Van Kampen Unit Trusts offers units based on Argus underperformers

By Toni Weeks

San Diego, Oct. 17 - Van Kampen Unit Trusts, series 1153 has registered units of its Turnaround Strategy Portfolio 2011A, according to a form S-6 amendment filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The depositor is Houston-based Van Kampen Funds Inc.

The trust seeks capital appreciation by investing in a portfolio of stocks of companies identified by Argus Investors' Counsel, Inc. as chronic underperformers and potential targets of shareholder activists.

Beginning with the stocks in the Standard & Poor's Composite 1500 index, stocks are screened as to price performance, total return earnings trends and financial strength.

Qualifying stocks must show a total price change of 5% or less, a total return of 10% or less and cumulative earnings per share growth of 10% or less over the past five years. Stocks must also have a market capitalization of at least $500 million.

Finally, the stocks are then ranked according to their ownership by a universe of about 25 activist and hedge fund investors. A higher number of activists owning the stock, a higher percentage of the outstanding stock being held by activists and a schedule 13D or 13G being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the current calendar year are factors that give the stocks higher rankings in this rating procedure.

The portfolio initially consists of stocks from the following sectors: 9.97% from consumer discretionary, 9.95% from consumer staples, 15.13% from energy, 15.04% from financials, 12.45% from health care, 9.95% from industrials, 12.5% from information technology, 7.54% from materials, 4.99% from telecommunication services and 2.48% from utilities.

The public offering price of each unit on the Oct. 17 inception date will be $10. Each unit has a maximum sales charge of 2.95%, consisting of a 1% initial sales charge, a 1.45% deferred sales charge and a 0.5% creation and development fee. The fee will be reduced down on a sliding scale based on the amount of the investment. The minimum purchase is 100 units, or 25 units for retirement accounts.

The trust has a mandatory termination date of Feb. 25, 2013.

The Bank of New York Mellon (800 856-8487) is the trustee.

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