Document | | | | | | | | |
| Summary Prospectus | April 30, 2022 |
| |
The Medical Fund |
Class A Shares (KRXAX) Class C Shares (KRXCX) | |
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus and other information about the Fund, including the Fund’s statement of additional information and shareholder reports, online at http://kineticsfunds.com/reports.htm. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 930-3828 or by sending an e-mail request to kineticsfunds@usbank.com, or from your financial intermediary. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated April 30, 2022, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.
Investment Objective
The investment objective of the Medical Fund is long-term growth of capital. The Medical Fund is the sole “feeder fund” to The Medical Portfolio, a series of Kinetics Portfolios Trust.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Medical Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts for Advisor Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Advisor Class A shares of the Kinetics Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the sections titled “Description of Advisor Classes” beginning on page 128 of the Fund’s prospectus, in Appendix A to this Prospectus - Financial Intermediary Sales Charge Variations, and “Purchasing Shares” beginning on page 65 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.
| | | | | | | | |
Fee Table(1) | | |
SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment) | Advisor Class A | Advisor Class C |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) | 5.75% | None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is less) | None | 1.00% |
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed on shares held for 30 days or less, if applicable) | 2.00% | 2.00% |
| | | | | | | | |
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | Advisor Class A | Advisor Class C |
Management Fees(1) | 1.25% | 1.25% |
Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees(2) | 0.50% | 1.00% |
Other Expenses | 0.68% | 0.67% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 2.43% | 2.92% |
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursements(3) | -0.79% | -0.78% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursements | 1.64% | 2.14% |
(1)This table and the example below reflect the aggregate expenses of the Medical Fund and the Medical Portfolio. The management fees paid by the Medical Fund reflect the proportionate share of fees allocated to the Medical Fund from the Medical Portfolio.
(2)The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Kinetics Mutual Funds, Inc. has approved a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan that allows the Fund to pay up to 0.50% and 0.75% of the average daily net asset value (“NAV”) of the Advisor Class A shares and Advisor Class C shares, respectively, as compensation to the distributor or other qualified recipients, pursuant to the Plan. However, at the present time, the Fund is only assessing 0.25% and 0.75% under the Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan for Advisor Class A shares and Advisor Class C shares, respectively. In addition, the Board has approved a Shareholder
Servicing Plan for Advisor Class A shares and Advisor Class C shares that provides for an annual shareholder servicing fee equal to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to Advisor Class A shares and Advisor Class C shares.
(3)Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC, the investment adviser to the Medical Portfolio of the Kinetics Portfolio Trust (the “Investment Adviser”), has agreed to waive management fees and reimburse Fund expenses so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursements do not exceed 1.64% and 2.14%, excluding acquired fund fees and expenses (“AFFE”), for Advisor Class A shares and Advisor Class C shares, respectively. These waivers and reimbursements are in effect until April 30, 2023, and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Medical Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. This Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Medical Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of these periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Medical Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the expense limitation only in the first year). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your cost for the Medical Fund would be:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
Advisor Class A (if you redeem your shares at the end of the period) | $732 | $1,218 | $1,729 | $3,126 |
Advisor Class C (if you redeem your shares at the end of the period) | $320 | $830 | $1,469 | $3,187 |
Advisor Class C (if you do not redeem your shares at the end of the period) | $217 | $830 | $1,469 | $3,187 |
Portfolio Turnover. The Medical Portfolio 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 Medical Portfolio’s, and therefore the Medical Fund’s, performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Medical Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 1% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategy
The Medical Fund is a non-diversified fund that invests all of its investable assets in the Medical Portfolio, a series of Kinetics Portfolios Trust. Under normal circumstances, the Medical Portfolio invests at least 80% of its net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes in common stocks, convertible securities, warrants and other equity securities having the characteristics of common stocks (such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”)) of U.S. and foreign companies engaged in medical research, pharmaceutical and medical technology industries and related technology industries, generally, with an emphasis toward companies engaged in cancer research and drug development, such as pharmaceutical development companies, surgical and medical instrument manufacturers and developers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and biotech and medical research companies. These types of companies derive at least 50% of their revenue from such activities. The Medical Portfolio may also invest in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and purchase and write options for hedging purposes and/or direct investment.
The Medical Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its total assets in convertible and non-convertible debt securities rated below investment grade, also known as junk bonds, or unrated securities that the Investment Adviser has determined to be of comparable quality.
