Although the Fund will strive to achieve these investment objectives, there is no assurance that it will succeed.
|
||
Principal investment strategies
|
||
Because of the nature of the Fund, you should consider an investment in it to be a long-term investment that will best meet its objectives when held for a number of years. The following is a description of how the Adviser pursues the Fund’s objectives.
|
||
While the Fund is actively managed by the Adviser, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Ranking System in selecting securities for purchase or sale. The Ranking System has evolved after many years of research and has been used in substantially its present form since 1965. It is based upon historical prices and reported earnings, recent earnings and price momentum and the degree to which the last reported earnings deviated from estimated earnings, among other factors.
|
||
The Timeliness Rankings are published weekly in the Standard Edition of The Value Line Investment Survey for approximately 1,700 stocks, including those with large, mid and small market capitalizations, recently approximating 95% of the market capitalization of all stocks traded in U.S. securities exchanges. There are a relatively small number of foreign issuers that are included, and stocks that have traded for less than two years are not ranked. On a scale of 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest), the Timeliness Rankings compare an estimate of the probable market performance of each stock during the coming six to twelve months to that of all of the approximately 1,700 stocks under review. The Timeliness Rankings are updated weekly to reflect the most recent information.
|
32 |
The Ranking System does not eliminate market risk, but the Adviser believes that it provides objective standards for determining expected relative performance over the next six to twelve months. All the stocks followed by the Ranking System are listed on U.S. stock exchanges or traded in the U.S. over-the-counter markets. The Fund’s investments principally are selected from common stocks ranked 1, 2 or 3 by the Ranking System at the time of purchase. Apart from the diversification requirements of the 1940 Act (which generally means that it will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the stocks of any one company), the Fund is not subject to any limit on the percentage of its assets that may be invested in any particular stock. Because the Adviser relies on the Ranking System in managing the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund is not limited to investments according to a company’s size. The Adviser may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.
|
||
The Fund relies on the Ranking System whenever feasible. The utilization of the Ranking System is no assurance that the Fund will perform similarly to or more favorably than the market in general over any particular period.
|
||
As described above, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Ranking System in selecting stocks for the Fund, but has discretion, including whether and which ranked stocks to include within the Fund’s portfolio, whether and when to buy or sell stocks based upon changes in their rankings, and the frequency and timing of rebalancing the Fund’s portfolio. The Adviser will determine the percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in each stock based on the stock’s relative attractiveness.
|
||
For additional information regarding the Fund’s investment strategies, please see “All Funds - Information Regarding Non-Principal Investment Strategies” on page 43 and the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
|
||
33 |
A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N R E G A R D I N G P R I N C I P A L I N V E S T M E N T S T R A T E G I E S
|
|||
Investment objectives
|
|||
The investment objective of the Fund is to maximize current income. Capital appreciation is a secondary objective but only when consistent with the Fund’s primary objective. Capital appreciation may result, for example, from an improvement in the credit standing of an issuer whose securities are held in the Fund’s portfolio or from a general lowering of interest rates, or a combination of both. Capital depreciation may result, for example, from a lowered credit standing or a general rise in interest rates, or a combination of both. Although the Fund will strive to achieve these investment objectives, there is no assurance that it will succeed.
|
|||
Principal investment strategies
|
|||
The Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of primarily investment grade bonds and other debt instruments. Sovereign debt, or securities issued or secured by non-U.S. governments, as well as securities issued by supranational agencies, may be held by the Fund, provided the investments are U.S. dollar-denominated.
|
|||
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt instruments. The Fund’s 80% Policy may be changed without shareholder approval. However, shareholders will be given notice at least 60 days prior to any such change. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any type, including corporate bonds, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (U.S. government securities), mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, and other fixed income securities. | |||
The Fund invests principally in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and by U.S. corporations. The U.S. government securities in which the Fund may invest include a variety of securities that are issued or guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the U.S. government, and by various agencies or instrumentalities that have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. The Fund may also invest in debt securities issued by state and local municipalities. The corporate debt obligations in which the Fund may invest include, but are not limited to, bonds, notes, debentures, and commercial paper of U.S. companies.
|
|||
34 |
The Fund’s assets may also be invested in mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or by government-sponsored corporations. Other mortgage-backed securities in which the Fund may invest are issued by certain private, non-government entities. The Fund may also invest in securities that are backed by assets such as receivables on home equity and credit card loans, automobile, mobile home, recreational vehicle and other loans, wholesale dealer floor plans, and leases.
|
|||
The Adviser invests at least 80% of the Fund’s assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in debt securities that are investment grade at the time of purchase, but may invest up to 20% of the Fund’s assets in debt securities that are below investment grade (commonly called “high yield” or “junk” bonds). Investment grade debt securities are rated within the four highest grades by at least one major rating agency, such as Standard & Poor’s (at least BBB-), Moody’s (at least Baa3) or Fitch (at least BBB-), or are determined by the Adviser to be of comparable credit quality. The Fund estimates that the average credit quality rating of Fund assets will be investment grade. The Adviser may consider the security’s rating as assigned by The Value Line Investment Survey. The Standard and Small and Mid-Cap Editions of The Value Line Investment Survey rate approximately 3,500 companies. These ratings range from A++ to C and are divided into nine categories. Companies that have the best financial strength (relative to the other companies followed in The Value Line Investment Survey) are given an “A++” rating, indicating an ability to weather hard times better than the vast majority of other companies. Those that don’t quite merit the top rating are given an “A+” grade, and so on. Those rated “C+” are well below average, and “C” is reserved for companies with very serious financial problems. The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides further information on securities ratings. | |||
The Fund invests in debt securities of any maturity, and there is no limit on the Fund’s maximum average portfolio maturity. The Fund estimates that the weighted average maturity of its portfolio will range between three to fifteen years. The Fund may purchase debt securities that pay fixed, variable, inflation-indexed, or other rates of return, including zero coupon and original issue discount bonds. |
35 |
The Fund may invest in foreign securities, including depository receipts; governmental or supranational debt obligations; and corporate loans and debt or securities that are made to, or issued by, foreign companies, U.S. subsidiaries of non-U.S. companies, or U.S. companies with significant foreign operations.
|
|||
The securities purchased by the Fund may include preferred stocks and “convertible securities”—that is, bonds, debentures, corporate notes, preferred stocks or other securities which are convertible into common stock. The Fund’s portfolio may also include warrants or common shares when consistent with the Fund’s primary objective or acquired as part of a unit combining fixed-income and equity securities.
|
|||
The Fund may purchase certain securities (“Rule 144A securities”) for which there is a secondary market of qualified institutional buyers, as contemplated by Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933. Rule 144A provides an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 for the resale of certain restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers.
|
|||
In deciding which securities to buy, hold or sell, the Adviser considers a number of factors, including the issuer’s creditworthiness, economic prospects and interest rate trends as well as the security’s credit rating.
|
|||
For additional information regarding the Fund’s investment strategies, please see “All Funds - Information Regarding Non-Principal Investment Strategies” on page 43 and the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
|
36 |
A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N R E G A R D I N G P R I N C I P A L I N V E S T M E N T S T R A T E G I E S
|
|
Investment objectives
|
|||
The Fund’s primary investment objective is income, as high and dependable as is consistent with reasonable risk. Capital growth to increase total return is a secondary objective. Although the Fund will strive to achieve these investment objectives, there is no assurance that it will succeed.
|
|||
Principal investment strategies
|
|||
Because of the nature of the Fund, you should consider an investment in it to be a long-term investment that will best meet its objectives when held for a number of years. The following is a description of how the Adviser pursues the Fund’s objectives.
|
|||
The Adviser analyzes economic and market conditions, seeking to identify the market sectors or securities that it thinks make the best investments.
|
|||
To achieve the Fund’s goals, not less than 50% of the Fund’s net assets are invested in common or preferred stocks or securities convertible into common stock which may or may not pay dividends. While the Fund is actively managed by the Adviser, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Ranking Systems in selecting securities for purchase or sale.
|
|||
The Value Line Timeliness Ranking System has evolved after many years of research and has been used in substantially its present form since 1965. It is based upon historical prices and reported earnings, recent earnings and price momentum and the degree to which the last reported earnings deviated from estimated earnings, among other factors. The Timeliness Rankings are published weekly in the Standard Edition of The Value Line Investment Survey for approximately 1,700 stocks, including those with large, mid and small market capitalizations, recently approximating 95% of the market capitalization of all stocks traded in U.S. securities exchanges. There are a relatively small number of foreign issuers that are included, and stocks that have traded for less than two years are not ranked. On a scale of 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest), the Timeliness Rankings compare an estimate of the probable market performance of each stock during the coming six to twelve months to that of all of the approximately 1,700 stocks under review. The Timeliness Rankings are updated weekly to reflect the most recent information.
|
37 |
The Value Line Performance Ranking System for common stocks was introduced in 1995. The universe of stocks followed by the Value Line Performance Ranking System consists of approximately 2,900 stocks of companies with smaller market capitalizations (under $1 billion) and mid-sized market capitalizations (between $1 billion and $5 billion), along with a relatively small number of foreign issuers. This stock ranking system relies on factors similar to those found in the Value Line Timeliness Ranking System except that it does not utilize earnings estimates. The Performance Ranking System uses a scale of 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest) to compare an estimate of the probable market performance of each stock during the coming six to twelve months to that of all of the approximately 2,900 stocks under review.
|
|||
Neither Ranking System eliminates market risk, but the Adviser believes that they provide objective standards for determining expected relative performance of a stock for the next six to twelve months. The Fund’s investments usually, as measured by the number and total value of purchases, are selected from common stocks issued by companies that are ranked 1, 2 or 3 by either Ranking System at the time of purchase. Apart from to the diversification requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (which generally means that it will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the stocks of any one company), the Fund is not subject to any limit on the percentage of its assets that may be invested in any particular stock. Although the Fund can invest in companies of any size, it generally invests in U.S. securities issued by larger, more established companies (those with a market capitalization of more than $5 billion. The Fund relies on the Ranking System whenever feasible. The utilization of the Ranking Systems is no assurance that the Fund will perform similarly to or more favorably than the market in general over any particular period.
