Davis Series Inc.

04/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/30/2024 13:59

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497K

Davis Financial Fund
A series of Davis Series, Inc.
Class/Ticker: A (RPFGX), C (DFFCX), Y (DVFYX)
Over 50 Years of Reliable InvestingSM
Summary Prospectus
April 30, 2024
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's prospectus and statement of additional information, which contain more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund's prospectus, reports to shareholders, and other information about the Fund online at https://davisfunds.com/resources/prospectuses-forms. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-279-0279, or by sending an email request to [email protected]. The current prospectus and statement of additional information, dated April 30, 2024, as may be further amended or supplemented are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus and may be obtained, free of charge, in the same manner as the statutory prospectus. The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Investment Objective
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts with respect to Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Davis Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in "How to Choose a Share Class" on page 45 of the Fund's prospectus and "Selecting the Appropriate Class of Shares" on page 34 of the Fund's statement of additional information. In addition, descriptions of the sales load waivers and/or discounts for Class A shares with respect to certain financial intermediaries are reproduced in "Appendix A: Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Discounts" to the prospectus based on information provided by the financial intermediary.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Class A shares
Class C shares
Class Y shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases
(as a percentage of offering price)
4.75%
None
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)
(as a percentage of the lesser of the net asset value of the shares redeemed or the total cost of such shares)
0.50%*
1.00%
None
Redemption Fee
(as a percentage of total redemption proceeds)
None
None
None
*
Only applies if you buy shares valued at $1 million or more without a sales charge and sell the shares within one year of purchase.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Class A shares
Class C shares
Class Y shares
Management Fees
0.55%
0.55%
0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.24%
1.00%
0.00%
Other Expenses
0.16%
0.19%
0.18%
Total Annual Operating Expenses
0.95%
1.74%
0.73%
Example.This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
If you redeem your shares in:
If you did not redeem your shares in:
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A shares
$567
$763
$976
$1,586
$567
$763
$976
$1,586
Class C shares
277
548
944
1,843
177
548
944
1,843
Class Y shares
75
233
406
906
75
233
406
906
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 2% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. ("Davis Advisors" or the "Adviser"), the Fund's investment adviser, uses the Davis Investment Discipline to invest at least 80% of the Fund's net assets, plus any borrowing for investment purposes, in securities issued by companies principally engaged in the financial services sector. The Fund invests principally in common stocks (including indirect holdings of common stock through Depositary Receipts). The Fund may invest in large, medium or small companies without regard to market capitalization and may invest in issuers in foreign countries, including countries with developed or emerging markets.
A company is principally engaged in financial services if it owns financial services-related assets that constitute at least 50% of the value of all of its assets, or if it derives at least 50% of its revenues from providing financial services. Companies are classified by GICS based on their principal business activity. Revenue is a key factor in determining a firm's principal business activity. Companies with their principal business activity in one of the following areas are considered financial services firms: banks, thrifts and mortgage, specialized finance, consumer finance, asset management & custody banks, investment banking & brokerage, diversified capital markets, financial exchanges & data, mortgage REITs and insurance.
Davis Investment Discipline. Davis Advisors manages equity funds using the Davis Investment Discipline. Davis Advisors conducts extensive research to try to identify businesses that possess characteristics that Davis Advisors believes foster the creation of long-term value, such as proven management, a durable franchise and business model, and sustainable competitive advantages. Davis Advisors aims to invest in such businesses when they are trading at discounts to their intrinsic worth. Davis Advisors emphasizes individual stock selection and believes that the ability to evaluate management is critical. Davis Advisors routinely visits managers at their places of business in order to gain insight into the relative value of different businesses. Such research, however rigorous, involves predictions and forecasts that are inherently uncertain. After determining which companies Davis Advisors believes the Fund should own, Davis Advisors then turns its analysis to determining the intrinsic value of those companies' equity securities. Davis Advisors seeks companies whose equity securities can be purchased at a discount from Davis Advisors' estimate of the company's intrinsic value based upon fundamental analysis of cash flows, assets and liabilities, and other criteria that Davis Advisors deems to be material on a company-by-company basis. Davis Advisors' goal is to invest in companies for the long term (ideally, five years or longer, although this goal may not be met). Davis Advisors considers selling a company's equity securities if the securities' market price exceeds Davis Advisors' estimates of intrinsic value, if the ratio of the risks and rewards of continuing to own the company's equity securities is no longer attractive, to raise cash to purchase a more attractive investment opportunity, to satisfy net redemptions or for other purposes.
Principal Risks of Investing in Davis Financial Fund
You may lose money by investing in the Fund. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value.
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:
Stock Market Risk. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices, including the possibility of sharp declines.
Common Stock Risk. Common stock represents an ownership position in a company. An adverse event may have a negative impact on a company and could result in a decline in the price of its common stock. Common stock is generally subordinate to an issuer's other securities, including preferred, convertible and debt securities.
Financial Services Risk.Risks of investing in the financial services sector include: (1) systemic risk: factors outside the control of a particular financial institution may adversely affect the ability of the financial institution to operate normally or may impair its financial condition; (2) regulatory actions: financial services companies may suffer setbacks if regulators change the rules under which they operate; (3) changes in interest rates: unstable and/or rising interest rates may have a disproportionate effect on companies in the financial services sector; (4) non-diversified loan portfolios: financial services companies may have concentrated portfolios that makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect an industry; (5) credit: financial services companies may have exposure to investments or agreements that may lead to losses; and (6) competition: the financial services sector has become increasingly competitive.