The Investment Adviser selects portfolio securities by evaluating a company’s positioning and the resources that it currently expends on research and development, looking for a significant percentage, or large amount, of capital invested into research and treatment of cancer and other diseases. The Investment Adviser also considers a company’s fundamentals by reviewing its balance sheets, corporate revenues, earnings and dividends. The Investment Adviser also looks at the amount of capital a company spends on research and development because the Investment Adviser believes that such expenditures frequently have significant bearing on future growth. The Medical Portfolio may invest in companies of any size, including small and medium-size companies. Additionally, the Medical Portfolio may participate in securities lending arrangements up to 33-1/3% of the securities in its portfolio with brokers, dealers, and financial institutions (but not individuals) in order to increase the return on its portfolio.
Sell decisions are generally triggered by either adequate value being achieved, as determined by the Investment Adviser, or by an adverse change in a company’s operating performance or a deterioration of the company’s business model. A sell trigger may also occur if the Investment Adviser discovers a new investment opportunity that it believes is more compelling and represents a greater risk reward profile than other investment(s) held by the Medical Portfolio.
The Medical Portfolio may maintain during a temporary period, which could be for a short period or a longer period lasting several years or more, of abnormal conditions, a significant portion of its total assets in cash and securities, generally considered to be cash and cash equivalents, including, but not limited to: high quality, U.S. short-term debt securities and money market instruments. The Investment Adviser will invest in such short-term cash positions to the extent that the Investment Adviser is unable to find sufficient investments meeting its criteria and when the Investment Adviser believes the purchase of additional equity securities would not further the investment objective of the Medical Portfolio during such periods of time. Additionally, to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, which may persist for short or long periods of time, the Medical Portfolio may invest up to 100% of its assets in the types of high quality, U.S. short-term debt securities and money market instruments described above.
If the market advances during periods when the Medical Portfolio is holding a large cash position, the Portfolio may not participate as much as it would have if it had been more fully invested in securities. In the aforementioned temporary defensive periods, the Investment Adviser believes that an additional amount of liquidity in the Medical Portfolio is desirable both to meet operating requirements and to take advantage of new investment opportunities. When the Medical Portfolio holds a significant portion of assets in cash and cash equivalents, it may not meet its investment objective.
Principal Investment Risks
Investing in common stocks has inherent risks that could cause you to lose money. The principal risks of investing in the Medical Fund, and indirectly the Medical Portfolio, are listed below and could adversely affect the net asset value (“NAV”), total return and value of the Medical Fund, the Medical Portfolio and your investment. The first three risks are prioritized by order of importance. The remaining principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a principal risk of investing in the Medical Fund, and indirectly the Medical Portfolio, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.
ª Concentration Risks of the Medical Industry: Medical and pharmaceutical-related companies in general are subject to the rate of change in technology, which is generally higher than that of other industries. Similarly, cancer research-related industries use many products and services of companies engaged in medical and pharmaceutical-related activities and are also subject to relatively high risks of rapid obsolescence caused by progressive scientific and technological advances. Additionally, it is possible that a medical device or product may fail after its research period; such research period may involve substantial research, testing and development time and the development company may incur significant costs. Further, the medical research and development industry is subject to strict regulatory scrutiny and ongoing legislative action.
ª Industry Emphasis Risks: Mutual funds that invest a substantial portion of their assets in a particular industry carry a risk that a group of industry-related securities will decline in price due to industry-specific developments. Companies in the same or similar industries may share common characteristics and are more likely to react comparably to industry-specific market or economic developments. As of December 31, 2021, the Portfolio had 96.9% invested in the Manufacturing sector.
ª Foreign Securities Risks: The Medical Portfolio may invest in foreign securities directly or through ADRs, GDRs and IDRs. Foreign securities can carry higher returns but involve more risks than those associated with U.S. investments. Additional risks associated with investment in foreign securities include currency fluctuations, political and economic instability, less publicly available information, differences in financial reporting standards and less stringent regulation of securities markets. Foreign securities in which the Portfolio
invests may be traded in markets that close before the time that the Portfolio calculates its NAV. Furthermore, certain foreign securities in which the Portfolio invests may be listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Portfolio does not calculate its NAV. As a result, the value of the Portfolio’s holdings may change on days when shareholders are not able to purchase or redeem the Medical Fund’s shares.