|
|||
As described above, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Ranking Systems in selecting stocks for the Fund, but has discretion, including whether and which ranked stocks to include within the Fund’s portfolio, whether and when to buy or sell stocks based upon changes in their rankings, and the frequency and timing of rebalancing the Fund’s portfolio. The Adviser will determine the percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in each stock based on the stock’s relative attractiveness.
|
38 |
The Fund may invest a portion (up to 40%) of its net assets in U.S. government securities, money market securities and debt securities rated at the time of purchase within the four highest grades assigned by a national rating organization or, if not rated, believed by the Adviser to be of equivalent credit quality. In selecting debt securities, the Adviser evaluates the credit quality of the debt security and its value relative to comparable securities as well as its historic trading level.
|
|||
The Adviser may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.
|
|||
For additional information regarding the Fund’s investment strategies, please see “All Funds - Information Regarding Non-Principal Investment Strategies” on page 43 and the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
|
39 |
A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N R E G A R D I N G P R I N C I P A L I N V E S T M E N T S T R A T E G I E S
|
|
Investment objective
|
|||
The Fund’s investment objective is to realize capital growth. Although the Fund will strive to achieve its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will succeed.
|
|||
Principal investment strategies
|
|||
Because of the nature of the Fund, you should consider an investment in it to be a long-term investment that will best meet its objective when held for a number of years. The following is a description of how the Adviser pursues the Fund’s objective.
|
|||
While the Fund is actively managed by the Adviser, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Ranking System in selecting securities for purchase or sale. The Ranking System has evolved after many years of research and has been used in substantially its present form since 1965. It is based upon historical prices and reported earnings, recent earnings and price momentum and the degree to which the last reported earnings deviated from estimated earnings, among other factors.
|
|||
The Timeliness Rankings are published weekly in the Standard Edition of The Value Line Investment Survey for approximately 1,700 stocks, including those with large, mid and small market capitalizations, recently approximating 95% of the market capitalization of all stocks traded in U.S. securities exchanges. There are a relatively small number of foreign issuers that are included, and stocks that have traded for less than two years are not ranked. On a scale of 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest), the Timeliness Rankings compare an estimate of the probable market performance of each stock during the coming six to twelve months to that of all of the approximately 1,700 stocks under review. The Timeliness Rankings are updated weekly to reflect the most recent information.
|
40 |
The Ranking System does not eliminate market risk, but the Adviser believes that it provides objective standards for determining expected relative performance over the next six to twelve months. The Fund’s investment usually, as measured by the number and total value of purchases, are selected from common stocks of the 100 largest companies by capitalization that are ranked 1, 2 or 3 by the Ranking System; the Adviser usually sells a stock when its rank falls below 3. There are currently approximately 400 stocks ranked 1 or 2 and approximately 900 ranked 3. In addition to selling a stock when its rank falls below 3, the Adviser may sell securities for other reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities. The Fund relies on the Ranking System whenever feasible. The utilization of the Ranking System is no assurance that the Fund will perform similarly to or more favorably than the market in general over any particular period.
|
|||
As described above, the Adviser relies primarily on the rankings of companies by the Ranking System in managing the Fund, and the Fund’s portfolio will consist primarily of stocks ranked 1, 2, or 3 by the Ranking System. The Adviser has, however, discretion in managing the Fund, including whether and which ranked stocks to include within the Fund’s portfolio, whether and when to buy or sell stocks based upon changes in their rankings, and the frequency and timing of rebalancing the Fund’s portfolio. The Adviser will determine the percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in each stock based on the stock’s relative attractiveness.
|
|||
For additional information regarding the Fund’s investment strategies, please see “All Funds - Information Regarding Non-Principal Investment Strategies” on page 43 and the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
|
41 |
A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N R E G A R D I N G P R I N C I P A L I N V E S T M E N T S T R A T E G I E S
|
|
Investment objective
|
|||
The Fund primarily seeks long-term growth of capital. Although the Fund will strive to achieve its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will succeed.
|
|||
Principal investment strategies
|
|||
Because of the nature of the Fund, you should consider an investment in it to be a long-term investment that will best meet its objective when held for a number of years. The following is a description of how the Adviser pursues the Fund’s objective.
|
|||
To achieve the Fund’s investment objective, the Adviser invests at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in a diversified portfolio of U.S. equity securities with favorable growth prospects. In selecting securities for purchase or sale, the Adviser generally analyzes the issuer of a security using fundamental factors such as growth potential and earnings estimates, and quantitative factors such as historical earnings, earnings momentum and price momentum. The Fund may invest in small, mid or large capitalization companies, including foreign companies. There are no set limitations of investment according to a company’s size, or to a sector weighting. At December 31, 2013, approximately 10% of the Fund’s investment securities were in consumer discretionary securities, 13% were in health care securities and approximately 28% were in industrial securities.
|
|||
For additional information regarding the Fund’s investment strategies, please see “All Funds - Information Regarding Non-Principal Investment Strategies” on page 43 and the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
|
42 |
A L L F U N D S – I N F O R M A T I O N R E G A R D I N G N O N – P R I N C I P A L I N V E S T M E N T S T R A T E G I E S
|
|
Each of Value Line Fund, Value Line Core Bond Fund, Value Line Income and Growth Fund, Value Line Larger Companies Fund, and Value Line Premier Growth Fund (together, the “Funds”) may engage in certain investment strategies in addition to the Fund’s principal investment strategies. The strategies described below apply to all the Funds unless otherwise specified.
|
|||
Temporary defensive position. From time to time in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies. This could help the Fund avoid losses, but it may have the effect of reducing the Fund’s income or capital appreciation, or both. If this occurs, the Fund may not achieve its investment objectives.
|
|||
Securities lending. (all but Value Line Core Bond Fund) From time to time, the Fund may lend a portion of its portfolio securities to institutional investors. This could help the Fund produce additional income.
|
|||
Rule 144A securities. (Value Line Income and Growth Fund only) The Fund may purchase certain securities (“Rule 144A securities”) for which there is a secondary market of qualified institutional buyers, as contemplated by Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933. Rule 144A provides an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 for the resale of certain restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers.
|
|||
Portfolio turnover. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities in order to take advantage of better investment opportunities to achieve its investment objectives. This strategy would result in higher brokerage commissions and other expenses and may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Portfolio turnover may also result in capital gain distributions that could increase your income tax liability. See “Financial Highlights” for the Fund’s most current portfolio turnover rates.
|
|||
There are other non-principal investment strategies and associated risks discussed in the SAI.
|
43 |
A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N R E G A R D I N G P R I N C I P A L R I S K S
|
|||
The principal risks of investing in the Funds | |||
Investing in any mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment, and that you may lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, before you invest in a Fund you should carefully evaluate the risks. The price of Fund shares will increase and decrease according to changes in the value of a Fund’s investments. The principal risks described below apply to all the Funds unless otherwise specified.
|
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■
|
Market Risk. (all but Value Line Core Bond Fund) The chief risk that you assume when investing in the Fund is market risk, which is the possibility that the securities in a certain market will decline in value because of factors such as economic conditions. Market risk may affect a single issuer, an industry, a sector of the economy or the market as a whole.
|
||
■
|
Equity Securities. (all but Value Line Core Bond Fund) Equity securities represent ownership in a corporation and their prices fluctuate for a number of reasons including issuer-specific events, market perceptions and general movements in the equity markets. Reasons related directly to the issuer include the performance of its management, financial leverage, or reduced demand for the issuer’s goods and services. General movements in the equity markets occur in response to broader economic events, like changing interest rates and monetary policy. The resulting fluctuation in the price of equity securities may take the form of a drastic movement or a sustained trend. If an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds will take precedence over the claims of owners of common stocks. Historically, the prices of equity securities have fluctuated more than bond prices.
|
||
■ |
Illiquidity Risk. (all but Value Line Core Bond Fund) Certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time and price that the Fund would like when there is little or no active trading market. If a security cannot be sold by the Fund at a favorable time and price, the Fund may have to lower the price, sell other securities instead, or forgo an investment opportunity in order to obtain liquidity. This could have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance.
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44 |
■ |
Foreign Investments. (Value Line Core Bond Fund, Value Line Larger Companies Fund and Value Line Premier Growth Fund only) Investing in foreign securities poses additional risks. The performance of foreign securities can be adversely affected by the different political, regulatory and economic environments in countries where the Fund invests. Other risks associated with foreign financial markets and legal institutions include unfavorable trading, settlement or custodial practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, less stringent investor protection standards, limited legal redress for violations of law, and more limited trading markets. These risks tend to be magnified in emerging markets (as compared to the U.S. market or developed foreign markets).
|
||
■ |
Inflation Risk. (Value Line Core Bond Fund only) The market price of the Fund’s debt securities generally falls as inflation increases because the purchasing power of the future income and repaid principal is expected to be worth less when received by the Fund. Debt securities (excluding inflation-indexed securities) are subject to long-term erosion in purchasing power and such erosion may exceed any return received by the Fund with respect to a debt security. Debt securities that pay a fixed rather than variable interest rate are especially vulnerable to inflation risk because interest rates on variable rate debt securities may increase as inflation increases.
|
||
■ |
Below Investment Grade Credit or High Yield Securities. (Value Line Core Bond Fund only) Below investment grade securities (commonly called “high yield” or “junk” bonds) are speculative and involve a greater risk of default and price change due to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness or the risky nature of an investment for which limited or no recourse to the issuer is provided. The income on and market prices of these debt securities usually fluctuate more than that of investment grade debt securities and may decline more significantly in periods of general economic difficulty. High yield debt instruments are more vulnerable to changes in interest rates and inflation, in part because leveraged or overextended issuers and investments are more sensitive to adverse changes. Below investment grade securities also tend to pose greater risks of illiquidity than higher-quality securities. Many are not registered for sale under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or do not trade frequently. When they do trade, their prices may be significantly higher or lower than expected. As a result, high yield debt instruments also generally pose a greater risk of being valued incorrectly by the market or the Fund.
