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SKBA Capital Management, LLC
601 California Street, Suite 1500
San Francisco, CA 94108
Main number: (415) 989-7852
www.skba.com
This Brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of
SKBA Capital Management, LLC (“SKBA”). If you have any questions about the
contents of this Brochure, please contact us at (415) 989-7852. The information in this
Brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission or by any state securities authority. SKBA is a registered
investment adviser. SEC registration does not imply any certain level of skill or training.
Additional information about SKBA also is available on the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
April 15, 2026
Item 2: Material Changes
Annual Update
SKBA is providing this information as part of our annual updating amendment.
Material Changes since the Last Update
SKBA has not had a material change since our last update on March 4, 2026.
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Item 2: Material Changes .......................................................................................................................... 2
Item 3: Table of Contents
Annual Update .................................................................................................................................... 2
Material Changes since the Last Update ....................................................................................... 2
Item 4: Advisory Business ......................................................................................................................... 6
Firm Description ................................................................................................................................. 6
Principal Owners ................................................................................................................................ 6
Types of Advisory Services .............................................................................................................. 6
Tailored Relationships ....................................................................................................................... 6
Assets Under Management .............................................................................................................. 7
Item 5: Fees and Compensation .............................................................................................................. 7
Description .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Fee Schedule ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Fee Billing and Direct Debit of Fees ................................................................................................ 8
Other Fees .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Item 6: Performance Fees and Side-by-Side Management .............................................................. 10
Item 7: Types of Clients ........................................................................................................................... 10
Description ........................................................................................................................................ 10
Account Minimums ........................................................................................................................... 10
Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ............................................ 11
Methods of Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 11
Investment Strategies ...................................................................................................................... 13
Risk of Loss ....................................................................................................................................... 15
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Item 9: Disciplinary Information .............................................................................................................. 16
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ............................................................... 16
Financial Industry Activities ............................................................................................................ 16
Affiliations .......................................................................................................................................... 16
Mutual Fund ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading . 17
Code of Ethics .................................................................................................................................. 17
Personal Trading .............................................................................................................................. 17
Invest in Same Securities Recommended to Clients ................................................................. 18
Recommend Securities with Material Financial Interest ............................................................ 18
Item 12: Brokerage Practices ................................................................................................................. 18
Best Execution .................................................................................................................................. 18
Soft Dollars ........................................................................................................................................ 19
Best Execution Reviews.................................................................................................................. 20
Brokerage for Client Referrals ........................................................................................................ 20
Directed Brokerage .......................................................................................................................... 21
Order Aggregation ........................................................................................................................... 21
Trade Error Policy ............................................................................................................................ 22
Item 13: Review of Accounts .................................................................................................................. 22
Periodic Reviews .............................................................................................................................. 22
Regular Reports ............................................................................................................................... 22
Item 14: Client Referrals and Other Compensation ............................................................................ 23
Item 15: Custody ...................................................................................................................................... 23
Account Statements ......................................................................................................................... 23
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Item 16: Investment Discretion ............................................................................................................... 24
Discretionary Authority for Trading ................................................................................................ 24
Limited Power of Attorney ............................................................................................................... 24
Item 17: Voting Client Securities ............................................................................................................ 24
Proxy Votes ....................................................................................................................................... 24
Item 18: Financial Information ................................................................................................................ 25
Additional Disclosures ............................................................................................................................. 25
Business Continuity Plan ................................................................................................................ 25
Cybersecurity Plan ........................................................................................................................... 26
SKBA’s Privacy Notice .................................................................................................................... 26
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Item 4: Advisory Business
Firm Description
SKBA is an investment advisory firm that provides discretionary investment advisory services to
institutional clients and individuals. We also advise on mutual funds. See the Types of Clients section of
this Brochure for details.
SKBA was founded in 1989 by members of the investment team working within the institutional trust
department at the Bank of California. This group registered SKBA with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on September 11, 1989 as an independent firm.
As of December 31, 2021, the company repurchased the outside ownership interest of our former
minority partner, CCM Holdings. SKBA operates independently and is majority employee-owned.
Principal Owners
SKBA is majority employee-owned. There is no single person which holds 25% or more of the firm.
Types of Advisory Services
Asset Management
SKBA provides asset management services on a discretionary basis in accordance with the methods
described in the Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss section of this Brochure.
Model Portfolios
SKBA has contracted with unaffiliated investment advisers to provide one or more model portfolios for
individual asset classes. Each unaffiliated investment adviser uses the model portfolio(s) created by
SKBA for their clients. SKBA does not create the model portfolios based upon the individual or
particularized needs of the unaffiliated investment adviser’s clients, or any other person, but based upon
what SKBA believes is an appropriate allocation and weighting of securities for each product. The
unaffiliated investment adviser determines how and when to act upon the recommended changes to the
model portfolio. SKBA cannot place or effect a trade for any investor using the programs for which SKBA
acts as a research provider. See the Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
section of this Brochure.