ª Below Investment Grade Debt Securities Risks: Generally, below investment grade debt securities, i.e., junk bonds, are subject to greater credit risk, price volatility and risk of loss than investment grade securities. Junk bonds are considered to be speculative in nature.
ª Convertible Securities Risks: Convertible securities are subject to the risks affecting both equity and fixed income securities, including market, credit, liquidity and interest rate risk.
ª Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) Risks: ETFs are registered investment companies whose shares are listed and traded on U.S. stock exchanges or otherwise traded in the over-the-counter market. In general, passively-managed ETFs seek to track a specified securities index or a basket of securities that an “index provider,” such as Standard & Poor’s, selects as representative of a market, market segment or industry sector. A passively-managed ETF is designed so that its performance will correspond closely with that of the index it tracks. A leveraged ETF will engage in transactions and purchase instruments that give rise to forms of leverage, including, among others, the use of reverse repurchase agreements and other borrowings, the investment of collateral from loans of portfolio securities, the use of when issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment transactions or short sales. To the extent a fund invests in ETFs that achieve leveraged exposure to their underlying indexes through the use of derivative instruments, the fund will indirectly be subject to leveraging risk. As a shareholder in an ETF, the Medical Portfolio will bear its pro rata portion of an ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to its own expenses. The existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for an ETF’s shares could result in such shares trading at a significant premium or discount to their NAV.
ª Interest Rate Risk: The risk that when interest rates increase, fixed-income securities held by the Medical Portfolio will decline in value. Long-term fixed-income securities will normally have more price volatility because of this risk than short-term fixed-income securities. A low or negative interest rate environment could cause the Medical Portfolio’s earnings to fall below the Portfolio’s expense ratio, resulting in a decline in the Portfolio’s share price. A general rise in interest rates may cause investors to move out of fixed income securities on a large scale, which could adversely affect the price and liquidity of fixed income securities. The Portfolio may be exposed to heightened interest rate risk as interest rates rise from historically low levels. The risks associated with changing interest rates may have unpredictable effects on the markets and the Medical Portfolio's investments. Certain countries and regulatory bodies may use negative interest rates as a monetary policy tool to encourage economic growth during periods of deflation. In a period of negative yields, the purchaser of the debt instrument may receive at maturity less than the total amount invested.
ª Leveraging Risks: Investments in derivative instruments may give rise to a form of leverage. The Investment Adviser may engage in speculative transactions, which involve substantial risk and leverage. The use of leverage by the Investment Adviser may increase the volatility of the Medical Portfolio. These leveraged instruments may result in losses to the Medical Portfolio or may adversely affect the Medical Portfolio’s NAV or total return, because instruments that contain leverage are more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The Medical Portfolio may also have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its obligations in connection with such transactions.
ª Liquidity Risks: The Investment Adviser may not be able to sell portfolio securities at an optimal time or price.
ª Management Risks: There is no guarantee that the Medical Fund will meet its investment objective. The Investment Adviser does not guarantee the performance of the Medical Fund, nor can it assure you that the market value of your investment will not decline.
ª Non-Diversification Risks: As a non-diversified investment company, the Medical Portfolio can invest a large percentage of its assets in a small number of issuers. As a result, a change in the value of any one investment may affect the overall value of the Medical Portfolio’s shares, and therefore the Medical Fund’s shares, more than shares of a diversified mutual fund that holds more investments.
ª Option Transaction Risks: Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The successful use of options depends in part on the ability of the Investment Adviser to manage future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the options and
securities markets. By writing put options on equity securities, the Medical Portfolio gives up the opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the common stocks above the strike prices of the written put options, but continues to bear the risk of declines in the value of its common stock portfolio. The Medical Portfolio will receive a premium from writing a covered call option that it retains whether or not the option is exercised. The premium received from the written options may not be sufficient to offset any losses sustained from the volatility of the underlying equity securities over time.
ª Small and Medium-Size Company Risks: The Medical Portfolio may invest in the equity securities of small and medium-size companies. Small and medium-size companies often have narrower markets and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies. As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they face a greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of the Medical Portfolio’s assets.