|
45 |
■ |
Mortgage-Backed/Asset-Backed Securities. (Value Line Core Bond Fund only) Investing in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities poses additional risks, principally with respect to increased interest rate risk, prepayment risk and extension risk. The Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities may cause the Fund’s indirect exposure to a given industry or group of industries to exceed the limit on concentration set forth in the Fund’s investment restrictions. This is because the Fund does not count mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities as an investment in any particular industry or group of industries for purposes of the Fund’s industry concentration restrictions. The market for some mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities may be, or rapidly become, illiquid, and certain of these securities are at greater risk of being valued incorrectly by the market or the Fund.
|
||
■ |
Prepayment and Extension Risk. (Value Line Core Bond Fund only) Many debt securities give the issuer the option to prepay principal prior to maturity. During periods of falling interest rates, prepayments may accelerate and the Fund may be forced to reinvest the proceeds at a lower interest rate. When interest rates rise, the term of a debt security is at greater risk of extension because rates of prepayments fall and rates of late payments and defaults rise. Extending the duration of a security “locks in” lower interest rates if the extension occurs in a rising interest rate environment.
|
||
■ |
Government Securities. (Value Line Core Bond Fund only) The U.S. government may not provide financial support to U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if it is not obligated to do so by law. Certain U.S. government securities purchased by the Fund are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S., and are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. The maximum potential liabilities of the instrumentalities that issue some U.S. government securities may exceed the current resources of such instrumentalities, including their legal right to receive support from the U.S. Treasury. Consequently, although such instruments are U.S. government securities, it is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future. Even securities that are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. may be adversely affected as to market prices and yields if the long-term sovereign credit rating of the U.S. is further downgraded, as it was by Standard & Poors in 2011.
|
||
■ |
Small Capitalization and Newer Companies. (Value Line Premier Growth Fund only) Investing in the securities of a small capitalization or newer company poses greater risk than investing in larger, more established companies. Small capitalization and newer companies often have more volatile market prices, less capital, a shorter history of operations, and less experienced management than larger companies. Smaller companies may be followed less actively by analysts and have less readily available information. In addition, securities of smaller companies often trade less frequently, in lower volumes and on smaller or over- the-counter markets, resulting in greater price fluctuations and susceptibility to selling pressure.
|
46 |
■ |
Sector Allocation Risk. (Value Line Premier Growth Fund only) A sector is a group of selected industries within the economy, such as technology. The Fund may, from time to time, be overweighted or underweighted in certain sectors, which may cause the Fund’s performance to be more or less sensitive, respectively, to developments affecting those sectors. When the Fund invests significant assets in the securities of issuers in one or more market sectors, volatility in a sector will have a greater impact on the Fund than it would on a fund that has securities representing a broader range of investments.
|
||
■ |
Credit Risk. (Value Line Core Bond Fund and Value Line Income and Growth Fund only) Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a debt security will be unable to make interest or principal payments on time. A debt security’s credit rating reflects the credit risk associated with the debt obligation. Generally, higher- rated debt securities involve lower credit risk than lower-rated debt securities. The perceived credit risk of an investment also influences its price, and the price of the Fund’s debt securities may fall if they are inaccurately perceived by the market to present a different amount of credit risk than they actually do. Credit risk is often greater for corporate, mortgage-backed, asset-backed, and foreign government debt securities than for U.S. government debt securities. Credit risk is also generally greater where less information is publically available, where fewer covenants safeguard the investors’ interests, where collateral may be impaired or inadequate, where little legal redress or regulatory protection is available, or where a party’s ability to meet obligations is speculative.
|
||
■ |
Interest Rate and Reinvestment Risk. (Value Line Core Bond Fund and Value Line Income and Growth Fund only) The income on and market price of debt securities fluctuate with changes in interest rates. When interest rates rise, the market prices of the debt securities the Fund owns usually decline. This occurs because new debt securities are likely to be issued with higher yields as interest rates rise, making the old or outstanding debt securities less attractive. Rising interest rates may also cause the Fund’s income from certain asset-backed and high yield debt securities to fall because the rate of default and delayed payment on underlying obligations generally increases as underlying borrowers must pay higher interest rates. When interest rates fall, the market prices of debt securities usually increase, but the Fund’s income tends to decline. Such decline follows quickly for most variable rate securities and eventually for fixed rate securities as the Fund must reinvest the proceeds it receives from existing investments (upon their maturity, prepayment, buy-back, call, etc.) at a lower rate of interest or return. Generally, the market price of debt securities with longer durations or fixed rates of return will fluctuate more in response to changes in interest rates than the market price of shorter-term securities or variable rate debt securities, respectively.
|
47 |
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Ranking System Risk. (all but Value Line Core Bond Fund and Value Line Premier Growth Fund) The Adviser’s use of the results of the Ranking Systems in managing the Fund involves the risk that the Ranking Systems may not have the predictive qualities anticipated by the Adviser or that over certain periods of time the price of securities not covered by the Ranking Systems, or lower ranked securities, may appreciate to a greater extent than those securities in the Fund’s portfolio.
|
||
■ |
Active Management Risk. Because the Fund is actively managed, its investment return depends on the ability of the Adviser to manage its portfolio successfully. There can be no guarantee that the Adviser’s investment strategies will produce the desired results. The Fund and, therefore, the shareholders accrue additional expenses with more active management strategies (as compared to strategies like indexing).
|
||
Please see the SAI for a further discussion of risks. Information on each Fund’s recent portfolio holdings can be found in the Fund’s current annual, semi- annual or quarterly reports. A description of each Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is also available in the SAI.
|
48 |
The business and affairs of the Funds are managed by each Fund’s officers under the oversight of each Fund’s Board of Directors.
|
|||||
The Funds’ investment adviser is EULAV Asset Management, a Delaware statutory trust, located at 7 Times Square, 21st Floor New York, NY 10036-6524. The Adviser also acts as investment adviser to the other Value Line mutual funds with combined assets of approximately $2.3 billion as of March 31, 2014.
|
|||||
For managing each Fund and its investments, the Adviser is paid an annual fee, as a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets, at the rates set forth below.
|
|||||
Value Line Fund
|
0.70% on the first $100 million of the Fund’s average daily net assets and 0.65% on any additional assets.
|
||||
Value Line Core Bond Fund
|
0.50% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.(1)
|
||||
Value Line Income and Growth Fund
|
0.70% on the first $100 million of the Fund’s average daily net assets and 0.65% on any additional assets.
|
||||
Value Line Larger Companies Fund
|
0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
|
||||
Value Line Premier Growth Fund
|
0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
|
||||
(1)
|
Effective June 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015, the Adviser contractually agreed to waive a portion of the management fee in an amount equal to 0.10% of its average daily net assets. There is no assurance that the Adviser will extend the contractual fee waiver beyond such date.
|
||||
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, the Adviser received a management fee equal to 0.69 % of the average daily net assets of Value Line Fund and 0.67 % of the average daily net assets of Value Line Income and Growth Fund.
|
|||||
A discussion regarding the basis for each Fund’s Board of Directors’ approval of the investment advisory agreement is available in the Fund’s most recent semi-annual report to shareholders for the six month period ended June 30.
|
49 |
Fund
|
Portfolio Manager
|
Additional Information
|
|||||
Value Line Fund
|
Stephen E. Grant
|
Stephen E. Grant is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio and has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since 2009.
|
|||||
Value Line
Core Bond Fund |
Liane Rosenberg and
Jeffrey Geffen |
Liane Rosenberg and Jeffrey Geffen are primarily responsible for the day- to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio and have been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2012 and 2010, respectively.
|
|||||
Value Line Income
and Growth Fund |
Stephen E. Grant and
Liane Rosenberg |
Stephen E. Grant is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s equity portfolio and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014. Liane Rosenberg is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the non-equity portion of the Fund’s portfolio and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2011.
|
|||||
Value Line Larger
Companies Fund |
Stephen E. Grant
|
Stephen E. Grant has principal responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio and has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since 2014.
|
|||||
Value Line Premier
Growth Fund |
Stephen E. Grant
|
Stephen E. Grant is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio and has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since 1996.
|
50 |
Mr. Grant has been a portfolio manager with the Adviser or its predecessor since 1991. Ms. Rosenberg has been a portfolio manager with the Adviser since 2009. Mr. Geffen has been a portfolio manager with the Adviser since 2001.
|
|||
There is additional information in the SAI about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts they manage and their ownership of Fund shares.
|
51 |
■
|
By telephone
|
|||
Once you have opened an account, you can buy additional shares by calling 800-243-2729 (the Funds’ transfer agent) between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. You must pay for these shares within three business days of placing your order.
|
||||
■
|
By wire
|
|||
If you are making an initial purchase by wire, you must call the Funds’ transfer agent at 800-243-2729 so you can be assigned an account number. Request your U.S. bank with whom you have an account to wire the amount you want to invest to State Street Bank and Trust Company, ABA #011000028, attention DDA # 99049868. Include your name, account number, tax identification number and the name of the Fund in which you want to invest.
|
||||
■
|
Through a broker-dealer
|
|||
You can open an account and buy shares through a broker-dealer, who may charge a fee for this service.
|
||||
■
|
By mail
|
|||
Complete the account application and mail it with your check payable to BFDS, Agent to Value Line Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 219729, Kansas City, MO 64121-9729. If you are making an initial purchase by mail, you must include a completed account application or an appropriate retirement plan application if you are opening a retirement account, with your check. Cash, money orders, traveler’s checks, cashier’s checks, bank drafts or third-party checks will not be accepted for either the initial or any subsequent purchase. All purchases must be made in U.S. dollars and checks must be drawn on U.S. banks.
|
||||
■
|
Minimum/additional investments
|
|||
Once you have completed an account application, you can make an initial purchase of any Fund’s shares with a minimum investment of $1,000. Additional investments can be made at any time with amounts as little as $100, except in the case of Value Line Core Bond Fund, for which the minimum additional investment is $250. The price you pay for shares will depend on when your purchase order is received. Each Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order within 24 hours of its receipt and to reduce or waive the minimum purchase requirements at any time.
