Fairholme Up 7% In Q1; AIG Now 49% Of Fund

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We posted a little from Bruce Berkowitz’s Fairholme Fund, below is some more.

“Traditionally the investor has been the man with patience and the courage of his convictions who would buy when the harried or disheartened speculator was selling.” – Benjamin Graham & David Dodd

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT

INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number         811-09607

Fairholme Funds, Inc.

 

4400 Biscayne Blvd., 9th Floor

Miami, FL 33137

 

Bruce R. Berkowitz

 

Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.

The Reports to Shareholders of each Fund are attached herewith.

Mutual fund investing involves risks, including loss of principal. The chart below covers the period from inception of The Fairholme Fund (December 29, 1999) to June 30, 2014. Past performance information quoted below does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment in The Fairholme Fund will fluctuate; an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance information quoted below. Performance Figures are after expenses and assume reinvestment of dividends and capital gains but do not reflect a 2.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase. Most recent month-end performance and answers to any questions you may have can be obtained by calling Shareholder Services at 1.866.202.2263. The S&P 500 Index is a broad-based measurement of changes in the stock market, is used for comparative purposes only, and is not meant to be indicative of The Fairholme Fund’s performance, asset composition, or volatility. The Fairholme Fund maintains a focused portfolio of investments in a limited number of issuers and does not seek to diversify its investments. This exposes The Fairholme Fund to the risk of unanticipated industry conditions and risks particular to a single company or the securities of a single company. The Fairholme Fund’s performance may differ markedly from the performance of the S&P 500 Index in either up or down market trends. The performance of the S&P 500 Index is shown with all dividends reinvested and does not reflect any reduction in performance for the effects of transaction costs or management fees. Investors cannot invest directly in an index. The Fairholme Fund’s total expense ratio reflected in its prospectus dated March 28, 2014, was 1.02%.

July 29, 2014

To the Shareholders and the Directors of The Fairholme Fund:

The Fairholme Fund (the “Fund” or “FAIRX” or “Fairholme”) gained 8.72% versus 7.14% for the S&P 500 Index (the “S&P 500”) for the six-month period that ended June 30, 2014. The following table compares the Fund’s unaudited performance (after expenses) with that of the S&P 500, with dividends and distributions reinvested, for various periods ending June 30, 2014.

At June 30, 2014, the value of a $10.00 investment in the Fund at its inception was worth $59.90 (calculated by assuming reinvestment of distributions into additional fund shares) compared to $17.64 for the S&P 500. FAIRX returned six and a half times more than the S&P 500 on a $10.00 investment over fourteen and a half years. Of the $59.90, the share price (net asset value per share) was $42.62 and the value of distributions reinvested was $17.28. This difference, more than anything, demonstrates how the Fund has outperformed the market (as represented by the S&P 500) over the long run.

The potential advantages of our long-term focused investment approach are most evident when evaluating our performance over any 5-year period since the inception of FAIRX. Fairholme has achieved 111 positive 5-year return periods and only 4 negative 5-year return periods, compared with 88 positive 5-year return periods and 27 negative 5-year return periods for the S&P 500. The Fund’s average rolling 5-year return was 72.41% versus 27.26% for the S&P 500. The Fund has outperformed the S&P 500 in 96 of 115 5-year periods, calculated after each month’s end. The Fund’s worst 5-year-period return was (6.89)% versus (29.05)% for the S&P 500. In its best 5-year period, the Fund’s return was 185.26% versus the S&P 500’s best return of 181.57%.

fairholme Rolling 5-Year-Period Returns

AIG common stock and warrants are nearly one-half the value of the Fund’s portfolio due to appreciation of these securities – even after realizing profits on the sale of millions of shares of AIG common stock.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac preferred stocks and common shares constitute approximately 15% of the Fund’s portfolio. We believe that the two companies may be the most important financial institutions in the United States – perhaps the world – and directly support housing affordability and accessibility, including the uniquely American 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. They are a major reason why our country did not enter a second Great Depression, and are proving to be the most successful taxpayer investments of the Great Recession.

Bank of America common stock is the Fund’s third largest position. Acquiring and then fixing Countrywide Financial has cost the bank tens of billions. Finishing the task will, in our view, allow much more to drop to the bank’s bottom line.

Sears remains the Fund’s least successful investment, yet has the highest potential based on our estimates of tangible values.

Tailwinds are building at St. Joe!

Patience will pay.

Onward and upward,

Bruce R. Berkowitz

Managing Member

Fairholme Capital Management

The Fairholme Fund (FAIRX) Semi-Annual Report 2014

Fairholme v S&P 500

The Fairholme Fund (the “Fund”) commenced operations on December 29, 1999. The chart above presents the performance of a $10,000 investment for up to ten years to the latest semi-annual period ended May 31, 2014.

 

Data for both the S&P 500 Index and the Fund are presented assuming all dividends and distributions have been reinvested and do not reflect any taxes that might have been incurred by a shareholder as a result of the Fund distributions. The S&P 500 Index is a widely recognized, unmanaged index of 500 of the largest companies in the United States as measured by market capitalization and does not reflect any investment management fees or transaction expenses, nor the effects of taxes, fees or other charges.

The Fairholme Fund (the “Fund”) shares outstanding and unaudited net asset value per share (“NAV”) at May 31, 2014, the end of the Fund’s second fiscal quarter of 2014, and per share NAVs at other pertinent dates, were as follows:

fairholme shares outstanding

For the six months ended May 31, 2014, the Fund was outperformed by the S&P 500 Index (“S&P 500”) by 0.80 percentage points while over the last year the Fund outperformed the S&P 500 by 0.30 percentage points. From inception, the Fund outperformed the S&P 500 by 9.23 percentage points per annum or, on a cumulative basis, 417.72 percentage points over fourteen years and five months.