Tailored Relationships
SKBA’s standard services are tailored to our client’s investment objectives. Clients may impose
restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of securities. Such restrictions must be documented
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in writing. Client imposed restrictions may affect SKBA’s ability to perform our stated investment strategy
and, therefore, investment performance may deviate from other accounts managed in accordance with
the same strategy.
Assets Under Management
Assets Under Management (“AUM”): As of December 31, 2025 SKBA managed approximately
$732,021,000 on a discretionary basis.
AUM is defined as: Assets that SKBA manages on behalf of our clients. SKBA has full discretion
of investment and trading authority over the clients’ assets.
As of December 31,2025 SKBA did not manage any non-discretionary assets.
Assets Under Supervision (“AUS”): As of December 31, 2025 SKBA managed approximately
$392,412,000
AUS is defined as: Assets that SKBA does not manage and where SKBA does not have
investment or trading discretion. SKBA acts only as a research provider and our role is strictly to
provide a model to unaffiliated investment advisers. The unaffiliated investment adviser
determines how and when to act upon the recommended changes to the model portfolio. SKBA
cannot place or effect a trade for any investor. See Types of Advisory Services above.
Item 5: Fees and Compensation
Description
SKBA is compensated for our advisory services and for providing model portfolios by receiving fees from
the client. For advisory services, the basic fee schedule is based upon a percentage of the client’s assets
under management. If a client directs SKBA to make a specific investment in their account (including an
investment in equity or bond mutual funds), SKBA will deduct the value of those non-discretionary or
unsupervised assets when calculating fees. While fees are negotiable, they generally will not exceed 1%
of the market value of the portfolio per year. The determination of the fees will be based on the type and
size of the account, as well as breakpoints established for the reduction of fees in relation to the
increasing size of the account, as described below. For model portfolios, SKBA is compensated by the
unaffiliated investment adviser, based upon the amount of the assets invested in the product, as
described below:
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Fee Schedule
The Annual Fee Schedule for Equity Accounts
1.00% on the first $2 million
For accounts up to $25 million
0.85% on the next $3 million
0.50% on the next $20 million
For accounts over $25 million
0.50% on the first $25 million
0.35% on the next $25 million
0.30% on the next $25 million
0.25% on the next $25 million
For accounts over $100 million
0.33% on the first $100 million
0.25% on the next $50 million
0.20% on the next $100 million
0.15% on the next $100 million
The Annual Fee Schedule for fixed income accounts
For accounts up to $25 million
0.30% on the first $3 million
0.25% on the next $12 million
0.20% on the next $10 million
For accounts over $25 million
0.20% on the first $25 million
0.15% on the next $75 million
The Annual Fee Schedule for Model Portfolios
For these services, SKBA is compensated by the unaffiliated investment adviser. Although fees are
negotiable and depend upon the specific agreement with the unaffiliated investment adviser, fees for
these services typically range from 0.25% to 0.40% of the assets invested in the product.
Fee Billing and Direct Debit of Fees
Fees are generally payable quarterly in arrears; however, clients may choose to be billed quarterly in
advance. The client may also select whether to have SKBA invoice them for fees earned or to deduct the
fees from the account assets. The timing and method of the payment of fees is part of the negotiating
process. If a client contributes capital or withdraws assets from the account, equal to or greater than
fifteen percent (15%) of the account’s market value as of the previous month-end date, on a date other
than the first day of a calendar quarter for a contribution or the last day of a calendar quarter for a
withdrawal, the account will be charged a pro-rated portion of the fees for that calendar quarter. Our
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standard investment management agreement provides that it may be terminated by either party by
written notice.
For those accounts that pay quarterly in arrears, any earned, unpaid fees will be due and payable at the
time the account is closed. The amount of fees will be based on the account value on the date the
advisory relationship is terminated. The fee will be pro-rated for the number of days in the quarter the
account was open, although SKBA reserves the right to negotiate with the client other methods of
determining the final account valuation method.
For those accounts that pay quarterly in advance, fees will be reimbursed to the client on a pro-rata basis
for the number of days in the quarter the account was not under management. For model portfolios
SKBA does not bill the unaffiliated investment adviser. Each license agreement determines how the fees
are accrued and SKBA is paid directly by the unaffiliated investment adviser.
In the event that SKBA is the investment adviser to a mutual fund that our clients invest in, we will waive
the portion of our standard separate account advisory fee for the client assets invested in that mutual
fund. Clients would still pay the mutual fund’s advisory fee on their assets invested in that mutual fund
(see Other Fees, below).
Other Fees
In connection with SKBA’s advisory services, clients may incur and are responsible for the fees and
expenses charged by their custodians and imposed by broker-dealers. Such fees may include, but are
not limited to, custodial fees, transaction costs, fees for duplicate statements and transaction
confirmations, brokerage commissions, mutual fund expenses and fees for electronic data feeds and
reports. Holdings in a client's account may include mutual funds and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”). All
fees paid to us for investment advisory services are separate and distinct from the fees and expenses
charged by these funds to their shareholders. These fees and expenses are disclosed in each fund's
prospectus. These fees will generally include a management fee, other fund expenses, and a possible
distribution fee. Such charges, fees and commissions are exclusive of and in addition to our fee. We do
not receive any portion of these commissions, fees and costs. While we typically recommend no-load
funds, if the fund also imposes a sales charge, a client may pay an initial or deferred sales charge. A
client could invest in a mutual fund directly, without the service of SKBA. In that case, the client would not
receive the services provided by us which are designed, among other things, to assist the client in
determining which mutual fund or funds are most appropriate to each client's financial condition and
objectives. Accordingly, the client should review both the fees charged by the mutual funds and the fees
charged by us to fully understand the total amount of fees to be paid by the client and to thereby evaluate
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the advisory services being provided. See the Brokerage Practices section of this Brochure for more
information.
