(COVER PAGE) 

 

 

LIBERTY ALL-STAR® GROWTH FUND, INC.

Period Ended March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

 

Fund Statistics 1st Quarter 2018
Net Asset Value (NAV) $5.66
Market Price $6.04
Premium 6.7%
Distribution* $0.12
Market Price Trading Range $5.50 to $6.47
Premium/(Discount) Range 9.2% to -3.6%

 

Performance  
Shares Valued at NAV with Dividends Reinvested 1.91%
Shares Valued at Market Price with Dividends Reinvested 11.30%
Dow Jones Industrial Average -1.96%
Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Mutual Fund Average 2.85%
NASDAQ Composite Index 2.59%
Russell Growth Benchmark 1.88%
S&P 500® Index -0.76%

 

*Sources of distributions to shareholders may include ordinary dividends, long-term capital gains and return of capital. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2018 for tax reporting purposes will be made after year end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund’s investment experience during its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Pursuant to Section 852 of the Internal Revenue Code, the taxability of this distribution will be reported on Form 1099-DIV for 2018.

 

Performance returns for the Fund are total returns, which include dividends. Returns are net of management fees and other Fund expenses.

 

The return shown for the Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Mutual Fund Average is based on open-end mutual funds’ total returns, which include dividends, and are net of fund expenses. Returns shown for the unmanaged Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ Composite Index, the Russell Growth Benchmark and the S&P 500® Index are total returns, including dividends. A description of the Lipper benchmark and the market indices can be found on page 18.

 

Past performance cannot predict future results. Performance will fluctuate with market conditions. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data shown. Performance information does not reflect the deduction of taxes that shareholders would pay on Fund distributions or the sale of Fund shares. An investment in the Fund involves risk, including loss of principal.

 

Closed-end funds raise money in an initial public offering and shares are listed and traded on an exchange. Open-end mutual funds continuously issue and redeem shares at net asset value. Shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to net asset value. The price of the Fund’s shares is determined by a number of factors, several of which are beyond the control of the Fund. Therefore, the Fund cannot predict whether its shares will trade at, below or above net asset value.

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund President’s Letter

 

(Unaudited)

  

Fellow Shareholders: April 2018

 

Volatility returned to the equity markets with a vengeance as 2018 opened. The first quarter’s investment environment contrasted dramatically with that of 2017, one of the most tranquil years in the long bull market.

 

Stocks shot out of the gate to begin the year, with the S&P 500® Index rising 2.6 percent in the first week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) topped 25,000 for the first time and the NASDAQ Composite posted a new record as well. Stocks continued to rise through the month, with the three indices advancing 5.73 percent, 5.88 percent and 7.40 percent, respectively. Then, like a flip of the switch, stocks reversed direction, and posted their largest sell-off in four months on January 29. On February 2, the DJIA fell 665 points—its worst single-session point decline since 2008. Yet, just two weeks later stocks posted strong gains as the S&P 500® rose for six straight trading sessions and gained 6 percent for the week ending February 16. On balance, however, the sellers prevailed and for February the S&P 500® declined 3.69 percent, the DJIA lost 3.96 percent and the NASDAQ composite fell 1.74 percent. Although there were periodic rallies, the three indices retreated in March as well, highlighted by a 724-point decline in the DJIA on March 22. For the full quarter, the S&P 500® declined 0.76 percent and the Dow Industrials lost 1.96 percent, while the NASDAQ Composite stayed in positive territory with a return of 2.59 percent.

 

Growth style stocks continued to outperform their value counterparts across all capitalization ranges for the first quarter, as key Russell growth style benchmarks delivered positive returns, while value style benchmarks finished the quarter with negative returns. The broad market Russell 3000® Growth Index returned 1.48 percent for the quarter. Among key market capitalization indices, the Russell 1000® Growth Index (large cap) returned 1.42 percent while the Russell Midcap® Growth Index returned 2.17 percent. Small cap stocks, as represented by the Russell 2000® Growth Index, returned 2.30 percent.

