Fund Honored for Best Investment Performance Among all A-Rated Corporate Bond Funds for 3-Year, 5-Year and 10-Year Periods

PLYMOUTH, Mich., March 14, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc., the investment adviser to the Ave Maria Mutual Funds, today announced that its Ave Maria Bond Fund (NASDAQ: AVEFX) has been awarded 2024 LSEG Lipper Fund Awards for the best A-rated corporate bond funds. The award is for the 3-year (among 12 funds), 5-year (among 12 funds) and 10-year periods (among 11 funds) ended November 30, 2023. The awards acknowledge the mutual fund’s consistently strong risk-adjusted returns relative to its peers.

"We are honored that Lipper has recognized the Ave Maria Bond Fund with these prestigious awards," said George P. Schwartz, CFA, Executive Chairman of Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc. "Winning awards for multiple time periods demonstrates the consistency of this fund. Brandon Scheitler heads the fixed income team and has done an exceptional job as lead manager of this fund, while adhering to the moral screens our shareholders rely upon."

The LSEG Lipper Fund Awards are part of the Thomson Reuters Awards for Excellence, a global family of awards that honor funds and fund management firms that have excelled in providing consistently strong risk-adjusted performance relative to their peers.

About LSEG Lipper Fund Awards

The LSEG Lipper Fund Awards, granted annually, highlight funds and fund companies that have excelled in delivering consistently strong risk-adjusted performance relative to their peers. The LSEG Lipper Fund Awards are based on the Lipper Leader for Consistent Return rating, which is an objective, quantitative, risk-adjusted performance measure calculated over 36, 60 and 120 months. The fund with the highest

Lipper Leader for Consistent Return (Effective Return) value in each eligible classification wins the LSEG Lipper Fund Award. For more information, see lipperfundawards.com. Although LSEG Lipper makes reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data used to calculate the awards, their accuracy is not guaranteed.

About Ave Maria Mutual Funds

Ave Maria Mutual Funds is the largest family of Catholic mutual funds in the U.S with $3.1 billion in assets under management. The six no-load funds invest in companies that do not violate core values and teachings of the Catholic Church. The three largest funds are the $1.1 billion Ave Maria Growth Fund (NASDAQ: AVEGX), $1.0 billion Ave Maria Rising Dividend Fund (NASDAQ: AVEDX) and $573 million Ave Maria Bond Fund (NASDAQ: AVEFX). For more information about Ave Maria Mutual Funds, please call 1-866-AVE-MARIA (866-283-6274) or visit http://avemariafunds.com.

About Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc.

Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc. is a Registered Investment Adviser. Founded in 1980, the Firm is headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan with a branch office in Ave Maria, Florida. In managing the Ave Maria Mutual Funds, investments are made only if companies meet the Funds' financial and moral criteria. As such, returns may be lower or higher than if decisions were based solely on investment considerations. The Funds' method of security selection may or may not be successful and the Funds may underperform or outperform the stock market as a whole. All mutual funds are subject to market risk, including possible loss of principal. For more information about Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc., please visit www.schwartzinvest.com.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. The Adviser invests in securities only if they meet the Funds' investment and religious requirements, and as such, the returns may be lower or higher than if the Adviser made decisions based solely on investment considerations.

Request a prospectus, which includes investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses, and other information that you should read and consider carefully before investing. The prospectus can be obtained by calling 1-866-283-6274 or it can be viewed at www.avemariafunds.com.

Distributed by Ultimus Fund Distributors LLC. 17960120-UFD-03/07/2024

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Contacts

Mike Richter, Director of Marketing
Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc.
(734) 455-7810
mjr@schwartzinvest.com