Fees for the mutual funds are described in each fund’s Prospectus. Fees are paid directly from each fund.
Fees include Management Fees (paid to SKBA) and “Other expenses” (including shareholder service
fee). Each fund also pays brokerage commissions and other transaction or fund-related expenses out of
the respective fund. Each fund also charges a redemption fee if redeemed with 30 days of purchase. See
Prospectus for all fee details. As discussed above, the value of the mutual funds for which SKBA is the
adviser is excluded from the value of the assets for the calculation of the management fees, when a client
account holds SKBA mutual funds for reasons other than tax-loss selling.
Item 6: Performance Fees and Side-by-Side
Management
SKBA does not charge any clients a performance-based fee.
Item 7: Types of Clients
Description
SKBA manages assets for individuals, high net worth individuals, pension and profit sharing plans,
corporations, state or municipal government entities and mutual funds. SKBA also has contracted with
unaffiliated investment advisers to provide one or more model portfolios for individual asset classes.
Account Minimums
The minimum asset size for a new equity account is $1 million. The minimum asset size for a new fixed
income account is $3 million. SKBA may waive these minimums at its sole discretion.
The minimum initial investment for investing in the Baywood ValuePlus Fund and the Baywood
SociallyResponsible Fund is $5,000.
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Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies
and Risk of Loss
Methods of Analysis
Our objective is to outperform our benchmarks over a market cycle while maintaining appropriate risk
exposure. SKBA applies a team based approach to the investment decision making process. Our
research effort is centralized to ensure that investment ideas are implemented consistently across clients
in each investment discipline.
Investment Universe for Equities
For all equity strategies, SKBA begins with a universe of equity securities traded on a major U.S.
exchange with a market capitalization generally greater than $2 billion. This universe is then narrowed
according to evaluation with respect to strategy-specific metrics. These metrics are as follows:
For the ValuePlus strategy, SKBA evaluates the Relative Dividend Yield (“RDY”) of each company in
relation to a universe consisting of 500 of the largest dividend paying companies (by market
capitalization) as well as the history of the company’s yield.
For the Value Opportunity strategy, SKBA evaluates the Relative Market Capitalization to Revenues
(“RMCR”) of each company in relation to an index of 1000 large companies maintained by SKBA and to
that company’s history.
For the SociallyResponsible Value strategy, SKBA evaluates the Relative Market Capitalization to
Revenues (“RMCR”) and Relative Dividend Yield (“RDY”) of each company in relation to the benchmarks
above and to that company’s history. We use external social research services to further limit this initial
universe.
Individual Equity Selection Process
SKBA then determines a company’s earnings power—its long-term ability to generate profit for
reinvestment or distribution to shareholders. We focus on factors such as balance sheet and income
statement strength, competitive position and overall industry prospects, as well as management’s
alignment with shareholders’ interests. Our research process determines if low expectations appear to be
discounted in a stock’s valuation, with the goal of providing downside protection, and if an investment
offers sufficient return potential.
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Portfolio Construction
SKBA applies similar portfolio construction methods to all equity strategies. Our objective is to construct
a portfolio of 40-60 stocks diversified by sector to control risk. Our bottom up approach to stock selection
highlights industries and sectors with the most attractive valuations. Sector weights are reviewed when
they reach the greater of 15% of the portfolio or two times the benchmark weights.
Sell Discipline
We will sell an equity security when we identify:
• Stock reaches price target or valuation extreme
• Deteriorating long-term financial fundamentals
• More compelling investment ideas or better use of investment capital
• Stock weighting exceeds 5% of portfolio
• Deteriorating responsible investing profile or lack of shareholder orientation.
Investment Universe for Fixed Income
For most of our fixed income strategies, portfolio duration is set within a range of 3 to 8 years. Only
issues rated as investment-grade by, Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch at time of purchase are eligible
for inclusion in the portfolios.
For the Flexible Government Bond strategy, the eligible securities for inclusion in the portfolio include:
• U.S. Governments
• Agencies
• Agency mortgage backed security issues (MBS)
In addition to the securities listed above, the Flexible Bond strategy can purchase:
•
Investment-grade corporate issues
For the Maximum Flexible Government Bond strategy, which is designed to be actively managed with a
portfolio duration ranging from 1 to 16 years, the eligible securities for inclusion in the portfolio include:
•
U.S. Governments
• Agencies
Individual Bond Selection Process
The strategy team uses active interest rate anticipation and the analysis of quality spreads to determine
the composition of issues held in a portfolio.
