THE OAKMARK INTERNATIONAL FUNDReport from David G. Herro and Michael J. Welsh,
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| THE VALUE OF A $10,000 INVESTMENT IN THE OAKMARK INTERNATIONAL FUND FROM ITS INCEPTION (9/30/92) TO PRESENT (12/31/04) AS COMPARED TO THE MSCI WORLD EX U.S. INDEX14 | |||||
| Annual
Average Total Returns (as of 12/31/04) |
|||||
| Total Return Last 3 Months* |
1-year | 5-year | 10-year | Since Inception (9/30/92) |
|
| Oakmark
International Fund (Class I) |
13.07% | 19.09% | 9.93% | 11.54% | 12.39% |
| MSCI World ex. U.S. | 15.15% | 20.38% | -0.76% | 5.93% | 7.52% |
| MSCI EAFE16 | 15.32% | 20.25% | -1.13% | 5.61% | 7.30% |
| Lipper International Fund Index17 |
14.39% | 18.59% | -0.89% | 7.20% | 8.55% |
| The graph and table do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. | |||||
| The performance data quoted represents past performance. The above performance information for the Fund does not reflect the imposition of a 2% redemption fee on shares held for 90 days or less to deter market timers. If reflected, the fee would reduce the performance quoted. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that 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 data quoted. Average annual total return measures annualized change, while total return measures aggregate change. To obtain current month end performance data, call 1-800-OAKMARK or visit www.oakmark.com. | |||||
| * Not annualized | |||||
The Oakmark International Fund gained 13% for the quarter, compared to the MSCI World ex U.S. Index, which gained 15%. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2004, the Fund gained 19%, compared to the 20% return of the MSCI World ex U.S. Index.
Big Contributors 2004
At the end of every year, we like to discuss those stocks that had
the most significant impact on your Fund's NAV4 over the past twelve
months. We like to point out the good and the bad. However for the second year
in a row, nearly all returns were positive, and none of the Fund's positions
had a significant negative contribution. This makes us feel both good and uneasy!
The share price of Grupo Televisa has had a terrific run over the past two years, and for the calendar year ended December 31, 2004, it generated the most significant positive contribution to the NAV. Higher than expected profit growth this year, coupled with the market's continued recognition of the company's improved shareholder orientation, helped drive share price performance.
Bank of Ireland was another strong contributor to NAV growth. The Bank displayed its resilience and the quality of its franchise in 2004, facing down the challenges of increased competition, a slowing Irish economy, and a change in CEO.
Lotte Chilsung Beverage is a stock we have owned since 1995. Adding to a long history of positive surprises, Lotte Chilsung's results in 2004 have held up well despite an awful consumer environment in Korea. A peerless distribution system and robust new product development continue to be the company's major strengths.
A couple of our holdings in the pharmaceutical industry provided significant positive contributions over the past twelve months. Takeda Pharmaceutical, Japan's largest pharma company, continues to be a quality franchise at a very attractive price, despite the gap between price and value closing a bit this year. The share price of Aventis soared last January as Sanofi-Synthelabo launched a takeover bid.
The share price of Cadbury Schweppes plc performed well as the market rewarded the new management team for its success in integrating the recent Adams acquisition as well as for instituting a broad-reaching restructuring plan, which should substantially increase efficiency and profitability.
Other significant winners for the Fund in calendar 2004 included European equity and derivatives exchange Euronext N.V., media and telecom company Vivendi Universal (France), and the flavors and fragrances producer Givaudan S.A. (Switzerland). The stocks with modest declines include Orbotech Ltd. and J. Sainsbury PLC.
Looking Forward
It was a good year of performance, but we still see interesting opportunities.
Given the quality of the holdings and the attractive valuation of the portfolio,
we remain optimistic about potential price appreciation. Thank you for your
continued confidence.
