Social Sustainability Fund – Share Class A
All information on this page is as of 09-07-2010 unless otherwise noted.
Ticker WSSAX
CUSIP 949921514
NAV $9.62
$ Change $-0.12
% Change -1.23%
YTD Return -5.96%
Inception Date 09-30-2008
Net Fund Assets as of 07-31-2010$5,433,522.84

   
 
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Net Asset Value (NAV) as of 09-07-2010 – Share Class A
NAV $9.62
$ Change $-0.12
% Change -1.23%
Cumulative & Annualized Total Returns – Share Class A
   Annualized Total Returns 
Performance Type   Last 3 Months   Year To Date   1-Year   3-Year   5-Year   10-Year   Since Inception
NAV as of 07-31-2010 -8.67% -5.28% 8.75%    -1.70%
POP as of 07-31-2010 -13.94% -10.69% 2.54%    -4.83%
POP as of 06-30-2010 -19.02% -16.04% 2.82%    -8.35%

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted.

Public offering price (POP) is the price of one share of a fund including any sales charges. Net asset value (NAV) is the value of one share of the fund excluding any sales charges. Had sales charges been included, performance would be lower. Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 5.75%. Performance including sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period.


Expenses – Share Class A
Net Expense Ratio
effective since 12-01-2009
1.25%
 
Gross Expense Ratio 17.37%

The adviser has committed, through 11-30-10, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to maintain the Fund's net expense ratio as shown. Without these reductions, the Fund's returns would have been lower, and the rankings and ratings may have been lower.


Commissions & Breakpoints  (Excludes no-load share classes.) Click here to view
Morningstar Rating 1 – Share Class A   Lipper Total Return Rankings – Share Class A
Based on risk-adjusted returns as of 07-31-2010
Category Large Blend
Overall (out of 1792 funds)N/A
3-Year (out of 1792 funds)N/A
5-Year (out of 1471 funds)N/A
10-Year (out of 760 funds)N/A

The Overall Morningstar Rating for a fund is derived from a weighted-average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five- and ten-year (if applicable) ratings.

 
as of 07-31-2010
Category Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds
1 - Year 777 out of 949

Lipper rankings do not include the effects of sales charges. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.


Benchmark Returns2,3 as of 07-31-2010
   Average Annual Total Returns 
Performance Type   Last 3 Months   Year To Date      1-Year         3-Year         5-Year         10-Year   
Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds Average -7.29% -1.52% 11.37% -6.92% -0.42% -0.37%
S&P 500 Index -6.69% -0.11% 13.84% -6.78% -0.17% -0.76%
Calendar Year Returns – Share Class A
Calendar Year Return

Does not include sales charges, and assumes reinvestment of dividends and capital gains.

 

1 For each fund with at least a three-year history, Morningstar calculates a Morningstar Rating™ based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a fund's monthly performance (including the effects of sales charges, loads, and redemption fees), placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of funds in each category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. (Each share class is counted as a fraction of one fund within this scale and rated separately, which may cause slight variations in the distribution percentages.) Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

2 S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market value weighted index with each stock's weight in the Index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

3 The Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds Average is an average of funds that invest at least 75% of their equity assets in companies with market capitalizations (on a three year weighted basis) of greater than 300% of the dollar weighted median market capitalization of the middle 1,000 securities of the S&P SuperComposite 1500 Index. These funds will typically have an average price-to-earnings ratio, price-to-book ratio and three-year sales-per-share growth value, compared to the S&P 500 Index. The total return of the Lipper Average does not include the effect of sales charges. You cannot invest directly in a Lipper Average.


Fund Characteristics
Portfolio Turnover Rate as of 07-31-2010 37.49%
Dividend Yield as of 07-31-2010 1.67%
P/E as of 07-31-2010 14.48
P/B as of 07-31-2010 2.05
Median Market Cap ($B) as of 07-31-2010 26.56
Weighted Average Market Cap ($B) 57.88
5- Years Earning Growth as of 07-31-2010 10.16%
Total Number of Holdings as of 07-31-2010 50

Definition of Terms:
Dividend Yield
P/E
P/B
Median Market Capitalization
Weighted Average Market Capitalization
5-Years Earning Growth


 