Sell Discipline
We will sell a fixed income security or shorten duration when:
• No scenarios forecast acceptable returns
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• Quality spreads are too narrow
•
Inflation rates are expected to rise and this is not anticipated by the market
• Yield levels are too low to provide downside protection
Economic Method of Analysis
SKBA employs a multi-scenario, conditional-probability framework that forecasts future states of the
economy and financial markets over two-year and five-year periods. We utilize five different possible
scenarios, which (ranked from highest to lowest rate of inflation) are called: 1) Return of Inflation, 2)
Stagflation, 3) Historic Norm, 4) Perfection, and 5) Deflation. The real gross domestic product (“GDP”)
growth associated with each scenario follows a different pattern. For example, “Perfection” combines the
highest real growth environment with low inflation (but not deflation). “Stagflation” describes the nearly
opposite environment of low real GDP growth (positive) and the second highest inflation rate. The growth
rate of nominal GDP may be similar between these two scenarios, but the consequences for financial
markets are dramatically different. This process is a unique analytical tool developed by SKBA and
provides insight into the risks and opportunities that may exist in sector and industry allocations. This
framework is also a key part of our process that enables us to estimate what interest rate changes,
expected returns for bonds, and the risk of loss in bond portfolios might be. The multi-scenario
framework plays a role in equity portfolio construction, individual stock selection, and bond portfolio
construction.
Investment Strategies
SKBA designs portfolios to fit client objectives and needs using disciplined investment strategies
managed by SKBA. The equity strategies include ValuePlus, Value Opportunity, and
SociallyResponsible Value. The fixed income strategies include Flexible Government Bond, Flexible
Bond, and Maximum Flexible Government Bond. The Balanced Plus strategy combines equity and fixed
income strategies in a single portfolio. The implementation of SKBA’s investment process takes the form
of long-term purchases (securities held at least a year), short term purchases (securities sold within a
year) and trading (securities sold within 30 days).
Short-term trading is not a typical SKBA strategy. Since it involves a higher degree of risk, this strategy
may be used when certain market conditions trigger sales of recently purchased securities as a result of
mergers, acquisitions or any new information that significantly changes the outlook for the company.
Equity Strategies
ValuePlus, a value-oriented investment strategy, seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation by
investing in undervalued equity securities. The portfolio also provides meaningful current income by
investing in equities with dividend yields in excess of the market. The strategy is designed for clients who
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desire the potential long-term real economic returns of the stock market alongside high current income
which is designed to dampen portfolio volatility.
Value Opportunity, a value-oriented investment strategy, seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation
by investing in undervalued equity securities. The strategy uses a company’s relative market
capitalization to revenues (“RMCR”) to ascertain a historical framework for investment. The research
process attempts to identify stock prices that are relatively low in comparison to our estimation of a
stock’s fundamental value. Focusing on growing cash flows and sustainable business models are
important in the construction of the portfolio.
SociallyResponsible Value, a value-oriented investment philosophy seeks to achieve long-term capital
appreciation over complete cycles. The strategy identifies companies with improving financial and
environmental, social, and governance characteristics as investment opportunities from a screened
universe of approximately 700 companies. The process incorporates both historic record and forward-
looking perspectives exploring a company’s broad financial and social profile.
Fixed Income Strategies
The Flexible Government Bond, Flexible Bond and Maximum Flexible Government Bond strategies are
portfolios of U.S. dollar-denominated fixed income securities. The goals are to:
• Produce interest income
• Preserve capital
• Offset the erosion in purchasing power due to price inflation
• The Flexible Government Bond’s goals are to exceed the total return of the Barclays Capital
Government Bond Index
• The Flexible Bond’s goals are to exceed the total return of the Barclays Capital
Government/Credit Bond Index
• The Maximum Flexible Government Bond’s goals are to lock in bond yields when interest rate
levels are attractive by significantly extending portfolio duration at such times and to exceed the
total return of the Barclays Capital 1-3 Year Government Bond Index
Balanced Strategy
Our Balanced Plus strategy combines our equity investment approaches with fixed income investment
management. Asset allocation and interest rate anticipation decisions are based on SKBA’s multi-
scenario forecasting model and client constraints. See Methods of Analysis for a description of our Multi-
Scenario Approach. For Balanced accounts, the goal is to provide an actively managed combination of
asset classes to achieve an attractive rate of return, given the client’s specific investment goals,
constraints and risk tolerance.
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Risk of Loss
Although SKBA makes every effort to preserve each client’s capital and achieve real growth of wealth,
investing in the stock and bond markets involves risk of loss that each client should be prepared to bear.
Investing in financial markets involves exposure to political, economic and currency risks. Here are the
principal risks to consider:
Market Risk of Equity Securities – By investing in stocks, the equity strategies may expose you to a
sudden decline in the share price of a particular portfolio holding or to an overall decline in the stock
market. In addition, an equity strategy’s principal market segment may underperform other segments or
the market as a whole. The value of your investment in the strategy will fluctuate daily and cyclically
based on movements in the stock market and the activities of individual companies in the portfolio.