|
||||
52 |
■
|
Time of purchase
|
|||
Your price for Fund shares is the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”) which is generally calculated as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) every day the Exchange is open for business. The Exchange is currently closed on weekends, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day and on the preceding Friday or subsequent Monday if any of those days falls on a Saturday or Sunday, respectively. Orders received by the close of regular trading on the Exchange in proper form, as determined by Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. (“BFDS”) or another intermediary designated by the Funds, will be priced at the NAV determined as of the close of trading on that day. Each Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order and to waive the initial and subsequent investment minimums at any time.
|
||||
Fund shares may be purchased through various third-party intermediaries authorized by the Funds including banks, brokers, financial advisers and financial supermarkets who may charge a fee. When the intermediary is authorized by the Fund, orders will be priced at the NAV next computed after receipt of the order by the intermediary.
|
||||
■
|
Service and Distribution Plan
|
|||
Each Fund has adopted a Service and Distribution Plan (each, a “Plan”) under Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Each Fund pays EULAV Securities LLC (the “Distributor”) Rule 12b-1 fees, at the annual rate of 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, which are used by the Distributor for its expenses relating to the distribution, marketing and administrative services with respect to each Fund’s shares. The Distributor may also make payments to broker-dealers, banks, financial institutions and other organizations which provide distribution, marketing and administrative services with respect to each Fund’s shares. Such services may include, among other things, answering investor inquiries regarding a Fund, processing new shareholder account applications and redemption transactions, responding to shareholder inquiries, and such other services as a Fund may request to the extent permitted by applicable statute, rule or regulation. The Plans also provide that the Adviser may make payments for such services out of its advisory fee, its past profits or any other source available to it. The fees payable to the Distributor under the Plans are payable without regard to actual expenses incurred which means that the Distributor may earn a profit under the Plan.
|
||||
53 |
The Distributor has contractually agreed to waive a portion of certain Funds’ Rule 12b-1 fees. The contractual waiver for the applicable Funds is set forth in the chart below. There is no assurance that the Distributor will extend the fee waiver beyond the date indicated, and the fee waiver may be modified or terminated before such date with the approval of the Fund’s Board.
|
|||||
Fund
|
Contractual Rule 12b-1 Fee Waiver
|
||||
Value Line Core
Bond Fund |
Effective June 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015, the Distributor contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 fees in an amount equal to 0.05% of its average daily net assets.
|
||||
Value Line Income
and Growth Fund |
Effective March 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015, the Distributor contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 fees in an amount equal to 0.05% of its average daily net assets.
|
||||
Value Line Larger
Companies Fund |
Effective August 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015 the Distributor contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 fees in an amount equal to 0.10% of its average daily net assets.
|
||||
Because Rule 12b-1 fees are paid out of a Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than if you paid other types of sales charges.
|
|||||
■
|
Other payments by the Funds
|
||||
Each Fund compensates financial intermediaries that provide sub-transfer agency and related services to investors that hold their Fund shares in omnibus accounts maintained by financial intermediaries. This fee, which may be paid directly to the financial intermediary or indirectly via the Distributor, is in an amount generally approximating the amount of transfer agency fees that a Fund would otherwise bear had such accounts been direct shareholders in the Fund and may not exceed 0.05% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. This fee is in addition to the Rule 12b-1 fee.
|
54 |
■
|
Additional compensation to financial intermediaries
|
|||
The Adviser, the Distributor and/or their affiliates may pay additional compensation out of their assets (which generally come directly or indirectly from the Funds and other Value Line mutual funds) to certain brokerage firms and other intermediaries or their affiliates, based on Fund assets held by that firm, or such other criteria agreed to by the Adviser, the Distributor or their affiliates. The Adviser, the Distributor or their affiliates determines the firms to which payments may be made, which payments may be significant.
|
||||
Brokerage firms and other intermediaries that sell Fund shares may make decisions about which investment options they will service and make available to their clients based on the payments these entities may be eligible to receive for their services. Therefore, payments to a brokerage firm or other intermediary create potential conflicts of interest between that entity and its clients where that entity determines which investment options it will make available to those clients.
|
||||
The SAI discusses these revenue-sharing arrangements in more detail. Your intermediary may charge you additional fees other than those disclosed in this prospectus. You can ask your firm about any payments it receives from the Funds, the Distributor or the Adviser, as well as about fees and/or commissions charged by that firm.
|
||||
■
|
Net asset value
|
|||
Each Fund’s NAV per share is determined for the purposes of both purchases and redemptions as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange each day the Exchange is open for business. NAV is calculated by adding the value of all the securities and assets in the Fund’s portfolio, deducting all liabilities, and dividing the resulting number by the number of shares outstanding. The result is the NAV per share. Securities for which market prices or quotations are readily available are priced at their market value which, in the case of securities traded on an exchange or the NASDAQ Stock Market, is typically the last quoted sale or the NASDAQ Closing Price, unless no sale occurred on that day, in which case market value is typically deemed to be the midpoint between the last available and representative bid and asked prices. Securities for which market valuations are not readily available, or are determined not to reflect accurately fair value, are priced at their fair value as determined by the Adviser pursuant to policies and procedures adopted by each Fund’s Board of Directors and under such Board’s general supervision. The Funds will use the fair value of a security when the closing market price on the primary exchange where the security is traded no longer accurately reflects the value of the security in the Adviser’s opinion due to factors affecting one or more relevant securities markets or the specific issuer. The use of fair value pricing by the Funds may cause the NAV to differ from the NAV that would be calculated using closing market prices. There can be no assurance that the Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to a security if it sold the security at approximately the time at which the Fund determined its NAV. Debt securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or more at the time of acquisition are valued using prices provided by a pricing service, or by prices furnished by recognized dealers in such securities. Debt securities which have a maturity of less than 60 days are priced at amortized cost. The amortized cost method of valuation involves valuing a security at its cost and accruing any discount or premium over the period until maturity, regardless of the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the market value of the security.
|
||||
55 |
■
|
Important information about opening a new account with the Value Line Funds
|
|||
In furtherance of the national effort to stop the funding of terrorism and to curtail money laundering, the USA Patriot Act and other Federal regulations require financial institutions, including mutual funds, to adopt certain policies and programs to prevent money laundering activities, including procedures to verify the identity of all investors opening new accounts. Accordingly, when completing the account application for a Fund, you will be required to supply the Fund with certain information for all persons owning or permitted to act on an account. This information includes name, date of birth, taxpayer identification number and street address. Also, as required by law, the Funds employ various procedures, such as comparing the information you provide against fraud databases or requesting additional information or documentation from you, to ensure that the information supplied by you is correct. Until such verification is made, each Fund may temporarily limit any share purchases or close your account if it is unable to verify your identity.
|
||||
■
|
General
|
|||
You can redeem your shares (sell them back to the Fund) at NAV by telephone and by mail by writing to: Value Line Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 219729, Kansas City, MO 64121-9729. Certain redemption requests must be signed by all owners of the account, and you must include a signature guarantee using the medallion imprint for each owner if the redemption is for $25,000 or more. Signature guarantees are also required when redemption proceeds are going to anyone other than the account holder(s) of record. If you hold your shares in certificates, you must submit the certificates properly endorsed with a signature guarantee with your request to sell the shares. A signature guarantee can be obtained from most banks or securities dealers, but not from a notary public. A signature guarantee helps protect against fraud.
|
||||
56 |
The Fund will pay you promptly, normally the next business day, but no later than seven days after your request to sell your shares is received. If you purchased your shares by check and then immediately request redemption, the Fund will wait until your check has cleared, which can take up to 15 days from the day of purchase, before the proceeds are sent to you.
|
||||
If your account is held in the name of a corporation, as a fiduciary or agent, or as surviving joint owner, you may be required to provide additional documents with your redemption request.
|
||||
■
|
By telephone or wire
|
|||
You can sell $1,000 or more of your shares up to $25,000 by telephone or wire, with the proceeds sent to your U.S. bank the next business day after the Fund receives your request.
|
||||
■
|
Through a broker-dealer
|
|||
Fund shares may be sold through various third-party intermediaries including banks, brokers, financial advisers and financial supermarkets, who may charge a fee for this service. When the intermediary is authorized by a Fund, the shares that you buy or sell through the intermediary are priced at the next NAV that is computed after receipt of your order by the intermediary. Orders received by the intermediary by the close of regular trading on the Exchange (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) will be priced at the NAV determined as of the close of trading on that day.
|
||||
Among the brokers that have been authorized by the Funds are Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., TD Ameritrade Inc., Pershing LLC, and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (National Financial Services LLC). You should consult with your broker to determine if it has been so authorized.
|
||||
57 |
■
|
By exchange
|
|||
You can exchange all or part of your investment in a Fund for shares in other Value Line mutual funds or the Daily Income Fund – U.S. Government Portfolio. When you exchange shares, you are purchasing shares in another fund so you should be sure to get a copy of that fund’s prospectus and read it carefully before buying shares through an exchange.
|
||||
To execute an exchange, call 800-243-2729. Each Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order within 24 hours of its receipt.
|
||||
When you send a Fund’s transfer agent a properly completed request to sell or exchange shares, you will receive the NAV that is next determined after your request is received by the transfer agent. For each account involved you should provide the account name, number, name of the Fund, and exchange or redemption amount. Call 800-243-2729 for information on additional documentation that may be required. You may have to pay taxes on the gain from your sale or exchange of shares.
|
||||
Exchanges among Value Line mutual funds, including for these purposes the Daily Income Fund – U.S. Government Portfolio, are a shareholder privilege and not a right. Each Fund may temporarily or permanently terminate the exchange privileges of any investor that, in the opinion of the Fund, uses market timing strategies or who makes more than four exchanges out of the Fund during a calendar year.