Fairholme Capital Management, L.L.C. (the “Manager”) believes performance over shorter periods is likely to be less meaningful than performance over longer periods. Investors are cautioned not to rely on short-term results. The fact that securities increase or decline in value does not always indicate that the Manager believes these securities to be more or less attractive — in fact, the Manager believes that some price increases present selling opportunities and some price declines present buying opportunities.

Further, shareholders should note that the S&P 500 is an unmanaged index incurring no fees, expenses, or tax effects and is shown solely to compare Fund performance to that of an unmanaged and diversified index of U.S. publicly traded corporation common stock.

Shareholders are also cautioned that it is possible that some securities mentioned in this discussion may no longer be held by the Fund subsequent to the end of the fiscal period and that the Fund may have made significant new purchases that are not yet required to be disclosed. It is the Fund’s general policy not to disclose portfolio holdings other than when required by relevant law or regulation. Portfolio holdings are subject to change without notice.

Not all Fund portfolio dispositions or additions are material, and, while the Fund and the Manager have long-term objectives, it is possible that a security sold or purchased in one period will be purchased or sold in a subsequent period. Generally, the Manager determines to buy and sell based on its estimates of the absolute and relative intrinsic values and fundamental dynamics of a particular security and its issuer and its industry. However, certain strategies of the Manager in carrying out Fund policies may result in shorter holding periods.

The Manager invests Fund assets in securities to the extent it finds reasonable investment opportunities in accordance with its Prospectus and may invest a significant portion of Fund assets in liquid, low-risk securities or cash. The Manager views liquidity as a strategic advantage. At May 31, 2014, cash and cash equivalents (consisting

of cash, commercial paper, deposit accounts, U.S. Treasury Bills, and money-market funds) represented 3.40% of total assets. Since inception, the Fund has held liquid, low-risk securities or cash for periods without negatively influencing performance, although there is no guarantee that future performance will not be negatively affected by Fund liquidity.

The Fund is considered to be “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund can invest a greater percentage of assets in fewer securities than a diversified fund and may invest a significant portion of cash and liquid assets in one or more higher risk securities at any time, particularly in situations where markets are weak or a particular security declines sharply. The Fund may also have a greater percentage of assets invested in a particular industry than a diversified fund, exposing the Fund to the risk of an unanticipated industry condition as well as risks specific to a single company or security. For the six months ended May 31, 2014, the Fund’s investments in the securities of Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., and The St. Joe Co. experienced per share price increases in excess of 30%. Overall portfolio appreciation was offset by a decrease of approximately 20% in the per share price of the Fund’s investments in Sears Holdings Corp. during the period. From a market sector perspective, the Fund’s positive performance during the period was due, in part, to improving performance of companies servicing the recovering U.S. residential market, such as Multi-Line Insurance (American International Group, Inc.) and Real Estate Management and Development. The following charts show the top holdings by issuer and sector in descending order of net assets as of May 31, 2014.

The Fairholme Fund top holdings

The Manager views the ability to focus on fewer investments than a diversified fund as a strategic advantage. However, such a strategy may negatively influence short-term performance and there is no guarantee that long-term performance will not be negatively affected.

The Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities and securities of corporations domiciled outside of the United States, which may expose the Fund to adverse changes resulting from foreign currency fluctuations or other potential risks as described in the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.

The Fund’s officers, the Board of Directors (the “Board” or the “Directors”), and the Manager are aware that large cash inflows or outflows may adversely affect Fund performance. Such flows are monitored and appropriate actions are contemplated for when such flows could negatively impact performance.

Since inception, the Fund has been advised by the Manager. Bruce Berkowitz, both the Managing Member of the Manager and Chairman of the Fund’s Board, continues to have a significant personal stake in the Fund, holding an

aggregate 10,492,391 shares at May 31, 2014. While there is no requirement that Mr. Berkowitz own shares of the Fund, such holdings are believed to help align shareholder interests.

The Board, including the Independent Directors, continues to believe that it is in the best interests of the Fund to have Mr. Berkowitz serve as Chairman of the Board given: his long-term relative performance; his experience, commitment, and significant personal investment in the Funds; the present constitution of Directors and policies; and current rules and regulations. A Director and Officers of the Fund are also Officers of the Manager. Nevertheless, at May 31, 2014, a majority of Directors were independent of the Manager, no stock option or restricted stock plans exist, Officers received no direct compensation from the Fund, and the Director affiliated with the Manager received no compensation for being a Director.

For more complete information about the Fund, or to obtain a current Prospectus, please visit www.fairholmefunds.com or call Shareholder Services at 1-866-202-2263.

As a Fund shareholder, you incur direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include, but are not limited to, transaction fees at some broker-dealers, custodial fees for retirement accounts, redemption fees on Fund shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase, and wire transfer fees. You also incur indirect, ongoing costs that include, but are not limited to, management fees paid to the Manager.

The following example is intended to help you understand your indirect costs (also referred to as “ongoing costs” and measured in dollars) when investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. This example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested in the Fund, at December 1, 2013, and held for the entire six month period ending May 31, 2014.

Actual Expenses

The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you had invested at the beginning of the period, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During the Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your Fund holdings during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return for the period presented. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses that you paid for the period presented. However, you may use this information to compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with the ongoing costs of investing in other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that the column titled “Expenses Paid During the Period” in the table below is meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as redemption fees (if any), or other direct costs. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these direct costs were included, your total costs would be higher.

fairholme expenses

fairholme investments

Full doc via SEC.gov

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