Medium Capitalization (Mid-Cap) Companies – Investments in mid-cap companies may involve greater
risks than investments in larger, more established companies, such as limited product lines, markets and
financial or managerial resources. In addition, the securities of mid-cap companies may have greater
price volatility and less liquidity than the securities of larger capitalized companies.
Foreign Investments (American Depositary Receipts) – Foreign investments tend to be more volatile than
domestic securities and are subject to risks that are not typically associated with domestic securities (e.g.,
unfavorable political and economic developments and the possibility of seizure or nationalization of
companies, or the imposition of withholding taxes on income). The equity strategies invest in U.S. dollar
denominated American Depositary Receipts of foreign companies (“ADRs”) which are sponsored by the
foreign issuers. ADRs are subject to the risks of changes in currency or exchange rates (which affect the
value of the issuer even though ADRs are denominated in U.S. dollars) and the risks of investing in
foreign securities.
Investment Style – SKBA primarily uses a value style to select investments for the strategies. This style
may fall out of favor, may underperform other styles and may increase the volatility of the portfolio’s share
price.
Management – The strategies performance depends on the strategy teams’ skill in making appropriate
investments. As a result, the portfolio may underperform the equity market or similar strategies.
Defensive Investments– In order to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions,
the equity strategies may assume a temporary defensive position that is inconsistent with its principal
investment objective and/or strategies and may invest, without limitation, in cash or high quality cash
equivalents.
In the equity strategies, we build diversified portfolios of individual common stocks that tend to have
attractive risk characteristics as broadly defined. The annual turnover of each of these strategies tends to
be in the 20% to 35% range. Though the individual stocks are carefully analyzed and researched, there is
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always the risk of loss in any particular issue. Stocks generally fluctuate in value more than bonds and
may decline significantly over short time periods. The value of a stock in which a portfolio invests may
decline due to general weakness in the stock market or because of factors that affect a company or a
particular industry. In the fixed income strategies, risk of loss of principal is minimal compared to equity
strategies.
Bonds have two main sources of risk:
•
Interest rate risk is the risk that a rise in interest rates will cause the price of a debt security held
by the portfolio to fall. Securities with longer maturities typically suffer greater declines than those
with shorter maturities.
•
Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security will default (fail to make scheduled interest
or principal payments), potentially reducing income distributions and market values. This risk is
increased when a security is downgraded or the perceived creditworthiness of the issuer
deteriorates.
Item 9: Disciplinary Information
Registered investment advisers are required to disclose all material facts regarding any legal or
disciplinary events that would be material to your evaluation of SKBA or the integrity of SKBA’s
management. SKBA has no information applicable to this Item.
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities and
Affiliations
Financial Industry Activities
SKBA and our management personnel are not engaged in any business or profession other than acting
as an investment adviser. Nor do we offer to sell any type of product, other than investment advice
concerning securities to clients.
Affiliations
SKBA operates independently and does not have an advisory affiliation with other companies.
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Mutual Fund
SKBA serves as the adviser to the Baywood ValuePlus Fund and the Baywood SociallyResponsible Fund
and may invest clients in such mutual funds. The mutual funds are advised by SKBA following SKBA’s
investment philosophy and management strategies. Fees paid to SKBA with respect to the mutual fund
are described in the Fees and Compensation section.
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in
Client Transactions and Personal Trading
Code of Ethics
SKBA has adopted a Code of Ethics that lists our requirements and expectations for the business
conduct of all of our employees. The Code of Ethics is based on Section 17(j) of the Investment
Company Act of 1940 and Rule 17j-1 thereunder, and Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of
1940, as amended. The Code is designed to:
•
Inform employees of the standards of conduct to which they will be held
•
Provide guidelines regarding permitted and prohibited activities
•
Describe the review process that will be used to enforce the Code of Ethics
•
Describe the penalties for failure to comply with the Code of Ethics
The Code of Ethics is available upon request.
Personal Trading
SKBA has adopted a set of personal securities transaction guidelines and disclosure requirements set
forth in our Code of Ethics. All employees of SKBA are subject to the firm’s Code of Ethics, which must
be acknowledged annually by each employee. The Code of Ethics requires that employees receive pre-
approval before purchasing or selling reportable securities when the trade is in excess of $10,000 in
principal value and employees are not allowed to place a trade if there is an outstanding client order with
a broker. The Code of Ethics also requires that employees report all required personal securities
transactions quarterly and annually to SKBA’s Chief Compliance Officer.
Other personal securities requirements in our Code of Ethics include: employees are prohibited from
participating in an initial public offering and all private placement investments must be pre-approved.
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Invest in Same Securities Recommended to Clients
SKBA manages assets for employees and family members of SKBA. These specific accounts are in
strategies that are managed similar to other SKBA client accounts. To mitigate a potential conflict of
interest, these accounts are traded with other SKBA client accounts except in cases where it is not
practical in accordance with our standard aggregation and allocation procedures, but not with favorable
treatment. Refer to the Brokerage Practices section of this Brochure.
