Securities Act of 1933 Registration No. 002-41839
Investment Company Act of 1940 Registration No. 811-02105
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 [X]
[ ] Pre-Effective Amendment No. ______
[X] Post-Effective Amendment No. 567
and
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 [X]
[X] Amendment No. 567
Fidelity Salem Street Trust
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number: 617-563-7000
Margaret Carey, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer
245 Summer Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
It is proposed that this filing will become effective on September 29, 2023 pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485 at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time.
Fund/Ticker
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund/FSWCX
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
Prospectus
September 29, 2023
Like securities of all mutual funds, these securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has not determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
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Contents
Fund Summary |
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund |
Fund Basics |
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Shareholder Information |
Additional Information about the Purchase and Sale of Shares |
Fund Services |
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Appendix |
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Fund Summary
Fund:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of U.S. stocks with attractive valuations.
Fee Table
The following table describes the fees and expenses that may be incurred when you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
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None
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Annual Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
Management fee
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0.10%
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Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees
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None
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Other expenses
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0.02%
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Total annual operating expenses
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0.12%
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This example helps compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
1 year
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$
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12
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3 years
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$
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39
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5 years
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$
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68
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10 years
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$
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154
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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 operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 86% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
- Normally investing at least 80% of assets in securities included in the Fidelity U.S. Value Focus Index℠.
- Using statistical sampling techniques based on such factors as capitalization, industry exposures, dividend yield, price/earnings (P/E) ratio, price/book (P/B) ratio, and earnings growth to attempt to replicate the returns of the Fidelity U.S. Value Focus Index℠.
- Lending securities to earn income for the fund.
Principal Investment Risks
- Stock Market Volatility.
Stock markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of securities can react differently to these developments.
- Issuer-Specific Changes.
The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than, and can perform differently from, the market as a whole.
Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction) can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty.
- Correlation to Index.
The performance of the fund and its underlying index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, sample selection, regulatory restrictions, and timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from the index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
- Passive Management Risk.
The fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.
The fund will be concentrated to approximately the same extent that the fund's index concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or group of industries.
- "Value" Investing.
Although the fund's underlying index uses a rules-based proprietary index methodology that is designed to identify stocks with attractive valuations, there is no guarantee that this methodology will be successful or that these stocks will continue to be good "values." "Value" stocks can perform differently from the market as a whole and other types of stocks and can continue to be undervalued by the market for long periods of time.
- Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral.
An investment in the fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. You could lose money by investing in the fund.
Performance
The following information is intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the fund.
The information illustrates the changes in the performance of the fund's shares from year to year and compares the performance of the fund's shares to the performance of a securities market index over various periods of time. The index description appears in the "Additional Index Information" section of the prospectus. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future performance.
Visit www.fidelity.com for more recent performance information.
Year-by-Year Returns
2018
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2019
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2020
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2021
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2022
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-10.71%
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29.09%
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-4.44%
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30.41%
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-3.69%
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During the periods shown in the chart:
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Returns
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Quarter ended
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Highest Quarter Return
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18.54%
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June 30, 2020
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Lowest Quarter Return
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-31.76%
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March 31, 2020
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Year-to-Date Return
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3.50%
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June 30, 2023
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Average Annual Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, but do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns may differ depending on your individual circumstances. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant if you hold your shares in a retirement account or in another tax-deferred arrangement, such as an employee benefit plan (profit sharing, 401(k), or 403(b) plan). Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of fund shares.
AFrom December 19, 2017.
Investment Adviser
Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) (the Adviser) is the fund's manager. Geode Capital Management, LLC serves as a sub-adviser for the fund.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2017.
Peter Matthew (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2017.
Robert Regan (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2017.
Payal Gupta (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Navid Sohrabi (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
The price to buy one share is its net asset value per share (NAV). Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The price to sell one share is its NAV. Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open.
There is no purchase minimum for fund shares.
Tax Information
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax and generally will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, and may also be subject to state or local taxes, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement account (in which case you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
The fund, the Adviser, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and/or their affiliates may pay intermediaries, which may include banks, broker-dealers, retirement plan sponsors, administrators, or service-providers (who may be affiliated with the Adviser or FDC), for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your intermediary and your investment professional to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your investment professional or visit your intermediary's web site for more information.
Fund Basics
Investment Details
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of U.S. stocks with attractive valuations.
Principal Investment Strategies
Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) normally invests at least 80% of the fund's assets in securities included in the Fidelity U.S. Value Focus IndexSM. The Fidelity U.S. Value Focus IndexSM is designed to reflect the performance of stocks of large- and mid-capitalization companies that have attractive valuations.
The universe of stocks for consideration in the index, which is intended to reflect the broader equity market, consists of the largest 1,000 U.S. stocks based on market capitalization and certain liquidity and investability requirements.
The fund may not always hold all of the same securities as the Fidelity U.S. Value Focus IndexSM. Geode may use statistical sampling techniques to attempt to replicate the returns of the Fidelity U.S. Value Focus IndexSM. Statistical sampling techniques attempt to match the investment characteristics of the index and the fund by taking into account such factors as capitalization, industry exposures, dividend yield, P/E ratio, P/B ratio, and earnings growth.
The fund may not track the index because differences between the index and the fund's portfolio can cause differences in performance. In addition, expenses and transaction costs, the size and frequency of cash flows into and out of the fund, and differences between how and when the fund and the index are valued can cause differences in performance.
The fund may lend securities to broker-dealers or other institutions to earn income.
The fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the fund's index concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or group of industries.
If Geode's strategies do not work as intended, the fund may not achieve its objective.
Description of Principal Security Types
Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. Different types of equity securities provide different voting and dividend rights and priority in the event of the bankruptcy of the issuer. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, and warrants.
Principal Investment Risks
Many factors affect the fund's performance. Developments that disrupt global economies and financial markets, such as pandemics and epidemics, may magnify factors that affect a fund's performance. The fund's share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions and interest rates and in response to other economic, political, or financial developments. The fund's reaction to these developments will be affected by the types of securities in which the fund invests, the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of an issuer, and the fund's level of investment in the securities of that issuer. When you sell your shares they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them, which means that you could lose money by investing in the fund.
The following factors can significantly affect the fund's performance:
Stock Market Volatility. The value of equity securities fluctuates in response to issuer, political, market, and economic developments. Fluctuations, especially in foreign markets, can be dramatic over the short as well as long term, and different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of equity securities can react differently to these developments. For example, stocks of companies in one sector can react differently from those in another, large cap stocks can react differently from small cap stocks, and "growth" stocks can react differently from "value" stocks. Issuer, political, or economic developments can affect a single issuer, issuers within an industry or economic sector or geographic region, or the market as a whole. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact the market as a whole. Terrorism and related geo-political risks have led, and may in the future lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on world economies and markets generally.
Issuer-Specific Changes. Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction), changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Correlation to Index. The performance of the fund and its index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, imperfect correlation between the fund's securities and those in its index, timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from its index, and changes in the shares outstanding of the component securities. In addition, the fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its index or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the index due to regulatory restrictions. The fund may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into the fund or as a result of reserves of cash held by the fund to meet redemptions. The use of sampling techniques or futures or other derivative positions may affect the fund's ability to achieve close correlation with its index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
Passive Management Risk. An index fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, an index fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers. The structure and composition of an index fund's index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the fund. The fund will be concentrated to approximately the same extent that the fund's index concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or group of industries.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased.
"Value" Investing. Although a fund's underlying index uses a rules-based proprietary index methodology that is designed to identify stocks with attractive valuations, there is no guarantee that this methodology will be successful or that these stocks will continue to be good "values." "Value" stocks can react differently to issuer, political, market, and economic developments than the market as a whole and other types of stocks. "Value" stocks tend to be inexpensive relative to their earnings or assets compared to other types of stocks. However, "value" stocks can continue to be inexpensive for long periods of time and may not ever realize their full value. In addition, there may be periods when the value style of investing is out of favor and therefore, during such periods, the investment performance of the fund may suffer.
Other Investment Strategies
In addition to the principal investment strategies discussed above, Geode may use various techniques, such as buying and selling futures contracts, swaps, and exchange traded funds, to increase or decrease the fund's exposure to changing security prices or other factors that affect security values.
The Fidelity U.S. Value Focus IndexSM is constructed using Fidelity's rules-based proprietary index methodology. Stocks are ranked and given a composite score based on four measures of value: high free-cash-flow yield; low enterprise value to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; high book value to price; high future earnings to price.
The index is rebalanced monthly using an optimization process that seeks to select the highest ranked stocks subject to certain sector, security and turnover constraints. Fidelity Product Services LLC (FPS) is the index provider. FPS is an affiliated person of the Adviser.
Fundamental Investment Policies
The following is fundamental, that is, subject to change only by shareholder approval:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of U.S. stocks with attractive valuations.
Shareholder Notice
The following is subject to change only upon 60 days' prior notice to shareholders:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in securities included in the Fidelity U.S. Value Focus IndexSM.
The fund is open for business each day the NYSE is open.
The NAV is the value of a single share. Fidelity normally calculates NAV as of the close of business of the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The fund's assets normally are valued as of this time for the purpose of computing NAV.
NAV is not calculated and the fund will not process purchase and redemption requests submitted on days when the fund is not open for business. The time at which shares are priced and until which purchase and redemption orders are accepted may be changed as permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
To the extent that the fund's assets are traded in other markets on days when the fund is not open for business, the value of the fund's assets may be affected on those days. In addition, trading in some of the fund's assets may not occur on days when the fund is open for business.
NAV is calculated using the values of other open-end funds, if any, in which the fund invests (referred to as underlying funds). Shares of underlying funds are valued at their respective NAVs. Other assets are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service. Certain short-term securities are valued on the basis of amortized cost. If market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the Adviser's opinion, are deemed unreliable for a security, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the Adviser's opinion, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. Fair value pricing will be used for high yield debt securities when available pricing information is determined to be stale or for other reasons not to accurately reflect fair value.
Arbitrage opportunities may exist when trading in a portfolio security or securities is halted and does not resume before a fund calculates its NAV. These arbitrage opportunities may enable short-term traders to dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Securities trading in overseas markets, if applicable, present time zone arbitrage opportunities when events affecting portfolio security values occur after the close of the overseas markets but prior to the close of the U.S. market. Fair valuation of a fund's portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of NAV by short-term traders.
Fair value pricing is based on subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value of a security may differ materially from the value that would be realized if the security were sold.
Shareholder Information
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
As used in this prospectus, the term "shares" generally refers to the shares offered through this prospectus.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates. If you are not currently a client in a discretionary investment program offered by the Adviser or its affiliates, please call 1-800-544-3455 (9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday) for more information. Additional fees apply for discretionary investment programs. For more information on these fees, please refer to the "Buying and Selling Information" section of the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
The fund may reject for any reason, or cancel as permitted or required by law, any purchase orders.
Excessive trading of fund shares can harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs to the fund (such as brokerage commissions or spreads paid to dealers who sell money market instruments), disrupting portfolio management strategies, and diluting the value of the shares in cases in which fluctuations in markets are not fully priced into the fund's NAV.
Because investments in the fund can only be made by the Adviser or an affiliate on behalf of its clients, the potential for excessive or short-term disruptive purchases and sales is reduced. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive trading of fund shares and the fund accommodates frequent trading.
The fund does not place a limit on purchases or sales of fund shares by the Adviser or its affiliates. The fund reserves the right, but does not have the obligation, to reject any purchase transaction at any time. In addition, the fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.
The fund has no exchange privilege with any other fund.
There is no minimum balance or purchase minimum for fund shares.
The price to buy one share is its NAV. Shares are sold without a sales charge.
Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Shares are generally available only to investors residing in the United States.
The fund may stop offering shares completely or may offer shares only on a limited basis, for a period of time or permanently.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, purchase orders may be suspended, restricted, or canceled and the monies may be withheld.
The price to sell one share is its NAV.
Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Normally, redemptions will be processed by the next business day, but it may take up to seven days to pay the redemption proceeds if making immediate payment would adversely affect the fund.
See "Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares" below for additional redemption information.
Redemptions may be suspended or payment dates postponed when the NYSE is closed (other than weekends or holidays), when trading on the NYSE is restricted, or as permitted by the SEC.
Redemption proceeds may be paid in securities or other property rather than in cash if the Adviser determines it is in the best interests of the fund.
When you terminate your relationship with the Adviser, or one of its affiliates, your shares may be sold at the NAV next calculated, in which case proceeds from such redemption would be sent to you.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, redemption requests may be suspended, restricted, canceled, or processed and the proceeds may be withheld.
If applicable, orders by funds of funds for which the Adviser or its affiliates serve as investment manager will be treated as received by the fund at the same time that the corresponding orders are received in proper form by the funds of funds.
Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares
If your account is held directly with a fund, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends on the method you have elected to receive such proceeds. A fund typically expects to make payment of redemption proceeds by wire, automated clearing house (ACH) or by issuing a check by the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form. Proceeds from the periodic and automatic sale of shares of a Fidelity® money market fund that are used to buy shares of another Fidelity® fund are settled simultaneously.
If your account is held through an intermediary, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends, in part, on the terms of the agreement in place between the intermediary and a fund. For redemption proceeds that are paid either directly to you from a fund or to your intermediary for transmittal to you, a fund typically expects to make payments by wire, by ACH or by issuing a check on the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form from the intermediary by a fund. Redemption orders that are processed through investment professionals that utilize the National Securities Clearing Corporation will generally settle one to three business days following receipt of a redemption order in proper form.
As noted elsewhere, payment of redemption proceeds may take longer than the time a fund typically expects and may take up to seven days from the date of receipt of the redemption order as permitted by applicable law.
Redemption Methods Available. Generally a fund expects to pay redemption proceeds in cash. To do so, a fund typically expects to satisfy redemption requests either by using available cash (or cash equivalents) or by selling portfolio securities. On a less regular basis, a fund may also satisfy redemption requests by utilizing one or more of the following sources, if permitted: borrowing from another Fidelity® fund; drawing on an available line or lines of credit from a bank or banks; or using reverse repurchase agreements. These methods may be used during both normal and stressed market conditions.
In addition to paying redemption proceeds in cash, a fund reserves the right to pay part or all of your redemption proceeds in readily marketable securities instead of cash (redemption in-kind). Redemption in-kind proceeds will typically be made by delivering the selected securities to the redeeming shareholder within seven days after the receipt of the redemption order in proper form by a fund.
The fund earns interest, dividends, and other income from its investments, and distributes this income (less expenses) to shareholders as dividends. The fund also realizes capital gains from its investments, and distributes these gains (less any losses) to shareholders as capital gain distributions.
The fund normally declares dividends and pays capital gain distributions per the tables below:
Fund Name
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Dividends Paid
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Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
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September, December
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Fund Name
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Capital Gains Paid
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Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
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September, December
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Distribution Options
Any dividends and capital gain distributions may be reinvested in additional shares or paid in cash.
As with any investment, your investment in the fund could have tax consequences for you (for non-retirement accounts).
Taxes on Distributions
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax, and may also be subject to state or local taxes.
For federal tax purposes, certain distributions, including dividends and distributions of short-term capital gains, are taxable to you as ordinary income, while certain distributions, including distributions of long-term capital gains, are taxable to you generally as capital gains. A percentage of certain distributions of dividends may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met).
If the Adviser buys shares on your behalf when a fund has realized but not yet distributed income or capital gains, you will be "buying a dividend" by paying the full price for the shares and then receiving a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable distribution.
Any taxable distributions you receive from the fund will normally be taxable to you when you receive them, regardless of your distribution option.
Taxes on Transactions
Your redemptions may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment in the fund generally is the difference between the cost of your shares and the price you receive when you sell them.
Fund Services
Fund Management
The fund is a mutual fund, an investment that pools shareholders' money and invests it toward a specified goal.
Adviser
FMR. The Adviser is the fund's manager. The address of the Adviser is 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
As of December 31, 2022, the Adviser had approximately $3.1 trillion in discretionary assets under management, and approximately $3.9 trillion when combined with all of its affiliates' assets under management.
As the manager, the Adviser is responsible for handling the fund's business affairs.
Sub-Adviser(s)
Geode, at 100 Summer Street, 12th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as a sub-adviser for the fund. As of December 31, 2022, Geode had approximately $803.4 billion in discretionary assets under management.
Geode chooses the fund's investments and places orders to buy and sell the fund's investments.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund, which he has managed since 2017. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2008, Mr. Bottari has worked as an assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Peter Matthew is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund, which he has managed since 2017. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2007, Mr. Matthew has worked as a senior operations associate, portfolio manager assistant, assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Robert Regan is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund, which he has managed since 2017. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2016, Mr. Regan has worked as a portfolio manager.
Payal Gupta is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund, which she has managed since 2019. She also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Ms. Gupta has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Ms. Gupta worked at State Street Global Advisors from 2005 to 2019, most recently as senior portfolio manager.
Navid Sohrabi is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund, which he has managed since 2019. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Mr. Sohrabi has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Mr. Sohrabi worked at DWS, most recently as an index portfolio manager.
The SAI provides additional information about the compensation of, any other accounts managed by, and any fund shares held by the portfolio manager(s).
From time to time a manager, analyst, or other Fidelity employee may express views regarding a particular company, security, industry, or market sector. The views expressed by any such person are the views of only that individual as of the time expressed and do not necessarily represent the views of Fidelity or any other person in the Fidelity organization. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and Fidelity disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for a fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent on behalf of any fund.
Advisory Fee(s)
The fund pays a management fee to the Adviser.
The management fee is calculated and paid to the Adviser every month.
The annual management fee rate, as a percentage of the fund's average net assets, is shown in the following table:
Fund
|
Management Fee Rate
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
0.10%
|
The Adviser pays Geode for providing investment management services.
The basis for the Board of Trustees approving the management contract and sub-advisory agreement for the fund is available in the fund's semi-annual report for the fiscal period ended January 31, 2023.
From time to time, the Adviser or its affiliates may agree to reimburse or waive certain fund expenses while retaining the ability to be repaid if expenses fall below the specified limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Reimbursement or waiver arrangements can decrease expenses and boost performance.
FMR has contractually agreed to reimburse the fund to the extent that total operating expenses (excluding interest, certain taxes, fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees, proxy and shareholder meeting expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses (including fees and expenses associated with a wholly owned subsidiary), if any, as well as non-operating expenses such as brokerage commissions and fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable), as a percentage of its average net assets, exceed 0.15% (the Expense Cap). If at any time during the current fiscal year expenses for the fund fall below the Expense Cap, FMR reserves the right to recoup through the end of the fiscal year any expenses that were reimbursed during the current fiscal year up to, but not in excess of, the Expense Cap. This arrangement will remain in effect through November 30, 2024. FMR may not terminate this arrangement before the expiration date without the approval of the Board of Trustees and may extend it in its discretion after that date.
Fund Distribution
FDC distributes the fund's shares.
Distribution and Service Plan(s)
The fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) with respect to its shares that recognizes that the Adviser may use its management fee revenues, as well as its past profits or its resources from any other source, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. The Adviser, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services. Currently, the Board of Trustees of the fund has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Affiliates of the Adviser may receive service fees or distribution fees or both with respect to underlying funds that participate in Fidelity's FundsNetwork®.
If payments made by the Adviser to FDC or to intermediaries under the Distribution and Service Plan were considered to be paid out of the fund's assets on an ongoing basis, they might increase the cost of your investment and might cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
No dealer, sales representative, or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in this prospectus and in the related SAI, in connection with the offer contained in this prospectus. If given or made, such other information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the fund or FDC. This prospectus and the related SAI do not constitute an offer by the fund or by FDC to sell shares of the fund to, or to buy shares of the fund from, any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer.