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| David G. Herro, CFA Portfolio Manager dherro@oakmark.com |
Michael J. Welsh, CFA, CPA Portfolio Manager mwelsh@oakmark.com |
| THE OAKMARK INTERNATIONAL FUND |
International DiversificationDecember 31, 2004 (Unaudited)

| THE OAKMARK INTERNATIONAL FUND |
Schedule of InvestmentsDecember 31, 2004 (Unaudited)
| Name | Description | Shares Held | Market Value | |
| Common Stocks97.1% | ||||
| Advertising4.2% | ||||
| Publicis Groupe (France) | Advertising & Media Services | 3,685,800 | $119,249,332 | |
| Aegis Group plc (Great Britain) | Media Services | 43,844,900 | 90,841,020 | |
| 210,090,352 | ||||
| Apparel Retail0.8% | ||||
| Giordano International Limited (Hong Kong) | Pacific Rim Clothing Retailer & Manufacturer | 61,424,300 | $38,524,529 | |
| Apparel, Accessories & Luxury Goods1.7% | ||||
| Swatch Group AG, Bearer Shares (Switzerland) | Watch Manufacturer | 570,300 | $83,490,259 | |
| Swatch Group AG, Registered Shares (Switzerland) |
Watch Manufacturer | 24,700 | 732,301 | |
| 84,222,560 | ||||
| Automobile Manufacturers3.1% | ||||
| Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) AG (Germany) |
Luxury Automobile Manufacturer | 3,431,500 | $154,546,044 | |
| Broadcasting & Cable TV2.3% | ||||
| Grupo Televisa S.A. (Mexico) (b) | Television Production & Broadcasting |
1,356,800 | $82,086,400 | |
| British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (Great Britain) | Television Production & Broadcasting |
3,019,700 | 32,556,618 | |
| 114,643,018 | ||||
| Movies & Entertainment2.1% | ||||
| Vivendi Universal SA (France) (a) | Multimedia | 3,260,300 | $103,890,632 | |
| Publishing1.5% | ||||
| John Fairfax Holdings Limited (Australia) | Newspaper Publisher | 20,630,899 | $73,444,350 | |
| Specialty Stores2.2% | ||||
| Signet Group plc (Great Britain) | Jewelry Retailer | 52,812,500 | $111,447,050 | |
| Textiles0.7% | ||||
| Chargeurs SA (France) | Wool, Textile Production & Trading | 790,182 | $33,283,159 | |
| Tires & Rubber1.1% | ||||
| Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin (France) | Tire Manufacturer | 884,300 | $56,608,990 | |
| Brewers1.7% | ||||
| Heineken Holding NV, Class A (Netherlands) | Brewer | 2,323,500 | $70,130,752 | |
| Heineken NV (Netherlands) | Brewer | 497,500 | 16,554,895 | |
| 86,685,647 | ||||
| Distillers & Vintners4.3% | ||||
| Diageo plc (Great Britain) | Beverages, Wines, & Spirits
Manufacturer |
12,023,000 | $171,372,379 | |
| Pernod-Ricard SA (France) | Manufactures Wines, Spirits, & Fruit Juices |
299,000 | 45,712,072 | |
| 217,084,451 | ||||
| Household Products2.1% | ||||
| Henkel KGaA (Germany) | Consumer Chemical Products Manufacturer |
1,251,000 | $103,333,012 | |
| Packaged Foods & Meats5.6% | ||||
| Nestle SA (Switzerland) | Food & Beverage Manufacturer | 575,100 | $150,074,339 | |
| Cadbury Schweppes plc (Great Britain) | Beverage & Confectionary Manufacturer |
14,165,200 | 131,796,421 | |
| 281,870,760 | ||||
| Personal Products0.9% | ||||
| L'Oreal SA (France) | Health & Beauty Aid Manufacturer | 600,800 | $45,518,601 | |
| Soft Drinks1.6% | ||||
| Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co., Ltd. (Korea) | Soft Drinks, Juices & Sports Drinks Manufacturer | 83,400 | $77,341,577 | |
| Integrated Oil & Gas1.6% | ||||
| BP p.l.c. (Great Britain) | Oil & Natural Gas Exploration & Production |
6,294,100 | $61,338,975 | |
| Total SA (France) | Oil & Natural Gas Exploration & Production |
100,000 | 21,799,759 | |
| 83,138,734 | ||||
| Diversified Banks16.5% | ||||
| Bank of Ireland (Ireland) | Commercial Bank | 10,462,900 | $173,869,726 | |
| Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (Australia) | Commercial Bank | 7,348,800 | 118,386,346 | |
| Lloyds TSB Group plc (Great Britain) | Commercial Bank | 12,347,600 | 112,042,518 | |
| BNP Paribas SA (France) | Commercial Banking | 1,156,000 | 83,583,557 | |
| Kookmin Bank (Korea) (a) | Commercial Banking | 1,955,068 | 76,487,881 | |
| UniCredito Italiano S.p.A. (Italy) | Banking Services | 12,956,700 | 74,348,220 | |
| United Overseas Bank Limited, Foreign Shares (Singapore) | Commercial Banking | 8,395,368 | 70,985,895 | |
| Banco Popolare di Verona e Novara Scrl (Italy) | Commercial Bank | 2,938,400 | 59,631,854 | |
| Sanpaolo IMI S.p.A. (Italy) | Banking Services | 3,933,600 | 56,562,926 | |
| 825,898,923 | ||||
