Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund
Period Ended March 31, 2024 (Unaudited)
| Fund Statistics |
|
| Net Asset Value (NAV) |
$6.08 |
| Market Price |
$5.49 |
| Discount |
-9.7% |
| |
1st Quarter 2024 |
| Distribution* |
$0.11 |
| Market Price Trading Range |
$5.07 to $5.54 |
| Discount Range |
-6.7% to -9.8% |
| |
|
| Performance |
|
| Shares Valued at NAV with Dividends Reinvested |
7.90% |
| Shares Valued at Market Price with Dividends Reinvested |
6.10% |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average |
6.14% |
| Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Mutual Fund Average |
11.66% |
| NASDAQ Composite Index |
9.31% |
| Russell Growth Average |
9.59% |
| S&P 500® Index |
10.56% |
| * | 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 2024 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. Based on current estimates a portion
of the distribution consists of a return of capital. Pursuant to Section 852 of the Internal Revenue Code, the taxability of this distribution
will be reported on Form 1099-DIV for 2024. |
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
for the unmanaged Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ Composite Index, the Russell Growth Average 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 17.
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.
The views expressed in the President’s letter
reflect the views of the President as of April 2024 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.
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
President’s Letter |
(Unaudited)
| Fellow Shareholders: |
April 2024 |
Cooling inflation, broad-based economic strength and
corporate earnings that generally topped expectations—boosted by investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI)—propelled
stocks to record highs in the first quarter of 2024. The period was also the S&P 500® Index’s best opening three months
since 2019.
Posting 22 record highs during the quarter, the S&P
500® returned 10.56 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) also rose to new heights, surpassing the 39000 level and returning
6.14 percent. Likewise, the NASDAQ Composite posted multiple new highs during the period and returned 9.31 percent.
One—and perhaps the only—significant counterweight
to the market’s momentum was the Federal Reserve’s stance on interest rates. As data showed inflation stable but not approaching
the Fed’s target 2.0 percent annual rate, policy makers left short-term interest rates unchanged over the quarter. After the Fed’s
March meeting Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed still projected three rate cuts in 2024, but only if warranted by data. Markets reacted
positively, as investors came to believe that the Fed would start trimming rates in June.
The economy built on 2023’s momentum. Reported
in January, 4Q23 GDP exceeded forecasts by coming in at a 3.3 percent annual rate (later revised to 3.4 percent). For full-year 2023,
the economy expanded at a 2.5 percent rate. Although disappointed that rate reductions by the Fed would not be forthcoming as early as
hoped, some investors felt that inflation could remain above target as long as U.S. economic growth held. A sample of other data reported
during the first quarter highlights the overall strength of the economy:
| · | The U.S. added 256,000 jobs in January and 270,000 in February, exceeding most estimates. (After the quarter
closed, data showed that the U.S. added 303,000 jobs in March, 50 percent above estimates.) |
| · | Real consumer spending rose a robust 0.4 percent in February versus an estimate of 0.1 percent. |
| · | Existing home sales jumped 9.5 percent in February compared to the previous month, reaching the fastest
pace in a year while the median sales price reached an all-time high for the month. |
| · | Consumer confidence, as measured by the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey, climbed to the
highest level since July 2021. |
Stocks actually got off to a sluggish start for the
year, falling over the first few trading sessions. The pause was attributed to profit-taking after the strong run-up in November and December
and a back-up in interest rates as investors came to believe a Fed rate reduction was not imminent.
Optimism prevailed, however, as the S&P 500®
closed January with a gain of 1.68 percent. Technology stocks resumed market leadership and, as noted, corporate earnings reports were
strong. NVIDIA, the acknowledged leader in graphics chips for the AI market, capped earnings season with its February 21 report of soaring
sales and profits and an optimistic outlook. The stock gained 82.46 percent for the quarter and was the top performer in the S&P 500®.
February was the strongest month of the quarter for the index, returning 5.34 percent.
At the same time, however, some stocks in the “Magnificent Seven”
were not as impregnable as in previous quarters. Apple and Tesla both declined and Alphabet encountered a difficult stretch at mid-quarter.