Appendix
Financial Highlights
Financial Highlights are intended to help you understand the financial history of fund shares for the past 5 years (or, if shorter, the period of operations). Certain information reflects financial results for a single share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in shares (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The annual information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with fund financial statements, is included in the annual report. Annual reports are available for free upon request.
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
Years ended July 31,
|
2023
|
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
2019
|
|||||
Selected Per-Share Data
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period
|
$
|
12.13
|
$
|
12.22
|
$
|
8.82
|
$
|
10.06
|
$
|
10.36
|
Income from Investment Operations
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) A,B
|
.32
|
.31
|
.31
|
.29
|
.25
|
|||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
|
.40 C
|
.31
|
3.35
|
(1.27)
|
(.22)
|
|||||
Total from investment operations
|
.72
|
.62
|
3.66
|
(.98)
|
.03
|
|||||
Distributions from net investment income
|
(.38)
|
(.28)
|
(.26)
|
(.26)
|
(.19)
|
|||||
Distributions from net realized gain
|
(.99)
|
(.42)
|
-
|
-
|
(.14)
|
|||||
Total distributions
|
(1.37)
|
(.71) D
|
(.26)
|
(.26)
|
(.33)
|
|||||
Net asset value, end of period
|
$
|
11.48
|
$
|
12.13
|
$
|
12.22
|
$
|
8.82
|
$
|
10.06
|
Total Return E,F
|
6.74%
|
5.21%
|
42.39%
|
(10.13)%
|
.62%
|
|||||
Ratios to Average Net Assets A,G,H
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reductions
|
.12%
|
.10%
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.21%
|
|||||
Expenses net of fee waivers, if any
|
.12%
|
.10%
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.15%
|
|||||
Expenses net of all reductions
|
.12%
|
.10%
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.15%
|
|||||
Net investment income (loss)
|
2.90%
|
2.49%
|
2.89%
|
3.12%
|
2.61%
|
|||||
Supplemental Data
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted)
|
$
|
392,338
|
$
|
2,952,541
|
$
|
3,589,260
|
$
|
2,282,301
|
$
|
1,788,140
|
Portfolio turnover rate I
|
86%
|
62%
|
80%
|
82%
|
99%
|
ANet investment income (loss) is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Net investment income (loss) of any mutual funds or ETFs is not included in the Fund's net investment income (loss) ratio.
BCalculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
CThe amount shown for a share outstanding does not correspond with the aggregate net gain (loss) on investments for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of shares in relation to fluctuating market values of the investments of the Fund.
DTotal distributions per share do not sum due to rounding.
ETotal returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.
FTotal returns would have been lower if certain expenses had not been reduced during the applicable periods shown.
GFees and expenses of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are not included in the Fund's expense ratio. The Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of these expenses. For additional expense information related to investments in Fidelity Central Funds, please refer to the "Investments in Fidelity Central Funds" note found in the Notes to Financial Statements section of the most recent Annual or Semi-Annual report.
HExpense ratios reflect operating expenses of the class. Expenses before reductions do not reflect amounts reimbursed, waived, or reduced through arrangements with the investment adviser, brokerage services, or other offset arrangements, if applicable, and do not represent the amount paid by the class during periods when reimbursements, waivers or reductions occur.
IAmount does not include the portfolio activity of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Additional Index Information
Fidelity U.S. Value Focus IndexSM is designed to reflect the performance of stocks of large- and mid-capitalization companies that have attractive valuations.
The Fidelity index or indices listed above were created by FPS using a rules-based proprietary index methodology described for the applicable fund(s) in the "Fund Basics - Investment Details" section of this prospectus.
A fund is entitled to use its index pursuant to a licensing arrangement with FPS.
The fund(s), the Adviser, and Geode have each adopted policies and procedures designed to minimize potential conflicts of interest in connection with the management of the fund(s).
Additional information regarding the index or indices is available on i.fidelity.com/indices.
The index or indices are the property of FPS, which has contracted with S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) to calculate and maintain the index or indices. The index or indices are not sponsored by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates or its third party licensors, including Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (collectively, "S&P Dow Jones Indices"). S&P Dow Jones Indices will not be liable for any errors or omissions in calculating the index or indices. "Calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices" and the related stylized mark(s) are service marks of S&P Dow Jones Indices and have been licensed for use by FPS. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC, and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC.
The fund(s) based on the index or indices are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the fund(s) or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the fund(s) particularly or the ability of the index or indices to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices' only relationship to FPS with respect to the index or indices is the licensing of certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices, and the provision of the calculation services related to the index or indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the fund(s) or the timing of the issuance or sale of the fund(s) or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the fund(s) may be converted into cash or other redemption mechanics. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the fund(s). S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it investment advice.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR INDICES OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY FPS, OWNERS OF THE FUND(S), OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR INDICES OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME, OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.
FPS is the index provider. FPS is an affiliated person of the investment adviser for the fund(s) and as such is an affiliated index provider. FPS makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the fund(s) or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the fund(s) particularly or the ability of the fund(s) to track the index or indices or of the ability of the index or indices to operate as designed. FPS has no obligation to take the needs of the fund(s) or the owners of shares of the fund(s) into consideration in determining, composing, or calculating the index or indices. FPS does not make any express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the index or indices or any data included therein. FPS does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or performance of any index or the data included therein and shall have no liability in connection with any index or index calculation, errors, omissions or interruptions of any Fidelity index or any data included therein. FPS has contracted with an independent calculation agent to calculate the index or indices. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall FPS have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) arising out of matters relating to the use of the index or indices, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT ACT), requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account.
For individual investors opening an account: When you open an account, you will be asked for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow Fidelity to identify you. You may also be asked to provide documents that may help to establish your identity, such as your driver's license. For investors other than individuals: When you open an account, you will be asked for the name of the entity, its principal place of business and taxpayer identification number (TIN). You will be asked to provide information about the entity's control person and beneficial owners, and person(s) with authority over the account, including name, address, date of birth and social security number. You may also be asked to provide documents, such as drivers' licenses, articles of incorporation, trust instruments or partnership agreements and other information that will help Fidelity identify the entity. |
You can obtain additional information about the fund. A description of the fund's policies and procedures for disclosing its holdings is available in its Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and on Fidelity's web sites. The SAI also includes more detailed information about the fund and its investments. The SAI is incorporated herein by reference (legally forms a part of the prospectus). The fund's annual and semi-annual reports also include additional information. The fund's annual report includes a discussion of the fund's holdings and recent market conditions and the fund's investment strategies that affected performance.
For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information or ask questions about the fund, call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455. In addition, you may visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com for a free copy of a prospectus, SAI, or annual or semi-annual report or to request other information.
The SAI, the fund's annual and semi-annual reports and other related materials are available from the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) Database on the SEC's web site (http://www.sec.gov). You can obtain copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You can also review and copy information about the fund, including the fund's SAI, at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room.
|
Investment Company Act of 1940, File Number(s), 811-02105
|
Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC) is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). You may obtain information about SIPC, including the SIPC brochure, by visiting www.sipc.org or calling SIPC at 202-371-8300.
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
1.9885510.107
|
USV-PRO-0923
|
Fund/Ticker
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund/FUMIX
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
Prospectus
September 29, 2023
Like securities of all mutual funds, these securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has not determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
|
 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
|
Contents
Fund Summary |
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund |
Fund Basics |
|
Shareholder Information |
Additional Information about the Purchase and Sale of Shares |
Fund Services |
|
Appendix |
|
Fund Summary
Fund:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of U.S. stocks with high price momentum.
Fee Table
The following table describes the fees and expenses that may be incurred when you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
|
None
|
Annual Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
Management fee
|
0.10%
|
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees
|
None
|
Other expenses
|
0.01%
|
Total annual operating expenses
|
0.11%
|
This example helps compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
1 year
|
$
|
11
|
3 years
|
$
|
35
|
5 years
|
$
|
62
|
10 years
|
$
|
141
|
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 operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 85% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
- Normally investing at least 80% of assets in securities included in the MSCI USA Custom Momentum Composite Index. The MSCI USA Custom Momentum Composite Index is a customized version of the MSCI USA Momentum Index, which is designed to reflect the performance of an equity momentum strategy by emphasizing stocks with relatively higher price momentum.
- Lending securities to earn income for the fund.
Principal Investment Risks
- Stock Market Volatility.
Stock markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of securities can react differently to these developments.
- Issuer-Specific Changes.
The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than, and can perform differently from, the market as a whole.
Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction) can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty.
- Correlation to Index.
The performance of the fund and its underlying index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, sample selection, regulatory restrictions, and timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from the index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
- Passive Management Risk.
The fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.
- Momentum Securities Risk.
Although the fund's underlying index uses a rules-based proprietary index methodology that is designed to identify stocks that exhibit positive momentum signals, there is no guarantee that this methodology will be successful. Stocks that previously exhibited high momentum characteristics may not experience positive momentum or may experience more volatility than the market as a whole.
- Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral.
An investment in the fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. You could lose money by investing in the fund.
Performance
The following information is intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the fund.
The information illustrates the changes in the performance of the fund's shares from year to year and compares the performance of the fund's shares to the performance of a securities market index over various periods of time. The index description appears in the "Additional Index Information" section of the prospectus. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future performance.
Visit www.fidelity.com for more recent performance information.
Year-by-Year Returns
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
||||||
-1.40%
|
24.16%
|
29.98%
|
22.63%
|
-15.78%
|
 |
During the periods shown in the chart:
|
Returns
|
Quarter ended
|
Highest Quarter Return
|
23.27%
|
June 30, 2020
|
Lowest Quarter Return
|
-16.82%
|
June 30, 2022
|
Year-to-Date Return
|
1.87%
|
June 30, 2023
|
Average Annual Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, but do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns may differ depending on your individual circumstances. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant if you hold your shares in a retirement account or in another tax-deferred arrangement, such as an employee benefit plan (profit sharing, 401(k), or 403(b) plan). Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of fund shares.
AFrom February 9, 2017.
Investment Adviser
Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) (the Adviser) is the fund's manager. Geode Capital Management, LLC serves as a sub-adviser for the fund.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2017.
Peter Matthew (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2017.
Robert Regan (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2017.
Payal Gupta (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Navid Sohrabi (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
The price to buy one share is its net asset value per share (NAV). Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The price to sell one share is its NAV. Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open.
There is no purchase minimum for fund shares.
Tax Information
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax and generally will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, and may also be subject to state or local taxes, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement account (in which case you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
The fund, the Adviser, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and/or their affiliates may pay intermediaries, which may include banks, broker-dealers, retirement plan sponsors, administrators, or service-providers (who may be affiliated with the Adviser or FDC), for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your intermediary and your investment professional to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your investment professional or visit your intermediary's web site for more information.
Fund Basics
Investment Details
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of U.S. stocks with high price momentum.
Principal Investment Strategies
Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) normally invests at least 80% of the fund's assets in securities included in the MSCI USA Custom Momentum Composite Index. The MSCI USA Custom Momentum Composite Index is a customized version of the MSCI USA Momentum Index, which is designed to reflect the performance of an equity momentum strategy by emphasizing stocks with relatively higher price momentum than stocks included in the MSCI USA Index, its parent index, which includes large and mid-capitalization stocks in the U.S. equity market. The MSCI USA Momentum Index assigns a momentum score to securities included in the MSCI USA Index based on, among other proprietary factors, the stocks' risk-adjusted 12-month and 6-month price performance. The MSCI USA Custom Momentum Composite Index, customized by an affiliate of the fund, uses a custom rebalancing methodology that results in a more frequent rebalancing of index constituents.
The fund may not always hold all of the same securities as the MSCI USA Custom Momentum Composite Index. Geode may use statistical sampling techniques to attempt to replicate the returns of the index. Statistical sampling techniques attempt to match the investment characteristics of the index and the fund by taking into account such factors as capitalization, industry exposures, dividend yield, price/earnings (P/E) ratio, price/book (P/B) ratio, and earnings growth.
The fund may not track the index because differences between the index and the fund's portfolio can cause differences in performance. In addition, expenses and transaction costs, the size and frequency of cash flows into and out of the fund, and differences between how and when the fund and the index are valued can cause differences in performance.
The fund may lend securities to broker-dealers or other institutions to earn income.
If Geode's strategies do not work as intended, the fund may not achieve its objective.
Description of Principal Security Types
Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. Different types of equity securities provide different voting and dividend rights and priority in the event of the bankruptcy of the issuer. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, and warrants.
Principal Investment Risks
Many factors affect the fund's performance. Developments that disrupt global economies and financial markets, such as pandemics and epidemics, may magnify factors that affect a fund's performance. The fund's share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions and interest rates and in response to other economic, political, or financial developments. The fund's reaction to these developments will be affected by the types of securities in which the fund invests, the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of an issuer, and the fund's level of investment in the securities of that issuer. When you sell your shares they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them, which means that you could lose money by investing in the fund.
The following factors can significantly affect the fund's performance:
Stock Market Volatility. The value of equity securities fluctuates in response to issuer, political, market, and economic developments. Fluctuations, especially in foreign markets, can be dramatic over the short as well as long term, and different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of equity securities can react differently to these developments. For example, stocks of companies in one sector can react differently from those in another, large cap stocks can react differently from small cap stocks, and "growth" stocks can react differently from "value" stocks. Issuer, political, or economic developments can affect a single issuer, issuers within an industry or economic sector or geographic region, or the market as a whole. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact the market as a whole. Terrorism and related geo-political risks have led, and may in the future lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on world economies and markets generally.
Issuer-Specific Changes. Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction), changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Correlation to Index. The performance of the fund and its index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, imperfect correlation between the fund's securities and those in its index, timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from its index, and changes in the shares outstanding of the component securities. In addition, the fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its index or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the index due to regulatory restrictions. The fund may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into the fund or as a result of reserves of cash held by the fund to meet redemptions. The use of sampling techniques or futures or other derivative positions may affect the fund's ability to achieve close correlation with its index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
Passive Management Risk. An index fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, an index fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers. The structure and composition of an index fund's index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the fund.
Momentum Securities Risk. Although the fund's underlying index uses a rules-based proprietary index methodology that is designed to identify stocks that exhibit positive momentum signals, there is no guarantee that this methodology will be successful. Stocks that previously exhibited high momentum characteristics may not experience positive momentum or may experience more volatility than the market as a whole. In addition, there may be periods when momentum investing is out of favor and therefore, during such periods, the investment performance of the fund may suffer.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased.
Other Investment Strategies
In addition to the principal investment strategies discussed above, Geode may use various techniques, such as buying and selling futures contracts, swaps, and exchange traded funds, to increase or decrease the fund's exposure to changing security prices or other factors that affect security values.
Fundamental Investment Policies
The following is fundamental, that is, subject to change only by shareholder approval:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of U.S. stocks with high price momentum.
Shareholder Notice
The following is subject to change only upon 60 days' prior notice to shareholders:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in securities included in the MSCI USA Custom Momentum Composite Index.
The fund is open for business each day the NYSE is open.
The NAV is the value of a single share. Fidelity normally calculates NAV as of the close of business of the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The fund's assets normally are valued as of this time for the purpose of computing NAV.
NAV is not calculated and the fund will not process purchase and redemption requests submitted on days when the fund is not open for business. The time at which shares are priced and until which purchase and redemption orders are accepted may be changed as permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
To the extent that the fund's assets are traded in other markets on days when the fund is not open for business, the value of the fund's assets may be affected on those days. In addition, trading in some of the fund's assets may not occur on days when the fund is open for business.
NAV is calculated using the values of other open-end funds, if any, in which the fund invests (referred to as underlying funds). Shares of underlying funds are valued at their respective NAVs. Other assets are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service. Certain short-term securities are valued on the basis of amortized cost. If market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the Adviser's opinion, are deemed unreliable for a security, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the Adviser's opinion, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. Fair value pricing will be used for high yield debt securities when available pricing information is determined to be stale or for other reasons not to accurately reflect fair value.
Arbitrage opportunities may exist when trading in a portfolio security or securities is halted and does not resume before a fund calculates its NAV. These arbitrage opportunities may enable short-term traders to dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Securities trading in overseas markets, if applicable, present time zone arbitrage opportunities when events affecting portfolio security values occur after the close of the overseas markets but prior to the close of the U.S. market. Fair valuation of a fund's portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of NAV by short-term traders.
Fair value pricing is based on subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value of a security may differ materially from the value that would be realized if the security were sold.
Shareholder Information
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
As used in this prospectus, the term "shares" generally refers to the shares offered through this prospectus.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates. If you are not currently a client in a discretionary investment program offered by the Adviser or its affiliates, please call 1-800-544-3455 (9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday) for more information. Additional fees apply for discretionary investment programs. For more information on these fees, please refer to the "Buying and Selling Information" section of the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
The fund may reject for any reason, or cancel as permitted or required by law, any purchase orders.
Excessive trading of fund shares can harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs to the fund (such as brokerage commissions or spreads paid to dealers who sell money market instruments), disrupting portfolio management strategies, and diluting the value of the shares in cases in which fluctuations in markets are not fully priced into the fund's NAV.
Because investments in the fund can only be made by the Adviser or an affiliate on behalf of its clients, the potential for excessive or short-term disruptive purchases and sales is reduced. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive trading of fund shares and the fund accommodates frequent trading.
The fund does not place a limit on purchases or sales of fund shares by the Adviser or its affiliates. The fund reserves the right, but does not have the obligation, to reject any purchase transaction at any time. In addition, the fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.
The fund has no exchange privilege with any other fund.
There is no minimum balance or purchase minimum for fund shares.
The price to buy one share is its NAV. Shares are sold without a sales charge.
Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Shares are generally available only to investors residing in the United States.
The fund may stop offering shares completely or may offer shares only on a limited basis, for a period of time or permanently.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, purchase orders may be suspended, restricted, or canceled and the monies may be withheld.
The price to sell one share is its NAV.
Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Normally, redemptions will be processed by the next business day, but it may take up to seven days to pay the redemption proceeds if making immediate payment would adversely affect the fund.
See "Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares" below for additional redemption information.
Redemptions may be suspended or payment dates postponed when the NYSE is closed (other than weekends or holidays), when trading on the NYSE is restricted, or as permitted by the SEC.
Redemption proceeds may be paid in securities or other property rather than in cash if the Adviser determines it is in the best interests of the fund.
When you terminate your relationship with the Adviser, or one of its affiliates, your shares may be sold at the NAV next calculated, in which case proceeds from such redemption would be sent to you.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, redemption requests may be suspended, restricted, canceled, or processed and the proceeds may be withheld.
If applicable, orders by funds of funds for which the Adviser or its affiliates serve as investment manager will be treated as received by the fund at the same time that the corresponding orders are received in proper form by the funds of funds.
Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares
If your account is held directly with a fund, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends on the method you have elected to receive such proceeds. A fund typically expects to make payment of redemption proceeds by wire, automated clearing house (ACH) or by issuing a check by the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form. Proceeds from the periodic and automatic sale of shares of a Fidelity® money market fund that are used to buy shares of another Fidelity® fund are settled simultaneously.
If your account is held through an intermediary, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends, in part, on the terms of the agreement in place between the intermediary and a fund. For redemption proceeds that are paid either directly to you from a fund or to your intermediary for transmittal to you, a fund typically expects to make payments by wire, by ACH or by issuing a check on the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form from the intermediary by a fund. Redemption orders that are processed through investment professionals that utilize the National Securities Clearing Corporation will generally settle one to three business days following receipt of a redemption order in proper form.
As noted elsewhere, payment of redemption proceeds may take longer than the time a fund typically expects and may take up to seven days from the date of receipt of the redemption order as permitted by applicable law.