|
||||
This exchange limitation does not apply to systematic purchases and redemptions, including certain automated or pre-established exchange, asset allocation or dollar cost averaging programs. These exchange limits are subject to a Fund’s ability to monitor exchange activity. Shareholders seeking to engage in excessive trading practices may deploy a variety of strategies to avoid detection, and, despite the best efforts of each Fund to prevent excessive trading, there is no guarantee that a Fund or its agents will be able to identify such shareholders or curtail their trading practices. The Funds receive purchase and redemption orders through financial intermediaries and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading which may be facilitated by these intermediaries or by the use of omnibus account arrangements offered by these intermediaries to investors.
|
||||
58 |
■
|
Account minimum
|
|||
If as a result of redemptions your account balance falls below $500, the Fund may ask you to increase your balance within 30 days. If your account is not at the minimum by the required time, the Fund may redeem your account, after first notifying you in writing.
|
||||
■
|
Redemption in kind
|
|||
The Fund reserves the right to make a redemption in kind—payment in liquid portfolio securities, wholly or in part, rather than cash—if the amount being redeemed is large enough to affect Fund operations. The redeeming shareholder will pay transaction costs, including brokerage fees, to sell these securities and will bear the market and tax risk of holding the securities.
|
||||
Frequent purchases and redemptions of a Fund’s shares entail risks, including dilution in the value of the Fund shares held by long-term shareholders, interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, and increased brokerage and administrative costs. Because the Funds do not accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares, the Funds’ Board of Directors has adopted policies and procedures to prohibit investors from engaging in late trading and to discourage excessive and short-term trading practices that may disrupt portfolio management strategies and harm Fund performance.
|
||||
Although there is no generally applied standard in the marketplace as to what level of trading activity is excessive, the Funds consider trading to be excessive if an investor:
|
||||
■
|
sells shares of the Fund within 30 days after the shares were purchased;
|
|||
■
|
makes more than four exchanges out of the Fund during a calendar year (other than systematic purchases and redemptions); or
|
|||
■
|
enters into a series of transactions that is indicative of a timing pattern strategy.
|
|||
In order to seek to detect frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares, the Distributor monitors selected trades that have been identified by a Fund’s transfer agent. If the Distributor determines that an investor or a client of a broker has engaged in excessive short-term trading that may be harmful to the Fund, the Distributor will ask the investor or broker to cease such activity and may refuse to process purchase orders (including purchases by exchange) of such investor, broker or accounts that the Distributor believes are under their control.
|
59 |
While the Distributor uses its reasonable efforts to detect excessive trading activity, there can be no assurance that its efforts will be successful or that market timers will not employ tactics designed to evade detection. Neither the Adviser, the Distributor, the Funds nor any of the Funds’ service providers may enter into arrangements intended to facilitate frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares. Frequently, shares are held through omnibus accounts maintained by financial intermediaries such as brokers and retirement plan administrators, where the holdings of multiple shareholders, such as all the clients of a particular broker, are aggregated. The ability to monitor trading practices by investors purchasing shares through omnibus accounts is dependent upon the cooperation of the financial intermediary in observing a Fund’s policies. Consequently, it may be more difficult for the Funds to detect market timing activity through such accounts. However, each Fund, through its agent, has entered into an information sharing agreement with each financial intermediary, which provides, among other things, that the financial intermediary shall provide, promptly upon a Fund’s request, certain identifying and transaction information regarding its underlying shareholders.
|
||||
Should a Fund detect market timing activity, it may terminate the account or prohibit future purchases or exchanges by the underlying shareholders. Because omnibus accounts may apply their own market timing policies with respect to their accounts and because the Distributor retains discretion in applying market timing policies, there is a risk that different shareholders may be treated differently and some level of market timing activity could occur.
|
||||
To help make investing with a Fund as easy as possible, and to help you manage your investments, the following special services are available. You can get further information about these programs by calling Shareholder Services at 800-243-2729.
|
||||
■
|
Valu-Matic® allows you to make regular monthly investments of $25 or more automatically from your checking account.
|
60 |
■
|
The Systematic Cash Withdrawal Plan allows you to arrange a regular monthly or quarterly payment from your account payable to you or someone you designate. If your account is $5,000 or more, you can have monthly or quarterly withdrawals of $25 or more. Such withdrawals will each constitute a redemption of a portion of your Fund shares which may result in income, gain or loss to you for federal income tax purposes.
|
|||
■
|
You may buy shares in a Fund for your individual or group retirement plan, including your Regular or Roth IRA. You may establish your IRA account even if you already are a member of an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Not all contributions to an IRA account are tax deductible; consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of your contribution.
|
|||
Each Fund intends to pay dividends from its net investment income, if any, annually and to distribute any capital gains that it has realized annually. Each Fund may also pay dividends and capital gain distributions at other times if necessary for the Fund to avoid U.S. federal income or excise tax. Dividends and any capital gains are automatically reinvested, unless you indicate otherwise in your application to purchase shares.
|
||||
Investors should consider the tax consequences of buying shares of a Fund shortly before the record date of a dividend or capital gain distribution, because such dividend or distribution will generally be taxable even though the NAV of shares of the Fund will be reduced by the dividend or distribution.
|
||||
You will generally be taxed on dividends and distributions you receive, regardless of whether you reinvest them or receive them in cash. For federal income tax purposes, distributions from short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends from net investment income will either be taxable as ordinary income or, if certain conditions are met by the Fund and the shareholder, including holding period requirements, as “qualified dividend income” taxable to individual shareholders at a reduced maximum U.S. federal income tax rate.
|
||||
Since the Value Line Core Bond Fund’s income is derived from sources that do not pay qualified dividend income, it is not expected that dividends received from the investment company taxable income of that Fund will qualify for the reduced maximum U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to individuals on qualified dividend income.
|
61 |
Distributions reported to you by a Fund as capital gain dividends will be taxable to you as long-term capital gains, no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. In addition, you may be subject to state and local taxes on dividends and distributions.
|
||||
The applicable reduced maximum federal income tax rate on qualified dividend income and long-term capital gains varies depending on the taxable income and status of the shareholder, but generally is 20% for individual shareholders with taxable income in excess of $400,000 ($450,000 if married and file jointly/$225,000 if married and file separately) and 15% for individual shareholders with taxable income less than such amounts (unless such shareholders are in the 10% or 15% income tax brackets and meet certain other conditions, in which case the applicable tax rate is 0%).
|
||||
Also, a 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on the net investment income of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts. For this purpose, net investment income generally will include distributions from each Fund and capital gains attributable to the sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares. This tax is in addition to the income taxes that are otherwise imposed on ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gains.
|
||||
Your Fund will send you a statement by February 15th each year detailing the amount and nature of all dividends and capital gains that you received during the prior year.
|
||||
If you hold your Fund shares in a tax-deferred retirement account, such as an IRA, you generally will not have to pay tax on distributions until they are distributed from the account. These accounts are subject to complex tax rules, and you should consult your tax adviser about the tax consequences of investing through a tax-deferred account.
|
||||
You generally will have a capital gain or loss if you dispose of your Fund shares by redemption, exchange or sale in an amount equal to the difference between the net amount of the redemption or sale proceeds (or in the case of an exchange, the fair market value of the shares) that you receive and your tax basis for the shares you redeem, sell or exchange. Certain limitations may apply to limit your ability to currently deduct capital losses.
|
62 |
Each Fund is required to report to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and to furnish to Fund shareholders “cost basis” information for Fund shares that are purchased on or after January 1, 2012 (“covered shares”) and that are redeemed, exchanged or otherwise sold on or after that date. These requirements generally do not apply to investments through a tax-deferred arrangement or to certain types of entities (such as C corporations). S corporations, however, are not exempt from these rules. Please note that if you are a C corporation, unless a Fund has actual knowledge that you are a C corporation or you have previously notified us in writing that you are a C corporation, you must complete a new Form W-9 exemption certificate informing us of your C corporation status or the Fund will be obligated to presume that you are an S corporation and to report sales of covered shares to the IRS and to you pursuant to these rules. Also, if you purchase Fund shares through a broker (or other nominee) on or after such date, please contact that broker (or nominee) with respect to the reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account.
|
||||
If you purchase Fund shares directly from us on or after January 1, 2012, cost basis will be calculated using the Fund’s default method of average cost basis, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different IRS-accepted cost basis method. Please note that you will continue to be responsible for calculating and reporting the cost basis of Fund shares that were purchased prior to January 1, 2012. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the new cost basis reporting law applies to them.
|
||||
Shareholders also should carefully review the cost basis information provided to them by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns.
|
||||
As with all mutual funds, the Funds may be required to withhold a 28% backup withholding tax on all taxable distributions payable to you if you fail to provide the Fund with your correct social security number or other taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or if you have been notified by the IRS that you are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather, it is a way in which the IRS ensures it will collect taxes otherwise due. Any amounts withheld may be credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability.
|
63 |
The above discussion is meant only as a summary; more information is available in the SAI. You should consult your tax adviser about your particular tax situation including federal, state, local and foreign tax considerations and possible withholding taxes for non-U.S. shareholders.
|
||||
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand each Fund’s financial performance for the past five years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the applicable Fund assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. This information has been derived from each Fund’s financial statements which were audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with each Fund’s financial statements, is included in that Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request by calling 800-243-2729 or at www.vlfunds.com.