 

A wide range of factors pushed and pulled equity markets in dramatically different directions over the course of the quarter. Momentum coming out of a strong 2017, corporate tax cuts, ongoing sound economic data, accelerating global growth and good corporate earnings reports propelled the market ahead in January. The Labor Department reported that the economy added 176,000 jobs in January and the December figure was revised upward to 175,000 new jobs. Further good news came in the form of a 2.7 percent increase in wages for full-year 2017. Meanwhile, pricing pressures remained subdued, as core inflation rose 1.8 percent for the 12 months ended 12/31/17. GDP increased at an annualized rate of 2.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017, capping a year in which GDP rose 2.3 percent. On the corporate front, the vast majority of fourth quarter 2017 S&P 500® earnings reports surpassed analysts’ estimates. Meanwhile, a short-lived weekend government shutdown had little effect on markets.

 

As January ended, the market took on an entirely different tone. A broad sell-off saw markets post their biggest declines in more than four months on January 29, and the selling continued into early February. One concern was a market that was viewed as overbought and richly valued. Another worry was rising interest rates as the yield on 10-year Treasury notes rose and put the 3.0 percent level within sight. Investors also fretted over coming interest rate actions by the Federal Reserve. To illustrate the ferocity of the volatility, it took just nine days for stocks to plunge 10 percent from their peak, reached on January 26; it was the swiftest move from a record high to a correction in the history of the S&P 500®, according to The New York Times. This stood in sharp contrast to a remarkably calm year for stocks: There were only eight trading days in 2017 in which the S&P 500® rose or fell at least 1 percent. But, by quarter end, there had been 23 such trading days in 2018.

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2018 1

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund President’s Letter

 

(Unaudited)

  

March began with free trade advocate Gary Cohen resigning as the top White House economic advisor. That set the stage for a White House announcement, one week later, of a 25 percent trade tariff on imported steel and 10 percent on imported aluminum (with temporary carve-outs for some countries, including Canada and Mexico). On March 22, President Trump announced an additional $60 billion in tariffs on a wide range of imports from China. Fears of a trade war mounted, as China responded with tariffs on U.S. industrial and agricultural products. At the same time, the Federal Reserve, as expected, increased its benchmark federal funds rate by a quarter percentage point to a range of 1.5 to 1.75 percent. It was the sixth quarter-point move since December 2015, but U.S. central bank statements about future rate rises were not seen as overly hawkish. As the quarter closed, markets surged or retreated almost on a daily basis in response to the president’s tweets—depending on whether they were aggressive or conciliatory regarding tariffs—and the resulting response by Chinese trade officials.

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund

Returns for Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund were gratifying, especially when measured by the market price of Fund shares. For the quarter, the Fund returned 1.91 percent with shares valued at net asset value (NAV) with dividends reinvested and 11.30 percent with shares valued at market price with dividends reinvested. By comparison, the Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Mutual Fund Average returned 2.85 percent for the quarter.

 

Fund shares valued at market price were helped in the quarter as the Fund traded from a discount to a premium relative to its underlying NAV. During the period, Fund shares traded in a range of a -3.6 percent discount to a 9.2 percent premium to NAV.

 

Turning to Fund news, during the quarter it was announced that the Fund’s parent company, DST Systems, Inc., will be acquired by SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc., a publicly-traded (NASDAQ, symbol: SSNC) global provider of investment and financial software-enabled services focused on the financial services industry. SS&C has said it intends to operate DST as a wholly-owned subsidiary. ALPS Advisors will continue to advise Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, and management does not expect the merger to affect Fund operations or investment objectives and strategy. This transaction requires approval by shareholders at a special meeting to be held on May 31, 2018. I ask for your vote on all the proposals in order to provide for continuity in the management and operation of the Fund. A proxy statement, which has been mailed separately, discusses the proposals to be voted upon by shareholders. Please review the proxy statement and cast your vote on each of the proposals. The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR each proposal.

 

In accordance with the Fund’s distribution policy, the Fund paid a distribution of $0.12 to shareholders during the quarter, bringing the total distributed to shareholders since 1997, when the distribution policy commenced, to $13.55 per share. The Fund’s distribution policy is a major component of the Fund's total return, and we continue to emphasize that shareholders should include these distributions when determining the return on their investment in the Fund.

 

 

2 www.all-starfunds.com

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund President’s Letter

 

(Unaudited)

 

A very different investment environment—one characterized by extreme volatility—emerged in the first quarter of 2018 and continued into the early part of the second quarter. Experience has shown that these conditions, while not welcome, can provide skilled active managers with an opportunity to add value relative to unmanaged indices. Regardless of market conditions, we remain confident in the Fund’s multi-manager structure and steadfast in our objective of providing investors with a high-quality, multi-cap growth holding for long-term investors.

