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Figures are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods.
Investments are not FDIC-insured, nor are they deposits of or guaranteed by a bank or any other entity, so they may lose value.
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2. Let’s review an illustration found in The ICA Guide.
There have always been reasons not to invest. The Investment Company of America has given its shareholders good reason to look beyond the headlines during unpredictable times.
Let’s review an illustration found in The ICA Guide.
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3. The ICA Guide mountain chart
Growth of a hypothetical $10,000 from 1934 – 2012
Figures are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com. Fund results are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge (5.75%).
The ICA mountain chart, which can be found in The ICA Guide, illustrates what would have happened to a hypothetical $10,000 investment made in the fund at its inception in By December 31, 2012, that investment would have grown to more than $73 million (with dividends reinvested).
At the bottom of the chart, the years are labeled as blue-bar years or red-bar years.
Blue-bar years were “up” years. That is, they were calendar years in which the annual return of ICA was positive.
Conversely, the red-bar years, or “down” years, were those calendar years in which the annual return of ICA was negative.
Throughout its 79-year history, ICA has had just 14 red-bar years, an average of approximately one in six.
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4. The Investment Company of America
Back-to-back down years
Figures are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com. Fund results are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge (5.75%).
How many times did ICA have back-to-back red-bar years — or down years — in its history?
The first time they appeared back-to-back was 1940 and Next was 1973 and 1974 and, most recently, 2001 and 2002.
Let’s take a look at that initial $10,000 investment and see what it would have been worth right before each of the periods with two consecutive down years. Then let’s see what the account balance would have been 10 years after the start of those two down years.
1940 – – – 2002
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5. The Investment Company of America
1940 – 1949
Figures are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com. Fund results are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge (5.75%).
Let’s first look at the 10-year period,1940 to 1949.
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6. The Investment Company of America
Figures are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com. Fund results are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge (5.75%).
As of December 31, 1939 — just before the start of the two down years, 1940 and 1941 — the initial $10,000 invested would have grown to $25,000.
After a period of 10 years, starting with those two down years, the investment would have been worth $63,900, as of December 31, 1949.
The fund grew to be 2½ times larger in value, gaining nearly $39,000 in the 10-year period that included the attack on Pearl Harbor, price controls, a post-war recession and the beginnings of the Cold War.
Results reflect payment of the maximum 5.75% sales charge for Class A shares on a hypothetical $10,000 investment. Thus the net amount invested was $9,425. The maximum initial sales charge was 8.5% prior to July 1, As outlined in the prospectus, the sales charge is reduced for larger investments. There is no sales charge on dividends or capital gain distributions that are reinvested in additional shares. The results shown are before taxes on fund distributions and sale of fund shares. Past results are not predictive of results in future periods. Results for other share classes may differ.
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7. The Investment Company of America
1973 – 1982
Figures are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com. Fund results are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge (5.75%).
Now let’s examine the 10-year period, 1973 to 1982.
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8. The Investment Company of America
Figures are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com. Fund results are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge (5.75%).
Looking at this period, the initial $10,000 invested would have been worth $1,231,100 as of December 31, 1972.
Over the next 10 years — again, a period that started with two down years — the investment would have grown to $ 3,212,000, as of December 31, 1982, representing a gain of $1,980,900. That’s more than 2 ½ times its value 10 years prior.
In this time frame we experienced Watergate, an oil embargo and a presidential resignation.
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9. The Investment Company of America
2001 – 2010
Figures are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com. Fund results are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge (5.75%).
And finally, let’s look at the most recent period when there were two consecutive down years — 2001 and 2002.
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10. The Investment Company of America
Figures are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com. Fund results are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge (5.75%).
Just before those two down years, as of December 31, 2000, the initial $10,000 invested would have been worth $47,435,200.
The following 10 years witnessed the bursting of the Internet bubble, a terrorist attack on United States soil, Hurricane Katrina and the recent recession.
As of December 31, 2010, the investment would have grown to $64,830,600, a 10-year average annual return of 3.17%. 1 2
1Includes reinvested capital gains distributions of $4,414,496, but not income dividends totaling $2,870,929 taken in cash.
2Includes dividends of $22,258,771 and capital gain distributions totaling $33,096,127, reinvested in the years 1936–2012.
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11. The ICA Guide mountain chart
Growth of a hypothetical $10,000 from 1934 – 2012
Figures are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com. Fund results are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge (5.75%).
So what does it all mean?
Our oldest and one of our largest funds, The Investment Company of America has stood the test of time.
Since 1934, the fund has persevered through market highs and lows, world conflicts and ever-changing technology.
Long-term investors who have stayed in the fund through the inevitable periods of declining stock prices historically have been rewarded for their patience.
Keep in mind that past results do not predict, nor guarantee, results in the future.
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12. American Funds investment results
Average annual total returns for periods ended 9/30/13
Figures shown are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. Investing for short periods makes losses more likely. For more current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com/adviser. Fund results are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge (5.75%).
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1 year 5 years 10 years Expense ratio
The Investment Company of America® % 7.96% 6.74% 0.62%
Results are based on an initial $1,000 investment at the beginning of the stated periods. Investment results assume all distributions are reinvested and reflect applicable fees and expenses. Expense ratios are as of each fund’s prospectus available at the time of publication. When applicable, investment results reflect fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, without which results would have been lower. Visit americanfunds.com for more information.
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13. Investors should carefully consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other important information is contained in the fund prospectuses and summary prospectuses, which can be obtained from a financial professional and should be read carefully before investing
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14. Market indexes are unmanaged and, therefore, have no expenses.
Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Index is a market capitalization-weighted index based on the average weighted results of 500 widely held common stocks.
Market indexes are unmanaged and, therefore, have no expenses.
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15. If used after December 31, 2013, this presentation must be accompanied by a current American Funds quarterly statistical update.
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16. American Funds: The right choice for the long term.
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