| Diversified Capital Markets2.0% | ||||
| Credit Suisse Group (Switzerland) (a) | Investment Services & Insurance | 2,408,600 | $100,987,746 | |
| Investment Banking & Brokerage1.0% | ||||
| Daiwa Securities Group Inc. (Japan) | Stock Broker | 6,799,000 | $49,119,008 | |
| Reinsurance0.3% | ||||
| Hannover Rueckversicherung AG (Germany) | Reinsurance | 390,800 | $15,241,518 | |
| Specialized Finance5.5% | ||||
| Euronext NV (Netherlands) | Stock Exchange | 5,012,500 | $152,789,413 | |
| Deutsche Boerse AG (Germany) | Electronic Trading Systems | 2,030,500 | 121,968,143 | |
| 274,757,556 | ||||
| Health Care Equipment1.4% | ||||
| Olympus Corporation (Japan) | Optical Equipment Manufacturer | 3,251,000 | $69,349,165 | |
| Pharmaceuticals10.3% | ||||
| GlaxoSmithKline plc (Great Britain) | Pharmaceuticals | 7,688,600 | $180,242,681 | |
| Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Japan) | Pharmaceuticals & Food Supplements | 2,776,200 | 139,853,480 | |
| Novartis AG (Switzerland) | Pharmaceuticals | 2,693,900 | 135,397,983 | |
| Sanofi-Aventis (France) | Pharmaceuticals | 721,008 | 57,511,304 | |
| 513,005,448 | ||||
| Airport Services0.1% | ||||
| Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste S.A. de C.V. (Mexico) (b) | Airport Operator | 205,700 | $5,625,895 | |
| Diversified Commercial Services1.8% | ||||
| Meitec Corporation (Japan) | Software Engineering Services | 2,424,800 | $90,429,913 | |
| Employment Services1.9% | ||||
| Michael Page International plc (Great Britain) | Recruitment Consultancy Services | 25,698,900 | $92,192,440 | |
| Industrial Conglomerates0.0% | ||||
| Haw Par Corporation Limited (Singapore) | Healthcare & Leisure Products | 58,338 | $184,082 | |
| Industrial Machinery2.8% | ||||
| Enodis plc (Great Britain) (a) | Food Processing Equipment | 33,585,320 | $71,195,236 | |
| Metso Corporation (Finland) | Paper & Pulp Machinery | 4,339,200 | 68,634,745 | |
| 139,829,981 | ||||
| Marine Ports & Services2.2% | ||||
| Associated British Ports Holdings plc (Great Britain) |
Port Operator | 12,131,399 | $110,546,160 | |
| Electronic Equipment Manufacturers0.5% | ||||
| Orbotech, Ltd. (Israel) (a) | Optical Inspection Systems | 1,237,700 | $26,202,109 | |
| Diversified Chemicals2.7% | ||||
| Akzo Nobel N.V. (Netherlands) | Chemical Producer | 3,107,200 | $132,268,964 | |
| Fertilizers & Agricultural Chemicals1.6% | ||||
| Syngenta AG (Switzerland) (a) | Crop Protection Products | 738,500 | $78,251,656 | |
| Name | Description | Shares Held/ Par Value |
Market Value | |
| Specialty Chemicals4.6% | ||||
| Lonza Group AG, Registered Shares (Switzerland) |
Industrial Organic Chemicals | 2,267,700 | $127,303,890 | |
| Givaudan (Switzerland) | Fragrance & Flavor Compound
Manufacturer |
151,100 | 99,270,997 | |
| 226,574,887 | ||||
| Wireless Telecommunication Services4.4% | ||||
| SK Telecom Co., Ltd. (Korea) | Mobile Telecommunications | 672,600 | $127,996,716 | |
| Vodafone Group Plc (Great Britain) | Mobile Telecommunications | 27,049,500 | 73,297,112 | |
| Vodafone Group Plc (Great Britain) (b) | Mobile Telecommunications | 606,000 | 16,592,280 | |
| 217,886,108 | ||||
| Total Common Stocks (Cost: $3,510,280,488) | 4,844,025,025 | |||
| Short Term Investments3.6% | ||||
| U.S. Government Bills0.6% | ||||
| United States Treasury Bill, 2.04% due 1/6/2005 | $30,000,000 | $29,991,500 | ||
| Total U.S. Government Bills (Cost: $29,991,500) | 29,991,500 | |||
| Repurchase Agreements3.0% | ||||
| IBT Repurchase Agreement, 1.75%
dated 12/31/2004 due 1/3/2005, repurchase price $1,325,953 collateralized by a U.S. Government Agency Security with a market value plus accrued interest of $1,392,048 |
$1,325,760 | $1,325,760 | ||
| IBT Repurchase Agreement, 1.55%
dated 12/31/2004 due 1/3/2005, repurchase price $149,519,310 collateralized by U.S. Government Agency Securities with an aggregate market value plus accrued interest of $156,975,000 |
149,500,000 | 149,500,000 | ||
| Total Repurchase Agreements (Cost: $150,825,760) | 150,825,760 | |||
| Total Short Term Investments (Cost: $180,817,260) | 180,817,260 | |||
| Total Investments (Cost $3,691,097,748)100.7% | $5,024,842,285 | |||
| Other Liabilities In Excess Of Other Assets(0.7)% | (36,753,194) | |||
| Total Net Assets100% | $4,988,089,091 | |||
| (a) Non-income producing security. |
| (b) Represents an American Depository Receipt. |