Still, the other four stocks (Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and NVIDIA) accounted for more than 46 percent of the S&P 500®
Index’s first quarter return.
| First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2024 |
1 |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
President’s Letter |
(Unaudited)
Among capitalization ranges, large-cap growth stocks
outperformed in the first quarter. The large-cap Russell 1000® Growth Index returned 11.41 percent for the period while the Russell
Midcap® Growth Index returned 9.50 percent and the small-cap Russell 2000® Growth Index returned 7.58 percent.
Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund
For the first quarter, Liberty All-Star® Growth
Fund returned 7.90 percent when shares are valued at net asset value (NAV) with dividends reinvested and 6.10 percent when shares are
valued at market price with dividends reinvested. (Fund returns are net of expenses.) Both measures of performance trailed the 11.66 percent
gain of the Fund’s primary benchmark, the Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Mutual Fund Average. Similarly, returns lagged those of the S&P
500® and NASDAQ Composite.
In an environment that continued to reward mega-cap
growth stocks, the Fund was hurt by holding stocks in its large-cap allocation with an average weighted market capitalization that is
nearly half that of the Russell 1000® Growth Index ($613 billion versus $1.2 trillion). In addition, the gap in performance between
mid- and small-cap stocks relative to large-cap stocks was wide, serving as a further drag on Fund relative results. Unusual market concentration
hurt any fund, including Liberty All-Star® Growth, that was not invested in just three stocks—Super Micro Computer, MicroStrategy
and Viking Therapeutics—whose respective first quarter returns of 255 percent, 170 percent and 341 percent rocketed the valuations
of issues nominally listed as small-caps to as high as $66 billion.
During the first quarter the discount range at which
Fund shares traded relative to their underlying NAV widened to -6.7 percent to -9.8 percent, ending the quarter at -9.7 percent. The discount
last quarter ended at -8.2 percent, with shares trading in a range of -4.9 percent to -8.4 percent.
In accordance with the Fund’s distribution policy,
the Fund paid a distribution of $0.11 per share in the first quarter, bringing the total distributed to shareholders since 1997, when
the distribution policy commenced, to $17.04 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 total return on their
investment in the Fund.
A key Fund attribute, being well diversified across
the growth stock capitalization range, has been a source of resiliency over the long term. In any particular short-term period, however,
it can go unrewarded. Indeed, the factors shaping returns in 2023 largely remained in place during the first quarter of 2024 and served
as a headwind for the Fund. Going forward we will hope for a rotation to a broader market in which more stocks across the capitalization
spectrum participate but we do so with the confidence of knowing that the Fund has performed well over many years and under many market
conditions.
Sincerely,
Mark T. Haley, CFA
President
Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund, Inc.
| |
Table of Distributions, |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Rights Offerings and Distribution Policy |
(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 |
0.46 |
November |
3 |
4.81 |
| 2019 |
0.46 |
|
|
|
| 2020 |
0.63 |
March |
5 |
4.34 |
| 2021 |
1.02 |
June |
51 |
8.21 |
| 2022 |
0.50 |
|
|
|
| 2023 |
0.43 |
|
|
|
| 2024 |
|
|
|
|
| 1st Quarter |
0.11 |
|
|
|
| Total |
$17.04 |
|
|
|
| 1 | The number of shares offered was increased by an additional 25 percent to cover a portion of the over-subscription
requests. |
| 2 | Effective with the second quarter distribution, the annual distribution rate was changed from 10 percent
to 6 percent. |
| 3 | Effective 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 2024 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 the remainder of 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 shareholder 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.
| First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2024 |
3 |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Stock Changes in the Quarter |
(Unaudited)
The following are the largest ($2 million or more) stock changes - both
purchases and sales - that were made in the Fund’s portfolio during the first quarter of 2024.