Redemption Methods Available. Generally a fund expects to pay redemption proceeds in cash. To do so, a fund typically expects to satisfy redemption requests either by using available cash (or cash equivalents) or by selling portfolio securities. On a less regular basis, a fund may also satisfy redemption requests by utilizing one or more of the following sources, if permitted: borrowing from another Fidelity® fund; drawing on an available line or lines of credit from a bank or banks; or using reverse repurchase agreements. These methods may be used during both normal and stressed market conditions.
In addition to paying redemption proceeds in cash, a fund reserves the right to pay part or all of your redemption proceeds in readily marketable securities instead of cash (redemption in-kind). Redemption in-kind proceeds will typically be made by delivering the selected securities to the redeeming shareholder within seven days after the receipt of the redemption order in proper form by a fund.
The fund earns interest, dividends, and other income from its investments, and distributes this income (less expenses) to shareholders as dividends. The fund also realizes capital gains from its investments, and distributes these gains (less any losses) to shareholders as capital gain distributions.
The fund normally declares dividends and pays capital gain distributions per the tables below:
Fund Name
|
Dividends Paid
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
September, December
|
Fund Name
|
Capital Gains Paid
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
September, December
|
Distribution Options
Any dividends and capital gain distributions may be reinvested in additional shares or paid in cash.
As with any investment, your investment in the fund could have tax consequences for you (for non-retirement accounts).
Taxes on Distributions
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax, and may also be subject to state or local taxes.
For federal tax purposes, certain distributions, including dividends and distributions of short-term capital gains, are taxable to you as ordinary income, while certain distributions, including distributions of long-term capital gains, are taxable to you generally as capital gains. A percentage of certain distributions of dividends may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met).
If the Adviser buys shares on your behalf when a fund has realized but not yet distributed income or capital gains, you will be "buying a dividend" by paying the full price for the shares and then receiving a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable distribution.
Any taxable distributions you receive from the fund will normally be taxable to you when you receive them, regardless of your distribution option.
Taxes on Transactions
Your redemptions may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment in the fund generally is the difference between the cost of your shares and the price you receive when you sell them.
Fund Services
Fund Management
The fund is a mutual fund, an investment that pools shareholders' money and invests it toward a specified goal.
Adviser
FMR. The Adviser is the fund's manager. The address of the Adviser is 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
As of December 31, 2022, the Adviser had approximately $3.1 trillion in discretionary assets under management, and approximately $3.9 trillion when combined with all of its affiliates' assets under management.
As the manager, the Adviser is responsible for handling the fund's business affairs.
Sub-Adviser(s)
Geode, at 100 Summer Street, 12th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as a sub-adviser for the fund. As of December 31, 2022, Geode had approximately $803.4 billion in discretionary assets under management.
Geode chooses the fund's investments and places orders to buy and sell the fund's investments.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund, which he has managed since 2017. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2008, Mr. Bottari has worked as an assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Peter Matthew is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund, which he has managed since 2017. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2007, Mr. Matthew has worked as a senior operations associate, portfolio manager assistant, assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Robert Regan is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund, which he has managed since 2017. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2016, Mr. Regan has worked as a portfolio manager.
Payal Gupta is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund, which she has managed since 2019. She also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Ms. Gupta has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Ms. Gupta worked at State Street Global Advisors from 2005 to 2019, most recently as senior portfolio manager.
Navid Sohrabi is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund, which he has managed since 2019. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Mr. Sohrabi has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Mr. Sohrabi worked at DWS, most recently as an index portfolio manager.
The SAI provides additional information about the compensation of, any other accounts managed by, and any fund shares held by the portfolio manager(s).
From time to time a manager, analyst, or other Fidelity employee may express views regarding a particular company, security, industry, or market sector. The views expressed by any such person are the views of only that individual as of the time expressed and do not necessarily represent the views of Fidelity or any other person in the Fidelity organization. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and Fidelity disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for a fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent on behalf of any fund.
Advisory Fee(s)
The fund pays a management fee to the Adviser.
The management fee is calculated and paid to the Adviser every month.
The annual management fee rate, as a percentage of the fund's average net assets, is shown in the following table:
Fund
|
Management Fee Rate
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
0.10%
|
The Adviser pays Geode for providing investment management services.
The basis for the Board of Trustees approving the management contract and sub-advisory agreement for the fund is available in the fund's semi-annual report for the fiscal period ended January 31, 2023.
From time to time, the Adviser or its affiliates may agree to reimburse or waive certain fund expenses while retaining the ability to be repaid if expenses fall below the specified limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Reimbursement or waiver arrangements can decrease expenses and boost performance.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to reimburse the fund to the extent that total operating expenses (excluding interest, certain taxes, fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees, proxy and shareholder meeting expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses (including fees and expenses associated with a wholly owned subsidiary), if any, as well as non-operating expenses such as brokerage commissions and fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable), as a percentage of its average net assets, exceed 0.15% (the Expense Cap). If at any time during the current fiscal year expenses for the fund fall below the Expense Cap, FMR reserves the right to recoup through the end of the fiscal year any expenses that were reimbursed during the current fiscal year up to, but not in excess of, the Expense Cap. This arrangement will remain in effect through November 30, 2024. FMR may not terminate this arrangement before the expiration date without the approval of the Board of Trustees and may extend it in its discretion after that date.
Fund Distribution
FDC distributes the fund's shares.
Distribution and Service Plan(s)
The fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) with respect to its shares that recognizes that the Adviser may use its management fee revenues, as well as its past profits or its resources from any other source, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. The Adviser, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services. Currently, the Board of Trustees of the fund has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Affiliates of the Adviser may receive service fees or distribution fees or both with respect to underlying funds that participate in Fidelity's FundsNetwork®.
If payments made by the Adviser to FDC or to intermediaries under the Distribution and Service Plan were considered to be paid out of the fund's assets on an ongoing basis, they might increase the cost of your investment and might cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
No dealer, sales representative, or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in this prospectus and in the related SAI, in connection with the offer contained in this prospectus. If given or made, such other information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the fund or FDC. This prospectus and the related SAI do not constitute an offer by the fund or by FDC to sell shares of the fund to, or to buy shares of the fund from, any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer.
Appendix
Financial Highlights
Financial Highlights are intended to help you understand the financial history of fund shares for the past 5 years (or, if shorter, the period of operations). Certain information reflects financial results for a single share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in shares (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The annual information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with fund financial statements, is included in the annual report. Annual reports are available for free upon request.
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
Years ended July 31,
|
2023
|
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
2019
|
|||||
Selected Per-Share Data
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period
|
$
|
13.95
|
$
|
19.05
|
$
|
15.74
|
$
|
13.77
|
$
|
13.31
|
Income from Investment Operations
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) A,B
|
.30
|
.19
|
.10
|
.19
|
.20
|
|||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
|
.52 C
|
(1.81)
|
4.66
|
2.07
|
.71 D
|
|||||
Total from investment operations
|
.82
|
(1.62)
|
4.76
|
2.26
|
.91
|
|||||
Distributions from net investment income
|
(.29)
|
(.10)
|
(.18)
|
(.22)
|
(.12)
|
|||||
Distributions from net realized gain
|
-
|
(3.38)
|
(1.27)
|
(.08)
|
(.33)
|
|||||
Total distributions
|
(.29)
|
(3.48)
|
(1.45)
|
(.29) E
|
(.45)
|
|||||
Net asset value, end of period
|
$
|
14.48
|
$
|
13.95
|
$
|
19.05
|
$
|
15.74
|
$
|
13.77
|
Total Return F
|
5.99% C
|
(11.06)%
|
32.98%
|
16.76%
|
6.94% D
|
|||||
Ratios to Average Net Assets B,G,H
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reductions
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.21%
|
|||||
Expenses net of fee waivers, if any
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.15%
|
|||||
Expenses net of all reductions
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.11%
|
.15%
|
|||||
Net investment income (loss)
|
2.15%
|
1.25%
|
.58%
|
1.36%
|
1.54%
|
|||||
Supplemental Data
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted)
|
$
|
334,910
|
$
|
4,524,235
|
$
|
2,908,860
|
$
|
1,798,387
|
$
|
3,655,491
|
Portfolio turnover rate I
|
85%
|
138%
|
128%
|
163%
|
161%
|
ACalculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
BNet investment income (loss) is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Net investment income (loss) of any mutual funds or ETFs is not included in the Fund's net investment income (loss) ratio.
CAmount includes a reimbursement from the investment adviser for an operational error which amounted to less than $.01 per share. Excluding this reimbursement, the total return would have been 5.95%.
DAmount includes a reimbursement from the investment adviser for an operational error which amounted to less than $.01 per share. Excluding this reimbursement, the total return would have been 6.91%.
ETotal distributions per share do not sum due to rounding.
FTotal returns would have been lower if certain expenses had not been reduced during the applicable periods shown.
GFees and expenses of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are not included in the Fund's expense ratio. The Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of these expenses. For additional expense information related to investments in Fidelity Central Funds, please refer to the "Investments in Fidelity Central Funds" note found in the Notes to Financial Statements section of the most recent Annual or Semi-Annual report.
HExpense ratios reflect operating expenses of the class. Expenses before reductions do not reflect amounts reimbursed, waived, or reduced through arrangements with the investment adviser, brokerage services, or other offset arrangements, if applicable, and do not represent the amount paid by the class during periods when reimbursements, waivers or reductions occur.
IAmount does not include the portfolio activity of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Additional Index Information
MSCI USA Custom Momentum Composite Index is a customized version of the MSCI USA Momentum Index, which is designed to reflect the performance of an equity momentum strategy by emphasizing stocks with relatively higher price momentum than stocks included in the MSCI USA Index, its parent index. The MSCI USA Momentum Index assigns a momentum score to securities included in the MSCI USA Index based on, among other proprietary factors, the stocks' risk-adjusted 12-month and 6-month price performance. The MSCI USA Custom Momentum Composite Index, customized by an affiliate of the fund, uses a custom rebalancing methodology to sub-divide the index into six parts and then rebalances each portion semi-annually, on a rotating basis. The MSCI USA Momentum Index generally includes approximately 30% of the parent index market cap.
THIS FUND IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY MSCI INC. ("MSCI"), ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, ANY OF ITS INFORMATION PROVIDERS OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN, OR RELATED TO, COMPILING, COMPUTING OR CREATING ANY MSCI INDEX (COLLECTIVELY, THE "MSCI PARTIES"). THE MSCI INDEXES ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF MSCI. MSCI AND THE MSCI INDEX NAMES ARE SERVICE MARK(S) OF MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES AND HAVE BEEN LICENSED FOR USE FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES BY THE ADVISER. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF INVESTING IN FUNDS GENERALLY OR IN THIS FUND PARTICULARLY OR THE ABILITY OF ANY MSCI INDEX TO TRACK CORRESPONDING STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE. MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES ARE THE LICENSORS OF CERTAIN TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADE NAMES AND OF THE MSCI INDEXES WHICH ARE DETERMINED, COMPOSED AND CALCULATED BY MSCI WITHOUT REGARD TO THIS FUND OR THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION TO TAKE THE NEEDS OF THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY INTO CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINING, COMPOSING OR CALCULATING THE MSCI INDEXES. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OR HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE TIMING OF, PRICES AT, OR QUANTITIES OF THIS FUND TO BE ISSUED OR IN THE DETERMINATION OR CALCULATION OF THE EQUATION BY OR THE CONSIDERATION INTO WHICH THIS FUND IS REDEEMABLE. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR OFFERING OF THIS FUND.
ALTHOUGH MSCI SHALL OBTAIN INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN OR FOR USE IN THE CALCULATION OF THE MSCI INDEXES FROM SOURCES THAT MSCI CONSIDERS RELIABLE, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES WARRANTS OR GUARANTEES THE ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ISSUER OF THE FUND, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY, FROM THE USE OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, AND THE MSCI PARTIES HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO EACH MSCI INDEX AND ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
No purchaser, seller, or holder of this security, product or fund, or any other person or entity, should use or refer to any MSCI trade name, trademark or service mark to sponsor, endorse, market or promote this security without first contacting MSCI to determine whether MSCI's permission is required. Under no circumstances may any person or entity claim any affiliation with MSCI without the prior written permission of MSCI.
Inclusion of a stock in an index does not imply that it is a good investment.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT ACT), requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account.
For individual investors opening an account: When you open an account, you will be asked for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow Fidelity to identify you. You may also be asked to provide documents that may help to establish your identity, such as your driver's license. For investors other than individuals: When you open an account, you will be asked for the name of the entity, its principal place of business and taxpayer identification number (TIN). You will be asked to provide information about the entity's control person and beneficial owners, and person(s) with authority over the account, including name, address, date of birth and social security number. You may also be asked to provide documents, such as drivers' licenses, articles of incorporation, trust instruments or partnership agreements and other information that will help Fidelity identify the entity. |
You can obtain additional information about the fund. A description of the fund's policies and procedures for disclosing its holdings is available in its Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and on Fidelity's web sites. The SAI also includes more detailed information about the fund and its investments. The SAI is incorporated herein by reference (legally forms a part of the prospectus). The fund's annual and semi-annual reports also include additional information. The fund's annual report includes a discussion of the fund's holdings and recent market conditions and the fund's investment strategies that affected performance.
For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information or ask questions about the fund, call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455. In addition, you may visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com for a free copy of a prospectus, SAI, or annual or semi-annual report or to request other information.
The SAI, the fund's annual and semi-annual reports and other related materials are available from the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) Database on the SEC's web site (http://www.sec.gov). You can obtain copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You can also review and copy information about the fund, including the fund's SAI, at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room.
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Investment Company Act of 1940, File Number(s), 811-02105
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Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC) is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). You may obtain information about SIPC, including the SIPC brochure, by visiting www.sipc.org or calling SIPC at 202-371-8300.
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
1.9878812.107
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SY1-PRO-0923
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Fund/Ticker
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund/FUQIX
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
Prospectus
September 29, 2023
Like securities of all mutual funds, these securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has not determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
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Contents
Fund Summary |
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund |
Fund Basics |
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Shareholder Information |
Additional Information about the Purchase and Sale of Shares |
Fund Services |
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Appendix |
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Fund Summary
Fund:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of stocks of quality growth United States companies.
Fee Table
The following table describes the fees and expenses that may be incurred when you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
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None
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Annual Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
Management fee
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0.10%
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Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees
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None
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Other expenses
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0.01%
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Total annual operating expenses
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0.11%
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This example helps compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
1 year
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$
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11
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3 years
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$
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35
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5 years
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$
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62
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10 years
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$
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141
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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 operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 58% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
- Normally investing at least 80% of assets in equity securities included in the Fidelity U.S. Quality Focus IndexSM. The Fidelity U.S. Quality Focus IndexSM seeks to capture the performance of a broad range of U.S. equities that have attractive quality scores. Quality scores for non-financial companies and non-real estate investment trusts are based on ten variables: high free cash flow margin, return on invested capital, gross profit margin, and return on equity; stable earnings growth, return on assets, free cash flow, and accruals; and low financial leverage and accruals. Financials and real estate investment trusts (REITs) are ranked using a composite score based on four measures of quality: high return on equity, stable earnings growth and return on equity, and low financial leverage.
- Using statistical sampling techniques taking into account such factors as capitalization, industry exposures, dividend yield, price/earnings (P/E) ratio, price/book (P/B) ratio, and earnings growth to attempt to replicate the returns of the Fidelity U.S. Quality Focus Index℠.
- Lending securities to earn income for the fund.
Principal Investment Risks
- Quality Stocks.
Although the fund's underlying index uses a rules-based proprietary index methodology that is designed to identify stocks with a higher quality profile than the broader market, there is no guarantee that this methodology will be successful or that the past performance of these stocks will continue. Companies that issue these stocks may experience lower than expected returns or may experience negative growth, as well as increased leverage, resulting in lower than expected or negative returns.
- Stock Market Volatility.
Stock markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of securities can react differently to these developments.
- Issuer-Specific Changes.
The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than, and can perform differently from, the market as a whole.
Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction) can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty.
- Correlation to Index.
The performance of the fund and its underlying index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, sample selection, regulatory restrictions, and timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from the index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
- Passive Management Risk.
The fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.
- "Growth" Investing.
"Growth" stocks can perform differently from the market as a whole and other types of stocks and can be more volatile than other types of stocks.
- Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral.
An investment in the fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. You could lose money by investing in the fund.
Performance
The following information is intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the fund.
The information illustrates the changes in the performance of the fund's shares from year to year and compares the performance of the fund's shares to the performance of a securities market index and an additional index over various periods of time. The indexes have characteristics relevant to the fund's investment strategies. Index descriptions appear in the "Additional Index Information" section of the prospectus. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future performance.
Prior to March 18, 2019, the fund operated under certain different investment policies and compared its performance to a different index. The fund's historical performance may not represent its current investment policies.
Visit www.fidelity.com for more recent performance information.
Year-by-Year Returns
2016
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2017
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2018
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2019
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2020
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2021
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2022
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7.82%
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25.75%
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-2.75%
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34.07%
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20.67%
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28.33%
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-18.09%
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 |
During the periods shown in the chart:
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Returns
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Quarter ended
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Highest Quarter Return
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21.40%
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June 30, 2020
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Lowest Quarter Return
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-15.33%
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March 31, 2020
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Year-to-Date Return
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17.90%
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June 30, 2023
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Average Annual Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, but do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns may differ depending on your individual circumstances. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant if you hold your shares in a retirement account or in another tax-deferred arrangement, such as an employee benefit plan (profit sharing, 401(k), or 403(b) plan). Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of fund shares.
AFrom October 8, 2015.
Investment Adviser
Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) (the Adviser) is the fund's manager. Geode Capital Management, LLC serves as a sub-adviser for the fund.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2015.
Peter Matthew (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2015.
Robert Regan (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2016.
Payal Gupta (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Navid Sohrabi (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
The price to buy one share is its net asset value per share (NAV). Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The price to sell one share is its NAV. Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open.
There is no purchase minimum for fund shares.
Tax Information
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax and generally will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, and may also be subject to state or local taxes, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement account (in which case you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
The fund, the Adviser, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and/or their affiliates may pay intermediaries, which may include banks, broker-dealers, retirement plan sponsors, administrators, or service-providers (who may be affiliated with the Adviser or FDC), for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your intermediary and your investment professional to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your investment professional or visit your intermediary's web site for more information.
Fund Basics
Investment Details
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of stocks of quality growth United States companies.
Principal Investment Strategies
Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) normally invests at least 80% of the fund's assets in securities included in the Fidelity U.S. Quality Focus IndexSM. The Fidelity U.S. Quality Focus IndexSM seeks to capture the performance of a broad range of U.S. equities that have attractive quality scores. Quality scores for non-financial companies and non-real estate investment trusts are based on ten variables: high free cash flow margin, return on invested capital, gross profit margin, and return on equity; stable earnings growth, return on assets, free cash flow, and accruals; and low financial leverage and accruals. Financials and REITs are ranked using a composite score based on four measures of quality: high return on equity, stable earnings growth and return on equity, and low financial leverage.
The fund may not always hold all of the same securities as the Fidelity U.S. Quality Focus Index℠. Geode may use statistical sampling techniques to attempt to replicate the returns of the index. Statistical sampling techniques attempt to match the investment characteristics of the index and the fund by taking into account such factors as capitalization, industry exposures, dividend yield, P/E ratio, P/B ratio, and earnings growth.
The fund may not track the index because differences between the index and the fund's portfolio can cause differences in performance. In addition, expenses and transaction costs, the size and frequency of cash flows into and out of the fund, and differences between how and when the fund and the index are valued can cause differences in performance.
The fund may lend securities to broker-dealers or other institutions to earn income.
If Geode's strategies do not work as intended, the fund may not achieve its objective.