 

Sincerely,

 

-s- WILLIAM R. PARMENTIER 

 

William R. Parmentier, Jr.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund, Inc.

 

The views expressed in the President’s letter reflect the views of the President as of April 2018 and may not reflect his views on the date this report is first published or anytime thereafter. These views are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict so actual outcomes and results may differ significantly from the views expressed. These views are subject to change at any time based upon economic, market or other conditions and the Fund disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for the Fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent.

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2018 3

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Table of Distributions & Rights Offerings

 

March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

    Rights Offerings
Year Per Share Distributions Month Completed Shares Needed to Purchase One Additional Share Subscription Price
1997 $1.24      
1998 1.35 July 10 $12.41
1999 1.23      
2000 1.34      
2001 0.92 September 8 6.64
2002 0.67      
2003 0.58 September 81 5.72
2004 0.63      
2005 0.58      
2006 0.59      
2007 0.61      
2008 0.47      
20092 0.24      
2010 0.25      
2011 0.27      
2012 0.27      
2013 0.31      
2014 0.33      
20153 0.77      
2016 0.36      
2017 0.42      
2018        
1st Quarter 0.12      
Total $13.55      

 

1The number of shares offered was increased by an additional 25 percent to cover a portion of the over-subscription requests.

2Effective with the second quarter distribution, the annual distribution rate was changed from 10 percent to 6 percent.

3Effective with the second quarter distribution, the annual distribution rate was changed from 6 percent to 8 percent.

 

DISTRIBUTION POLICY

 

The current policy is to pay distributions on its shares totaling approximately 8 percent of its net asset value per year, payable in four quarterly installments of 2 percent of the Fund’s net asset value at the close of the New York Stock Exchange on the Friday prior to each quarterly declaration date. Sources of distributions to shareholders may include ordinary dividends, long-term capital gains and return of capital. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2018 for tax reporting purposes will be made after year end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund’s investment experience during its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. If a distribution includes anything other than net investment income, the Fund provides a Section 19(a) notice of the best estimate of its distribution sources at that time. These estimates may not match the final tax characterization (for the full year’s distributions) contained in shareholders’ 1099-DIV forms after the end of the year. If the Fund’s ordinary dividends and long-term capital gains for any year exceed the amount distributed under the distribution policy, the Fund may, in its discretion, retain and not distribute capital gains and pay income tax thereon to the extent of such excess.

 

 

4 www.all-starfunds.com

 

 

 

 
Investment Managers/
Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Portfolio Characteristics

 

March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

  

THE FUND’S THREE GROWTH INVESTMENT MANAGERS AND THE MARKET CAPITALIZATION ON WHICH EACH FOCUSES:

 

 

(GRAPHIC) 

 

ALPS Advisors, Inc., the investment advisor to the Fund, has the ultimate authority (subject to oversight by the Board of Directors) to oversee the investment managers and recommend their hiring, termination and replacement.

 

MANAGERS’ DIFFERING INVESTMENT STRATEGIES ARE REFLECTED IN PORTFOLIO CHARACTERISTICS

 

The portfolio characteristics table below is a regular feature of the Fund’s shareholder reports. It serves as a useful tool for understanding the value of the Fund’s multi-managed portfolio. The characteristics are different for each of the Fund’s three investment managers. These differences are a reflection of the fact that each has a different capitalization focus and investment strategy. The shaded column highlights the characteristics of the Fund as a whole, while the first three columns show portfolio characteristics for the Russell Smallcap, Midcap and Largecap Growth indices. See page 18 for a description of these indices.

 

PORTFOLIO CHARACTERISTICS As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 
        Market Capitalization Spectrum  
  RUSSELL GROWTH (GRAPHIC)  
  SMALLCAP INDEX MIDCAP INDEX LARGECAP INDEX WEATHERBIE CONGRESS SUSTAINABLE TOTAL FUND
Number of Holdings 1,186 423 553 50 40 29 119*
Weighted Average Market Capitalization (billions)  $3.0  $16.4  $234.3  $3.9  $9.3  $135.9  $48.3
Average Five-Year Earnings Per Share Growth  14%  11%  11%  16%  13%  14%  14%
Average Five-Year Sales Per Share Growth  10%  10%  10%  16%  10%  10%  12%
Price/Earnings Ratio** 26x 26x 27x 34x 28x 29x 30x
Price/Book Value Ratio 4.3x 5.9x 6.7x 5.7x 5.2x 6.9x 5.9x

 

*Certain holdings are held by more than one manager.