| |
Shares |
| Security Name |
Purchases (Sales) |
Held as of 3/31/24 |
| Purchases |
|
|
| Casey's General Stores, Inc. |
10,000 |
10,000 |
| DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. |
90,000 |
90,000 |
| Dynatrace, Inc. |
45,000 |
45,000 |
| Waste Management, Inc. |
12,168 |
12,168 |
| |
|
|
| Sales |
|
|
| BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. |
(32,500) |
0 |
| Diodes, Inc. |
(30,000) |
0 |
| Sun Communities, Inc. |
(19,500) |
0 |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Top 20 Holdings & Economic Sectors |
March 31, 2024 (Unaudited)
| Top 20 Holdings* |
Percent of Net Assets |
| SPS Commerce, Inc. |
2.41% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. |
2.20 |
| Microsoft Corp. |
2.17 |
| Casella Waste Systems, Inc. |
1.82 |
| FirstService Corp. |
1.76 |
| Vertex, Inc. |
1.72 |
| Visa, Inc. |
1.67 |
| Natera, Inc. |
1.59 |
| SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. |
1.49 |
| UnitedHealth Group, Inc. |
1.48 |
| StepStone Group, Inc. |
1.47 |
| Danaher Corp. |
1.42 |
| Progyny, Inc. |
1.41 |
| Glaukos Corp. |
1.34 |
| EMCOR Group, Inc. |
1.28 |
| Transcat, Inc. |
1.27 |
| Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Ltd. |
1.24 |
| S&P Global, Inc. |
1.24 |
| Alphabet, Inc. |
1.21 |
| Crane Co. |
1.21 |
| |
31.40% |
| Economic Sectors* |
Percent of Net Assets |
| Information Technology |
22.37% |
| Health Care |
21.94 |
| Industrials |
18.13 |
| Financials |
13.20 |
| Consumer Discretionary |
10.92 |
| Materials |
3.60 |
| Communication Services |
2.94 |
| Real Estate |
2.51 |
| Consumer Staples |
1.79 |
| Energy |
1.30 |
| Other Net Assets |
1.30 |
| |
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. |
| First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2024 |
5 |
| |
Investment Managers/ |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Portfolio Characteristics |
(Unaudited)
THE FUND’S THREE GROWTH INVESTMENT MANAGERS
AND THE MARKET CAPITALIZATION ON WHICH EACH FOCUSES:
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 17 for a description of these indices.
PORTFOLIO CHARACTERISTICS As
of March 31, 2024 (Unaudited)
| |
|
Market Capitalization Spectrum |
|
| |
Russell Growth |
Small |
|
Large |
|
| |
Smallcap |
Midcap |
Largecap |
 |
Total |
| |
Index |
Index |
Index |
Weatherbie |
Congress |
Sustainable |
Fund |
| Number of Holdings |
1,064 |
330 |
440 |
50 |
40 |
29 |
118* |
| Percent of Holdings in Top 10 |
11% |
15% |
53% |
50% |
31% |
45% |
19% |
| Weighted Average Market Capitalization (billions) |
$6.6 |
$32.3 |
$1,224.3 |
$4.6 |
$18.2 |
$613.4 |
$215.5 |
| Average Five-Year Earnings Per Share Growth |
21% |
21% |
19% |
15% |
17% |
16% |
16% |
| Average Five-Year Sales Per Share Growth |
11% |
18% |
17% |
14% |
12% |
13% |
13% |
| Price/Sales Ratio |
2.1x |
3.7x |
5.1x |
3.3x |
3.4x |
5.0x |
3.8x |
| Price/Book Value Ratio |
4.6x |
10.0x |
9.4x |
5.0x |
6.0x |
7.1x |
6.0x |
| * | Certain holdings are held by more than one manager. |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Schedule of Investments |
March 31, 2024 (Unaudited)
| | |
SHARES | | |
VALUE | |
| COMMON STOCKS (98.70%) | |
| | |
| |
| COMMUNICATION SERVICES (2.94%) | |
| | |
| |
| Entertainment (1.73%) | |
| | |
| |
| Netflix, Inc.(a) | |
| 6,073 | | |
$ | 3,688,315 | |
| Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.(a) | |
| 17,500 | | |
| 2,598,575 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 6,286,890 | |
| Interactive Media & Services (1.21%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Alphabet, Inc., Class C(a) | |
| 28,879 | | |
| 4,397,117 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY (10.92%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Broadline Retail (3.65%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Amazon.com, Inc.(a) | |
| 44,169 | | |
| 7,967,204 | |
| Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc.(a) | |
| 53,154 | | |
| 4,229,464 | |
| Savers Value Village, Inc.(a) | |
| 53,430 | | |
| 1,030,130 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 13,226,798 | |
| Distributors (0.78%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Pool Corp. | |
| 7,000 | | |
| 2,824,500 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure (3.60%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Darden Restaurants, Inc. | |
| 19,500 | | |
| 3,259,425 | |
| Planet Fitness, Inc., Class A | |
| 17,484 | | |
| 1,095,023 | |
| Starbucks Corp. | |
| 36,540 | | |
| 3,339,390 | |
| Wingstop, Inc. | |
| 3,634 | | |
| 1,331,498 | |
| Yum! Brands, Inc. | |
| 29,206 | | |
| 4,049,412 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 13,074,748 | |
| Leisure Products (0.09%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Latham Group, Inc.(a) | |
| 78,888 | | |
| 312,397 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| Specialty Retail (1.70%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Ulta Beauty, Inc. | |
| 6,250 | | |
| 3,268,000 | |
| Valvoline, Inc.(a) | |
| 65,000 | | |
| 2,897,050 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 6,165,050 | |
| Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods (1.10%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Deckers Outdoor Corp.(a) | |
| 4,250 | | |
| 4,000,355 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| CONSUMER STAPLES (1.79%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail (0.88%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Casey's General Stores, Inc. | |
| 10,000 | | |
| 3,184,500 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| Household Products (0.79%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Church & Dwight Co., Inc. | |
| 27,500 | | |
| 2,868,525 | |
See Notes to Schedule of Investments.