Description of Principal Security Types
Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. Different types of equity securities provide different voting and dividend rights and priority in the event of the bankruptcy of the issuer. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, and warrants.
Principal Investment Risks
Many factors affect the fund's performance. Developments that disrupt global economies and financial markets, such as pandemics and epidemics, may magnify factors that affect a fund's performance. The fund's share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions and interest rates and in response to other economic, political, or financial developments. The fund's reaction to these developments will be affected by the types of securities in which the fund invests, the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of an issuer, and the fund's level of investment in the securities of that issuer. When you sell your shares they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them, which means that you could lose money by investing in the fund.
The following factors can significantly affect the fund's performance:
Stock Market Volatility. The value of equity securities fluctuates in response to issuer, political, market, and economic developments. Fluctuations, especially in foreign markets, can be dramatic over the short as well as long term, and different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of equity securities can react differently to these developments. For example, stocks of companies in one sector can react differently from those in another, large cap stocks can react differently from small cap stocks, and "growth" stocks can react differently from "value" stocks. Issuer, political, or economic developments can affect a single issuer, issuers within an industry or economic sector or geographic region, or the market as a whole. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact the market as a whole. Terrorism and related geo-political risks have led, and may in the future lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on world economies and markets generally.
Issuer-Specific Changes. Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction), changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Correlation to Index. The performance of the fund and its index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, imperfect correlation between the fund's securities and those in its index, timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from its index, and changes in the shares outstanding of the component securities. In addition, the fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its index or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the index due to regulatory restrictions. The fund may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into the fund or as a result of reserves of cash held by the fund to meet redemptions. The use of sampling techniques or futures or other derivative positions may affect the fund's ability to achieve close correlation with its index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
Passive Management Risk. An index fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, an index fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers. The structure and composition of an index fund's index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the fund.
"Growth" Investing. "Growth" stocks can react differently to issuer, political, market, and economic developments than the market as a whole and other types of stocks. "Growth" stocks tend to be more expensive relative to their earnings or assets compared to other types of stocks. As a result, "growth" stocks tend to be sensitive to changes in their earnings and more volatile than other types of stocks.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased.
Quality Stocks. Although the fund's underlying index uses a rules-based proprietary index methodology that is designed to identify stocks with a higher quality profile than the broader market, there is no guarantee that this methodology will be successful or that the past performance of these stocks will continue. Companies that issue these stocks may experience lower than expected returns or may experience negative growth, as well as increased leverage, resulting in lower than expected or negative returns. Many factors can affect a stock's quality and performance, and the impact of these factors on a stock or its price can be difficult to predict. In addition, there may be periods when investing in quality stocks is out of favor and therefore, the investment performance of the fund may suffer.
Other Investment Strategies
In addition to the principal investment strategies discussed above, Geode may use various techniques, such as buying and selling futures contracts, swaps, and exchange traded funds, to increase or decrease the fund's exposure to changing security prices or other factors that affect security values.
The Fidelity U.S. Quality Focus IndexSM seeks to capture the performance of a broad range of U.S. equities that have attractive quality scores. The universe of equities for consideration in the index consists of the largest U.S. equities based on float-adjusted market cap and certain liquidity and investability requirements.
The Fidelity U.S. Quality Focus IndexSM is constructed using Fidelity rules-based priority index methodology. Equities are ranked within the investment universe and given a composite quality score. Quality scores for non-financial companies and non-real estate investment trusts are based on ten variables: high free cash flow margin, return on invested capital, gross profit margin, and return on equity; stable earnings growth, return on assets, free cash flow, and accruals; and low financial leverage and accruals. Financials and REITs are ranked using a composite score based on four measures of quality: high return on equity, stable earnings growth and return on equity, and low financial leverage.
The index is rebalanced quarterly using an optimization process that seeks to select the highest ranked equities subject to certain sector, security and turnover constraints. Typically, there are between 90 and 150 index constituents. Fidelity Product Services LLC (FPS) is the index provider. FPS is an affiliated person of the Adviser.
Fundamental Investment Policies
The following is fundamental, that is, subject to change only by shareholder approval:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of stocks of quality growth United States companies.
Shareholder Notice
The following is subject to change only upon 60 days' prior notice to shareholders:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities included in the Fidelity U.S. Quality Focus IndexSM.
The fund is open for business each day the NYSE is open.
The NAV is the value of a single share. Fidelity normally calculates NAV as of the close of business of the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The fund's assets normally are valued as of this time for the purpose of computing NAV.
NAV is not calculated and the fund will not process purchase and redemption requests submitted on days when the fund is not open for business. The time at which shares are priced and until which purchase and redemption orders are accepted may be changed as permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
To the extent that the fund's assets are traded in other markets on days when the fund is not open for business, the value of the fund's assets may be affected on those days. In addition, trading in some of the fund's assets may not occur on days when the fund is open for business.
NAV is calculated using the values of other open-end funds, if any, in which the fund invests (referred to as underlying funds). Shares of underlying funds are valued at their respective NAVs. Other assets are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service. Certain short-term securities are valued on the basis of amortized cost. If market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the Adviser's opinion, are deemed unreliable for a security, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the Adviser's opinion, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. Fair value pricing will be used for high yield debt securities when available pricing information is determined to be stale or for other reasons not to accurately reflect fair value.
Arbitrage opportunities may exist when trading in a portfolio security or securities is halted and does not resume before a fund calculates its NAV. These arbitrage opportunities may enable short-term traders to dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Securities trading in overseas markets, if applicable, present time zone arbitrage opportunities when events affecting portfolio security values occur after the close of the overseas markets but prior to the close of the U.S. market. Fair valuation of a fund's portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of NAV by short-term traders.
Fair value pricing is based on subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value of a security may differ materially from the value that would be realized if the security were sold.
Shareholder Information
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
As used in this prospectus, the term "shares" generally refers to the shares offered through this prospectus.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates. If you are not currently a client in a discretionary investment program offered by the Adviser or its affiliates, please call 1-800-544-3455 (9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday) for more information. Additional fees apply for discretionary investment programs. For more information on these fees, please refer to the "Buying and Selling Information" section of the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
The fund may reject for any reason, or cancel as permitted or required by law, any purchase orders.
Excessive trading of fund shares can harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs to the fund (such as brokerage commissions or spreads paid to dealers who sell money market instruments), disrupting portfolio management strategies, and diluting the value of the shares in cases in which fluctuations in markets are not fully priced into the fund's NAV.
Because investments in the fund can only be made by the Adviser or an affiliate on behalf of its clients, the potential for excessive or short-term disruptive purchases and sales is reduced. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive trading of fund shares and the fund accommodates frequent trading.
The fund does not place a limit on purchases or sales of fund shares by the Adviser or its affiliates. The fund reserves the right, but does not have the obligation, to reject any purchase transaction at any time. In addition, the fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.
The fund has no exchange privilege with any other fund.
There is no minimum balance or purchase minimum for fund shares.
The price to buy one share is its NAV. Shares are sold without a sales charge.
Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Shares are generally available only to investors residing in the United States.
The fund may stop offering shares completely or may offer shares only on a limited basis, for a period of time or permanently.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, purchase orders may be suspended, restricted, or canceled and the monies may be withheld.
The price to sell one share is its NAV.
Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Normally, redemptions will be processed by the next business day, but it may take up to seven days to pay the redemption proceeds if making immediate payment would adversely affect the fund.
See "Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares" below for additional redemption information.
Redemptions may be suspended or payment dates postponed when the NYSE is closed (other than weekends or holidays), when trading on the NYSE is restricted, or as permitted by the SEC.
Redemption proceeds may be paid in securities or other property rather than in cash if the Adviser determines it is in the best interests of the fund.
When you terminate your relationship with the Adviser, or one of its affiliates, your shares may be sold at the NAV next calculated, in which case proceeds from such redemption would be sent to you.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, redemption requests may be suspended, restricted, canceled, or processed and the proceeds may be withheld.
If applicable, orders by funds of funds for which the Adviser or its affiliates serve as investment manager will be treated as received by the fund at the same time that the corresponding orders are received in proper form by the funds of funds.
Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares
If your account is held directly with a fund, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends on the method you have elected to receive such proceeds. A fund typically expects to make payment of redemption proceeds by wire, automated clearing house (ACH) or by issuing a check by the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form. Proceeds from the periodic and automatic sale of shares of a Fidelity® money market fund that are used to buy shares of another Fidelity® fund are settled simultaneously.
If your account is held through an intermediary, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends, in part, on the terms of the agreement in place between the intermediary and a fund. For redemption proceeds that are paid either directly to you from a fund or to your intermediary for transmittal to you, a fund typically expects to make payments by wire, by ACH or by issuing a check on the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form from the intermediary by a fund. Redemption orders that are processed through investment professionals that utilize the National Securities Clearing Corporation will generally settle one to three business days following receipt of a redemption order in proper form.
As noted elsewhere, payment of redemption proceeds may take longer than the time a fund typically expects and may take up to seven days from the date of receipt of the redemption order as permitted by applicable law.
Redemption Methods Available. Generally a fund expects to pay redemption proceeds in cash. To do so, a fund typically expects to satisfy redemption requests either by using available cash (or cash equivalents) or by selling portfolio securities. On a less regular basis, a fund may also satisfy redemption requests by utilizing one or more of the following sources, if permitted: borrowing from another Fidelity® fund; drawing on an available line or lines of credit from a bank or banks; or using reverse repurchase agreements. These methods may be used during both normal and stressed market conditions.
In addition to paying redemption proceeds in cash, a fund reserves the right to pay part or all of your redemption proceeds in readily marketable securities instead of cash (redemption in-kind). Redemption in-kind proceeds will typically be made by delivering the selected securities to the redeeming shareholder within seven days after the receipt of the redemption order in proper form by a fund.
The fund earns interest, dividends, and other income from its investments, and distributes this income (less expenses) to shareholders as dividends. The fund also realizes capital gains from its investments, and distributes these gains (less any losses) to shareholders as capital gain distributions.
The fund normally declares dividends and pays capital gain distributions per the tables below:
Fund Name
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Dividends Paid
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
September, December
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Fund Name
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Capital Gains Paid
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
September, December
|
Distribution Options
Any dividends and capital gain distributions may be reinvested in additional shares or paid in cash.
As with any investment, your investment in the fund could have tax consequences for you (for non-retirement accounts).
Taxes on Distributions
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax, and may also be subject to state or local taxes.
For federal tax purposes, certain distributions, including dividends and distributions of short-term capital gains, are taxable to you as ordinary income, while certain distributions, including distributions of long-term capital gains, are taxable to you generally as capital gains. A percentage of certain distributions of dividends may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met).
If the Adviser buys shares on your behalf when a fund has realized but not yet distributed income or capital gains, you will be "buying a dividend" by paying the full price for the shares and then receiving a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable distribution.
Any taxable distributions you receive from the fund will normally be taxable to you when you receive them, regardless of your distribution option.
Taxes on Transactions
Your redemptions may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment in the fund generally is the difference between the cost of your shares and the price you receive when you sell them.
Fund Services
Fund Management
The fund is a mutual fund, an investment that pools shareholders' money and invests it toward a specified goal.
Adviser
FMR. The Adviser is the fund's manager. The address of the Adviser is 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
As of December 31, 2022, the Adviser had approximately $3.1 trillion in discretionary assets under management, and approximately $3.9 trillion when combined with all of its affiliates' assets under management.
As the manager, the Adviser is responsible for handling the fund's business affairs.
Sub-Adviser(s)
Geode, at 100 Summer Street, 12th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as a sub-adviser for the fund. As of December 31, 2022, Geode had approximately $803.4 billion in discretionary assets under management.
Geode chooses the fund's investments and places orders to buy and sell the fund's investments.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund, which he has managed since 2015. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2008, Mr. Bottari has worked as an assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Peter Matthew is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund, which he has managed since 2015. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2007, Mr. Matthew has worked as a senior operations associate, portfolio manager assistant, assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Robert Regan is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund, which he has managed since 2016. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2016, Mr. Regan has worked as a portfolio manager.
Payal Gupta is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund, which she has managed since 2019. She also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Ms. Gupta has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Ms. Gupta worked at State Street Global Advisors from 2005 to 2019, most recently as senior portfolio manager.
Navid Sohrabi is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund, which he has managed since 2019. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Mr. Sohrabi has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Mr. Sohrabi worked at DWS, most recently as an index portfolio manager.
The SAI provides additional information about the compensation of, any other accounts managed by, and any fund shares held by the portfolio manager(s).
From time to time a manager, analyst, or other Fidelity employee may express views regarding a particular company, security, industry, or market sector. The views expressed by any such person are the views of only that individual as of the time expressed and do not necessarily represent the views of Fidelity or any other person in the Fidelity organization. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and Fidelity disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for a fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent on behalf of any fund.
Advisory Fee(s)
The fund pays a management fee to the Adviser.
The management fee is calculated and paid to the Adviser every month.
The annual management fee rate, as a percentage of the fund's average net assets, is shown in the following table:
Fund
|
Management Fee Rate
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
0.10%
|
The Adviser pays Geode for providing investment management services.
The basis for the Board of Trustees approving the management contract and sub-advisory agreement for the fund is available in the fund's semi-annual report for the fiscal period ended January 31, 2023.
From time to time, the Adviser or its affiliates may agree to reimburse or waive certain fund expenses while retaining the ability to be repaid if expenses fall below the specified limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Reimbursement or waiver arrangements can decrease expenses and boost performance.
FMR has contractually agreed to reimburse the fund to the extent that total operating expenses (excluding interest, certain taxes, fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees, proxy and shareholder meeting expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses (including fees and expenses associated with a wholly owned subsidiary), if any, as well as non-operating expenses such as brokerage commissions and fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable), as a percentage of its average net assets, exceed 0.15% (the Expense Cap). If at any time during the current fiscal year expenses for the fund fall below the Expense Cap, FMR reserves the right to recoup through the end of the fiscal year any expenses that were reimbursed during the current fiscal year up to, but not in excess of, the Expense Cap. This arrangement will remain in effect through November 30, 2024. FMR may not terminate this arrangement before the expiration date without the approval of the Board of Trustees and may extend it in its discretion after that date.
Fund Distribution
FDC distributes the fund's shares.
Distribution and Service Plan(s)
The fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) with respect to its shares that recognizes that the Adviser may use its management fee revenues, as well as its past profits or its resources from any other source, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. The Adviser, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services. Currently, the Board of Trustees of the fund has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Affiliates of the Adviser may receive service fees or distribution fees or both with respect to underlying funds that participate in Fidelity's FundsNetwork®.
If payments made by the Adviser to FDC or to intermediaries under the Distribution and Service Plan were considered to be paid out of the fund's assets on an ongoing basis, they might increase the cost of your investment and might cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
No dealer, sales representative, or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in this prospectus and in the related SAI, in connection with the offer contained in this prospectus. If given or made, such other information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the fund or FDC. This prospectus and the related SAI do not constitute an offer by the fund or by FDC to sell shares of the fund to, or to buy shares of the fund from, any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer.
Appendix
Financial Highlights
Financial Highlights are intended to help you understand the financial history of fund shares for the past 5 years (or, if shorter, the period of operations). Certain information reflects financial results for a single share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in shares (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The annual information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with fund financial statements, is included in the annual report. Annual reports are available for free upon request.
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
Years ended July 31,
|
2023
|
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
2019
|
|||||
Selected Per-Share Data
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period
|
$
|
16.49
|
$
|
19.24
|
$
|
15.96
|
$
|
15.19
|
$
|
14.23
|
Income from Investment Operations
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) A,B
|
.23
|
.23
|
.22
|
.26
|
.25
|
|||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
|
2.20
|
(1.36)
|
4.58
|
2.45
|
1.10
|
|||||
Total from investment operations
|
2.43
|
(1.13)
|
4.80
|
2.71
|
1.35
|
|||||
Distributions from net investment income
|
(.22)
|
(.20)
|
(.28)
|
(.24)
|
(.19)
|
|||||
Distributions from net realized gain
|
-
|
(1.42)
|
(1.25)
|
(1.69)
|
(.20)
|
|||||
Total distributions
|
(.22)
|
(1.62)
|
(1.52) C
|
(1.94) C
|
(.39)
|
|||||
Net asset value, end of period
|
$
|
18.70
|
$
|
16.49
|
$
|
19.24
|
$
|
15.96
|
$
|
15.19
|
Total Return D
|
14.97%
|
(6.55)%
|
32.64%
|
20.14%
|
9.70%
|
|||||
Ratios to Average Net Assets B,E,F
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reductions
|
.11%
|
.10%
|
.10%
|
.11%
|
.19%
|
|||||
Expenses net of fee waivers, if any
|
.11%
|
.10%
|
.10%
|
.11%
|
.15%
|
|||||
Expenses net of all reductions
|
.11%
|
.10%
|
.10%
|
.11%
|
.15%
|
|||||
Net investment income (loss)
|
1.43%
|
1.30%
|
1.30%
|
1.83%
|
1.76%
|
|||||
Supplemental Data
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted)
|
$
|
13,073,529
|
$
|
11,408,951
|
$
|
10,136,091
|
$
|
8,332,335
|
$
|
8,732,756
|
Portfolio turnover rate G
|
58%
|
47%
|
71%
|
60%
|
99%
|
ACalculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
BNet investment income (loss) is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Net investment income (loss) of any mutual funds or ETFs is not included in the Fund's net investment income (loss) ratio.
CTotal distributions per share do not sum due to rounding.
DTotal returns would have been lower if certain expenses had not been reduced during the applicable periods shown.
EFees and expenses of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are not included in the Fund's expense ratio. The Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of these expenses. For additional expense information related to investments in Fidelity Central Funds, please refer to the "Investments in Fidelity Central Funds" note found in the Notes to Financial Statements section of the most recent Annual or Semi-Annual report.
FExpense ratios reflect operating expenses of the class. Expenses before reductions do not reflect amounts reimbursed, waived, or reduced through arrangements with the investment adviser, brokerage services, or other offset arrangements, if applicable, and do not represent the amount paid by the class during periods when reimbursements, waivers or reductions occur.
GAmount does not include the portfolio activity of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Additional Index Information
Fidelity SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund Linked IndexSM represents the performance of the MSCI USA Quality Index for periods prior to March 18, 2019 and the Fidelity U.S. Quality Focus IndexSM beginning March 18, 2019.
Fidelity U.S. Quality Focus IndexSM seeks to capture the performance of a broad range of U.S. equities that have attractive quality scores.
The Fidelity index or indices listed above were created by FPS using a rules-based proprietary index methodology described for the applicable fund(s) in the "Fund Basics - Investment Details" section of this prospectus.
A fund is entitled to use its index pursuant to a licensing arrangement with FPS.
The fund(s), the Adviser, and Geode have each adopted policies and procedures designed to minimize potential conflicts of interest in connection with the management of the fund(s).
Additional information regarding the index or indices is available on i.fidelity.com/indices.
The index or indices are the property of FPS, which has contracted with S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) to calculate and maintain the index or indices. The index or indices are not sponsored by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates or its third party licensors, including Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (collectively, "S&P Dow Jones Indices"). S&P Dow Jones Indices will not be liable for any errors or omissions in calculating the index or indices. "Calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices" and the related stylized mark(s) are service marks of S&P Dow Jones Indices and have been licensed for use by FPS. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC, and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC.
The fund(s) based on the index or indices are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the fund(s) or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the fund(s) particularly or the ability of the index or indices to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices' only relationship to FPS with respect to the index or indices is the licensing of certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices, and the provision of the calculation services related to the index or indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the fund(s) or the timing of the issuance or sale of the fund(s) or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the fund(s) may be converted into cash or other redemption mechanics. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the fund(s). S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it investment advice.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR INDICES OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY FPS, OWNERS OF THE FUND(S), OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR INDICES OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME, OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.