Employees or related persons may invest in the same securities that are purchased and sold for clients
and they may own securities of issuers whose securities are subsequently purchased and sold for clients.
The personal trading procedures described above are used to prevent and monitor any potential conflicts
that arise from this practice.
Recommend Securities with Material Financial Interest
SKBA receives a fee for its role as adviser to the Baywood ValuePlus Fund and the Baywood
SociallyResponsible Fund. In addition, employees or related persons may hold interest in these mutual
funds. In certain situations, SKBA may place these funds in a client’s account when the client’s
investment objectives seek such an investment opportunity. Yet direct ownership of the individual
securities may not be cost effective due to the size of the client’s account. If the funds are held in a
client’s account for reasons other than tax-loss selling, its value is not included in the account value when
computing SKBA’s management fee.
Item 12: Brokerage Practices
Best Execution
SKBA seeks to obtain "best execution" for our clients in such a manner that the client's total cost for or
income from each transaction, as well as the quality of the execution, is the most favorable under the
circumstances. The determining factor is not the lowest possible commission cost but whether the
transaction represents the best qualitative execution. In seeking best execution, SKBA will consider a
number of factors, including: a) commission rate, b) execution capability, c) the value of research services
provided, d) responsiveness, e) net price, f) reputation, g) financial strength and stability, h) efficiency of
execution and error resolution, i) block trading and block positioning capabilities and j) willingness to
execute related or unrelated difficult transactions in the future.
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Soft Dollars
In making brokerage allocations, SKBA will take into consideration not only the items listed above, but
also the commission paid research and brokerage services provided by broker-dealers in connection with
the execution of client transactions, also known as “soft dollars.” In conducting all of our soft dollar
relationships, SKBA will only use client commissions to pay for research and execution services, in
keeping with the safe harbor provided by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. When SKBA uses client brokerage commissions to obtain research or other products or
services SKBA receives a benefit because we do not have to pay for the research, products or services.
These relationships may influence SKBA's judgment in allocating brokerage business between firms that
provide soft dollar services and firms that do not, and in allocating the costs of mixed-use products
between their research and non-research uses.
SKBA may pay a brokerage commission in excess of what another broker-dealer might charge for
effecting the same transaction. In such a case, SKBA will determine in good faith that such a commission
is reasonable in relation to the value of brokerage, research and other services and soft dollar
relationships provided by such broker-dealer, viewed in terms of either the specific transaction or SKBA's
overall responsibilities to the portfolios over which SKBA exercises investment authority.
It should be noted that not all accounts may benefit from each soft dollar service and that an account may
pay higher brokerage commissions than are otherwise available or may pay more brokerage
commissions based on account trading activity. In addition, some clients may direct SKBA to use a
broker that does not provide soft dollar benefits to SKBA. Regardless, the research and other benefits
resulting from the brokerage relationship will benefit all SKBA accounts.
A substantial portion of brokerage commissions are paid to broker-dealers who supply proprietary and
third party investment information and research services to SKBA. Following are the types of research
products and services paid with soft dollars:
• Historical research tools for stocks and bonds; technical research; quote systems
• Software tools for analyzing and simulating the impact of interest rate changes on bond portfolios
and for evaluating the attractiveness of proposed bond swaps and transactions
• Financial information database used with reports as well as other price and financial information
from vendors
• Unique research that covers stocks of interest for SKBA which offers insightful research on
special situations, spinouts, contrarian ideas
• Social and corporate governance data in security screening and time series analysis
• Real time Wall Street research reports and earnings estimates
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While purchasing research and execution products and services with soft dollars, SKBA may purchase
the following “mixed use” services:
• Analysis of portfolio characteristics regarding sources of out-performance and under-performance
from our equity investment strategies
• Services which provide pricing to our portfolio management system
• An Order Management System that assists the portfolio managers and traders in the investment
process
In regard to such services, SKBA will make a good faith effort to identify the portion of services that are
associated with client service, sales and administrative activities and to pay for these services with our
own funds. Only the value of the services estimated to be used for research and trade execution are paid
for in soft dollars.
The portfolio managers, analysts, traders and the operations department periodically evaluate the quality
of research and investment information, the trading and execution services and other services received
from various brokers-dealers.
Best Execution Reviews
Periodically, SKBA evaluates the trading execution and research services of the broker-dealers with
which it conducts business and, based on these inputs, adjusts the use of each broker-dealer for trade
execution.
As part of SKBA’s brokerage and best execution practices, we have implemented written best execution
practices and established a best execution committee comprised of the Chief Investment Officer and
members of Trading. The committee is responsible for monitoring the firm’s trading practices, gathering
relevant information, periodically reviewing and evaluating services provided by broker-dealers, quality of
executions, research, commission rates, and overall brokerage relationships, among other things.
Brokerage Recommendations
It is not customary practice for SKBA to offer recommendations to clients on the use of brokers for
custodial or trading services. There may be instances where clients do not have a relationship with a
particular brokerage and ask for SKBA’s recommendations. In those instances, SKBA will generally
recommend Schwab. Clients are not obligated to utilize brokers recommended by SKBA.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
Although SKBA receives client referrals from brokers, SKBA does not trade with those brokers on a
discretionary basis, nor compensate for those referrals.