|
64 |
65 |
Income/(loss) from investment operations | |||||||||||||||||||||
Net gains/
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
(losses) on
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Net asset
|
Net
|
securities
|
|||||||||||||||||||
value,
|
investment
|
(both
|
Total from
|
||||||||||||||||||
beginning
|
income/
|
realized and
|
investment
|
Redemption
|
|||||||||||||||||
of year
|
(loss)
|
unrealized)
|
operations
|
fees
|
|||||||||||||||||
The Value Line Fund, Inc.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2013
|
$ | 10.36 | 0.01 | 3.19 | 3.20 | — | |||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2012
|
9.04 | 0.05 | 1.27 | 1.32 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2011
|
8.55 | (0.00 | )(1) | 0.49 | 0.49 | — | |||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2010
|
6.81 | 0.00 | (1) | 1.74 | 1.74 | — | |||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2009
|
6.22 | (0.01 | ) | 0.60 | 0.59 | — | |||||||||||||||
Value Line Core Bond Fund
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Period ended December 31, 2013(6)
|
5.07 | 0.06 | (0.22 | ) | (0.16 | ) | — | ||||||||||||||
Year ended January 31, 2013
|
4.92 | 0.26 | 0.15 | 0.41 | 0.00 | (1) | |||||||||||||||
Year ended January 31, 2012
|
4.95 | 0.29 | (0.03 | ) | 0.26 | 0.00 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Year ended January 31, 2011
|
4.70 | 0.30 | 0.25 | 0.55 | 0.00 | (1) | |||||||||||||||
Year ended January 31, 2010
|
3.89 | 0.28 | 0.81 | 1.09 | 0.00 | (1) | |||||||||||||||
Year ended January 31, 2009
|
4.83 | 0.32 | (0.95 | ) | (0.63 | ) | 0.00 | (1) | |||||||||||||
Value Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2013
|
8.67 | 0.12 | 1.57 | 1.69 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2012
|
8.27 | 0.13 | 0.74 | 0.87 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2011
|
8.46 | 0.11 | (0.19 | ) | (0.08 | ) | — | ||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2010
|
7.75 | 0.10 | 0.71 | 0.81 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2009
|
6.39 | 0.10 | 1.36 | 1.46 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Value Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2013
|
19.78 | 0.13 | 5.81 | 5.94 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2012
|
17.34 | 0.16 | 2.40 | 2.56 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2011
|
17.47 | 0.12 | (0.17 | ) | (0.05 | ) | — | ||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2010
|
15.40 | 0.09 | 2.08 | 2.17 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2009
|
13.18 | 0.10 | 2.22 | 2.32 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Value Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2013
|
28.84 | 0.00 | (1) | 7.64 | 7.64 | — | |||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2012
|
26.48 | 0.09 | 4.59 | 4.68 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2011
|
26.82 | (0.08 | ) | 1.30 | 1.22 | — | |||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2010
|
22.07 | (0.01 | )(3) | 4.79 | 4.78 | — | |||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2009
|
16.69 | 0.02 | 5.37 | 5.39 | — |
*
|
Ratio reflects expenses grossed up for the custody credit arrangement, waiver of the advisory fees by the Adviser and the service and distribution plan fees by the Distributor. The custody credit arrangement was discontinued as of January 1, 2013.
|
**
|
Ratio reflects expenses net of the custody credit arrangement, waiver of the advisory fees by the Adviser and the service and distribution plan fees by the Distributor. The custody credit arrangement was discontinued as of January 1, 2013.
|
(1)
|
Amount is less than $0.01 per share.
|
(2)
|
Amount rounds to less than 0.005%.
|
(3)
|
Based on average shares outstanding.
|
(4)
|
Ratio reflects expenses grossed up for the reimbursement by Value Line, Inc. of certain expenses incurred by the Fund.
|
(5)
|
Ratio reflects expenses net of the reimbursement by Value Line, Inc. of certain expenses incurred by the Fund.
|
(6)
|
Period from February 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.
|
(7)
|
Not Annualized.
|
(8)
|
Annualized. |
(9)
|
The ratio of expenses to average net assets, net of custody credits, but exclusive of the fee waivers would have been 1.48%.
|
66 |
|
|
Less distributions: | Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ratio of
|
Ratio of net
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends
|
Distributions
|
gross expenses
|
Ratio of net
|
investment
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
from net
|
from net
|
Distributions
|
Net asset
|
Net assets,
|
to average
|
expenses to
|
income/(loss)
|
Portfolio
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
investment
|
realized
|
from return
|
Total
|
value, end
|
Total
|
end of year
|
net
|
average
|
to average
|
turnover
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
income
|
gains
|
of capital
|
distributions
|
of year
|
return
|
(in thousands)
|
assets*
|
net assets**
|
net assets
|
rate
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.06)
|
— | — | (0.06 | ) | $ | 13.50 | 30.86 | % | $ | 125,268 | 1.26 | % | 1.12 | % | 0.05 | % | 7 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
—
|
— | — | — | 10.36 | 14.60 | % | 109,798 | 1.28 | % | 1.03 | % | 0.46 | % | 6 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.00
|
)(1) | — | — | (0.00 | )(1) | 9.04 | 5.75 | % | 133,336 | 1.29 | % | 0.94 | % | (0.02 | )% | 18 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
—
|
— | — | — | 8.55 | 25.55 | % | 104,200 | 1.31 | %(4) | 0.91 | %(5) | 0.02 | % | 27 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
—
|
— | — | — | 6.81 | 9.49 | % | 92,680 | 1.36 | % | 1.04 | % | (0.22 | )% | 122 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.05)
|
— | (0.01 | ) | (0.06 | ) | 4.85 | (3.13 | )%(7) | 85,045 | 1.30 | %(8) | 1.15 | %(8) | 1.17 | %(8) | 61 | %(7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.26)
|
(0.00 | )(1) | — | (0.26 | ) | 5.07 | 8.49 | % | 30,550 | 1.62 | % | 1.32 | % | 5.18 | % | 103 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.29)
|
— | — | (0.29 | ) | 4.92 | 5.48 | % | 32,203 | 1.55 | % | 1.25 | % | 5.95 | % | 50 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.30)
|
— | — | (0.30 | ) | 4.95 | 12.01 | % | 34,885 | 1.48 | %(4) | 1.13 | %(5) | 6.20 | % | 42 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.28)
|
— | — | (0.28 | ) | 4.70 | 28.92 | % | 37,787 | 1.56 | % | 1.13 | % | 6.51 | % | 51 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.31)
|
— | — | (0.31 | ) | 3.89 | (13.42 | )% | 25,924 | 1.50 | %(9) | 0.98 | % | 7.17 | % | 39 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.12)
|
(0.42 | ) | — | (0.54 | ) | 9.82 | 19.55 | % | 330,698 | 1.16 | % | 1.11 | % | 1.26 | % | 27 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.13)
|
(0.34 | ) | — | (0.47 | ) | 8.67 | 10.62 | % | 295,705 | 1.19 | % | 1.14 | % | 1.48 | % | 31 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.11)
|
— | — | (0.11 | ) | 8.27 | (0.90 | )% | 306,227 | 1.20 | % | 1.15 | % | 1.25 | % | 57 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.10)
|
— | — | (0.10 | ) | 8.46 | 10.55 | % | 332,695 | 1.14 | %(4) | 1.05 | %(5) | 1.22 | % | 46 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.10)
|
— | — | (0.10 | ) | 7.75 | 23.07 | % | 340,210 | 1.13 | % | 1.09 | % | 1.49 | % | 56 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.15)
|
— | — | (0.15 | ) | 25.57 | 30.05 | % | 211,508 | 1.25 | % | 1.06 | % | 0.48 | % | 8 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.12)
|
— | — | (0.12 | ) | 19.78 | 14.82 | % | 184,243 | 1.27 | % | 1.02 | % | 0.72 | % | 17 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.08)
|
— | — | (0.08 | ) | 17.34 | (0.27 | )% | 178,783 | 1.25 | % | 1.00 | % | 0.60 | % | 30 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.10)
|
— | — | (0.10 | ) | 17.47 | 14.09 | % | 199,524 | 1.21 | %(4) | 0.92 | %(5) | 0.44 | % | 153 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.10)
|
— | — | (0.10 | ) | 15.40 | 17.62 | % | 202,454 | 1.26 | % | 1.01 | % | 0.62 | % | 157 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
—
|
(2.49 | ) | — | (2.49 | ) | 33.99 | 26.56 | % | 402,073 | 1.24 | % | 1.24 | % | (0.00 | )%(2) | 11 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.09)
|
(2.23 | ) | — | (2.32 | ) | 28.84 | 17.80 | % | 337,436 | 1.25 | % | 1.25 | % | 0.28 | % | 15 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
—
|
(1.56 | ) | — | (1.56 | ) | 26.48 | 4.59 | % | 298,428 | 1.24 | % | 1.24 | % | (0.28 | )% | 20 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.03)
|
— | — | (0.03 | ) | 26.82 | 21.66 | % | 311,829 | 1.23 | %(4) | 1.19 | %(5) | (0.02 | )% | 16 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.01)
|
— | — | (0.01 | ) | 22.07 | 32.29 | % | 347,938 | 1.22 | % | 1.22 | % | 0.11 | % | 8 | % |
67 |
|
|
For more information
|
|
||
Two documents are available that offer further information about the Funds:
|
|||
Annual/Semi-annual report to shareholders
|
|||
Includes financial statements, a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected performance, as well as the auditors’ report (in annual report only).
|
|||
Statement of Additional Information
|
|||
The SAI contains more detailed information about the Funds. A current SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into (and is legally a part of) this prospectus.
|
|||
To obtain a free copy of these documents from the Funds:
|
|||
There are several ways you can get a current annual/semi-annual report, prospectus or SAI:
|
Online:
|
www.vlfunds.com
|
||||
By mail:
|
7 Times Square, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10036-6524
|
||||
By phone:
|
1-800-243-2729
|
||||
You can also view or obtain copies of these documents through the SEC:
|
|||||
Online: www.sec.gov
|
|||||
By e-mail:
|
(duplicating fee required)
|
publicinfo@sec.gov
|
|||
By mail:
|
(duplicating fee required)
|
Public Reference Section
|
|||
Securities and Exchange Commission
|
|||||
Washington, DC 20549-1520
|
|||||
In person:
|
at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. For access to the Reference Room call 1-202-551-8090.
|
68 |
|
|
Investment Adviser
|
Service Agent
|
||
EULAV Asset Management
|
State Street Bank and Trust Company
|
||
7 Times Square, 21st floor
|
c/o BFDS
|
||
New York, NY 10036-6524
|
P.O. Box 219729
|
||
Kansas City, MO 64121-9729
|
|||
Custodian
|
Distributor
|
||
State Street Bank and Trust Company
|
EULAV Securities LLC
|
||
225 Franklin Street
|
7 Times Square, 21st floor
|
||
Boston, MA 02110
|
New York, NY 10036-6524
|
||
Value Line Fund, Inc.