FPS is the index provider. FPS is an affiliated person of the investment adviser for the fund(s) and as such is an affiliated index provider. FPS makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the fund(s) or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the fund(s) particularly or the ability of the fund(s) to track the index or indices or of the ability of the index or indices to operate as designed. FPS has no obligation to take the needs of the fund(s) or the owners of shares of the fund(s) into consideration in determining, composing, or calculating the index or indices. FPS does not make any express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the index or indices or any data included therein. FPS does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or performance of any index or the data included therein and shall have no liability in connection with any index or index calculation, errors, omissions or interruptions of any Fidelity index or any data included therein. FPS has contracted with an independent calculation agent to calculate the index or indices. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall FPS have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) arising out of matters relating to the use of the index or indices, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT ACT), requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account.
For individual investors opening an account: When you open an account, you will be asked for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow Fidelity to identify you. You may also be asked to provide documents that may help to establish your identity, such as your driver's license. For investors other than individuals: When you open an account, you will be asked for the name of the entity, its principal place of business and taxpayer identification number (TIN). You will be asked to provide information about the entity's control person and beneficial owners, and person(s) with authority over the account, including name, address, date of birth and social security number. You may also be asked to provide documents, such as drivers' licenses, articles of incorporation, trust instruments or partnership agreements and other information that will help Fidelity identify the entity. |
You can obtain additional information about the fund. A description of the fund's policies and procedures for disclosing its holdings is available in its Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and on Fidelity's web sites. The SAI also includes more detailed information about the fund and its investments. The SAI is incorporated herein by reference (legally forms a part of the prospectus). The fund's annual and semi-annual reports also include additional information. The fund's annual report includes a discussion of the fund's holdings and recent market conditions and the fund's investment strategies that affected performance.
For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information or ask questions about the fund, call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455. In addition, you may visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com for a free copy of a prospectus, SAI, or annual or semi-annual report or to request other information.
The SAI, the fund's annual and semi-annual reports and other related materials are available from the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) Database on the SEC's web site (http://www.sec.gov). You can obtain copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You can also review and copy information about the fund, including the fund's SAI, at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room.
|
Investment Company Act of 1940, File Number(s), 811-02105
|
Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC) is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). You may obtain information about SIPC, including the SIPC brochure, by visiting www.sipc.org or calling SIPC at 202-371-8300.
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
1.9867024.108
|
SV4-PRO-0923
|
Fund/Ticker
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund/FESIX
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
Prospectus
September 29, 2023
Like securities of all mutual funds, these securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has not determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
|
 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
|
Contents
Fund Summary |
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund |
Fund Basics |
|
Shareholder Information |
Additional Information about the Purchase and Sale of Shares |
Fund Services |
|
Appendix |
|
Fund Summary
Fund:
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other real estate-related investments.
Fee Table
The following table describes the fees and expenses that may be incurred when you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
|
None
|
Annual Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
Management fee
|
0.07%
|
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees
|
None
|
Other expenses
|
0.09%
|
Total annual operating expenses
|
0.16%
|
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement
|
0.09% A
|
Total annual operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement
|
0.07%
|
AFidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) has contractually agreed to reimburse the fund to the extent that total operating expenses (excluding interest, certain taxes, fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees, proxy and shareholder meeting expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses (including fees and expenses associated with a wholly owned subsidiary), if any, as well as non-operating expenses such as brokerage commissions and fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable), as a percentage of its average net assets, exceed 0.07% (the Expense Cap). If at any time during the current fiscal year expenses for the fund fall below the Expense Cap, FMR reserves the right to recoup through the end of the fiscal year any expenses that were reimbursed during the current fiscal year up to, but not in excess of, the Expense Cap. This arrangement will remain in effect through November 30, 2024. FMR may not terminate this arrangement before the expiration date without the approval of the Board of Trustees and may extend it in its discretion after that date.
This example helps compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
1 year
|
$
|
7
|
3 years
|
$
|
39
|
5 years
|
$
|
78
|
10 years
|
$
|
192
|
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 operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 8% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
- Normally investing at least 80% of assets in securities included in the MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index.
- Lending securities to earn income for the fund.
Principal Investment Risks
- Stock Market Volatility.
Stock markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of securities can react differently to these developments.
- Real Estate Industry Concentration.
Changes in real estate values or economic downturns can have a significant negative effect on issuers in the real estate industry. The value of securities of issuers in the real estate industry can be affected by changes in real estate values and rental income, property taxes, interest rates, tax and regulatory requirements, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer.
- Issuer-Specific Changes.
The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than, and can perform differently from, the market as a whole.
Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction) can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty.
- Correlation to Index.
The performance of the fund and its underlying index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, sample selection, regulatory restrictions, and timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from the index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
- Passive Management Risk.
The fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.
- Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral.
An investment in the fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. You could lose money by investing in the fund.
Performance
The following information is intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the fund.
The information illustrates the changes in the performance of the fund's shares from year to year and compares the performance of the fund's shares to the performance of a securities market index and an additional index over various periods of time. The indexes have characteristics relevant to the fund's investment strategies. Index descriptions appear in the "Additional Index Information" section of the prospectus. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future performance.
Prior to December 1, 2020, the fund compared its performance to a different benchmark. The fund's historical performance may not represent its current investment policies.
Visit www.fidelity.com for more recent performance information.
Year-by-Year Returns
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
|||||
3.73%
|
-4.18%
|
23.06%
|
-11.10%
|
40.62%
|
-26.14%
|
 |
During the periods shown in the chart:
|
Returns
|
Quarter ended
|
Highest Quarter Return
|
15.68%
|
March 31, 2019
|
Lowest Quarter Return
|
-28.46%
|
March 31, 2020
|
Year-to-Date Return
|
3.56%
|
June 30, 2023
|
Average Annual Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, but do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns may differ depending on your individual circumstances. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant if you hold your shares in a retirement account or in another tax-deferred arrangement, such as an employee benefit plan (profit sharing, 401(k), or 403(b) plan). Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of fund shares.
|
For the periods ended December 31, 2022
|
Past 1
year
|
Past 5
years
|
Life of
fund A
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
|||
Return Before Taxes
|
-26.14%
|
1.72%
|
3.47%
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions
|
-32.83%
|
-1.19%
|
0.99%
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
|
-10.54%
|
1.26%
|
2.50%
|
MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
|
-26.12%
|
4.22%
|
-%
|
Fidelity Real Estate Linked Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
|
-26.12%
|
1.72%
|
3.50%
|
AFrom February 2, 2016.
Investment Adviser
Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) (the Adviser) is the fund's manager. Geode Capital Management, LLC serves as a sub-adviser for the fund.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2016.
Peter Matthew (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2016.
Robert Regan (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2016.
Payal Gupta (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Navid Sohrabi (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
The price to buy one share is its net asset value per share (NAV). Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The price to sell one share is its NAV. Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open.
There is no purchase minimum for fund shares.
Tax Information
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax and generally will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, and may also be subject to state or local taxes, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement account (in which case you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
The fund, the Adviser, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and/or their affiliates may pay intermediaries, which may include banks, broker-dealers, retirement plan sponsors, administrators, or service-providers (who may be affiliated with the Adviser or FDC), for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your intermediary and your investment professional to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your investment professional or visit your intermediary's web site for more information.
Fund Basics
Investment Details
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other real estate-related investments.
Principal Investment Strategies
Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) normally invests at least 80% of the fund's assets in securities included in the MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index. The index is a modified market capitalization-weighted index of stocks designed to measure the performance of real estate companies in the MSCI US Investable Market 2500 Index.
The fund may not always hold all of the same securities as the index. Geode may use statistical sampling techniques to attempt to replicate the returns of the index. Statistical sampling techniques attempt to match the investment characteristics of the index and the fund by taking into account such factors as capitalization, industry exposures, dividend yield, price/earnings (P/E) ratio, price/book (P/B) ratio, and earnings growth.
The fund may not track the index because differences between the index and the fund's portfolio can cause differences in performance. In addition, expenses and transaction costs, the size and frequency of cash flows into and out of the fund, and differences between how and when the fund and the index are valued can cause differences in performance.
The fund may lend securities to broker-dealers or other institutions to earn income.
If Geode's strategies do not work as intended, the fund may not achieve its objective.
Description of Principal Security Types
Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. Different types of equity securities provide different voting and dividend rights and priority in the event of the bankruptcy of the issuer. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, and warrants.
Principal Investment Risks
Many factors affect the fund's performance. Developments that disrupt global economies and financial markets, such as pandemics and epidemics, may magnify factors that affect a fund's performance. The fund's share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions and interest rates and in response to other economic, political, or financial developments. The fund's reaction to these developments will be affected by the types of securities in which the fund invests, the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of an issuer, and the fund's level of investment in the securities of that issuer. Because the fund concentrates its investments in a particular industry, the fund's performance could depend heavily on the performance of that industry and could be more volatile than the performance of less concentrated funds. When you sell your shares they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them, which means that you could lose money by investing in the fund.
The following factors can significantly affect the fund's performance:
Stock Market Volatility. The value of equity securities fluctuates in response to issuer, political, market, and economic developments. Fluctuations, especially in foreign markets, can be dramatic over the short as well as long term, and different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of equity securities can react differently to these developments. For example, stocks of companies in one sector can react differently from those in another, large cap stocks can react differently from small cap stocks, and "growth" stocks can react differently from "value" stocks. Issuer, political, or economic developments can affect a single issuer, issuers within an industry or economic sector or geographic region, or the market as a whole. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact the market as a whole. Terrorism and related geo-political risks have led, and may in the future lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on world economies and markets generally.
Industry Concentration. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect a single industry, and the securities of companies in that industry could react similarly to these or other developments. In addition, from time to time, a small number of companies may represent a large portion of a single industry, and these companies can be sensitive to adverse economic, regulatory, or financial developments.
The real estate industry is particularly sensitive to economic downturns. The value of securities of issuers in the real estate industry, including real estate investment trusts (REITs), can be affected by changes in real estate values and rental income, property taxes, interest rates, tax and regulatory requirements, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. In addition, the value of REITs can depend on the structure of and cash flow generated by the REIT, and REITs may not have diversified holdings. Because REITs are pooled investment vehicles that have expenses of their own, the fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of those expenses.
Issuer-Specific Changes. Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction), changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Correlation to Index. The performance of the fund and its index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, imperfect correlation between the fund's securities and those in its index, timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from its index, and changes in the shares outstanding of the component securities. In addition, the fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its index or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the index due to regulatory restrictions. The fund may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into the fund or as a result of reserves of cash held by the fund to meet redemptions. The use of sampling techniques or futures or other derivative positions may affect the fund's ability to achieve close correlation with its index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
Passive Management Risk. An index fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, an index fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers. The structure and composition of an index fund's index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the fund.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased.
Other Investment Strategies
In addition to the principal investment strategies discussed above, Geode may use various techniques, such as buying and selling futures contracts, swaps, and exchange traded funds, to increase or decrease the fund's exposure to changing security prices or other factors that affect security values.
Fundamental Investment Policies
The following is fundamental, that is, subject to change only by shareholder approval:
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other real estate-related investments.
Shareholder Notice
The following is subject to change only upon 60 days' prior notice to shareholders:
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in securities included in the MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index.
The fund is open for business each day the NYSE is open.
The NAV is the value of a single share. Fidelity normally calculates NAV as of the close of business of the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The fund's assets normally are valued as of this time for the purpose of computing NAV.
NAV is not calculated and the fund will not process purchase and redemption requests submitted on days when the fund is not open for business. The time at which shares are priced and until which purchase and redemption orders are accepted may be changed as permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
To the extent that the fund's assets are traded in other markets on days when the fund is not open for business, the value of the fund's assets may be affected on those days. In addition, trading in some of the fund's assets may not occur on days when the fund is open for business.
NAV is calculated using the values of other open-end funds, if any, in which the fund invests (referred to as underlying funds). Shares of underlying funds are valued at their respective NAVs. Other assets are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service. Certain short-term securities are valued on the basis of amortized cost. If market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the Adviser's opinion, are deemed unreliable for a security, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the Adviser's opinion, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. Fair value pricing will be used for high yield debt securities when available pricing information is determined to be stale or for other reasons not to accurately reflect fair value.
Arbitrage opportunities may exist when trading in a portfolio security or securities is halted and does not resume before a fund calculates its NAV. These arbitrage opportunities may enable short-term traders to dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Securities trading in overseas markets, if applicable, present time zone arbitrage opportunities when events affecting portfolio security values occur after the close of the overseas markets but prior to the close of the U.S. market. Fair valuation of a fund's portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of NAV by short-term traders.
Fair value pricing is based on subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value of a security may differ materially from the value that would be realized if the security were sold.
Shareholder Information
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
As used in this prospectus, the term "shares" generally refers to the shares offered through this prospectus.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates. If you are not currently a client in a discretionary investment program offered by the Adviser or its affiliates, please call 1-800-544-3455 (9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday) for more information. Additional fees apply for discretionary investment programs. For more information on these fees, please refer to the "Buying and Selling Information" section of the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
The fund may reject for any reason, or cancel as permitted or required by law, any purchase orders.
Excessive trading of fund shares can harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs to the fund (such as brokerage commissions or spreads paid to dealers who sell money market instruments), disrupting portfolio management strategies, and diluting the value of the shares in cases in which fluctuations in markets are not fully priced into the fund's NAV.
Because investments in the fund can only be made by the Adviser or an affiliate on behalf of its clients, the potential for excessive or short-term disruptive purchases and sales is reduced. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive trading of fund shares and the fund accommodates frequent trading.
The fund does not place a limit on purchases or sales of fund shares by the Adviser or its affiliates. The fund reserves the right, but does not have the obligation, to reject any purchase transaction at any time. In addition, the fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.
The fund has no exchange privilege with any other fund.
There is no minimum balance or purchase minimum for fund shares.
The price to buy one share is its NAV. Shares are sold without a sales charge.
Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Shares are generally available only to investors residing in the United States.
The fund may stop offering shares completely or may offer shares only on a limited basis, for a period of time or permanently.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, purchase orders may be suspended, restricted, or canceled and the monies may be withheld.
The price to sell one share is its NAV.
Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Normally, redemptions will be processed by the next business day, but it may take up to seven days to pay the redemption proceeds if making immediate payment would adversely affect the fund.
See "Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares" below for additional redemption information.
Redemptions may be suspended or payment dates postponed when the NYSE is closed (other than weekends or holidays), when trading on the NYSE is restricted, or as permitted by the SEC.
Redemption proceeds may be paid in securities or other property rather than in cash if the Adviser determines it is in the best interests of the fund.
When you terminate your relationship with the Adviser, or one of its affiliates, your shares may be sold at the NAV next calculated, in which case proceeds from such redemption would be sent to you.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, redemption requests may be suspended, restricted, canceled, or processed and the proceeds may be withheld.
If applicable, orders by funds of funds for which the Adviser or its affiliates serve as investment manager will be treated as received by the fund at the same time that the corresponding orders are received in proper form by the funds of funds.
Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares
If your account is held directly with a fund, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends on the method you have elected to receive such proceeds. A fund typically expects to make payment of redemption proceeds by wire, automated clearing house (ACH) or by issuing a check by the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form. Proceeds from the periodic and automatic sale of shares of a Fidelity® money market fund that are used to buy shares of another Fidelity® fund are settled simultaneously.
If your account is held through an intermediary, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends, in part, on the terms of the agreement in place between the intermediary and a fund. For redemption proceeds that are paid either directly to you from a fund or to your intermediary for transmittal to you, a fund typically expects to make payments by wire, by ACH or by issuing a check on the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form from the intermediary by a fund. Redemption orders that are processed through investment professionals that utilize the National Securities Clearing Corporation will generally settle one to three business days following receipt of a redemption order in proper form.
As noted elsewhere, payment of redemption proceeds may take longer than the time a fund typically expects and may take up to seven days from the date of receipt of the redemption order as permitted by applicable law.
Redemption Methods Available. Generally a fund expects to pay redemption proceeds in cash. To do so, a fund typically expects to satisfy redemption requests either by using available cash (or cash equivalents) or by selling portfolio securities. On a less regular basis, a fund may also satisfy redemption requests by utilizing one or more of the following sources, if permitted: borrowing from another Fidelity® fund; drawing on an available line or lines of credit from a bank or banks; or using reverse repurchase agreements. These methods may be used during both normal and stressed market conditions.
In addition to paying redemption proceeds in cash, a fund reserves the right to pay part or all of your redemption proceeds in readily marketable securities instead of cash (redemption in-kind). Redemption in-kind proceeds will typically be made by delivering the selected securities to the redeeming shareholder within seven days after the receipt of the redemption order in proper form by a fund.
The fund earns interest, dividends, and other income from its investments, and distributes this income (less expenses) to shareholders as dividends. The fund also realizes capital gains from its investments, and distributes these gains (less any losses) to shareholders as capital gain distributions.
The fund normally declares dividends and pays capital gain distributions per the tables below:
Fund Name
|
Dividends Paid
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
March, June, September, December
|
Fund Name
|
Capital Gains Paid
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
September, December
|
Distribution Options
Any dividends and capital gain distributions may be reinvested in additional shares or paid in cash.
As with any investment, your investment in the fund could have tax consequences for you (for non-retirement accounts).
Taxes on Distributions
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax, and may also be subject to state or local taxes.
For federal tax purposes, certain distributions, including dividends and distributions of short-term capital gains, are taxable to you as ordinary income, while certain distributions, including distributions of long-term capital gains, are taxable to you generally as capital gains. A percentage of certain distributions of dividends may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met).
If the Adviser buys shares on your behalf when a fund has realized but not yet distributed income or capital gains, you will be "buying a dividend" by paying the full price for the shares and then receiving a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable distribution.
Any taxable distributions you receive from the fund will normally be taxable to you when you receive them, regardless of your distribution option.
Taxes on Transactions
Your redemptions may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment in the fund generally is the difference between the cost of your shares and the price you receive when you sell them.
Fund Services
Fund Management
The fund is a mutual fund, an investment that pools shareholders' money and invests it toward a specified goal.
Adviser
FMR. The Adviser is the fund's manager. The address of the Adviser is 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
As of December 31, 2022, the Adviser had approximately $3.1 trillion in discretionary assets under management, and approximately $3.9 trillion when combined with all of its affiliates' assets under management.
As the manager, the Adviser is responsible for handling the fund's business affairs.
Sub-Adviser(s)
Geode, at 100 Summer Street, 12th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as a sub-adviser for the fund. As of December 31, 2022, Geode had approximately $803.4 billion in discretionary assets under management.
Geode chooses the fund's investments and places orders to buy and sell the fund's investments.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund, which he has managed since 2016. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2008, Mr. Bottari has worked as an assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Peter Matthew is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund, which he has managed since 2016. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2007, Mr. Matthew has worked as a senior operations associate, portfolio manager assistant, assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Robert Regan is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund, which he has managed since 2016. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2016, Mr. Regan has worked as a portfolio manager.
Payal Gupta is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund, which she has managed since 2019. She also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Ms. Gupta has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Ms. Gupta worked at State Street Global Advisors from 2005 to 2019, most recently as senior portfolio manager.
Navid Sohrabi is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund, which he has managed since 2019. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Mr. Sohrabi has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Mr. Sohrabi worked at DWS, most recently as an index portfolio manager.
The SAI provides additional information about the compensation of, any other accounts managed by, and any fund shares held by the portfolio manager(s).
From time to time a manager, analyst, or other Fidelity employee may express views regarding a particular company, security, industry, or market sector. The views expressed by any such person are the views of only that individual as of the time expressed and do not necessarily represent the views of Fidelity or any other person in the Fidelity organization. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and Fidelity disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for a fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent on behalf of any fund.