| First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2024 |
7 |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Schedule of Investments |
March 31, 2024 (Unaudited)
| | |
SHARES | | |
VALUE | |
| COMMON STOCKS (continued) | |
| | |
| |
| Personal Care Products (0.12%) | |
| | |
| |
| Oddity Tech, Ltd.(a) | |
| 10,187 | | |
$ | 442,625 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| ENERGY (1.30%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Energy Equipment & Services (1.30%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| ChampionX Corp. | |
| 95,000 | | |
| 3,409,550 | |
| Core Laboratories, Inc. | |
| 47,484 | | |
| 811,027 | |
| Dril-Quip, Inc.(a) | |
| 22,621 | | |
| 509,651 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 4,730,228 | |
| FINANCIALS (13.20%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Capital Markets (6.56%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| FactSet Research Systems, Inc. | |
| 7,000 | | |
| 3,180,730 | |
| Hamilton Lane, Inc., Class A | |
| 34,521 | | |
| 3,892,588 | |
| MSCI, Inc. | |
| 7,178 | | |
| 4,022,910 | |
| Raymond James Financial, Inc. | |
| 22,500 | | |
| 2,889,450 | |
| S&P Global, Inc. | |
| 10,556 | | |
| 4,491,050 | |
| StepStone Group, Inc., Class A | |
| 148,983 | | |
| 5,324,653 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 23,801,381 | |
| Consumer Finance (1.30%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| American Express Co. | |
| 17,090 | | |
| 3,891,222 | |
| Upstart Holdings, Inc.(a) | |
| 30,440 | | |
| 818,532 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 4,709,754 | |
| Financial Services (2.97%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Corpay, Inc.(a) | |
| 9,939 | | |
| 3,066,579 | |
| Flywire Corp.(a) | |
| 66,215 | | |
| 1,642,794 | |
| Visa, Inc., Class A | |
| 21,717 | | |
| 6,060,780 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 10,770,153 | |
| Insurance (2.37%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Aon PLC, Class A | |
| 12,845 | | |
| 4,286,634 | |
| Brown & Brown, Inc. | |
| 36,000 | | |
| 3,151,440 | |
| Palomar Holdings, Inc.(a) | |
| 13,933 | | |
| 1,168,003 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 8,606,077 | |
| HEALTH CARE (21.94%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Biotechnology (2.72%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a) | |
| 132,409 | | |
| 2,448,242 | |
| Natera, Inc.(a) | |
| 62,956 | | |
| 5,757,956 | |
| Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Inc.(a) | |
| 35,660 | | |
| 1,664,965 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 9,871,163 | |
| Health Care Equipment & Supplies (7.03%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Cooper Cos., Inc. | |
| 30,000 | | |
| 3,043,800 | |
| Glaukos Corp.(a) | |
| 51,748 | | |
| 4,879,319 | |
See Notes to Schedule of Investments.
