Investment objective & strategy
As of Feb. 2, 2026 · prospectusObjective. The Fund seeks current income exempt from federal and North Carolina income taxes consistent with preservation of capital.
Strategy. As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes in investments the income from which is exempt from federal income tax, alternative minimum tax, and North Carolina personal income tax (North Carolina Tax-Exempt Obligations). The Fund invests, under normal market conditions, primarily in municipal securities of the State of North Carolina and its political subdivisions that provide income exempt from both federal personal income tax and North Carolina personal income tax. Municipal securities in which the Fund will invest include municipal notes and bonds, general obligation bonds, special revenue bonds, private activity bonds, lease obligations, certificates of participation, variable rate demand notes, and … As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes in investments the income from which is exempt from federal income tax, alternative minimum tax, and North Carolina personal income tax (North Carolina Tax-Exempt Obligations). The Fund invests, under normal market conditions, primarily in municipal securities of the State of North Carolina and its political subdivisions that provide income exempt from both federal personal income tax and North Carolina personal income tax. Municipal securities in which the Fund will invest include municipal notes and bonds, general obligation bonds, special revenue bonds, private activity bonds, lease obligations, certificates of participation, variable rate demand notes, and tax-exempt commercial paper. The Fund invests in North Carolina municipal securities only if they are investment grade (rated at the time of purchase in one of the four highest rating categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or are determined by the portfolio manager to be of comparable quality). The Fund will maintain an average duration of 3.5 to 8 years. The Funds dollar-weighted average maturity is expected to be more than 3 years but less than 10 years. Duration is the expected life of a fixed income security and is used to determine the sensitivity of the securitys price to changes in interest rates. Maturity merely measures the time until final payment is due. Unlike maturity, duration accounts for the time until all payments of interest and principal on a security are expected to be made, including how these payments are affected by prepayments and by changes in interest rates. In managing the Funds portfolio, the portfolio manager uses a top down investment management approach focusing on interest rates and credit quality. The portfolio manager sets, and continually adjusts, a target for the interest rate sensitivity of the Funds portfolio based on expectations about interest rate movements. The portfolio manager then selects securities consistent with this target based on their individual characteristics. The portfolio manager may consider selling a security owned by the Fund to reposition the Fund along the yield curve, to adjust the Funds average maturity or duration, to replace a security with one that the portfolio manager believes offers greater total return potential, or to exit a security whose credit fundamentals are deteriorating. The Fund is non-diversified and, therefore, may invest in a limited number of issuers.
Top holdings
As of March 31, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORTH CAROLINA ST MED CARE COM REGD V/R B/E 5.00000000 | — | $3.21M | 2.81% |
| State of North Carolina, Series 2017B | — | $3.07M | 2.69% |
| City of Charlotte NC Water & Sewer System Revenue | — | $2.88M | 2.52% |
| Federated Hermes Treasury Oligations Fund | — | $2.50M | 2.18% |
| County of Orange NC 5 10/01/2038 | — | $2.44M | 2.13% |
| County of Forsyth NC | — | $2.42M | 2.11% |
| City of Raleigh NC | — | $2.40M | 2.10% |
| City of Charlotte NC | — | $2.40M | 2.09% |
| City of Concord NC | — | $2.38M | 2.08% |
| NORTH CAROLINA ST CAPITAL FACS FIN AGY REVENUE | NCSFAC | $2.35M | 2.05% |
Portfolio moves
Dec 31, 2025 → Mar 31, 2026How many positions this fund opened, exited, grew, trimmed, or left unchanged between its two most recent N-PORT snapshots — net changes between point-in-time reports, not a trade log.
Similar funds
Funds whose portfolios most overlap this one, by weight| Fund | Overlap | Net exp. |
|---|---|---|
| Nuveen North Carolina Municipal Bond Fund · FLNCX, FCNRX, FDCCX | 4% | 0.61% |
| Sterling Capital Special Opportunities Fund · BOPIX, BOPAX, BOPCX, STRSX | 2% | 0.77% |
| Sterling Capital South Carolina Intermediate · BSCIX, BASCX, BSCCX | 2% | 0.66% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| Sterling Capital Management LLC | Adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of February 2, 2026, from the fund's prospectus.
- Net assets and holdings count as of March 31, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
- Total return for calendar year 2025, before tax and after fund expenses. As reported in the fund's prospectus performance bar chart.
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