|
File No. 811-02265
|
||
7 Times Square, 21st Floor,
|
|||
New York, NY 10036-6524
|
|||
Value Line Core Bond Fund
|
File No. 811-04471
|
||
7 Times Square, 21st Floor,
|
|||
New York, NY 10036-6524
|
|||
Value Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
|
File No. 811- 02277
|
||
7 Times Square, 21st Floor,
|
|||
New York, NY 10036-6524
|
|||
Value Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
|
File No. 811-01807
|
||
7 Times Square, 21st Floor,
|
|||
New York, NY 10036-6524
|
|||
Value Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
|
File No. 811-02278
|
||
7 Times Square, 21st Floor,
|
|||
New York, NY 10036-6524
|
69 |
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
MAY 1, 2014
|
Page
|
||
B-2
|
||
B-10
|
||
B-18
|
||
B-22
|
||
B-26
|
||
B-27
|
||
B-27
|
||
B-29
|
||
B-38
|
B-1 |
B-2 |
B-3 |
B-4 |
B-5 |
B-6 |
Concentration.
|
(1)
|
purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result of such purchase, the Fund’s investments would be concentrated in any particular industry.
|
B-7 |
Borrowing.
|
(2)
|
borrow money.
|
|
Senior Securities.
|
(3)
|
issue senior securities.
|
|
Lending.
|
(4)
|
make loans.
|
|
Real Estate & Commodities.
|
(5)
|
purchase or sell commodities or real estate.
|
|
Underwriting Securities.
|
(6)
|
underwrite the securities of other issuers.
|
B-8 |
B-9 |
Name, Address,
and Age
|
Position
|
Length of
Time
Served
|
Principal Occupations
During the Past 5 Years
|
Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen by
Director
|
Other
Directorships
Held by
Director
|
|||||
Interested Director*
|
||||||||||
Mitchell E. Appel
Age: 44
|
Director
|
Since 2010
|
President of each of the Value Line Funds since June 2008; Chief Financial Officer of Value Line, Inc. (“Value Line”) from April 2008 to December 2010 and from September 2005 to November 2007; Director from February 2010 to December 2010; Chief Financial Officer of the Distributor since April 2008 and President since February 2009; President of the Adviser since February 2009, Trustee since December 2010 and Treasurer since January 2011.
|
10
|
Forethought Variable Insurance Trust (September 2013-present)
|
|||||
Non-Interested Directors
|
||||||||||
Joyce E. Heinzerling
500 East 77th Street
New York, NY 10162
Age: 58
|
Director
|
Since 2008
|
President, Meridian Fund Advisers LLC (consultants) since 2009; General Counsel, Archery Capital LLC (private investment fund) until 2009.
|
10
|
None
|
|||||
Francis C. Oakley
54 Scott Hill Road
Williamstown, MA 01267
Age: 83
|
Director
|
Since 2000
|
Professor of History, Williams College, 1961 to 2002, Professor Emeritus since 2002, President Emeritus since 1994 and President, 1985-1994; Chairman (1993-1997) and Interim President (2002-2003) of the America Council of Learned Societies; Trustee since 1997 and Chairman of the Board since 2005, National Humanities Center.
|
10
|
None
|
|||||
David H. Porter
5 Birch Run Drive
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Age: 79
|
Director
|
Since 1997
|
Professor, Skidmore College since 2008; Visiting Professor of Classics, Williams College, 1999-2008; President Emeritus, Skidmore College since 1999 and President, 1987-1998.
|
10
|
None
|
|||||
Paul Craig Roberts
169 Pompano St.
Panama City Beach, FL 32413
Age: 75
|
Director
|
Since 1983
|
Chairman, Institute for Political Economy.
|
10
|
None
|
|||||
Nancy-Beth Sheerr
1409 Beaumont Drive
Gladwyne, PA 19035
Age: 65
|
Director
|
Since 1996
|
Senior Financial Consultant, Veritable, L.P. (investment advisor) until December 2013.
|
10
|
None
|
B-10 |
Name, Address,
and Age
|
Position
|
Length of
Time
Served
|
Principal Occupations
During the Past 5 Years
|
Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen by
Director
|
Other
Directorships
Held by
Director
|
|||||
Daniel S. Vandivort
59 Indian Head Road
Riverside, CT 06878
Age: 60
|
Director (Chair of the Board since 2010)
|
Since 2008
|
President, Chief Investment Officer, Weiss, Peck and Greer/Robeco Investment Management 2005-2007; Managing Director, Weiss, Peck and Greer, 1995-2005.
|
10
|
None
|
|||||
Officers
|
||||||||||
Mitchell E. Appel
Age: 44
|
President
|
Since 2008
|
President of each of the Value Line Funds since June 2008; Chief Financial Officer of Value Line from April 2008 to December 2010 and from September 2005 to November 2007; Director from February 2010 to December 2010; Chief Financial Officer of the Distributor since April 2008 and President since February 2009; President of the Adviser since February 2009, Trustee since December 2010 and Treasurer since January 2011.
|
|||||||
Michael J. Wagner
Age: 64
|
Chief Compliance Officer
|
Since 2009
|
Chief Compliance Officer of each of the Value Line Funds since 2009; President of Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (formerly Fund Compliance Services, LLC) (2006-present) and Senior Vice President (2004-2006); President (2004-2006) and Chief Operations Officer (2003-2006) of Gemini Fund Services, LLC; Director of Constellation Trust Company until 2008.
|
|||||||
Emily D. Washington
Age: 35
|
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer; Secretary
|
Since 2009
|
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) of each of the Value Line Funds since 2008 and Secretary since 2010; Secretary of the Adviser since 2011
|
*
|
Mr. Appel is an “interested person” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) by virtue of his position with EULAV Securities LLC (the “Distributor”) and the Adviser.
|
B-11 |
B-12 |
B-13 |
Aggregate
|
||||||||||||
Aggregate
|
Aggregate
|
Compensation
|
Aggregate
|
|||||||||
Aggregate
|
Compensation
|
Compensation
|
From Value
|
Compensation
|
Total
|
|||||||
Compensation
|
From Value
|
From Value
|
Line Larger
|
From Value
|
Compensation
|
|||||||
From Value
|
Line Core
|
Line Income
|
Companies
|
Line Premier
|
From Value
|
|||||||
Name of Person
|
Line Fund
|
Bond Fund
|
& Growth Fund
|
Fund
|
Growth Fund
|
Line Funds
|
||||||
Interested Director
|
||||||||||||
Mitchell E. Appel
|
$ –0–
|
$ –0–
|
$ –0–
|
$ –0–
|
$ –0–
|
$ –0–
|
||||||
Non-Interested Directors
|
||||||||||||
Joyce E. Heinzerling
|
$11,047
|
$ 2,246
|
$ 9,288
|
$5,756
|
$11,047
|
$64,000
|
||||||
Francis C. Oakley
|
$11,047
|
$ 2,246
|
$ 9,288
|
$5,756
|
$11,047
|
$64,000
|
||||||
David H. Porter
|
$11,047
|
$ 2,246
|
$ 9,288
|
$5,756
|
$11,047
|
$64,000
|
||||||
Paul Craig Roberts
|
$11,047
|
$ 2,246
|
$ 9,288
|
$5,756
|
$11,047
|
$64,000
|
||||||
Nancy-Beth Sheerr
|
$11,047
|
$ 2,246
|
$ 9,288
|
$5,756
|
$11,047
|
$64,000
|
||||||
Daniel S. Vandivort
|
$ 4,299
|
$ 2.807
|
$11,610
|
$7,195
|
$13,808
|
$80,000
|
Dollar
|
Dollar
|
Dollar
|
Aggregate
|
|||||||||
Dollar
|
Range of
|
Range of
|
Range of
|
Dollar
|
||||||||
Dollar
|
Range of
|
Equity
|
Equity
|
Equity
|
Range of
|
|||||||
Range of
|
Equity
|
Securities in
|
Securities in
|
Securities in
|
Equity
|
|||||||
Equity
|
Securities in
|
Value Line
|
Value Line
|
Value Line
|
Services in
|
|||||||
Securities in
|
Value Line
|
Income &
|
Larger
|
Premier
|
All of the
|
|||||||
Name of
|
Value Line
|
Core Bond
|
Growth
|
Companies
|
Growth
|
Value Line
|
||||||
Director
|
Fund
|
Fund
|
Fund
|
Fund
|
Fund
|
Funds
|
||||||
Interested Director
|
||||||||||||
Mitchell E. Appel
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000 –
|
$10,001
|
Over
|
||||||
$50,000
|
$100,000
|
|||||||||||
Non-Interested Directors
|
||||||||||||
Joyce E. Heinzerling
|
$10,001 – $50,000
|
$ –0 –
|
$ –0 –
|
$ –0 –
|
$10,001 –
|
Over
|
||||||
$50,000
|
$100,000
|
|||||||||||
Francis C. Oakley
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$50,001 –
|
||||||
$100,000
|
||||||||||||
David H. Porter
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$10,001 –
|
||||||
$50,000
|
||||||||||||
Paul Craig Roberts
|
$ –0 –
|
$ –0 –
|
$ –0 –
|
$ –0 –
|
Over
|
Over
|
||||||
$100,000
|
$100,000
|
|||||||||||
Nancy-Beth Sheerr
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$10,001 –
|
||||||
$50,000
|
||||||||||||
Daniel S. Vandivort
|
$ –0 –
|
$ –0 –
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$1 – $10,000
|
$ –0 –
|
Over
|
||||||
$100,000
|
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., 101 Montgomery Street,
San Francisco, CA 94104
|
1,651,757 shares (approximately 9.6% of the shares outstanding)
|
B-14 |
Value Line Income & Growth Fund
|
|
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., 101 Montgomery Street,
San Francisco, CA 94104
|
8,295,605 shares (approximately 24.9% of the shares outstanding)
|
National Financial Services Co., 200 Liberty Street,
New York, NY 10281
|
4,528,820 shares (approximately 13.6% of the shares outstanding)
|
Value Line Larger Companies Fund
|
|
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.,101 Montgomery Street,
San Francisco, CA 94101
|
541,468 shares (approximately 6.6% of the shares outstanding)
|
Value Line Premier Growth Fund
|
|
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc.,101 Montgomery Street,
San Francisco, CA 94101
|
2,878,127 shares (approximately 25% of the shares outstanding)
|
National Financial Services Co., 200 Liberty Street,
New York, NY 10281
|
2,249,920 shares (approximately 20% of the shares outstanding)
|
B-15 |
●
|
Generally, the Funds support the company’s nominees to serve as directors.