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Directed Brokerage
SKBA does not recommend, request or require that our clients direct us to execute transactions through a
specified broker dealer. SKBA does accept and will place orders with brokerage firms pursuant to
direction received in writing from the client ("directed brokerage"). Directed brokerage typically is
arranged by the client as a method where a portion of brokerage commissions serve as compensation to
brokers for goods and services provided directly to the client. This is an agreement negotiated between
the client and broker. In a directed brokerage account, SKBA may not be able to aggregate orders to
reduce transactions costs or the client may receive less favorable prices.
Order Aggregation
SKBA typically has complete discretion over the selection and amount of securities to be bought or sold
without obtaining specific client consent. As noted above, SKBA seeks to obtain “best execution” on each
portfolio transaction for clients. As part of our effort to obtain best execution, SKBA aggregates trades in
individual securities for as many accounts as practicable, except where subject to client direction
constraints. Each account that participates in a block trade that is filled at several different prices through
multiple trades will receive the average share price and will share the non-account specific transaction
costs on a pro rata basis. When possible, traders will block orders and utilize step outs to fulfill client
direction. The majority of the time, when intraday discretionary and directed orders are received
simultaneously, the trader will use a random drawing method to determine the order in which trades will
be placed. However, the trader may override the random drawing if the trades may impact market price
and/or efficiencies. All overrides will be documented. If a trade that requires direction by the client might
have an impact on the market price of the security, the directed trade may be executed after the blocked
trades or other accounts to protect those accounts from such market impact. If the client is not able to
participate in a block trade, the client may not be able to obtain the best net price and execution for that
specific security transaction.
When SKBA cannot buy or sell the full amount of securities needed at one time, we allocate the order
among participating accounts on a pro rata basis. When the entire blocked order is not completed during
the trading day, the traders may allocate the completed trades by fully allocating any account less than or
equal to 1,000 shares first. To the extent that SKBA desires to participate in an IPO and the order to
purchase is only partially filled in the offering, all participating accounts will be allocated shares on a pro-
rata basis.
SKBA also may cause the client to buy or sell securities directly from or to another client if such a
transaction is in the interests of both such clients. Such transactions will be executed at the prevailing
market price, and SKBA will not receive any compensation for executing such trades.
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Trade Error Policy
As a fiduciary, SKBA has the responsibility to effect orders correctly and in the best interests of our
clients. In the event any error occurs in the handling of any client transactions due to SKBA's actions, it is
our policy to seek to identify and correct any errors as promptly as possible without disadvantaging the
client or benefiting SKBA in any way.
If the error is the responsibility of SKBA, the client transaction will be corrected and SKBA will be
responsible for any client loss resulting from an inaccurate or erroneous order.
Item 13: Review of Accounts
Periodic Reviews
Institutional accounts are reviewed on a regular basis by the strategy team, which includes analysts and
portfolio managers. The review covers position weights and performance of securities in relation to
established guidelines for each portfolio.
Individual accounts are reviewed at least quarterly in the same manner.
SKBA shall consult with clients on a periodic basis to reasonably confirm that we are managing the
account in accordance with the guidelines that the client has given us, as well as to examine whether
there have been any changes to those guidelines or the client’s financial condition.
In the review process, at least one portfolio manager will review and evaluate the account’s investment
performance and investment strategies to ensure that the account is being managed according to the
client's goals and objectives. Each portfolio manager will be responsible for no more than twenty-five
institutional account relationships and fifty individual relationships.
For client restrictions, our portfolio and order management system offers a compliance module that allows
restrictions to be setup by account based on the client’s guidelines. The system is capable of applying
different restriction levels depending on the individual client’s tolerance for each guideline.
Regular Reports
Quarterly, SKBA will provide a written report to the client showing activity in their account that includes:
• Performance for the last quarter compared to the client’s benchmark
• An asset statement that includes the client‘s holdings and market value of the portfolio
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• The client’s transactions for the quarter
• A review of market and economic conditions
Item 14: Client Referrals and Other Compensation
In exchange for commissions generated by discretionary trading activity, SKBA receives research
services from a variety of brokerage firms. SKBA may also direct brokerage to firms who refer clients to
the firm. See the Brokerage Practices section of this Brochure for a description of the services and
benefits SKBA receives from brokerage firms.
SKBA does not have a referral or solicitation arrangements with third parties.
Item 15: Custody
Our clients’ assets are housed in nationally recognized banks or brokerage firms, otherwise known as
custodians. SKBA has a limited power of attorney to place trades on the client’s behalf. If authorized by
the client, SKBA may also have the authority to directly debit client accounts for quarterly fees, and
therefore is deemed to have custody.
SKBA does not take physical possession of client funds or securities, however SKBA has custody of
some client assets through the direct debiting of management fees from client custodial accounts.
SKBA is deemed to have custody due to authority through standing letters of authorization to facilitate
money movement from the client’s account to a third party. SKBA will never facilitate a money movement
without the client’s request. SKBA complies with the custody rule by making sure specific criteria are
being met for each client arrangement.