**Excludes negative earnings.

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2018 5

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Top 20 Holdings & Economic Sectors

 

March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

  

Top 20 Holdings* Percent of Net Assets
FirstService Corp. 1.91%
XPO Logistics, Inc. 1.85
Insulet Corp. 1.84
Chegg, Inc. 1.68
Stamps.com, Inc. 1.52
Paylocity Holding Corp. 1.43
Visa, Inc., Class A 1.37
Yum! Brands, Inc. 1.34
FleetCor Technologies, Inc. 1.34
Schlumberger Ltd. 1.31
GTT Communications, Inc. 1.29
Alphabet, Inc., Class C 1.27
Amazon.com, Inc. 1.27
Ecolab, Inc. 1.27
Wayfair, Inc. 1.27
Ebix, Inc. 1.25
UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 1.25
Equinix, Inc. 1.25
Autodesk, Inc. 1.24
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1.18
  28.13%

 

Economic Sectors* Percent of Net Assets
Information Technology 29.22%
Consumer Discretionary 21.32
Health Care 16.32
Industrials 13.81
Financials 4.41
Materials 3.58
Real Estate 3.27
Consumer Staples 3.23
Energy 2.29
Other Net Assets 2.55
  100.00%

 

*Because the Fund is actively managed, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold securities of the indicated issuers and sectors in the future.

 

 

6 www.all-starfunds.com

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Major Stock Changes in the Quarter

 

March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

The following are the major ($600,000) stock changes - both purchases and sales - that were made in the Fund’s portfolio during the first quarter of 2018.

 

   Shares
Security Name Purchases (Sales) Held as of 3/31/18
Purchases    
Becton Dickinson & Co. 7,033 7,033
Hyatt Hotels Corp. 14,000 14,000
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. 20,000 20,000
MKS Instruments, Inc. 10,000 10,000
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. 8,000 8,000
Paycom Software, Inc. 11,000 11,000
Praxair, Inc. 6,515 6,515
RPC, Inc. 50,000 50,000
Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure, Inc. 33,661 37,251
The Walt Disney Co. 8,549 17,738

 

Sales    
Camden Property Trust (12,000) 0
Canada Goose Holdings, Inc. (18,941) 36,117
Cerner Corp. (18,406) 0
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (5,378) 0
Core Laboratories NV (9,249) 0
Fabrinet (27,500) 0
Facebook, Inc. (5,222) 6,177
FactSet Research Systems, Inc. (6,500) 0
Hasbro, Inc. (11,000) 0
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (12,000) 13,422
The Middleby Corp. (4,867) 10,976
Wayfair, Inc. (7,246) 28,936

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2018 7

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments

 

As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

  

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
COMMON STOCKS (97.45%)          
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY (21.32%)          
Auto Components (0.67%)          
LCI Industries   10,000   $1,041,500 
           
Distributors (0.95%)          
Pool Corp.   10,000    1,462,200 
           
Diversified Consumer Services (1.68%)          
Chegg, Inc.(a)   125,573    2,594,338 
           
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure (4.76%)          
Chuy's Holdings, Inc.(a)   3,949    103,464 
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Class A   14,000    1,067,640 
Planet Fitness, Inc., Class A(a)   35,246    1,331,241 
Starbucks Corp.   27,866    1,613,163 
Texas Roadhouse, Inc.   20,000    1,155,600 
Yum! Brands, Inc.   24,379    2,075,384 
         7,346,492 
Internet & Direct Marketing Retail (3.54%)          
Amazon.com, Inc.(a)   1,354    1,959,698 
Booking Holdings, Inc.(a)   744    1,547,810 
Wayfair, Inc., Class A(a)   28,936    1,954,048 
         5,461,556 
Media (1.15%)          
The Walt Disney Co.   17,738    1,781,605 
           
Multiline Retail (0.83%)          
Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc.(a)   21,139    1,274,682 
           
Specialty Retail (3.89%)          
Burlington Stores, Inc.(a)   12,000    1,597,800 
Lowe's Companies, Inc.   15,715    1,378,991 
The TJX Companies, Inc.   20,247    1,651,345 
Ulta Beauty, Inc.(a)   6,706    1,369,835 
         5,997,971 
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods (3.85%)          
Canada Goose Holdings, Inc.(a)(b)   36,117    1,207,030 
Carter's, Inc.   12,000    1,249,200 
NIKE, Inc., Class B   27,299    1,813,746 
PVH Corp.   11,000    1,665,730 
         5,935,706 
CONSUMER STAPLES (3.23%)          
Food Products (2.57%)          
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.   20,000    1,164,400 

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.  