Advisory Fee(s)
The fund pays a management fee to the Adviser.
The management fee is calculated and paid to the Adviser every month.
The annual management fee rate, as a percentage of the fund's average net assets, is shown in the following table:
Fund
|
Management Fee Rate
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
0.07%
|
The Adviser pays Geode for providing investment management services.
The basis for the Board of Trustees approving the management contract and sub-advisory agreement for the fund is available in the fund's semi-annual report for the fiscal period ended January 31, 2023.
From time to time, the Adviser or its affiliates may agree to reimburse or waive certain fund expenses while retaining the ability to be repaid if expenses fall below the specified limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Reimbursement or waiver arrangements can decrease expenses and boost performance.
Fund Distribution
FDC distributes the fund's shares.
Distribution and Service Plan(s)
The fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) with respect to its shares that recognizes that the Adviser may use its management fee revenues, as well as its past profits or its resources from any other source, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. The Adviser, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services. Currently, the Board of Trustees of the fund has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Affiliates of the Adviser may receive service fees or distribution fees or both with respect to underlying funds that participate in Fidelity's FundsNetwork®.
If payments made by the Adviser to FDC or to intermediaries under the Distribution and Service Plan were considered to be paid out of the fund's assets on an ongoing basis, they might increase the cost of your investment and might cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
No dealer, sales representative, or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in this prospectus and in the related SAI, in connection with the offer contained in this prospectus. If given or made, such other information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the fund or FDC. This prospectus and the related SAI do not constitute an offer by the fund or by FDC to sell shares of the fund to, or to buy shares of the fund from, any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer.
Appendix
Financial Highlights
Financial Highlights are intended to help you understand the financial history of fund shares for the past 5 years (or, if shorter, the period of operations). Certain information reflects financial results for a single share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in shares (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The annual information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with fund financial statements, is included in the annual report. Annual reports are available for free upon request.
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
Years ended July 31,
|
2023
|
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
2019
|
|||||
Selected Per-Share Data
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period
|
$
|
11.98
|
$
|
13.17
|
$
|
9.67
|
$
|
11.88
|
$
|
11.11
|
Income from Investment Operations
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) A,B
|
.26
|
.29
|
.28
|
.36
|
.37
|
|||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
|
(1.38)
|
(.79)
|
3.48
|
(2.20)
|
.79
|
|||||
Total from investment operations
|
(1.12)
|
(.50)
|
3.76
|
(1.84)
|
1.16
|
|||||
Distributions from net investment income
|
(.34)
|
(.21)
|
(.26)
|
(.30)
|
(.37)
|
|||||
Distributions from net realized gain
|
(3.39)
|
(.48)
|
-
|
(.07)
|
(.02)
|
|||||
Total distributions
|
(3.73)
|
(.69)
|
(.26)
|
(.37)
|
(.39)
|
|||||
Net asset value, end of period
|
$
|
7.13
|
$
|
11.98
|
$
|
13.17
|
$
|
9.67
|
$
|
11.88
|
Total Return C
|
(9.67)%
|
(4.24)%
|
39.72%
|
(16.04)%
|
10.79%
|
|||||
Ratios to Average Net Assets B,D,E
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reductions
|
.16%
|
.09%
|
.09%
|
.16%
|
.15%
|
|||||
Expenses net of fee waivers, if any
|
.09%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
|||||
Expenses net of all reductions
|
.09%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
|||||
Net investment income (loss)
|
3.10%
|
2.28%
|
2.58%
|
3.52%
|
3.31%
|
|||||
Supplemental Data
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted)
|
$
|
83,130
|
$
|
406,787
|
$
|
747,826
|
$
|
572,828
|
$
|
104,696
|
Portfolio turnover rate F
|
8%
|
13%
|
53%
|
82%
|
9%
|
ACalculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
BNet investment income (loss) is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Net investment income (loss) of any mutual funds or ETFs is not included in the Fund's net investment income (loss) ratio.
CTotal returns would have been lower if certain expenses had not been reduced during the applicable periods shown.
DFees and expenses of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are not included in the Fund's expense ratio. The Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of these expenses. For additional expense information related to investments in Fidelity Central Funds, please refer to the "Investments in Fidelity Central Funds" note found in the Notes to Financial Statements section of the most recent Annual or Semi-Annual report.
EExpense ratios reflect operating expenses of the class. Expenses before reductions do not reflect amounts reimbursed, waived, or reduced through arrangements with the investment adviser, brokerage services, or other offset arrangements, if applicable, and do not represent the amount paid by the class during periods when reimbursements, waivers or reductions occur.
FAmount does not include the portfolio activity of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Additional Index Information
Fidelity Real Estate Linked Index℠ is a modified market capitalization-weighted index of stocks designed to measure the performance of real estate companies in the MSCI US Investable Market 2500 Index. Index returns shown for periods prior to December 1, 2020 are returns of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Real Estate Securities Index (RESI). Index returns from December 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 represent a transition to the MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index. Index returns after January 1, 2021 represent the MSCI U.S. IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index.
MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index is a modified market capitalization-weighted index of stocks designed to measure the performance of real estate companies in the MSCI U.S. Investable Market 2500 Index.
THIS FUND IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY MSCI INC. ("MSCI"), ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, ANY OF ITS INFORMATION PROVIDERS OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN, OR RELATED TO, COMPILING, COMPUTING OR CREATING ANY MSCI INDEX (COLLECTIVELY, THE "MSCI PARTIES"). THE MSCI INDEXES ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF MSCI. MSCI AND THE MSCI INDEX NAMES ARE SERVICE MARK(S) OF MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES AND HAVE BEEN LICENSED FOR USE FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES BY THE ADVISER. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF INVESTING IN FUNDS GENERALLY OR IN THIS FUND PARTICULARLY OR THE ABILITY OF ANY MSCI INDEX TO TRACK CORRESPONDING STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE. MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES ARE THE LICENSORS OF CERTAIN TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADE NAMES AND OF THE MSCI INDEXES WHICH ARE DETERMINED, COMPOSED AND CALCULATED BY MSCI WITHOUT REGARD TO THIS FUND OR THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION TO TAKE THE NEEDS OF THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY INTO CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINING, COMPOSING OR CALCULATING THE MSCI INDEXES. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OR HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE TIMING OF, PRICES AT, OR QUANTITIES OF THIS FUND TO BE ISSUED OR IN THE DETERMINATION OR CALCULATION OF THE EQUATION BY OR THE CONSIDERATION INTO WHICH THIS FUND IS REDEEMABLE. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR OFFERING OF THIS FUND.
ALTHOUGH MSCI SHALL OBTAIN INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN OR FOR USE IN THE CALCULATION OF THE MSCI INDEXES FROM SOURCES THAT MSCI CONSIDERS RELIABLE, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES WARRANTS OR GUARANTEES THE ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ISSUER OF THE FUND, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY, FROM THE USE OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, AND THE MSCI PARTIES HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO EACH MSCI INDEX AND ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
No purchaser, seller, or holder of this security, product or fund, or any other person or entity, should use or refer to any MSCI trade name, trademark or service mark to sponsor, endorse, market or promote this security without first contacting MSCI to determine whether MSCI's permission is required. Under no circumstances may any person or entity claim any affiliation with MSCI without the prior written permission of MSCI.
Inclusion of a stock in an index does not imply that it is a good investment.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT ACT), requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account.
For individual investors opening an account: When you open an account, you will be asked for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow Fidelity to identify you. You may also be asked to provide documents that may help to establish your identity, such as your driver's license. For investors other than individuals: When you open an account, you will be asked for the name of the entity, its principal place of business and taxpayer identification number (TIN). You will be asked to provide information about the entity's control person and beneficial owners, and person(s) with authority over the account, including name, address, date of birth and social security number. You may also be asked to provide documents, such as drivers' licenses, articles of incorporation, trust instruments or partnership agreements and other information that will help Fidelity identify the entity. |
You can obtain additional information about the fund. A description of the fund's policies and procedures for disclosing its holdings is available in its Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and on Fidelity's web sites. The SAI also includes more detailed information about the fund and its investments. The SAI is incorporated herein by reference (legally forms a part of the prospectus). The fund's annual and semi-annual reports also include additional information. The fund's annual report includes a discussion of the fund's holdings and recent market conditions and the fund's investment strategies that affected performance.
For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information or ask questions about the fund, call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455. In addition, you may visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com for a free copy of a prospectus, SAI, or annual or semi-annual report or to request other information.
The SAI, the fund's annual and semi-annual reports and other related materials are available from the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) Database on the SEC's web site (http://www.sec.gov). You can obtain copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You can also review and copy information about the fund, including the fund's SAI, at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room.
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Investment Company Act of 1940, File Number(s), 811-02105
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Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC) is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). You may obtain information about SIPC, including the SIPC brochure, by visiting www.sipc.org or calling SIPC at 202-371-8300.
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
1.9867769.108
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SV8-PRO-0923
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Fund/Ticker
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund/FLCPX
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
Prospectus
September 29, 2023
Like securities of all mutual funds, these securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has not determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
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Contents
Fund Summary |
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund |
Fund Basics |
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Shareholder Information |
Additional Information about the Purchase and Sale of Shares |
Fund Services |
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Appendix |
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Fund Summary
Fund:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of U.S. equities.
Fee Table
The following table describes the fees and expenses that may be incurred when you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
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None
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Annual Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
Management fee
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0.015%
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Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees
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None
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Other expenses
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0.016%
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Total annual operating expenses
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0.031%
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Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement
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0.016% A
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Total annual operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement
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0.015%
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AFidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) has contractually agreed to reimburse the fund to the extent that total operating expenses (excluding interest, certain taxes, fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees, proxy and shareholder meeting expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses (including fees and expenses associated with a wholly owned subsidiary), if any, as well as non-operating expenses such as brokerage commissions and fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable), as a percentage of its average net assets, exceed 0.015% (the Expense Cap). If at any time during the current fiscal year expenses for the fund fall below the Expense Cap, FMR reserves the right to recoup through the end of the fiscal year any expenses that were reimbursed during the current fiscal year up to, but not in excess of, the Expense Cap. This arrangement will remain in effect through November 30, 2024. FMR may not terminate this arrangement before the expiration date without the approval of the Board of Trustees and may extend it in its discretion after that date.
This example helps compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
1 year
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$
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2
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3 years
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$
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8
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5 years
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$
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15
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10 years
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$
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38
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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 operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 75% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
- Normally investing at least 80% of assets in common stocks of large capitalization U.S. companies included in the S&P 500® Index.
- Lending securities to earn income for the fund.
Principal Investment Risks
- Stock Market Volatility.
Stock markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of securities can react differently to these developments.
- Issuer-Specific Changes.
The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than, and can perform differently from, the market as a whole.
Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction) can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty.
- Correlation to Index.
The performance of the fund and its underlying index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, sample selection, regulatory restrictions, and timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from the index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
- Passive Management Risk.
The fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.
- Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral.
An investment in the fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. You could lose money by investing in the fund.
Performance
The following information is intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the fund.
The information illustrates the changes in the performance of the fund's shares from year to year and compares the performance of the fund's shares to the performance of a securities market index over various periods of time. The index description appears in the "Additional Index Information" section of the prospectus. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future performance.
Visit www.fidelity.com for more recent performance information.
Year-by-Year Returns
2017
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2018
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2019
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2020
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2021
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2022
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21.74%
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-4.36%
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31.53%
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18.25%
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28.71%
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-18.13%
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 |
During the periods shown in the chart:
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Returns
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Quarter ended
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Highest Quarter Return
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20.61%
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June 30, 2020
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Lowest Quarter Return
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-19.72%
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March 31, 2020
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Year-to-Date Return
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16.84%
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June 30, 2023
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Average Annual Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, but do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns may differ depending on your individual circumstances. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant if you hold your shares in a retirement account or in another tax-deferred arrangement, such as an employee benefit plan (profit sharing, 401(k), or 403(b) plan). Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of fund shares.
AFrom February 2, 2016.
Investment Adviser
Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) (the Adviser) is the fund's manager. Geode Capital Management, LLC serves as a sub-adviser for the fund.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2016.
Peter Matthew (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2016.
Robert Regan (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2016.
Payal Gupta (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Navid Sohrabi (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
The price to buy one share is its net asset value per share (NAV). Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The price to sell one share is its NAV. Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open.
There is no purchase minimum for fund shares.
Tax Information
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax and generally will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, and may also be subject to state or local taxes, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement account (in which case you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
The fund, the Adviser, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and/or their affiliates may pay intermediaries, which may include banks, broker-dealers, retirement plan sponsors, administrators, or service-providers (who may be affiliated with the Adviser or FDC), for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your intermediary and your investment professional to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your investment professional or visit your intermediary's web site for more information.
Fund Basics
Investment Details
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of U.S. equities.
Principal Investment Strategies
Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) normally invests at least 80% of the fund's assets in common stocks of large capitalization U.S. companies included in the S&P 500® Index. The S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices. The S&P 500® Index broadly represents the performance of common stocks publicly traded in the United States.
The fund may not always hold all of the same securities as the S&P 500® Index. Geode may use statistical sampling techniques to attempt to replicate the returns of the index. Statistical sampling techniques attempt to match the investment characteristics of the index and the fund by taking into account such factors as capitalization, industry exposures, dividend yield, price/earnings (P/E) ratio, price/book (P/B) ratio, and earnings growth.
The fund may not track the index because differences between the index and the fund's portfolio can cause differences in performance. In addition, expenses and transaction costs, the size and frequency of cash flows into and out of the fund, and differences between how and when the fund and the index are valued can cause differences in performance.
The fund may lend securities to broker-dealers or other institutions to earn income.
If Geode's strategies do not work as intended, the fund may not achieve its objective.
Description of Principal Security Types
Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. Different types of equity securities provide different voting and dividend rights and priority in the event of the bankruptcy of the issuer. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, and warrants.
Principal Investment Risks
Many factors affect the fund's performance. Developments that disrupt global economies and financial markets, such as pandemics and epidemics, may magnify factors that affect a fund's performance. The fund's share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions and interest rates and in response to other economic, political, or financial developments. The fund's reaction to these developments will be affected by the types of securities in which the fund invests, the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of an issuer, and the fund's level of investment in the securities of that issuer. When you sell your shares they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them, which means that you could lose money by investing in the fund.
The following factors can significantly affect the fund's performance:
Stock Market Volatility. The value of equity securities fluctuates in response to issuer, political, market, and economic developments. Fluctuations, especially in foreign markets, can be dramatic over the short as well as long term, and different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of equity securities can react differently to these developments. For example, stocks of companies in one sector can react differently from those in another, large cap stocks can react differently from small cap stocks, and "growth" stocks can react differently from "value" stocks. Issuer, political, or economic developments can affect a single issuer, issuers within an industry or economic sector or geographic region, or the market as a whole. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact the market as a whole. Terrorism and related geo-political risks have led, and may in the future lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on world economies and markets generally.
Issuer-Specific Changes. Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction), changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Correlation to Index. The performance of the fund and its index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, imperfect correlation between the fund's securities and those in its index, timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from its index, and changes in the shares outstanding of the component securities. In addition, the fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its index or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the index due to regulatory restrictions. The fund may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into the fund or as a result of reserves of cash held by the fund to meet redemptions. The use of sampling techniques or futures or other derivative positions may affect the fund's ability to achieve close correlation with its index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
Passive Management Risk. An index fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, an index fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers. The structure and composition of an index fund's index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the fund.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased.
Other Investment Strategies
In addition to the principal investment strategies discussed above, Geode may use various techniques, such as buying and selling futures contracts, swaps, and exchange traded funds, to increase or decrease the fund's exposure to changing security prices or other factors that affect security values.
Fundamental Investment Policies
The following is fundamental, that is, subject to change only by shareholder approval:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of U.S. equities.
The S&P 500® Index broadly represents the performance of common stocks publicly traded in the United States. In the future, the Adviser may, subject to shareholders' approval and 30 days' notice, select another index if that index is deemed more representative of the performance of U.S. equities.
Shareholder Notice
The following is subject to change only upon 60 days' prior notice to shareholders:
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in common stocks of large capitalization U.S. companies included in the S&P 500® Index.
The fund is open for business each day the NYSE is open.
The NAV is the value of a single share. Fidelity normally calculates NAV as of the close of business of the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The fund's assets normally are valued as of this time for the purpose of computing NAV.
NAV is not calculated and the fund will not process purchase and redemption requests submitted on days when the fund is not open for business. The time at which shares are priced and until which purchase and redemption orders are accepted may be changed as permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
To the extent that the fund's assets are traded in other markets on days when the fund is not open for business, the value of the fund's assets may be affected on those days. In addition, trading in some of the fund's assets may not occur on days when the fund is open for business.
NAV is calculated using the values of other open-end funds, if any, in which the fund invests (referred to as underlying funds). Shares of underlying funds are valued at their respective NAVs. Other assets are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service. Certain short-term securities are valued on the basis of amortized cost. If market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the Adviser's opinion, are deemed unreliable for a security, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the Adviser's opinion, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. Fair value pricing will be used for high yield debt securities when available pricing information is determined to be stale or for other reasons not to accurately reflect fair value.
Arbitrage opportunities may exist when trading in a portfolio security or securities is halted and does not resume before a fund calculates its NAV. These arbitrage opportunities may enable short-term traders to dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Securities trading in overseas markets, if applicable, present time zone arbitrage opportunities when events affecting portfolio security values occur after the close of the overseas markets but prior to the close of the U.S. market. Fair valuation of a fund's portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of NAV by short-term traders.
Fair value pricing is based on subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value of a security may differ materially from the value that would be realized if the security were sold.
Shareholder Information
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
As used in this prospectus, the term "shares" generally refers to the shares offered through this prospectus.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates. If you are not currently a client in a discretionary investment program offered by the Adviser or its affiliates, please call 1-800-544-3455 (9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday) for more information. Additional fees apply for discretionary investment programs. For more information on these fees, please refer to the "Buying and Selling Information" section of the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
The fund may reject for any reason, or cancel as permitted or required by law, any purchase orders.
Excessive trading of fund shares can harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs to the fund (such as brokerage commissions or spreads paid to dealers who sell money market instruments), disrupting portfolio management strategies, and diluting the value of the shares in cases in which fluctuations in markets are not fully priced into the fund's NAV.
Because investments in the fund can only be made by the Adviser or an affiliate on behalf of its clients, the potential for excessive or short-term disruptive purchases and sales is reduced. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive trading of fund shares and the fund accommodates frequent trading.
The fund does not place a limit on purchases or sales of fund shares by the Adviser or its affiliates. The fund reserves the right, but does not have the obligation, to reject any purchase transaction at any time. In addition, the fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.
The fund has no exchange privilege with any other fund.
There is no minimum balance or purchase minimum for fund shares.
The price to buy one share is its NAV. Shares are sold without a sales charge.
Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Shares are generally available only to investors residing in the United States.
The fund may stop offering shares completely or may offer shares only on a limited basis, for a period of time or permanently.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, purchase orders may be suspended, restricted, or canceled and the monies may be withheld.
The price to sell one share is its NAV.
Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Normally, redemptions will be processed by the next business day, but it may take up to seven days to pay the redemption proceeds if making immediate payment would adversely affect the fund.
See "Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares" below for additional redemption information.
Redemptions may be suspended or payment dates postponed when the NYSE is closed (other than weekends or holidays), when trading on the NYSE is restricted, or as permitted by the SEC.
Redemption proceeds may be paid in securities or other property rather than in cash if the Adviser determines it is in the best interests of the fund.