Credit Risk.Financial institutions are often highly leveraged and may not be able to make timely payments of interest and principal.
Interest Rate Sensitivity Risk.Interest rates may have a powerful influence on the earnings of financial institutions.
Focused Portfolio Risk.Funds that invest in a limited number of companies may have more risk because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the value of the Fund's total portfolio.
Headline Risk. The Fund may invest in a company when the company becomes the center of controversy after receiving adverse media attention concerning its operations, long-term prospects, management or for other reasons. While Davis Advisors researches companies subject to such contingencies, it cannot be correct every time, and the company's stock may never recover or may become worthless.
Foreign Country Risk.Securities of foreign companies (including Depositary Receipts) may be subject to greater risk, as foreign economies may not be as strong or diversified, foreign political systems may not be as stable and foreign financial reporting standards may not be as rigorous as they are in the United States. There may also be less information publicly available regarding the non-U.S. issuers and their securities. These securities may be less liquid (and, in some cases, may be illiquid) and could be harder to value than more liquid securities.
Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. Companies with $10 billion or more in market capitalization are considered by the Adviser to be large-capitalization companies. Large-capitalization companies generally experience slower rates of growth in earnings per share than do mid- and small-capitalization companies.
Manager Risk. Poor security selection or focus on securities in a particular sector, category or group of companies may cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective. Even if the Adviser implements the intended investment strategies, the implementation of the strategies may be unsuccessful in achieving the Fund's investment objective.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary Receipts, consisting of American Depositary Receipts, European Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts, are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. Depositary Receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. Depositary Receipts may trade at a discount, or a premium, to the underlying security and may be less liquid than the underlying securities listed on an exchange.
Fees and Expenses Risk. The Fund may not earn enough through income and capital appreciation to offset the operating expenses of the Fund. All mutual funds incur operating fees and expenses. Fees and expenses reduce the return that a shareholder may earn by investing in a fund, even when a fund has favorable performance. A low-return environment, or a bear market, increases the risk that a shareholder may lose money.
Foreign Currency Risk.The change in value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a change in the U.S. dollar value of securities denominated in that foreign currency. For example, when the Fund holds a security that is denominated in a foreign currency, a decline of that foreign currency against the U.S. dollar would generally cause the value of the Fund's shares to decline.
Emerging Market Risk. Securities of issuers in emerging and developing markets may offer special investment opportunities, but present risks relating to political, economic or regulatory conditions not found in more mature markets, such as government controls on foreign investments, government restrictions on the transfer of securities and less developed trading markets, exchanges, reporting standards and legal and accounting systems. These securities may be more volatile and less liquid, which may also make them more difficult to value than securities in countries with developed economies.
Mid- and Small-Capitalization Companies Risk. Companies with less than $10 billion in market capitalization are considered by the Adviser to be mid- or small-capitalization companies. Mid- and small-capitalization companies typically have more limited product lines, markets and financial resources than larger companies, and their securities may trade less frequently and in more limited volume than those of larger, more mature companies.
Your investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Performance Results
The bar chart below provides some indication of the risks of investing in Davis Financial Fund by showing how the Fund's investment results have varied from year to year. The following table shows how the Fund's average annual total returns, for the periods indicated, compare with those of the S&P 500 Index, a broad-based securities market index. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated information on the Fund's results can be obtained by visiting www.davisfunds.com or by calling 1-800-279-0279.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. After-tax returns are shown only for Class A shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Calendar Year Total Returns for Class A Shares
(Sales loads are not reflected in the bar chart and, if these amounts were reflected, returns would be less than those shown.)
Highest/Lowest quarterly results during the time period were:
Highest 26.98%
(quarter ended December 31, 2020)
Lowest -34.71%
(quarter ended March 31, 2020)
Total return for the three months ended March 31, 2024 (non-annualized) was 10.72%.
Average Annual Total Returns
(For the periods ended December 31, 2023, with maximum sales charge)
Past 1 Year
Past 5 Years
Past 10 Years
Class A sharesreturn before taxes
10.04%
9.39%
8.10%
Class A sharesreturn after taxes on distributions
8.22%
7.86%
6.71%
Class A sharesreturn after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares
7.08%
7.23%
6.28%
Class C sharesreturn before taxes
13.61%
9.59%
7.93%
Class Y sharesreturn before taxes
15.79%
10.70%
8.86%
S&P 500Index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes
26.29%
15.68%
12.03%
Management
Investment Adviser. Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. serves as the Fund's investment adviser.
Sub-Adviser. Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser, serves as the Fund's sub-adviser.
Portfolio Managers
Experience with this Fund
Primary Title with Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser
Christopher Davis
Since January 2014; and from
May 1991 until May 2007
Chairman, Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.
Pierce Crosbie
Since December 2018
Vice President, Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Class A and C shares
Class Y shares
Minimum Initial Investment
$1,000
$5,000,000
Minimum Additional Investment
$25
$25
You may sell (redeem) shares each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. Your transaction may be placed through your dealer or financial adviser, by writing to Davis Funds, P.O. Box 219197, Kansas City, MO 64121-9197, telephoning 1-800-279-0279 or accessing Davis Funds' website (www.davisfunds.com). Certain financial intermediaries may impose different restrictions than those shown above.
Tax Information
If the Fund earns income or realizes capital gains, it intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains by federal, state and local authorities.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Davis Financial Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your individual financial adviser to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
Investment Company Act File No. 811-2679