 

8 www.all-starfunds.com

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments

 

  As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
COMMON STOCKS (continued)          
Food Products (continued)          
McCormick & Co., Inc.   12,500   $1,329,875 
Mondelez International, Inc., Class A   35,346    1,474,989 
         3,969,264 
Household Products (0.66%)          
Church & Dwight Co., Inc.   20,000    1,007,200 
           
ENERGY (2.29%)          
Energy Equipment & Services (2.29%)          
RPC, Inc.(b)   50,000    901,500 
Schlumberger Ltd.   31,180    2,019,840 
Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure, Inc., Class A(a)   37,251    616,877 
         3,538,217 
FINANCIALS (4.41%)          
Banks (2.35%)          
First Republic Bank   10,000    926,100 
Independent Bank Group, Inc.   22,934    1,621,434 
Signature Bank(a)   7,553    1,072,148 
         3,619,682 
Capital Markets (1.13%)          
Financial Engines, Inc.   1,830    64,050 
Raymond James Financial, Inc.   15,000    1,341,150 
Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.   2,730    337,974 
         1,743,174 
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance (0.93%)          
BofI Holding, Inc.(a)(b)   35,422    1,435,654 
           
HEALTH CARE (16.32%)          
Biotechnology (3.83%)          
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(b)   37,552    843,793 
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.(a)   16,661    394,033 
Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)   39,182    1,279,684 
Puma Biotechnology, Inc.(a)(b)   11,439    778,424 
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)   5,308    1,827,863 
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Inc.(a)   15,392    784,838 
         5,908,635 
Health Care Equipment & Supplies (5.43%)          
Becton Dickinson & Co.   7,033    1,524,051 
The Cooper Cos., Inc.   6,000    1,372,860 
Insulet Corp.(a)   32,775    2,840,937 
ResMed, Inc.   15,000    1,477,050 
STERIS PLC   12,500    1,167,000 
         8,381,898 

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.  

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2018 9

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments

 

As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

  

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
COMMON STOCKS (continued)          
Health Care Providers & Services (2.97%)          
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc.(a)   33,888   $682,843 
Henry Schein, Inc.(a)   13,000    873,730 
PetIQ, Inc.(a)(b)   7,846    208,704 
UnitedHealth Group, Inc.   9,022    1,930,708 
US Physical Therapy, Inc.   10,963    891,292 
         4,587,277 
Health Care Technology (0.59%)          
Cotiviti Holdings, Inc.(a)   26,400    909,216 
           
Life Sciences Tools & Services (2.22%)          
Cambrex Corp.(a)   20,000    1,046,000 
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.(a)   11,500    1,227,510 
Mettler-Toledo International, Inc.(a)   2,000    1,150,060 
         3,423,570 
Pharmaceuticals (1.28%)          
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(b)   4,893    265,445 
Novo Nordisk AS(c)   34,749    1,711,388 
         1,976,833 
INDUSTRIALS (13.81%)          
Aerospace & Defense (1.33%)          
HEICO Corp.   20,008    1,736,895 
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.(a)   31,031    319,309 
         2,056,204 
Air Freight & Logistics (1.85%)          
XPO Logistics, Inc.(a)   28,043    2,855,058 
           
Building Products (1.92%)          
Allegion PLC   3,212    273,952 
Lennox International, Inc.   7,000    1,430,590 
Masco Corp.   31,000    1,253,640 
         2,958,182 
Commercial Services & Supplies (1.87%)          
Cintas Corp.   8,000    1,364,640 
Copart, Inc.(a)   30,000    1,527,900 
         2,892,540 
Machinery (3.19%)          
Barnes Group, Inc.   18,998    1,137,790 
The Middleby Corp.(a)   10,976    1,358,719 
Proto Labs, Inc.(a)   1,678    197,249 
Snap-on, Inc.   6,500    959,010 
WABCO Holdings, Inc.(a)   9,500    1,271,765 
         4,924,533 

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.  

