SEC Company Response from WT MUTUAL FUND (CIK 0000927413) — Mar 9, 2005
WT MUTUAL FUND (CIK 0000927413)
Date: March 9, 2005 · CIK: 0000927413 · Accession: 0000950116-05-000948
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File numbers found in text: 811-08648
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PEPPER HAMILTON LLP
3000 TWO LOGAN SQUARE
EIGHTEENTH AND ARCH STREETS
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103-2799
March 9, 2005
VIA EDGAR
Mr. Jeff Long
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20549
Re: WT Mutual Fund (1940 Act File No. 811-08648)
--------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Long:
This letter responds to your oral comments received on Tuesday, January
25, 2005, regarding the financial statements contained in the annual reports of
various series (the "Series") of the WT Mutual Fund (the "Trust"), which were
filed with the Commission on Form N-CSR on September 9, 2004. We appreciate the
opportunity to address your comments regarding the current disclosure contained
in the Financial Statements of certain of the Series.
We have organized the comments you presented and our response to such
comments in the order in which they were delivered.
1. You commented that the line graphs required under Item 21(b)(7) of
Form N-1A, "Management's Discussion of Fund Performance," in the Annual Reports
of each of the Series as filed electronically on EDGAR, did not include a
tabular presentation of the data as required under Rule 304(a) of Regulation ST.
This will confirm that all future line graphs not reproduced
graphically in the Annual Reports of the Series will include a tabular
presentation of the data as required under Rule 304(a) of Regulation
ST.
2. You questioned the accuracy of the fact that each of the Roxbury
Funds' (i.e., Small Cap Growth, Mid Cap Fund and Large Cap Growth Fund)
Statement of Assets and Liabilities disclosed the exact same amount (i.e.,
($3,028)) under the "Accumulated Net Investment Loss" line item.
The amount shown within the components of net assets on each Fund's
statement of assets and liabilities represents a temporary book-tax
timing difference relating to the Deferred Compensation Plan for
Independent Trustees (the "Plan") (Exhibit 22(f) to the Trust's
registration statement). The fees, including any deferred fees under
the Plan, for the Independent Trustees are allocated on a pro rata
basis to each of the series of the Trust, such that the identical
amounts are allocated to each series. As the deferred amounts represent
book-tax timing differences that will reverse in the future upon
distribution from the Plan, these amounts have not been reclassified to
"Paid-in-capital." This treatment is consistent with AICPA Statement of
Position 93-2, Determination, Disclosure, and Financial Statement
Presentation of Income, Capital Gain, and Return of Capital
Distributions by Investment Companies.
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3. You noted that all foreign exchange contract transactions are to be
reported on a gross basis and asked for confirmation as to whether or not a
master netting arrangement is in place for the Wilmington International
Multi-Manager Portfolio (the "Portfolio").
At June 30, 2004, the open forward foreign currency exchange contracts
for the Portfolio were with two counterparties -- Brown Brothers
Harriman & Co. ("BBH") and Goldman Sachs & Co. ("GS"). The net amounts
due to BBH and GS were $21,479 and $38,285, respectively, the sum of
which ($59,764) is presented as a liability on the statement of assets
and liabilities. As such, the amounts due to BBH and GS have not been
netted for financial reporting purposes, as the Portfolio was in a "net
payable" position with both counterparties.
4. You asked for an explanation of why the CRM Mid Cap Value Fund made
distributions of 2(cent) per share with respect to each of its Institutional
Class and Retail Class Shares, when Institutional Class Shares had a 3(cent) per
share gain and the Retail Class Shares had a 5(cent) per share loss.
As you are aware, Rule 18f-3 neither mandates nor indicates how
distributions are to be made among the various classes of a multi-class
fund. Accordingly, the pro rata distribution among all classes of a
fund is not inappropriate. Moreover, nothing in the Trust's Declaration
of Trust or Bylaws would prohibit a pro rata distribution among
shareholders of each class of a series. However, after review of this
matter, it appears that industry practice is to compute and declare
distributions that resemble the variance in class level expenses.
Accordingly, this matter will be discussed with the Trust's Board to
determine whether the current practice of making distributions on a pro
rata basis should be modified to reflect current industry practice.
5. You asked for an explanation of how the administrative and
accounting fee waivers with respect to each of the Series are in compliance with
Rule 18f-3.
In accordance with the Trust's Administrative and Accounting Service
Agreement (the "Agreement"), each series of the Trust is charged an
annual series level fee plus a class level fee for each class. The
Agreement also provides that such series/class level fees will be
waived to the extent the series/class average net assets do not exceed
specified levels. The terms of the Agreement are disclosed in Note 3 to
the financial statements of each Series. For accounting, as well as
financial reporting purposes, the class level fees and corresponding
waivers are recorded at the class level. Given the fact that separate
accounting records must be maintained for each class, this treatment is
consistent with Rule 18f-3 which states that, "Each class may pay a
different share of other expenses, not including advisory or custodial
fees or other expenses related to the management of the company's
assets, if these expenses are actually incurred in a different amount
by that class, or if the class receives services of a different kind or
to a different degree than other classes. . . ."
6. You commented that the disclosure in Note 4 to the Roxbury Small Cap
Growth Fund's (the "Fund") financial statements reporting long-term gain
distributions of $0 is inconsistent with the Statement of Changes in Net Assets,
which shows distributions from net realized gains of $837,985.
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The Fund commenced operations on January 2, 2003. The net realized
gains distributed during the year ended June 30, 2004, were from net
short-term capital gains. For Federal income tax purposes, net
short-term gains are treated as "ordinary income" and, therefore, were
appropriately characterized as such in Note 4 to the financial
statements. On a prospective basis, the Fund will add disclosure
indicating that distributions from net short-term gains are treated as
ordinary income for Federal income tax purposes.
* * * * * * *
We trust that these responses address your comments.
This letter incorporates by reference the "Tandy Letter" signed by an
officer of the Trust and attached hereto as Exhibit A.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact
Joseph V. Del Raso at (215) 981-4506 or my associate Adam L. Lantz at (215)
981-4602.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Joseph V. Del Raso
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Joseph V. Del Raso, Esquire
cc: Robert J. Christian, President, WT Mutual Fund
John R. Giles, Chief Financial Officer, WT Mutual Fund
Adam L. Lantz, Esq.
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EXHIBIT A
WT MUTUAL FUND
1100 North Market Street
Wilmington, DE 19890
March 9, 2005
Filing Desk
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20549
Re: WT Mutual Fund (the "Fund")
Securities Act File No. 33-84762
Investment Company Act File No. 811-08648
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Dear Sir or Madam:
In connection with the Fund's response to certain oral comments
received from the Commission staff on January 25, 2005, with respect to the
financial statements of its series filed on Form N-CSR on September 9, 2004
("Financial Statements"), the Fund is providing the following, as instructed:
The Fund acknowledges that (i) it is responsible for the adequacy and
accuracy of the disclosure in its Financial Statements, (ii) Commission staff
comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments in its Financial
Statements reviewed by the staff do not foreclose the Commission from taking any
action with respect to the Financial Statements, and (iii) the Fund may not
assert staff comments with respect to the Financial Statements as a defense in
any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal
securities laws of the United States.
Please direct any questions concerning this letter to Joseph V. Del
Raso, Esquire, of Pepper Hamilton LLP, counsel to the Fund at 215.981.4506.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Robert J. Christian
Robert J. Christian
President and CEO, WT Mutual Fund
cc: Mr. Jeff Long, Securities and Exchange Commission
Joseph V. Del Raso, Esq.
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