The fund seeks to invest primarily in common stocks of companies that are likely to participate in the growth of the American economy and whose dividends appear to be sustainable. The fund invests primarily in the United States and Canada.

The fund’s equity investments are limited to securities of companies that are included on its eligible list. When determining whether to include a security on the eligible list, the investment adviser principally considers whether a company is deemed to have a strong balance sheet and sustainable dividend payment prospects. Although the fund focuses on investments in medium to larger capitalization companies, the fund’s investments are not limited to a particular capitalization size.

The fund may also invest in bonds and other debt securities, including those issued by the U.S. government and by federal agencies and instrumentalities. Debt securities purchased by the fund are rated investment grade or better or determined by the fund’s investment adviser to be of equivalent quality.

The investment adviser uses a system of multiple portfolio managers in managing the fund’s assets. Under this approach, the portfolio of the fund is divided into segments managed by individual managers.

The fund relies on the professional judgment of its investment adviser to make decisions about the fund’s portfolio investments. The basic investment philosophy of the investment adviser is to seek to invest in attractively valued companies that, in its opinion, represent good, long-term investment opportunities. Securities may be sold when the investment adviser believes that they no longer represent relatively attractive investment opportunities.