 

10 www.all-starfunds.com

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments

 

  As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
COMMON STOCKS (continued)          
Professional Services (0.77%)          
WageWorks, Inc.(a)   26,296   $1,188,579 
           
Road & Rail (1.78%)          
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.   13,422    1,572,387 
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.   8,000    1,175,760 
         2,748,147 
Trading Companies & Distributors (1.10%)          
H&E Equipment Services, Inc.   12,745    490,555 
SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc.(a)   15,556    1,198,434 
         1,688,989 
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (29.22%)          
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components (1.43%)          
Cognex Corp.   20,000    1,039,800 
IPG Photonics Corp.(a)   5,000    1,166,900 
         2,206,700 
Internet Software & Services (5.99%)          
2U, Inc.(a)   9,210    773,916 
Alphabet, Inc., Class C(a)   1,901    1,961,433 
CommerceHub, Inc., Series A(a)   8,831    198,697 
Facebook, Inc., Class A(a)   6,177    987,023 
GTT Communications, Inc.(a)(b)   35,188    1,995,160 
SPS Commerce, Inc.(a)   1,879    120,387 
Stamps.com, Inc.(a)   11,651    2,342,434 
The Trade Desk, Inc., Class A(a)(b)   17,528    869,739 
         9,248,789 
IT Services (7.07%)          
Alliance Data Systems Corp.   5,894    1,254,597 
Automatic Data Processing, Inc.   13,535    1,535,952 
EPAM Systems, Inc.(a)   11,096    1,270,714 
FleetCor Technologies, Inc.(a)   10,198    2,065,095 
Genpact Ltd.   40,000    1,279,600 
Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.   11,500    1,390,925 
Visa, Inc., Class A   17,696    2,116,795 
         10,913,678 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment (1.67%)          
Impinj, Inc.(a)(b)   10,649    138,650 
MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.(a)(b)   635    10,541 
MKS Instruments, Inc.   10,000    1,156,500 
Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.   11,000    1,273,470 
         2,579,161 
Software (13.06%)          
Autodesk, Inc.(a)   15,280    1,918,862 
Ebix, Inc.(b)   25,958    1,933,871 

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.  

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2018 11

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments

 

  As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
COMMON STOCKS (continued)          
Software (continued)          
Everbridge, Inc.(a)   49,035   $1,794,681 
Globant SA(a)(b)   19,569    1,008,586 
HubSpot, Inc.(a)   8,982    972,751 
Paycom Software, Inc.(a)(b)   11,000    1,181,290 
Paylocity Holding Corp.(a)   43,208    2,213,546 
RealPage, Inc.(a)   4,803    247,355 
Red Hat, Inc.(a)   10,411    1,556,549 
Salesforce.com, Inc.(a)   15,037    1,748,803 
SAP SE(c)   13,558    1,425,759 
SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.   30,000    1,609,200 
Synopsys, Inc.(a)   15,000    1,248,600 
The Ultimate Software Group, Inc.(a)   5,266    1,283,324 
         20,143,177 
MATERIALS (3.58%)          
Chemicals (2.63%)          
Ecolab, Inc.   14,290    1,958,730 
International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.   8,500    1,163,735 
Praxair, Inc.   6,515    940,115 
         4,062,580 
Construction Materials (0.19%)          
US Concrete, Inc.(a)(b)   4,734    285,933 
           
Containers & Packaging (0.76%)          
Avery Dennison Corp.   11,000    1,168,750 
           
REAL ESTATE (3.27%)          
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (1.25%)          
Equinix, Inc.   4,613    1,928,880 
           
Real Estate Management & Development (2.02%)          
FirstService Corp.   40,371    2,954,350 
Redfin Corp.(a)(b)   7,381    168,508 
         3,122,858 
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS          
(COST OF $103,158,536)        150,369,408 
           
SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (3.97%)          
MONEY MARKET FUND (2.70%)          
State Street Institutional U.S. Government Money Market Fund, 1.551%(d)          
(COST OF $4,169,636)   4,169,636    4,169,636 

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.  

 

12 www.all-starfunds.com

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments

 

  As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (continued)         
INVESTMENTS PURCHASED WITH COLLATERAL FROM SECURITIES LOANED (1.27%)                 
State Street Navigator Securities Lending Government Money Market Portfolio, 1.74%          
(COST OF $1,958,517)   1,958,517   $1,958,517 
           
TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS          
(COST OF $6,128,153)        6,128,153 
           
TOTAL INVESTMENTS (101.42%)          
(COST OF $109,286,689)        156,497,561 
           
LIABILITIES IN EXCESS OF OTHER ASSETS (-1.42%)        (2,187,922)
           
NET ASSETS (100.00%)       $154,309,639 
           
NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE          
(27,278,636 SHARES OUTSTANDING)       $5.66 

 

(a)Non-income producing security.