|
||
●
|
The Funds generally support management on routine corporate matters and matters relating to corporate governance. For example, the Adviser generally expects to support management on the following matters:
|
||
●
|
Increases in the number of authorized shares of or issuances of common stock or other equity securities;
|
||
●
|
Provisions of the corporate charter addressing indemnification of directors and officers;
|
||
●
|
Stock repurchase plans; and
|
||
●
|
The selection of independent accountants.
|
||
●
|
The types of matters on corporate governance that the Adviser would expect to vote against include:
|
||
●
|
The issuance of preferred shares where the board of directors has complete freedom as to the terms of the preferred;
|
||
●
|
The adoption of a classified board;
|
||
●
|
The adoption of poison pill plans or similar anti-takeover measures; and
|
||
●
|
The authorization of a class of shares not held by the Fund with superior voting rights.
|
B-16 |
B-17 |
Advisory Fees Paid or Accrued to the
Adviser for the fiscal years ended
December 31:
|
||||||||||||||||
Advisory Fee Rate as a % of
|
||||||||||||||||
Fund
|
Average Daily Net Assets
|
2013
|
2012
|
2011
|
||||||||||||
Value Line Fund(1)
|
0.70% in the first $100 million of the
|
|||||||||||||||
Fund’s average daily net assets and
|
||||||||||||||||
0.65% on any additional assets.
|
$ | 807,293 | $ | 834,131 | $ | 865,365 | ||||||||||
Value Line Core Bond Fund(2)
|
0.50%(3) | $ | 382,486 | $ | 237,606 | $ | 245,685 | |||||||||
Value Line Income & Growth Fund
|
0.70% in the first $100 million of the
|
|||||||||||||||
Fund’s average daily net assets and
|
||||||||||||||||
0.65% on any additional assets. | $ |
2,095,572
|
$ |
2,027,879
|
$ |
2,093,989
|
||||||||||
Value Line Larger Companies Fund
|
0.75%
|
$ |
1,458,201
|
$ |
1,406,574
|
$ |
1,463,191
|
|||||||||
Value Line Premier Growth Fund
|
0.75%
|
$ |
2,798,432
|
$ |
2,467,463
|
$ |
2,329,709
|
(1)
|
Effective May 1, 2011 through December 16, 2011, the Adviser contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s advisory fee in an amount equal to 0.10% on the first $100 million of the Fund’s average daily net assets and 0.15% on any additional assets. The fees waived amounted to $131,543 for the year ended December 31, 2011.
|
B-18 |
(2)
|
In 2013, the Value Line Core Bond Fund changed its fiscal year end from January 31 to December 31. The information shown for 2011, 2012 and 2013 is for the Fund’s fiscal years ended January 31, 2012, January 31, 2013, and December 31, 2013, respectively. For the period February 1, 2011 through May 31, 2013, the Adviser waived a portion of the management fee in an amount equal to 0.20% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Effective June 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015, the Adviser contractually agreed to waive a portion of the management fee in an amount equal to 0.10% of its average daily net assets. There is no assurance that the Adviser will extend the contractual fee waiver beyond such date. The fees waived amounted to $65,516, $63,362 and $76,530 for the years ended January 31, 2012 and January 31, 2013, and the 11-month period ending December 31, 2013, respectively.
|
(3)
|
Following a permanent fee reduction effective February 1, 2013, the investment advisory agreement between the Value Line Core Bond Fund and the Adviser provides for a monthly advisory fee at an annual rate equal to 0.50% of average daily net assets. Prior to this permanent fee reduction, the investment advisory agreement between the Fund and the Adviser provided for a monthly advisory fee at an annual rate equal to 0.70% on the first $100 million of the Fund’s average daily net assets and 0.50% on any additional assets.
|
B-19 |
B-20 |
Portfolio Managers
|
|
Fund
|
Portfolio Manager
|
Value Line Fund
|
Stephen E. Grant is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.
|
Value Line Core Bond Fund
|
Liane Rosenberg and Jeffrey Geffen are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.
|
Value Line Income & Growth Fund
|
Stephen E. Grant is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s equity portfolio. Liane Rosenberg is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the non-equity portion of the Fund’s portfolio.
|
Value Line Larger Companies Fund
|
Stephen E. Grant is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.
|
Value Line Premier Growth Fund
|
Stephen E. Grant is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio,
|
Number of Funds
|
Total Assets
|
|||
Stephen E. Grant
|
8
|
$2,160 billion
|
||
Liane Rosenberg
|
5
|
$1,064 million
|
||
Jeffrey Geffen
|
3
|
$657 million
|
B-21 |
Fund
|
Contractual Fee Waiver
|
Total Fees Waived for the
Fiscal Year Ended
December 31, 2013
|
||
Value Line Fund
|
Effective August 1, 2013, the Distributor eliminated the Rule 12b-1 fee waiver that was previously in effect. Prior to August 1, 2013, the Distributor waived all of the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 fees, an amount equal to 0.25% of its average daily net assets.
|
$165,777
|
||
Value Line Core
Bond Fund (1)
|
Effective June 1, 2013 through the Fund’s fiscal year end, the Distributor waived a portion of the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 fees in an amount equal to 0.05% of its average daily net assets. Prior to June 1, 2013, the Distributor waived a portion of the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 fees in an amount equal to 0.10% of its average daily net assets. The Distributor has agreed to extend through June 30, 2015 the contractual fee waiver as in effect at the Fund’s fiscal year end.
|
$38,265
|
||
Value Line Income &
Growth Fund
|
During the Fund’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, the Distributor waived a portion of the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 fees in an amount equal to 0.05% of its average daily net assets. The Distributor has agreed to extend this contractual fee waiver through June 30, 2015.
|
$156,915
|
B-22 |
Fund
|
Contractual Fee Waiver
|
Total Fees Waived for the
Fiscal Year Ended
December 31, 2013
|
||
Value Line Larger
Companies Fund
|
Effective August 1, 2013 through the Fund’s fiscal year end, the Distributor waived a portion of the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 fees in an amount equal to 0.10% of its average daily net assets. Prior to August 1, 2013, the Distributor waived all of the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 fees, an amount equal to 0.25% of its average daily net assets. The Distributor has agreed to extend through June 30, 2015 the contractual fee waiver as in effect at the Fund’s fiscal year end.
|
$360,818
|
(1)
|
Due to a change in its fiscal year end in 2013, the information presented for the Value Line Core Bond Fund is for the 11-month period ending December 31, 2013. Accordingly, the fees paid may have been higher if calculated for a full 12-month period.
|
Advertising and | ||||||||||||||||
Net Fees
|
Fees Paid by the | Marketing | ||||||||||||||
Paid to the
|
Distributor to | Expenses Paid by | ||||||||||||||
Distributor
|
other Broker-Dealers | the Distributor | ||||||||||||||
Value Line Fund
|
$ | 125,505 | $ | 53,888 | $ | 71,923 | ||||||||||
Value Line Core Bond Fund(1)
|
$ | 153,006 | $ | 78,255 | $ | 30,981 | ||||||||||
Value Line Income & Growth Fund
|
$ | 628,588 | $ | 583,771 | $ | 196,075 | ||||||||||
Value Line Larger Companies Fund
|
$ | 125,271 | $ | 103,664 | $ | 119,986 | ||||||||||
Value Line Premier Growth Fund
|
$ | 932,811 | $ | 794,834 | $ | 251,621 |
(1)
|
Due to a change in its fiscal year end in 2013, the information presented for the Value Line Core Bond Fund is for the 11-month period ending December 31, 2013. Accordingly, the fees paid may have been higher if calculated for a full 12-month period.
|
B-23 |
B-24 |
|
●
|
Payments under the Plan which are asset based charges paid from the assets of the Fund;
|
|
●
|
Payments for sub-transfer agency and related services to omnibus account investors, which are also paid from the assets of the Fund; and
|
|
●
|
Payments by the Distributor out of its own assets. These payments are in addition to payments made for sub-transfer agency services and under the Plan. You should ask your intermediary for information about any payments it receives from the Distributor.
|
B-25 |
B-26 |
Brokerage Commissions Paid During the | ||||||||||||
Fiscal Years Ended December 31: | ||||||||||||
2011 |
2012
|
2013 | ||||||||||
Value Line Fund
|
$ | 10,986 | $ | 7,369 | $ | 3,290 | ||||||
Value Line Core Bond Fund(1)
|
$ | 229 | $ | 38 | $ | 37 | ||||||
Value Line Income & Growth Fund
|
$ | 56,077 | $ | 23,410 | $ | 15,626 | ||||||
Value Line Larger Companies Fund
|
$ | 25,320 | $ | 16,251 | $ | 7,408 | ||||||
Value Line Premier Growth Fund
|
$ | 22,247 | $ | 14,471 | $ | 11,731 |
(1)
|
In 2013, the Value Line Core Bond Fund changed its fiscal year end from January 31 to December 31. The information shown for 2011, 2012 and 2013 is for the Fund’s fiscal years ended January 31, 2012 and January 31, 2013, and the 11-month period ended December 31, 2013, respectively.
|
B-27 |
B-28 |
B-29 |
B-30 |
B-31 |
B-32 |
B-33 |
B-34 |
B-35 |
B-36 |
B-37 |
B-38 |
B-39 |
B-40 |
B-41 |