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Schedule of Investments |
March 31, 2024 (Unaudited)
| | |
SHARES | | |
VALUE | |
| COMMON STOCKS (continued) | |
| | |
| |
| Health Care Equipment & Supplies (continued) | |
| | |
| |
| Hologic, Inc.(a) | |
| 32,500 | | |
$ | 2,533,700 | |
| Inmode, Ltd.(a) | |
| 26,918 | | |
| 581,698 | |
| Inogen, Inc.(a) | |
| 41,696 | | |
| 336,487 | |
| Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.(a) | |
| 12,105 | | |
| 2,600,033 | |
| iRhythm Technologies, Inc.(a) | |
| 13,756 | | |
| 1,595,696 | |
| Nevro Corp.(a) | |
| 124,271 | | |
| 1,794,473 | |
| ResMed, Inc. | |
| 14,000 | | |
| 2,772,420 | |
| STERIS PLC | |
| 12,500 | | |
| 2,810,250 | |
| Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc.(a) | |
| 71,703 | | |
| 2,539,003 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 25,486,879 | |
| Health Care Providers & Services (4.10%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Agiliti, Inc. | |
| 89,509 | | |
| 905,831 | |
| NeoGenomics, Inc.(a) | |
| 135,839 | | |
| 2,135,389 | |
| Progyny, Inc.(a) | |
| 133,651 | | |
| 5,098,785 | |
| UnitedHealth Group, Inc. | |
| 10,874 | | |
| 5,379,368 | |
| US Physical Therapy, Inc. | |
| 12,148 | | |
| 1,371,145 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 14,890,518 | |
| Health Care Technology (0.28%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Definitive Healthcare Corp.(a) | |
| 127,639 | | |
| 1,030,047 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| Life Sciences Tools & Services (6.68%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Bruker Corp. | |
| 35,000 | | |
| 3,287,900 | |
| Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.(a) | |
| 10,500 | | |
| 2,844,975 | |
| Danaher Corp. | |
| 20,633 | | |
| 5,152,473 | |
| IQVIA Holdings, Inc.(a) | |
| 13,863 | | |
| 3,505,814 | |
| Mettler-Toledo International, Inc.(a) | |
| 2,150 | | |
| 2,862,274 | |
| Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. | |
| 6,249 | | |
| 3,631,981 | |
| West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. | |
| 7,500 | | |
| 2,967,825 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 24,253,242 | |
| Pharmaceuticals (1.13%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Novo Nordisk A/S(b) | |
| 31,850 | | |
| 4,089,540 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| INDUSTRIALS (18.13%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Aerospace & Defense (1.09%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| AAR Corp.(a) | |
| 31,952 | | |
| 1,912,966 | |
| Cadre Holdings, Inc. | |
| 19,177 | | |
| 694,208 | |
| Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.(a) | |
| 73,621 | | |
| 1,353,154 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 3,960,328 | |
| Commercial Services & Supplies (4.44%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Casella Waste Systems, Inc., Class A(a) | |
| 66,906 | | |
| 6,614,996 | |
| CECO Environmental Corp.(a) | |
| 20,982 | | |
| 483,006 | |
See Notes to Schedule of Investments.
| First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2024 |
9 |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Schedule of Investments |
March 31, 2024 (Unaudited)
| | |
SHARES | | |
VALUE | |
| COMMON STOCKS (continued) | |
| | |
| |
| Commercial Services & Supplies (continued) | |
| | |
| |
| Copart, Inc. | |
| 65,000 | | |
$ | 3,764,800 | |
| Montrose Environmental Group, Inc.(a) | |
| 67,190 | | |
| 2,631,832 | |
| Waste Management, Inc. | |
| 12,168 | | |
| 2,593,609 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 16,088,243 | |
| Construction & Engineering (1.98%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| EMCOR Group, Inc. | |
| 13,250 | | |
| 4,640,150 | |
| WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp.(a) | |
| 55,000 | | |
| 2,557,500 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 7,197,650 | |
| Electrical Equipment (1.09%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| nVent Electric PLC | |
| 52,500 | | |
| 3,958,500 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| Ground Transportation (2.84%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Ltd. | |
| 51,083 | | |
| 4,503,988 | |