(b)Security, or a portion of the security position, is currently on loan. The total market value of securities on loan is $10,936,772.

(c)American Depositary Receipt.

(d)Rate reflects seven-day effective yield on March 31, 2018.

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.  

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2018 13

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Notes to Schedule of Investments

 

  As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

Security Valuation

Equity securities are valued at the last sale price at the close of the principal exchange on which they trade, except for securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”), which are valued at the NASDAQ official closing price. Unlisted securities or listed securities for which there were no sales during the day are valued at the closing bid price on such exchanges or over-the-counter markets.

 

Cash collateral from securities lending activity is reinvested in the State Street Navigator Securities Lending Government Money Market Portfolio, a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), which operates as a money market fund in compliance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act. Shares of registered investment companies are valued daily at that investment company’s net asset value per share.

 

The Fund’s investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any portfolio securities, at fair value according to procedures adopted by the Fund's Board of Directors (the "Board"). When market quotations are not readily available, or in management’s judgment they do not accurately reflect fair value of a security, or an event occurs after the market close but before the Fund is priced that materially affects the value of a security, the security will be valued by the Fund’s Valuation Committee, using fair valuation procedures established by the Board. Examples of potentially significant events that could materially impact a Fund’s net asset value include, but are not limited to: single issuer events such as corporate actions, reorganizations, mergers, spin-offs, liquidations, acquisitions and buyouts; corporate announcements on earnings or product offerings; regulatory news; and litigation and multiple issuer events such as governmental actions; natural disasters or armed conflicts that affect a country or a region; or significant market fluctuations. Potential significant events are monitored by the Advisor, ALPS Advisors, Inc. (the “Advisor”), Sub-Advisers and/or the Valuation Committee through independent reviews of market indicators, general news sources and communications from the Fund’s custodian. As of March 31, 2018, the Fund held no securities that were fair valued.

 

Security Transactions

Security transactions are recorded on trade date. Cost is determined and gains/(losses) are based upon the specific identification method for both financial statement and federal income tax purposes.

 

Income Recognition

Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Corporate actions and dividend income are recorded on the ex-date.

 

The Fund estimates components of distributions from real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). Distributions received in excess of income are recorded as a reduction of the cost of the related investments. Once the REIT reports annually the tax character of its distributions, the Fund revises its estimates. If the Fund no longer owns the applicable securities, any distributions received in excess of income are recorded as realized gains.

 

 

14 www.all-starfunds.com

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Notes to Schedule of Investments

 

  As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

Lending of Portfolio Securities

The Fund may lend its portfolio securities only to borrowers that are approved by the Fund’s securities lending agent, State Street Bank & Trust Co. (“SSB”). The Fund will limit such lending to not more than 20% of the value of its total assets. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash (U.S. Dollar only), securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, or by irrevocable bank letters of credit issued by a person other than the borrower or an affiliate of the borrower. The initial collateral received by the Fund is required to have a value of no less than 102% of the market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of no less than 105% of the market value for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter, at a market value equal to no less than 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund on the next business day. During the term of the loan, the Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

 

Any cash collateral received is reinvested in a money market fund managed by SSB as disclosed in the Fund’s Schedule of Investments. Non-cash collateral, in the form of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, is not disclosed in the Fund’s Schedule of Investments as it is held by the lending agent on behalf of the Fund, and the Fund does not have the ability to re-hypothecate these securities.

 

The following is a summary of the Fund’s securities lending positions and related cash and non-cash collateral received as of March 31, 2018:

 

Market Value of

Securities on Loan

  

Cash Collateral

Received

  

Non-Cash Collateral

Received

  

Total Collateral

Received

 
$10,936,772   $1,958,517   $9,211,172   $11,169,689 

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, the Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by SSB. SSB’s indemnity allows for full replacement of securities lent wherein SSB will purchase the unreturned loaned securities on the open market by applying the proceeds of the collateral, or to the extent such proceeds are insufficient or the collateral is unavailable, SSB will purchase the unreturned loan securities at SSB’s expense. However, the Fund could suffer a loss if the value of the investments purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the cash collateral received.