Top Holdings % of net assets as of 07-31-2010
Microsoft Corporation 3.44%
Google Incorporated-Cl A 3.39%
Emerson Electric Company 3.34%
Cameron International Corporation 3.01%
General Mills Incorporated 2.98%
Hewlett-Packard Company 2.95%
PNC Financial Services Group 2.95%
Apache Corporation 2.70%
Prudential Financial Incorporated 2.68%
CVS Caremark Corporation 2.67%
Portfolio holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified. Click here for more complete holdings.
Top Sectors % of net assets as of 07-31-2010
Information Technology 21.38%
Financials 16.98%
Health Care 14.38%
Consumer Discretionary 11.00%
Industrials 10.72%
Consumer Staples 9.99%
Energy 8.32%
Materials 2.69%
Utilities 2.26%
Telecommunication Services 1.35%

Symbols & Codes – Share Class A
Ticker Symbol WSSAX
CUSIP 949921514
 
 
Fund Number 3348
   
 

Objective & Strategy
The Social Sustainability Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing in securities which meet the Fund’s investment and social sustainability criteria.

Process

We invest principally in equity securities of approximately 30 to 50 large-capitalization companies, most of which pay dividends. We define large-capitalization companies as those with market capitalizations of $3 billion or more. Furthermore, we may use futures, options, or swap agreements, as well as other derivatives, to manage risk or to enhance return.

We select companies that we believe are financially strong and meet specific valuation criteria as compared to the overall market and the companies’ own valuation histories. Our discipline is predicated on establishing fundamental business valuations for strong businesses and then selectively investing in those qualifying companies whose stock prices we believe are materially lower than their business values. Our process is initially quantitative, focusing on fundamental criteria such as return on equity, historical earnings growth, and quality of earnings, as well as valuation criteria such as dividend yield, price-to-earnings, and other valuation ratios. In addition, we make extensive use of a proprietary dividend discount model to assess valuation. We are disciplined sellers, and review sell candidates on a regular basis. Sell decisions are based on valuation characteristics, our assessment of firm fundamentals, and expected contribution to portfolio performance. We may also sell a stock if we believe a comparable company offers a more compelling opportunity based on valuation and prospects. We will also review each portfolio company’s social sustainability profile on a regular basis to determine whether it continues to meet the fund’s social sustainability criteria.

The Fund avoids investing in companies that we determine are significantly involved in:

  • manufacturing tobacco products;
  • manufacturing alcoholic beverages;
  • gambling operations; or
  • manufacturing weapons.

The Fund will also avoid companies we determine to have a weak corporate social responsibility and/or sustainability records. In assessing a company’s corporate social responsibility and/or sustainability record, we consider the full integration of environmental, social and governance related factors into our analysis. The Fund seeks to invest in companies that we determine meet some of the following environmental, social and governance criteria:

  • Have sound corporate governance and business ethics policies and practices, including independent and diverse boards, independent auditors, respect for shareholder rights, and solid legal and regulatory compliance records.
  • Have good environmental compliance and performance records, develop and market innovative products and services, and embrace and advance sustainable development.
  • Provide safe and healthy work environments; negotiate fairly with their workers; treat their employees with dignity and respect; and provide opportunities for women, minorities, and other categories of individuals who have been discriminated against or denied equal opportunities.
  • Contribute to the quality of life in the communities where they operate, such as through corporate philanthropy and employee volunteerism.

We identify those companies by combining rigorous financial analysis with equally rigorous environmental, social and governance analysis. Our selection of an investment does not necessarily constitute an endorsement or validation of the issuer’s social responsibility and/or sustainability record. The Fund reserves the right to modify, add to or eliminate certain of these social screens when it believes it is appropriate to do so, without the need to obtain shareholder approval.

Risk
Stock fund values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. The use of derivatives may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. Because the social screens applied to the Fund’s investments may exclude securities of certain issuers, industries, and sectors for nonfinancial reasons, the Fund may forgo some market opportunities available to funds that do not use these screens. Certain investment strategies tend to increase the total risk of an investment (relative to the broader market). This Fund is exposed to foreign investment risk and social investment risk. Consult the Fund's prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Fund Management

Fund Managers
   Scott C. Benner, CFA

   Lloyd Kurtz, CFA

   Jonathan Manchester, CFA, CFP

   Frank Marcoux, CFA

   Suanne Ramar, CFA

Advisor
Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Sub Advisor
Nelson Capital Management

 
Additional Information – Share Class A
Minimum Investment $1,000
Distribution Frequency Annually
 

This Web site is accompanied by current prospectuses for Wells Fargo Advantage Funds®, an EdVestSM program description(PDF), and a tomorrow's scholar® program description(PDF).

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Not FDIC Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value