When you terminate your relationship with the Adviser, or one of its affiliates, your shares may be sold at the NAV next calculated, in which case proceeds from such redemption would be sent to you.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, redemption requests may be suspended, restricted, canceled, or processed and the proceeds may be withheld.
If applicable, orders by funds of funds for which the Adviser or its affiliates serve as investment manager will be treated as received by the fund at the same time that the corresponding orders are received in proper form by the funds of funds.
Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares
If your account is held directly with a fund, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends on the method you have elected to receive such proceeds. A fund typically expects to make payment of redemption proceeds by wire, automated clearing house (ACH) or by issuing a check by the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form. Proceeds from the periodic and automatic sale of shares of a Fidelity® money market fund that are used to buy shares of another Fidelity® fund are settled simultaneously.
If your account is held through an intermediary, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends, in part, on the terms of the agreement in place between the intermediary and a fund. For redemption proceeds that are paid either directly to you from a fund or to your intermediary for transmittal to you, a fund typically expects to make payments by wire, by ACH or by issuing a check on the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form from the intermediary by a fund. Redemption orders that are processed through investment professionals that utilize the National Securities Clearing Corporation will generally settle one to three business days following receipt of a redemption order in proper form.
As noted elsewhere, payment of redemption proceeds may take longer than the time a fund typically expects and may take up to seven days from the date of receipt of the redemption order as permitted by applicable law.
Redemption Methods Available. Generally a fund expects to pay redemption proceeds in cash. To do so, a fund typically expects to satisfy redemption requests either by using available cash (or cash equivalents) or by selling portfolio securities. On a less regular basis, a fund may also satisfy redemption requests by utilizing one or more of the following sources, if permitted: borrowing from another Fidelity® fund; drawing on an available line or lines of credit from a bank or banks; or using reverse repurchase agreements. These methods may be used during both normal and stressed market conditions.
In addition to paying redemption proceeds in cash, a fund reserves the right to pay part or all of your redemption proceeds in readily marketable securities instead of cash (redemption in-kind). Redemption in-kind proceeds will typically be made by delivering the selected securities to the redeeming shareholder within seven days after the receipt of the redemption order in proper form by a fund.
The fund earns interest, dividends, and other income from its investments, and distributes this income (less expenses) to shareholders as dividends. The fund also realizes capital gains from its investments, and distributes these gains (less any losses) to shareholders as capital gain distributions.
The fund normally declares dividends and pays capital gain distributions per the tables below:
Fund Name
|
Dividends Paid
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
September, December
|
Fund Name
|
Capital Gains Paid
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
September, December
|
Distribution Options
Any dividends and capital gain distributions may be reinvested in additional shares or paid in cash.
As with any investment, your investment in the fund could have tax consequences for you (for non-retirement accounts).
Taxes on Distributions
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax, and may also be subject to state or local taxes.
For federal tax purposes, certain distributions, including dividends and distributions of short-term capital gains, are taxable to you as ordinary income, while certain distributions, including distributions of long-term capital gains, are taxable to you generally as capital gains. A percentage of certain distributions of dividends may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met).
If the Adviser buys shares on your behalf when a fund has realized but not yet distributed income or capital gains, you will be "buying a dividend" by paying the full price for the shares and then receiving a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable distribution.
Any taxable distributions you receive from the fund will normally be taxable to you when you receive them, regardless of your distribution option.
Taxes on Transactions
Your redemptions may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment in the fund generally is the difference between the cost of your shares and the price you receive when you sell them.
Fund Services
Fund Management
The fund is a mutual fund, an investment that pools shareholders' money and invests it toward a specified goal.
Adviser
FMR. The Adviser is the fund's manager. The address of the Adviser is 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
As of December 31, 2022, the Adviser had approximately $3.1 trillion in discretionary assets under management, and approximately $3.9 trillion when combined with all of its affiliates' assets under management.
As the manager, the Adviser is responsible for handling the fund's business affairs.
Sub-Adviser(s)
Geode, at 100 Summer Street, 12th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as a sub-adviser for the fund. As of December 31, 2022, Geode had approximately $803.4 billion in discretionary assets under management.
Geode chooses the fund's investments and places orders to buy and sell the fund's investments.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund, which he has managed since 2016. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2008, Mr. Bottari has worked as an assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Peter Matthew is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund, which he has managed since 2016. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2007, Mr. Matthew has worked as a senior operations associate, portfolio manager assistant, assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Robert Regan is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund, which he has managed since 2016. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2016, Mr. Regan has worked as a portfolio manager.
Payal Gupta is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund, which she has managed since 2019. She also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Ms. Gupta has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Ms. Gupta worked at State Street Global Advisors from 2005 to 2019, most recently as senior portfolio manager.
Navid Sohrabi is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund, which he has managed since 2019. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Mr. Sohrabi has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Mr. Sohrabi worked at DWS, most recently as an index portfolio manager.
The SAI provides additional information about the compensation of, any other accounts managed by, and any fund shares held by the portfolio manager(s).
From time to time a manager, analyst, or other Fidelity employee may express views regarding a particular company, security, industry, or market sector. The views expressed by any such person are the views of only that individual as of the time expressed and do not necessarily represent the views of Fidelity or any other person in the Fidelity organization. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and Fidelity disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for a fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent on behalf of any fund.
Advisory Fee(s)
The fund pays a management fee to the Adviser.
The management fee is calculated and paid to the Adviser every month.
The annual management fee rate, as a percentage of the fund's average net assets, is shown in the following table:
Fund
|
Management Fee Rate
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
0.015%
|
The Adviser pays Geode for providing investment management services.
The basis for the Board of Trustees approving the management contract and sub-advisory agreement for the fund is available in the fund's semi-annual report for the fiscal period ended January 31, 2023.
From time to time, the Adviser or its affiliates may agree to reimburse or waive certain fund expenses while retaining the ability to be repaid if expenses fall below the specified limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Reimbursement or waiver arrangements can decrease expenses and boost performance.
Fund Distribution
FDC distributes the fund's shares.
Distribution and Service Plan(s)
The fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) with respect to its shares that recognizes that the Adviser may use its management fee revenues, as well as its past profits or its resources from any other source, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. The Adviser, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services. Currently, the Board of Trustees of the fund has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Affiliates of the Adviser may receive service fees or distribution fees or both with respect to underlying funds that participate in Fidelity's FundsNetwork®.
If payments made by the Adviser to FDC or to intermediaries under the Distribution and Service Plan were considered to be paid out of the fund's assets on an ongoing basis, they might increase the cost of your investment and might cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
No dealer, sales representative, or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in this prospectus and in the related SAI, in connection with the offer contained in this prospectus. If given or made, such other information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the fund or FDC. This prospectus and the related SAI do not constitute an offer by the fund or by FDC to sell shares of the fund to, or to buy shares of the fund from, any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer.
Appendix
Financial Highlights
Financial Highlights are intended to help you understand the financial history of fund shares for the past 5 years (or, if shorter, the period of operations). Certain information reflects financial results for a single share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in shares (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The annual information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with fund financial statements, is included in the annual report. Annual reports are available for free upon request.
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
Years ended July 31,
|
2023
|
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
2019
|
|||||
Selected Per-Share Data
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period
|
$
|
19.87
|
$
|
23.16
|
$
|
17.68
|
$
|
16.09
|
$
|
15.21
|
Income from Investment Operations
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) A,B
|
.30
|
.30
|
.31
|
.32
|
.30
|
|||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
|
1.99
|
(1.23)
|
5.94
|
1.56
|
.87
|
|||||
Total from investment operations
|
2.29
|
(.93)
|
6.25
|
1.88
|
1.17
|
|||||
Distributions from net investment income
|
(.33)
|
(.34)
|
(.35)
|
(.29)
|
(.28)
|
|||||
Distributions from net realized gain
|
(1.56)
|
(2.02)
|
(.42)
|
-
|
(.01)
|
|||||
Total distributions
|
(1.89)
|
(2.36)
|
(.77)
|
(.29)
|
(.29)
|
|||||
Net asset value, end of period
|
$
|
20.27
|
$
|
19.87
|
$
|
23.16
|
$
|
17.68
|
$
|
16.09
|
Total Return C
|
12.98%
|
(4.68)%
|
36.43%
|
11.84%
|
7.97%
|
|||||
Ratios to Average Net Assets B,D,E
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reductions
|
.03%
|
.02%
|
.02%
|
.02%
|
.09%
|
|||||
Expenses net of fee waivers, if any
|
.03%
|
.02%
|
.02%
|
.02%
|
.02%
|
|||||
Expenses net of all reductions
|
.03%
|
.02%
|
.02%
|
.02%
|
.02%
|
|||||
Net investment income (loss)
|
1.66%
|
1.43%
|
1.52%
|
1.97%
|
2.00%
|
|||||
Supplemental Data
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted)
|
$
|
10,170,243
|
$
|
12,126,586
|
$
|
13,967,770
|
$
|
15,406,444
|
$
|
14,046,976
|
Portfolio turnover rate F
|
75%
|
75%
|
86%
|
80%
|
41%
|
ACalculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
BNet investment income (loss) is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Net investment income (loss) of any mutual funds or ETFs is not included in the Fund's net investment income (loss) ratio.
CTotal returns would have been lower if certain expenses had not been reduced during the applicable periods shown.
DFees and expenses of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are not included in the Fund's expense ratio. The Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of these expenses. For additional expense information related to investments in Fidelity Central Funds, please refer to the "Investments in Fidelity Central Funds" note found in the Notes to Financial Statements section of the most recent Annual or Semi-Annual report.
EExpense ratios reflect operating expenses of the class. Expenses before reductions do not reflect amounts reimbursed, waived, or reduced through arrangements with the investment adviser, brokerage services, or other offset arrangements, if applicable, and do not represent the amount paid by the class during periods when reimbursements, waivers or reductions occur.
FAmount does not include the portfolio activity of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Additional Index Information
S&P 500® Index is a market capitalization-weighted index of 500 common stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation to represent U.S. equity performance.
The index or indices are a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("SPDJI"), and has/have been licensed for use by the Adviser. Standard & Poor's® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones"). It is not possible to invest directly in an index. The fund(s) are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, "S&P Dow Jones Indices"). S&P Dow Jones Indices makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the fund(s) or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the fund(s) particularly or the ability of the index or indices to track general market performance. Past performance of an index is not an indication or guarantee of future results. S&P Dow Jones Indices' only relationship to the Adviser with respect to the index or indices is the licensing of the index and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its licensors. The index is or indices are determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to the Adviser or the fund(s). S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation to take the needs of the Adviser or the owners of the fund(s) into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the index or indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices, and amount of the fund(s) or the timing of the issuance or sale of the fund(s) or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the fund(s) is to be converted into cash, surrendered or redeemed, as the case may be. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the fund(s). There is no assurance that investment products based on the index or indices will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment or tax advisor. A tax advisor should be consulted to evaluate the impact of any tax-exempt securities on portfolios and the tax consequences of making any particular investment decision. Inclusion of a security within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR INDICES OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ADVISER, OWNERS OF THE FUND(S) OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR INDICES OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND THE ADVISER, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT ACT), requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account.
For individual investors opening an account: When you open an account, you will be asked for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow Fidelity to identify you. You may also be asked to provide documents that may help to establish your identity, such as your driver's license. For investors other than individuals: When you open an account, you will be asked for the name of the entity, its principal place of business and taxpayer identification number (TIN). You will be asked to provide information about the entity's control person and beneficial owners, and person(s) with authority over the account, including name, address, date of birth and social security number. You may also be asked to provide documents, such as drivers' licenses, articles of incorporation, trust instruments or partnership agreements and other information that will help Fidelity identify the entity. |
You can obtain additional information about the fund. A description of the fund's policies and procedures for disclosing its holdings is available in its Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and on Fidelity's web sites. The SAI also includes more detailed information about the fund and its investments. The SAI is incorporated herein by reference (legally forms a part of the prospectus). The fund's annual and semi-annual reports also include additional information. The fund's annual report includes a discussion of the fund's holdings and recent market conditions and the fund's investment strategies that affected performance.
For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information or ask questions about the fund, call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455. In addition, you may visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com for a free copy of a prospectus, SAI, or annual or semi-annual report or to request other information.
The SAI, the fund's annual and semi-annual reports and other related materials are available from the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) Database on the SEC's web site (http://www.sec.gov). You can obtain copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You can also review and copy information about the fund, including the fund's SAI, at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room.
|
Investment Company Act of 1940, File Number(s), 811-02105
|
Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC) is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). You may obtain information about SIPC, including the SIPC brochure, by visiting www.sipc.org or calling SIPC at 202-371-8300.
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
1.9867774.108
|
SV9-PRO-0923
|
Fund/Ticker
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund/FZFLX
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
Prospectus
September 29, 2023
Like securities of all mutual funds, these securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has not determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
|
 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
|
Contents
Fund Summary |
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund |
Fund Basics |
|
Shareholder Information |
Additional Information about the Purchase and Sale of Shares |
Fund Services |
|
Appendix |
|
Fund Summary
Fund:
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of stocks of small- to mid-capitalization United States companies.
Fee Table
The following table describes the fees and expenses that may be incurred when you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
|
None
|
Annual Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
Management fee
|
0.11%
|
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees
|
None
|
Other expenses
|
0.04%
|
Total annual operating expenses
|
0.15%
|
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement
|
0.10% A
|
Total annual operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement
|
0.05%
|
AFidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) has contractually agreed to reimburse the fund to the extent that total operating expenses (excluding interest, certain taxes, fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees, proxy and shareholder meeting expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses (including fees and expenses associated with a wholly owned subsidiary), if any, as well as non-operating expenses such as brokerage commissions and fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable), as a percentage of its average net assets, exceed 0.05% (the Expense Cap). If at any time during the current fiscal year expenses for the fund fall below the Expense Cap, FMR reserves the right to recoup through the end of the fiscal year any expenses that were reimbursed during the current fiscal year up to, but not in excess of, the Expense Cap. This arrangement will remain in effect through November 30, 2024. FMR may not terminate this arrangement before the expiration date without the approval of the Board of Trustees and may extend it in its discretion after that date.
This example helps compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
1 year
|
$
|
5
|
3 years
|
$
|
35
|
5 years
|
$
|
71
|
10 years
|
$
|
178
|
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 operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 76% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
- Normally investing at least 80% of assets in securities included in the Russell SMID 500™ Index.
- Lending securities to earn income for the fund.
Principal Investment Risks
- Stock Market Volatility.
Stock markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of securities can react differently to these developments.
- Issuer-Specific Changes.
The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than, and can perform differently from, the market as a whole.
Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction) can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty.
- Correlation to Index.
The performance of the fund and its underlying index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, sample selection, regulatory restrictions, and timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from the index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
- Passive Management Risk.
The fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.
- Small- and Mid-Cap Investing.
The value of securities of small to medium size, less well-known issuers can perform differently from the market as a whole and other types of stocks and can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
- Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral.
An investment in the fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. You could lose money by investing in the fund.
Performance
The following information is intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the fund.
The information illustrates the changes in the performance of the fund's shares from year to year and compares the performance of the fund's shares to the performance of a securities market index over various periods of time. The index description appears in the "Additional Index Information" section of the prospectus. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future performance.
Visit www.fidelity.com for more recent performance information.
Year-by-Year Returns
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
||||
14.62%
|
18.40%
|
-9.25%
|
29.53%
|
19.77%
|
20.92%
|
-16.73%
|
 |
During the periods shown in the chart:
|
Returns
|
Quarter ended
|
Highest Quarter Return
|
27.27%
|
June 30, 2020
|
Lowest Quarter Return
|
-29.06%
|
March 31, 2020
|
Year-to-Date Return
|
9.38%
|
June 30, 2023
|
Average Annual Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, but do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns may differ depending on your individual circumstances. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant if you hold your shares in a retirement account or in another tax-deferred arrangement, such as an employee benefit plan (profit sharing, 401(k), or 403(b) plan). Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of fund shares.
AFrom August 12, 2015.
Investment Adviser
Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) (the Adviser) is the fund's manager. Geode Capital Management, LLC serves as a sub-adviser for the fund.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2015.
Peter Matthew (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2015.
Robert Regan (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2016.
Payal Gupta (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Navid Sohrabi (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
The price to buy one share is its net asset value per share (NAV). Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The price to sell one share is its NAV. Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open.
There is no purchase minimum for fund shares.
Tax Information
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax and generally will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, and may also be subject to state or local taxes, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement account (in which case you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
The fund, the Adviser, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and/or their affiliates may pay intermediaries, which may include banks, broker-dealers, retirement plan sponsors, administrators, or service-providers (who may be affiliated with the Adviser or FDC), for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your intermediary and your investment professional to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your investment professional or visit your intermediary's web site for more information.
Fund Basics
Investment Details
Investment Objective
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of stocks of small- to mid-capitalization United States companies.
Principal Investment Strategies
Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) normally invests at least 80% of the fund's assets in securities included in the Russell SMID 500™ Index. The Russell SMID 500™ Index is a market capitalization-weighted index of the top 500 companies in the Russell 2500™ Index, ranked by market capitalization.
The fund may not always hold all of the same securities as the Russell SMID 500™ Index. Geode may use statistical sampling techniques to attempt to replicate the returns of the index. Statistical sampling techniques attempt to match the investment characteristics of the index and the fund by taking into account such factors as capitalization, industry exposures, dividend yield, price/earnings (P/E) ratio, price/book (P/B) ratio, and earnings growth.
The fund may not track the index because differences between the index and the fund's portfolio can cause differences in performance. In addition, expenses and transaction costs, the size and frequency of cash flows into and out of the fund, and differences between how and when the fund and the index are valued can cause differences in performance.
The fund may lend securities to broker-dealers or other institutions to earn income.
If Geode's strategies do not work as intended, the fund may not achieve its objective.
Description of Principal Security Types
Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. Different types of equity securities provide different voting and dividend rights and priority in the event of the bankruptcy of the issuer. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, and warrants.
Principal Investment Risks
Many factors affect the fund's performance. Developments that disrupt global economies and financial markets, such as pandemics and epidemics, may magnify factors that affect a fund's performance. The fund's share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions and interest rates and in response to other economic, political, or financial developments. The fund's reaction to these developments will be affected by the types of securities in which the fund invests, the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of an issuer, and the fund's level of investment in the securities of that issuer. When you sell your shares they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them, which means that you could lose money by investing in the fund.
The following factors can significantly affect the fund's performance:
Stock Market Volatility. The value of equity securities fluctuates in response to issuer, political, market, and economic developments. Fluctuations, especially in foreign markets, can be dramatic over the short as well as long term, and different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of equity securities can react differently to these developments. For example, stocks of companies in one sector can react differently from those in another, large cap stocks can react differently from small cap stocks, and "growth" stocks can react differently from "value" stocks. Issuer, political, or economic developments can affect a single issuer, issuers within an industry or economic sector or geographic region, or the market as a whole. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact the market as a whole. Terrorism and related geo-political risks have led, and may in the future lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on world economies and markets generally.
Issuer-Specific Changes. Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction), changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Correlation to Index. The performance of the fund and its index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, imperfect correlation between the fund's securities and those in its index, timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from its index, and changes in the shares outstanding of the component securities. In addition, the fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its index or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the index due to regulatory restrictions. The fund may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into the fund or as a result of reserves of cash held by the fund to meet redemptions. The use of sampling techniques or futures or other derivative positions may affect the fund's ability to achieve close correlation with its index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
Passive Management Risk. An index fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, an index fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers. The structure and composition of an index fund's index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Investing. The value of securities of small to medium size, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of relatively larger issuers and can react differently to issuer, political, market, and economic developments than the market as a whole and other types of stocks. Smaller issuers can have more limited product lines, markets, and financial resources.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased.