See the Fees and Compensation section of this Brochure.
Account Statements
The client will receive account statements directly from the broker-dealer, bank or other qualified
custodian. SKBA urges the client to compare the statement the client receives from the qualified
custodian with the statement the client receives from SKBA.
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Item 16: Investment Discretion
Discretionary Authority for Trading
When the client retains SKBA as their investment adviser, SKBA and the client will enter into an
investment management agreement. By signing this agreement, the client gives SKBA full discretion on
all investment decisions regarding their account.
SKBA allows clients to place restrictions on the types of securities to be purchased, as well as direct
SKBA to place orders with specific brokerage firms. Such restrictions must be documented in writing.
Limited Power of Attorney
By signing the investment management agreement, the client gives SKBA Power of Attorney on all
investment decisions regarding their account. The client agrees that SKBA will not advise the client in
any legal proceedings, including bankruptcies or class actions involving securities held or previously held
by the Account.
Item 17: Voting Client Securities
Proxy Votes
Clients have a choice whether to have SKBA vote their proxies. This decision is made when they sign
the investment management contract.
Our overriding concern in voting proxies is to protect and enhance our clients' financial well-being. The
financial impact on our clients is more important than any relationship SKBA may have with any
corporation soliciting a proxy. If it can be determined that a proposal negatively impacts the client's
financial position, we will vote against it. We are concerned with shareholder rights and will vote against
most attempts by boards of directors to entrench or expand their positions at the expense of
shareholders. We will vote with shareholders on proposals to protect those rights, including management
proposals that would make the acquisition of the company more difficult or the creation of a new class of
securities with superior voting powers.
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SKBA believes that we are unlikely to be in a situation that results in a material conflict of interest
between our clients’ interests and the interest of our firm. However, if a situation should arise where a
material conflict of interest (or an appearance of a conflict of interest) is determined to exist, SKBA will
make an effort to seek out the opinion of a qualified independent third party regarding this issue. If this
situation should occur, it will be thoroughly documented.
These policies are reviewed on an ongoing basis by a team of senior officers of SKBA. The complete
Proxy Policy and voting record are available upon request, and we are available to discuss any of these
policies.
If the client elects to vote their own proxies, they will receive their proxies or other solicitations directly
from their custodian or a transfer agent and contact them for additional information.
Item 18: Financial Information
SKBA does not collect more than $1,200 in management fees in advance for services greater than 6
months. Our management fees are billed quarterly.
SKBA has never been the subject of a bankruptcy petition and SKBA is not aware of any financial
condition that is reasonably likely to impair our ability to meet our contractual commitments to clients.
Additional Disclosures
Business Continuity Plan
SKBA has a written business continuity plan which has been provided to each employee of the firm. The
purpose of this plan is to document what actions are to be taken and by whom, in order to resume the
day-to-day business activities of SKBA in the event of a disruption of normal business operations. The
plan also outlines processes for system backups and redundancy of critical functions. While the plan is
based on a series of previously made decisions and preparations, the steps for business resumption will
depend upon the nature of the interruption and who is available to assist in the recovery.
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Cybersecurity Plan
SKBA has a written cybersecurity plan which has been provided to and reviewed with each employee of
the firm. The purpose of this plan is to protect our client’s, employee’s and the firm’s nonpublic personal
information from cyber fraud and cyber based threats. The plan identifies what information SKBA is
protecting and the possible areas where a data breach may occur; outlines methods and practices
employees must use to safeguard this sensitive data; outlines monitoring practices for ongoing testing;
and establishes the steps to be taken if a data breach occurs.
SKBA’s Privacy Notice
Under Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, we are required to provide a notice to each of
our individual clients that explains our policies and practices relating to disclosing personal information to
unrelated third parties. As a general matter, it is our policy not to disclose information about our current
or former clients to a third party, except as permitted or required by law, and to maintain security over
personal information in our possession. We describe these policies in further detail below.
We collect personal information from each client based upon the information provided to us in 1) our
investment management agreement, 2) from information that we collect when we effect transactions, and
3) from on-going communications with each client. This allows us to provide asset management services
based upon individual clients’ needs and goals. Some examples of the information we collect relate to
financial condition including assets under management, tax situation and other sensitive financial data.
SKBA will share clients’ personal and nonpublic information only as necessary to manage clients’
accounts or at the request of our clients.
If our policies were to change and we sought to disclose a client’s personal information to others, we
would not do this without asking the client for permission. We would provide the client with detailed
information prior to implementing any potential change and request approval. At that time, we would also
provide information on how a client would be able to opt-out of us disclosing such information.
SKBA has adopted policies and procedures to protect client’s nonpublic personal information. For
example: 1) access to such information is limited and based on employees’ job function; 2) physical
storage and network systems are properly secured; 3) a password protected environment is maintained;
and 4) the firm properly destroys any unnecessary documents which contain nonpublic personal
information. All employees are required to read and acknowledge receipt of our Code of Ethics accepting
our policy relating to the handling and safeguarding of confidential information.
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