| RXO, Inc.(a) | |
| 78,624 | | |
| 1,719,507 | |
| Saia, Inc.(a) | |
| 7,000 | | |
| 4,095,000 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 10,318,495 | |
| Machinery (2.09%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Crane Co. | |
| 32,500 | | |
| 4,391,725 | |
| Watts Water Technologies, Inc., Class A | |
| 15,000 | | |
| 3,188,250 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 7,579,975 | |
| Professional Services (1.77%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. | |
| 25,000 | | |
| 3,711,000 | |
| NV5 Global, Inc.(a) | |
| 2,121 | | |
| 207,879 | |
| Paycom Software, Inc. | |
| 12,500 | | |
| 2,487,625 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 6,406,504 | |
| Trading Companies & Distributors (2.83%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc.(a) | |
| 31,011 | | |
| 5,412,970 | |
| Transcat, Inc.(a) | |
| 41,229 | | |
| 4,594,147 | |
| Xometry, Inc., Class A(a) | |
| 14,974 | | |
| 252,911 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 10,260,028 | |
| INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (22.37%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components (2.51%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Fabrinet | |
| 13,000 | | |
| 2,457,260 | |
| Keysight Technologies, Inc.(a) | |
| 15,000 | | |
| 2,345,700 | |
| Novanta, Inc.(a) | |
| 8,578 | | |
| 1,499,177 | |
| Teledyne Technologies, Inc.(a) | |
| 6,500 | | |
| 2,790,580 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 9,092,717 | |
| IT Services (0.77%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Globant SA(a) | |
| 3,673 | | |
| 741,579 | |
| Perficient, Inc.(a) | |
| 36,649 | | |
| 2,062,972 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 2,804,551 | |
See Notes to Schedule of Investments.
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Schedule of Investments |
March 31, 2024 (Unaudited)
| | |
SHARES | | |
VALUE | |
| COMMON STOCKS (continued) | |
| | |
| |
| Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment (3.71%) | |
| | |
| |
| Entegris, Inc. | |
| 20,000 | | |
$ | 2,810,800 | |
| Impinj, Inc.(a) | |
| 18,454 | | |
| 2,369,678 | |
| Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. | |
| 5,500 | | |
| 3,725,810 | |
| NVIDIA Corp. | |
| 4,137 | | |
| 3,738,028 | |
| SiTime Corp.(a) | |
| 8,873 | | |
| 827,230 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 13,471,546 | |
| Software (15.38%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Agilysys, Inc.(a) | |
| 9,255 | | |
| 779,826 | |
| Autodesk, Inc.(a) | |
| 13,910 | | |
| 3,622,442 | |
| DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.(a) | |
| 90,000 | | |
| 3,164,400 | |
| Dynatrace, Inc.(a) | |
| 45,000 | | |
| 2,089,800 | |
| Intapp, Inc.(a) | |
| 42,143 | | |
| 1,445,505 | |
| Intuit, Inc. | |
| 6,463 | | |
| 4,200,950 | |
| Microsoft Corp. | |
| 18,710 | | |
| 7,871,671 | |
| nCino, Inc.(a) | |
| 40,906 | | |
| 1,529,066 | |
| Qualys, Inc.(a) | |
| 18,000 | | |
| 3,003,660 | |
| Salesforce, Inc. | |
| 13,050 | | |
| 3,930,399 | |
| ServiceNow, Inc.(a) | |
| 3,799 | | |
| 2,896,358 | |
| Sprout Social, Inc.(a) | |
| 34,355 | | |
| 2,051,337 | |
| SPS Commerce, Inc.(a) | |
| 47,242 | | |
| 8,735,046 | |
| Vertex, Inc., Class A(a) | |
| 195,947 | | |
| 6,223,277 | |
| Workday, Inc., Class A(a) | |
| 15,651 | | |
| 4,268,810 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 55,812,547 | |
| MATERIALS (3.60%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Chemicals (1.97%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Ecolab, Inc. | |
| 16,788 | | |
| 3,876,349 | |
| Sherwin-Williams Co. | |
| 9,406 | | |
| 3,266,986 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 7,143,335 | |
| Containers & Packaging (1.63%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Avery Dennison Corp. | |
| 14,000 | | |
| 3,125,500 | |
| Ball Corp. | |
| 41,432 | | |
| 2,790,860 | |
| | |
| | | |
| 5,916,360 | |
| REAL ESTATE (2.51%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| Real Estate Management & Development (1.76%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| FirstService Corp. | |
| 38,449 | | |
| 6,374,844 | |
See Notes to Schedule of Investments.