ª Stock Market Risks: Stock mutual funds are subject to stock market risks and significant fluctuations in value. If the stock market declines in value, the Medical Portfolio, and therefore the Medical Fund, is likely to decline in value and you could lose money on your investment. Natural disasters, public health emergencies (including epidemics and pandemics), terrorism and other global unforeseeable events may lead to instability in world economies and markets, market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects.
ª Stock Selection Risks: The portfolio securities selected by the Investment Adviser may decline in value or not increase in value when the stock market in general is rising and may fail to meet the Medical Portfolio’s, and therefore the Medical Fund’s, investment objective.
Who may want to invest?
The Medical Fund may be appropriate for investors who:
ª wish to invest for the long-term;
ª want to diversify their portfolios;
ª want to allocate some portion of their long-term investments to value equity investing;
ª are willing to accept the volatility associated with equity investing; and
ª are comfortable with the risks described herein.
Performance
The bar chart and table shown below illustrate the variability of the Medical Fund’s returns. The bar chart indicates the risks of investing in the Medical Fund by showing the changes in the Medical Fund’s performance from year to year (on a calendar year basis). The table shows how the Medical Fund’s average annual returns, before and after taxes, (after taking into account any sales charges) compare with those of the S&P 500® Index and the NASDAQ Composite® Index, which represent broad measures of market performance. The past performance of the Medical Fund, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Medical Fund or the Medical Portfolio will perform in the future. Performance reflects fee waivers in place. If fee waivers were not in place, the Medical Fund’s performance would be reduced. The bar chart shows how the performance of Advisor Class A shares (the Class with the longest period of annual returns) has varied from year to year. The returns for Advisor Class C shares were different than the returns shown below because each Class of shares has different expenses. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at http://www.kineticsfunds.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at (800) 930-3828.
Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart. If these amounts were reflected, returns would be less than those shown.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Best Quarter: | Q1 2013 | 20.48% |
Worst Quarter: | Q1 2016 | -12.38% |
The after-tax returns for the Medical Fund’s Advisor Class A shares as shown in the following table are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own Fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (“IRA”), the information on after-tax returns is not relevant to your investment. After-tax returns are shown for Advisor Class A shares only. After-tax returns for Advisor Class C shares will differ.
Average Annual Total Returns as of 12/31/2021
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | Since Inception(1) |
The Medical Fund (KRXAX) Advisor Class A | | | | |
Return Before Taxes | 3.97% | 7.94% | 10.38% | 6.16% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 3.75% | 6.44% | 9.03% | 5.34% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 2.51% | 5.96% | 8.25% | 4.97% |
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) | 28.71% | 18.47% | 16.55% | 8.86% |
NASDAQ Composite® Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) | 21.39% | 23.79% | 19.63% | 10.36% |
The Medical Fund (KRXCX) Advisor Class C | | | | |
Return Before Taxes | 8.78% | 8.69% | 10.48% | 7.97% |
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) | 28.71% | 18.47% | 16.55% | 10.54% |
NASDAQ Composite® Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) | 21.39% | 23.79% | 19.63% | 13.14% |
(1)The Medical Fund’s Advisor Class A shares commenced operations on April 26, 2001 and Advisor Class C shares commenced operations on February 16, 2007. The returns for the two indices in this column have been calculated since the inception date of the Medical Fund’s Advisor Class A shares and Advisor Class C shares, as applicable.
Management
Investment Adviser. Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC is the Medical Portfolio’s investment adviser.
Portfolio Managers. The Medical Portfolio is managed by an investment team with Mr. Abel as the Portfolio Manager. Each investment team member serves as a research analyst.
| | | | | | | | |
Investment team member | Primary Title | Years of Service with the Fund |
B. Paul Abel | Portfolio Manager | 23 |
Peter B. Doyle | Investment Team Member | 23 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, exchange or redeem Fund shares on any business day by written request via mail (Kinetics Mutual Funds – The Medical Fund, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701), by telephone at 1-800-930-3828, or through a financial intermediary. You may also purchase or redeem Fund shares by wire transfer. The minimum initial investment for both regular accounts and IRAs is $2,500 ($2,000 for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts). There is no minimum on subsequent investments for all account types.
Tax Information
Unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) or an IRA, the Fund’s distributions will generally be taxable to you at ordinary income or capital gain tax rates, and you will generally recognize gain or loss when you redeem shares.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the Fund and/or its Investment Adviser 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 financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.