 

Fair Value Measurements 

The Fund discloses the classification of its fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2018 15

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Notes to Schedule of Investments

 

As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

Valuation techniques used to value the Fund’s investments by major category are as follows:

 

Equity securities that are valued based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets are categorized as Level 1 in the hierarchy. In the event there were no sales during the day or closing prices are not available, securities are valued at the mean of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices on such day and are generally categorized as Level 2 in the hierarchy. Investments in shares of registered investment companies are valued at their closing NAV each business day and are categorized as Level 1 in the hierarchy.

 

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments.

 

These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1 Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that a Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

 

Level 2 Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

 

Level 3 Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of March 31, 2018:

  

   Valuation Inputs     
Investments in Securities at Value*  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Common Stocks  $150,369,408  $   $   $150,369,408 
Money Market Fund   4,169,636            4,169,636 
Investments Purchased with Collateral from Securities Loaned   1,958,517            1,958,517 
Total  $156,497,561  $   $   $156,497,561 

 

*See Schedule of Investments for industry classifications.

 

The Fund recognizes transfers between levels as of the end of the period. For the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Fund did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. The Fund did not have any securities which used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value during the period.

 

 

16 www.all-starfunds.com

 

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Notes to Schedule of Investments

 

As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

Indemnification

In the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnities. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims against the Fund. Also, under the Fund’s organizational documents and by contract, the Directors and Officers of the Fund are indemnified against certain liabilities that may arise out of their duties to the Fund. However, based on experience, the Fund expects the risk of loss due to these warranties and indemnities to be minimal.

 

Maryland Statutes

By resolution of the Board of Directors, the Fund has opted into the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act and the Maryland Business Combination Act. In general, the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act provides that “control shares” of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition may not be voted except to the extent approved by shareholders at a meeting by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter (excluding shares owned by the acquirer and by officers or directors who are employees of the corporation). “Control shares” are voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the acquirer or in respect of which the acquirer is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquirer to exercise voting power in electing directors within certain statutorily defined ranges (one-tenth but less than one-third, one-third but less than a majority, and more than a majority of the voting power). In general, the Maryland Business Combination Act prohibits an interested shareholder (a shareholder that holds 10% or more of the voting power of the outstanding stock of the corporation) of a Maryland corporation from engaging in a business combination (generally defined to include a merger, consolidation, share exchange, sale of a substantial amount of assets, a transfer of the corporation’s securities and similar transactions to or with the interested shareholder or an entity affiliated with the interested shareholder) with the corporation for a period of five years after the most recent date on which the interested shareholder became an interested shareholder. At the time of adoption, March 19, 2009, the Board and the Fund were not aware of any shareholder that held control shares or that was an interested shareholder under the statutes.

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2018 17

 

 

 

 
Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund

Description of Lipper Benchmark And Market Indices

 

(Unaudited)

 

Dow Jones Industrial Average

A price-weighted measure of 30 U.S. blue-chip companies.

 

Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Mutual Fund Average

The average of funds that, by portfolio practice, invest in a variety of market capitalization ranges without concentrating 75% of their equity assets in any one market capitalization range over an extended period of time. Multi-Cap growth funds typically have above-average characteristics compared to the S&P SuperComposite 1500® Index.

 

NASDAQ Composite Index

Measures all NASDAQ domestic and international based common type stocks listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market.

 

Russell 3000® Growth Index

Measures the performance of those Russell 3000® companies with higher price-to-book-ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 3000® Index measures the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization, which represents approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market.

 

Russell Top 200® Growth Index

Measures the performance of those Russell Top 200® companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell Top 200® Index measures the performance of the 200 largest companies in the Russell 3000® Index.

 

Russell 1000® Growth Index (Largecap)

Measures the performance of those Russell 1000® companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 1000® Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000® Index.

 

Russell Midcap® Growth Index

Measures the performance of those Russell Midcap® companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell Midcap® Index measures the performance of the 800 smallest companies in the Russell 1000® Index.

 

Russell 2000® Growth Index (Smallcap)

Measures the performance of those Russell 2000® companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000® Index.

 

Russell Growth Benchmark

The average of the Russell Top 200®, Midcap® and 2000® Growth Indices.

 

S&P 500® Index

A large cap U.S. equities index that includes 500 leading companies and captures approximately 80% coverage of available market capitalization.

 

An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

 

 

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