| First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2024 |
11 |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Schedule of Investments |
March 31, 2024 (Unaudited)
| | |
SHARES | | |
VALUE | |
| COMMON STOCKS (continued) | |
| | |
| |
| Specialized REITs (0.75%) | |
| | |
| |
| Equinix, Inc. | |
| 3,291 | | |
$ | 2,716,161 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| TOTAL COMMON STOCKS | |
| | | |
| | |
| (COST OF $233,268,660) | |
| | | |
| 358,124,271 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (1.13%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| MONEY MARKET FUND (1.13%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| State Street Institutional US Government Money Market Fund, Premier Class, 5.27%(c) | |
| | | |
| | |
| (COST OF $4,087,929) | |
| 4,087,929 | | |
| 4,087,929 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS | |
| | | |
| | |
| (COST OF $4,087,929) | |
| | | |
| 4,087,929 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| TOTAL INVESTMENTS (99.83%) | |
| | | |
| | |
| (COST OF $237,356,589) | |
| | | |
| 362,212,200 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| OTHER ASSETS IN EXCESS OF LIABILITIES (0.17%) | |
| | | |
| 611,806 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| NET ASSETS (100.00%) | |
| | | |
$ | 362,824,006 | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE | |
| | | |
| | |
| (59,676,723 SHARES OUTSTANDING) | |
| | | |
$ | 6.08 | |
| (a) | Non-income producing security. |
| (b) | American Depositary Receipt. |
| (c) | Rate reflects seven-day effective yield on March 31, 2024. |
See Notes to Schedule of Investments.
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Notes to Schedule of Investments |
March 31, 2024 (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 (“State Street Navigator”),
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 (“NAV”) 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"). The Board has designated ALPS Advisors, Inc. (the “Advisor”) as the Fund’s
Valuation Designee. The Valuation Designee is responsible for determining fair value in good faith for all Fund investments, subject to
oversight by 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 Valuation
Designee. Examples of potentially significant events that could materially impact a Fund’s NAV 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, 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, 2024, 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.
| First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2024 |
13 |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Notes to Schedule of Investments |
March 31, 2024 (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 State
Street Navigator. 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 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. The Fund had no securities on loan as of March 31, 2024.
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.
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 openend mutual funds are valued at their closing NAV each business day and are
categorized as Level 1 in the hierarchy.
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Notes to Schedule of Investments |
March 31, 2024 (Unaudited)
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, 2024:
| | |
Valuation Inputs | | |
| |
Investments in Securities at
Value | |
Level 1 | | |
Level 2 | | |
Level 3 | | |
Total | |
| Common Stocks* | |
$ | 358,124,271 | | |
$ | – | | |
$ | – | | |
$ | 358,124,271 | |
| Short Term Investments | |
| 4,087,929 | | |
| – | | |
| – | | |
| 4,087,929 | |
| Total | |
$ | 362,212,200 | | |
$ | – | | |
$ | – | | |
$ | 362,212,200 | |
| * | See Schedule of Investments for industry classifications. |
The Fund did not have any securities that used significant unobservable
inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value during the period.
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.
| First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2024 |
15 |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
Notes to Schedule of Investments |
March 31, 2024 (Unaudited)
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. A January 2023 Memorandum
of Decision and Order issued by a Massachusetts Superior Court judge has held that a by-laws provision limiting the ability of shareholders
to vote shares in excess of a specified amount is not permissible under the Investment Company Act of 1940. As a result of this decision,
there is some uncertainty whether a registered investment company such as the Fund may rely on the Maryland Business Control Share Acquisition
Act.
| |
Description of Lipper Benchmark |
| Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund |
and Market Indices |
March 31, 2024 (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 lower book-to-price ratios and higher 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 96% of the investable U.S. equity market.
Russell Top 200® Growth Index
Measures the performance of those Russell Top 200®
companies with lower book-to-price-ratios and higher 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 lower book-to-price-ratios and higher 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 lower book-to-price-ratios and higher 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 lower book-to-price-ratios and higher growth values. The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the 2,000
smallest companies in the Russell 3000® Index.
Russell Growth Average
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
represents approximately 80% of the total domestic U.S. equity market capitalization.
An investor cannot invest directly in an index.
| First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2024 |
17 |
Liberty All Star Growth (NYSE:ASG)
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