Other Investment Strategies
In addition to the principal investment strategies discussed above, Geode may use various techniques, such as buying and selling futures contracts, swaps, and exchange traded funds, to increase or decrease the fund's exposure to changing security prices or other factors that affect security values.
Fundamental Investment Policies
The following is fundamental, that is, subject to change only by shareholder approval:
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of stocks of small- to mid-capitalization United States companies.
Shareholder Notice
The following is subject to change only upon 60 days' prior notice to shareholders:
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in securities included in the Russell SMID 500™ Index.
The fund is open for business each day the NYSE is open.
The NAV is the value of a single share. Fidelity normally calculates NAV as of the close of business of the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The fund's assets normally are valued as of this time for the purpose of computing NAV.
NAV is not calculated and the fund will not process purchase and redemption requests submitted on days when the fund is not open for business. The time at which shares are priced and until which purchase and redemption orders are accepted may be changed as permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
To the extent that the fund's assets are traded in other markets on days when the fund is not open for business, the value of the fund's assets may be affected on those days. In addition, trading in some of the fund's assets may not occur on days when the fund is open for business.
NAV is calculated using the values of other open-end funds, if any, in which the fund invests (referred to as underlying funds). Shares of underlying funds are valued at their respective NAVs. Other assets are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service. Certain short-term securities are valued on the basis of amortized cost. If market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the Adviser's opinion, are deemed unreliable for a security, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the Adviser's opinion, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. Fair value pricing will be used for high yield debt securities when available pricing information is determined to be stale or for other reasons not to accurately reflect fair value.
Arbitrage opportunities may exist when trading in a portfolio security or securities is halted and does not resume before a fund calculates its NAV. These arbitrage opportunities may enable short-term traders to dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Securities trading in overseas markets, if applicable, present time zone arbitrage opportunities when events affecting portfolio security values occur after the close of the overseas markets but prior to the close of the U.S. market. Fair valuation of a fund's portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of NAV by short-term traders.
Fair value pricing is based on subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value of a security may differ materially from the value that would be realized if the security were sold.
Shareholder Information
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
As used in this prospectus, the term "shares" generally refers to the shares offered through this prospectus.
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates. If you are not currently a client in a discretionary investment program offered by the Adviser or its affiliates, please call 1-800-544-3455 (9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday) for more information. Additional fees apply for discretionary investment programs. For more information on these fees, please refer to the "Buying and Selling Information" section of the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
The fund may reject for any reason, or cancel as permitted or required by law, any purchase orders.
Excessive trading of fund shares can harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs to the fund (such as brokerage commissions or spreads paid to dealers who sell money market instruments), disrupting portfolio management strategies, and diluting the value of the shares in cases in which fluctuations in markets are not fully priced into the fund's NAV.
Because investments in the fund can only be made by the Adviser or an affiliate on behalf of its clients, the potential for excessive or short-term disruptive purchases and sales is reduced. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive trading of fund shares and the fund accommodates frequent trading.
The fund does not place a limit on purchases or sales of fund shares by the Adviser or its affiliates. The fund reserves the right, but does not have the obligation, to reject any purchase transaction at any time. In addition, the fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.
The fund has no exchange privilege with any other fund.
There is no minimum balance or purchase minimum for fund shares.
The price to buy one share is its NAV. Shares are sold without a sales charge.
Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Shares are generally available only to investors residing in the United States.
The fund may stop offering shares completely or may offer shares only on a limited basis, for a period of time or permanently.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, purchase orders may be suspended, restricted, or canceled and the monies may be withheld.
The price to sell one share is its NAV.
Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Normally, redemptions will be processed by the next business day, but it may take up to seven days to pay the redemption proceeds if making immediate payment would adversely affect the fund.
See "Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares" below for additional redemption information.
Redemptions may be suspended or payment dates postponed when the NYSE is closed (other than weekends or holidays), when trading on the NYSE is restricted, or as permitted by the SEC.
Redemption proceeds may be paid in securities or other property rather than in cash if the Adviser determines it is in the best interests of the fund.
When you terminate your relationship with the Adviser, or one of its affiliates, your shares may be sold at the NAV next calculated, in which case proceeds from such redemption would be sent to you.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, redemption requests may be suspended, restricted, canceled, or processed and the proceeds may be withheld.
If applicable, orders by funds of funds for which the Adviser or its affiliates serve as investment manager will be treated as received by the fund at the same time that the corresponding orders are received in proper form by the funds of funds.
Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares
If your account is held directly with a fund, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends on the method you have elected to receive such proceeds. A fund typically expects to make payment of redemption proceeds by wire, automated clearing house (ACH) or by issuing a check by the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form. Proceeds from the periodic and automatic sale of shares of a Fidelity® money market fund that are used to buy shares of another Fidelity® fund are settled simultaneously.
If your account is held through an intermediary, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends, in part, on the terms of the agreement in place between the intermediary and a fund. For redemption proceeds that are paid either directly to you from a fund or to your intermediary for transmittal to you, a fund typically expects to make payments by wire, by ACH or by issuing a check on the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form from the intermediary by a fund. Redemption orders that are processed through investment professionals that utilize the National Securities Clearing Corporation will generally settle one to three business days following receipt of a redemption order in proper form.
As noted elsewhere, payment of redemption proceeds may take longer than the time a fund typically expects and may take up to seven days from the date of receipt of the redemption order as permitted by applicable law.
Redemption Methods Available. Generally a fund expects to pay redemption proceeds in cash. To do so, a fund typically expects to satisfy redemption requests either by using available cash (or cash equivalents) or by selling portfolio securities. On a less regular basis, a fund may also satisfy redemption requests by utilizing one or more of the following sources, if permitted: borrowing from another Fidelity® fund; drawing on an available line or lines of credit from a bank or banks; or using reverse repurchase agreements. These methods may be used during both normal and stressed market conditions.
In addition to paying redemption proceeds in cash, a fund reserves the right to pay part or all of your redemption proceeds in readily marketable securities instead of cash (redemption in-kind). Redemption in-kind proceeds will typically be made by delivering the selected securities to the redeeming shareholder within seven days after the receipt of the redemption order in proper form by a fund.
The fund earns interest, dividends, and other income from its investments, and distributes this income (less expenses) to shareholders as dividends. The fund also realizes capital gains from its investments, and distributes these gains (less any losses) to shareholders as capital gain distributions.
The fund normally declares dividends and pays capital gain distributions per the tables below:
Fund Name
|
Dividends Paid
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
September, December
|
Fund Name
|
Capital Gains Paid
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
September, December
|
Distribution Options
Any dividends and capital gain distributions may be reinvested in additional shares or paid in cash.
As with any investment, your investment in the fund could have tax consequences for you (for non-retirement accounts).
Taxes on Distributions
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax, and may also be subject to state or local taxes.
For federal tax purposes, certain distributions, including dividends and distributions of short-term capital gains, are taxable to you as ordinary income, while certain distributions, including distributions of long-term capital gains, are taxable to you generally as capital gains. A percentage of certain distributions of dividends may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met).
If the Adviser buys shares on your behalf when a fund has realized but not yet distributed income or capital gains, you will be "buying a dividend" by paying the full price for the shares and then receiving a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable distribution.
Any taxable distributions you receive from the fund will normally be taxable to you when you receive them, regardless of your distribution option.
Taxes on Transactions
Your redemptions may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment in the fund generally is the difference between the cost of your shares and the price you receive when you sell them.
Fund Services
Fund Management
The fund is a mutual fund, an investment that pools shareholders' money and invests it toward a specified goal.
Adviser
FMR. The Adviser is the fund's manager. The address of the Adviser is 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
As of December 31, 2022, the Adviser had approximately $3.1 trillion in discretionary assets under management, and approximately $3.9 trillion when combined with all of its affiliates' assets under management.
As the manager, the Adviser is responsible for handling the fund's business affairs.
Sub-Adviser(s)
Geode, at 100 Summer Street, 12th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as a sub-adviser for the fund. As of December 31, 2022, Geode had approximately $803.4 billion in discretionary assets under management.
Geode chooses the fund's investments and places orders to buy and sell the fund's investments.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund, which he has managed since 2015. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2008, Mr. Bottari has worked as an assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Peter Matthew is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund, which he has managed since 2015. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2007, Mr. Matthew has worked as a senior operations associate, portfolio manager assistant, assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Robert Regan is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund, which he has managed since 2016. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2016, Mr. Regan has worked as a portfolio manager.
Payal Gupta is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund, which she has managed since 2019. She also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Ms. Gupta has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Ms. Gupta worked at State Street Global Advisors from 2005 to 2019, most recently as senior portfolio manager.
Navid Sohrabi is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund, which he has managed since 2019. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Mr. Sohrabi has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Mr. Sohrabi worked at DWS, most recently as an index portfolio manager.
The SAI provides additional information about the compensation of, any other accounts managed by, and any fund shares held by the portfolio manager(s).
From time to time a manager, analyst, or other Fidelity employee may express views regarding a particular company, security, industry, or market sector. The views expressed by any such person are the views of only that individual as of the time expressed and do not necessarily represent the views of Fidelity or any other person in the Fidelity organization. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and Fidelity disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for a fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent on behalf of any fund.
Advisory Fee(s)
The fund pays a management fee to the Adviser.
The management fee is calculated and paid to the Adviser every month.
The annual management fee rate, as a percentage of the fund's average net assets, is shown in the following table:
Fund
|
Management Fee Rate
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
0.11%
|
The Adviser pays Geode for providing investment management services.
The basis for the Board of Trustees approving the management contract and sub-advisory agreement for the fund is available in the fund's semi-annual report for the fiscal period ended January 31, 2023.
From time to time, the Adviser or its affiliates may agree to reimburse or waive certain fund expenses while retaining the ability to be repaid if expenses fall below the specified limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Reimbursement or waiver arrangements can decrease expenses and boost performance.
Fund Distribution
FDC distributes the fund's shares.
Distribution and Service Plan(s)
The fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) with respect to its shares that recognizes that the Adviser may use its management fee revenues, as well as its past profits or its resources from any other source, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. The Adviser, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services. Currently, the Board of Trustees of the fund has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Affiliates of the Adviser may receive service fees or distribution fees or both with respect to underlying funds that participate in Fidelity's FundsNetwork®.
If payments made by the Adviser to FDC or to intermediaries under the Distribution and Service Plan were considered to be paid out of the fund's assets on an ongoing basis, they might increase the cost of your investment and might cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
No dealer, sales representative, or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in this prospectus and in the related SAI, in connection with the offer contained in this prospectus. If given or made, such other information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the fund or FDC. This prospectus and the related SAI do not constitute an offer by the fund or by FDC to sell shares of the fund to, or to buy shares of the fund from, any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer.
Appendix
Financial Highlights
Financial Highlights are intended to help you understand the financial history of fund shares for the past 5 years (or, if shorter, the period of operations). Certain information reflects financial results for a single share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in shares (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The annual information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with fund financial statements, is included in the annual report. Annual reports are available for free upon request.
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
Years ended July 31,
|
2023
|
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
2019
|
|||||
Selected Per-Share Data
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period
|
$
|
9.84
|
$
|
16.46
|
$
|
12.19
|
$
|
12.80
|
$
|
12.95
|
Income from Investment Operations
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) A,B
|
.10
|
.16
|
.20
|
.20
|
.19
|
|||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
|
.38
|
(1.07)
|
5.09
|
(.20) C
|
.46
|
|||||
Total from investment operations
|
.48
|
(.91)
|
5.29
|
-
|
.65
|
|||||
Distributions from net investment income
|
(.11)
|
(.22)
|
(.17)
|
(.22)
|
(.18)
|
|||||
Distributions from net realized gain
|
(4.15)
|
(5.48)
|
(.85)
|
(.39)
|
(.63)
|
|||||
Total distributions
|
(4.25) D
|
(5.71) D
|
(1.02)
|
(.61)
|
(.80) D
|
|||||
Net asset value, end of period
|
$
|
6.07
|
$
|
9.84
|
$
|
16.46
|
$
|
12.19
|
$
|
12.80
|
Total Return E
|
8.32%
|
(8.94)%
|
46.99%
|
(.03)% C
|
5.26%
|
|||||
Ratios to Average Net Assets B,F,G
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reductions
|
.15%
|
.14%
|
.13%
|
.13%
|
.22%
|
|||||
Expenses net of fee waivers, if any
|
.06%
|
.05%
|
.05%
|
.05%
|
.08%
|
|||||
Expenses net of all reductions
|
.06%
|
.05%
|
.05%
|
.05%
|
.08%
|
|||||
Net investment income (loss)
|
1.77%
|
1.35%
|
1.37%
|
1.66%
|
1.53%
|
|||||
Supplemental Data
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted)
|
$
|
1,610,937
|
$
|
246,496
|
$
|
1,087,415
|
$
|
1,921,810
|
$
|
1,862,285
|
Portfolio turnover rate H
|
76%
|
93%
|
69%
|
79%
|
41%
|
ACalculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
BNet investment income (loss) is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Net investment income (loss) of any mutual funds or ETFs is not included in the Fund's net investment income (loss) ratio.
CAmount includes a reimbursement from the investment adviser for an operational error which amounted to less than $.02 per share. Excluding this reimbursement, the total return would have been (.16)%.
DTotal distributions per share do not sum due to rounding.
ETotal returns would have been lower if certain expenses had not been reduced during the applicable periods shown.
FFees and expenses of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are not included in the Fund's expense ratio. The Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of these expenses. For additional expense information related to investments in Fidelity Central Funds, please refer to the "Investments in Fidelity Central Funds" note found in the Notes to Financial Statements section of the most recent Annual or Semi-Annual report.
GExpense ratios reflect operating expenses of the class. Expenses before reductions do not reflect amounts reimbursed, waived, or reduced through arrangements with the investment adviser, brokerage services, or other offset arrangements, if applicable, and do not represent the amount paid by the class during periods when reimbursements, waivers or reductions occur.
HAmount does not include the portfolio activity of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Additional Index Information
Russell SMID 500TM Index is a custom index that measures the performance of the largest securities within the Russell 2500TM Index. The Russell 2500TM Index measures the performance of the small to mid-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe, commonly referred to as "smid" cap. The Russell SMID 500TM Index includes approximately 500 of the largest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. It is constructed to provide a comprehensive and unbiased barometer for the largest 500 securities held within the smid cap segment. The index is completely reconstituted annually to ensure the performance and characteristics remain representative of the true opportunity set.
Source: London Stock Exchange Group plc and its group undertakings (collectively, the "LSE Group"). © LSE Group 2023. FTSE Russell is a trading name of certain of the LSE Group companies. "Russell®" is/are a trademark(s) of the relevant LSE Group companies and is/are used by any other LSE Group company under license. All rights in the FTSE Russell indexes or data vest in the relevant LSE Group company which owns the index or the data. Neither LSE Group nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the indexes or data and no party may rely on any indexes or data contained in this communication. No further distribution of data from the LSE Group is permitted without the relevant LSE Group company's express written consent. The LSE Group does not promote, sponsor or endorse the content of this communication.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT ACT), requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account.
For individual investors opening an account: When you open an account, you will be asked for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow Fidelity to identify you. You may also be asked to provide documents that may help to establish your identity, such as your driver's license. For investors other than individuals: When you open an account, you will be asked for the name of the entity, its principal place of business and taxpayer identification number (TIN). You will be asked to provide information about the entity's control person and beneficial owners, and person(s) with authority over the account, including name, address, date of birth and social security number. You may also be asked to provide documents, such as drivers' licenses, articles of incorporation, trust instruments or partnership agreements and other information that will help Fidelity identify the entity. |
You can obtain additional information about the fund. A description of the fund's policies and procedures for disclosing its holdings is available in its Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and on Fidelity's web sites. The SAI also includes more detailed information about the fund and its investments. The SAI is incorporated herein by reference (legally forms a part of the prospectus). The fund's annual and semi-annual reports also include additional information. The fund's annual report includes a discussion of the fund's holdings and recent market conditions and the fund's investment strategies that affected performance.
For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information or ask questions about the fund, call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455. In addition, you may visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com for a free copy of a prospectus, SAI, or annual or semi-annual report or to request other information.
The SAI, the fund's annual and semi-annual reports and other related materials are available from the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) Database on the SEC's web site (http://www.sec.gov). You can obtain copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You can also review and copy information about the fund, including the fund's SAI, at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room.
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Investment Company Act of 1940, File Number(s), 811-02105
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Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC) is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). You may obtain information about SIPC, including the SIPC brochure, by visiting www.sipc.org or calling SIPC at 202-371-8300.
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
1.9866047.108
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SV3-PRO-0923
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Fund/Ticker
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund/FSRNX
Prospectus
September 29, 2023
Like securities of all mutual funds, these securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has not determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
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Contents
Fund Summary |
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund |
Fund Basics |
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Shareholder Information |
Additional Information about the Purchase and Sale of Shares |
Fund Services |
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Appendix |
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Fund Summary
Fund:
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
Investment Objective
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of equity REITs and other real estate-related investments.
Fee Table
The following table describes the fees and expenses that may be incurred when you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund. In addition to the fees and expenses described below, your broker may also require you to pay brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of the fund.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
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None
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Annual Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
Management fee
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0.07%
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Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees
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None
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Other expenses
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0.00%
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Total annual operating expenses
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0.07%
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This example helps compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. For every $10,000 you invested, here's how much you would pay in total expenses if you sell all of your shares at the end of each time period indicated:
1 year
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$
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7
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3 years
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$
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23
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5 years
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$
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40
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10 years
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$
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90
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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 operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 13% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
- Normally investing at least 80% of assets in securities included in the MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index.
- Lending securities to earn income for the fund.
Principal Investment Risks
- Stock Market Volatility.
Stock markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of securities can react differently to these developments.
- Real Estate Industry Concentration.
Changes in real estate values or economic downturns can have a significant negative effect on issuers in the real estate industry. The value of securities of issuers in the real estate industry can be affected by changes in real estate values and rental income, property taxes, interest rates, tax and regulatory requirements, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer.
- Issuer-Specific Changes.
The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than, and can perform differently from, the market as a whole.
Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction) can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty.
- Correlation to Index.
The performance of the fund and its underlying index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, sample selection, regulatory restrictions, and timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from the index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
- Passive Management Risk.
The fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.
- Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral.
An investment in the fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. You could lose money by investing in the fund.
Performance
The following information is intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the fund.
The information illustrates the changes in the performance of the fund's shares from year to year and compares the performance of the fund's shares to the performance of a securities market index and an additional index over various periods of time. The indexes have characteristics relevant to the fund's investment strategies. Index descriptions appear in the "Additional Index Information" section of the prospectus. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future performance.
Prior to December 1, 2020, the fund compared its performance to a different benchmark. The fund's historical performance may not represent its current investment policies.
Visit www.fidelity.com for more recent performance information.
Year-by-Year Returns
2013
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2014
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2015
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2016
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2017
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2018
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2019
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2020
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2021
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2022
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1.37%
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31.58%
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4.39%
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6.60%
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3.75%
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-4.21%
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23.02%
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-11.33%
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40.66%
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-26.12%
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 |
During the periods shown in the chart:
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Returns
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Quarter ended
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Highest Quarter Return
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15.72%
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March 31, 2019
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Lowest Quarter Return
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-28.53%
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March 31, 2020
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Year-to-Date Return
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3.58%
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June 30, 2023
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Average Annual Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, but do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns may differ depending on your individual circumstances. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant if you hold your shares in a retirement account or in another tax-deferred arrangement, such as an employee benefit plan (profit sharing, 401(k), or 403(b) plan). Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of fund shares.
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For the periods ended December 31, 2022
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Past 1
year
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Past 5
years
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Past 10
years
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Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
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Return Before Taxes
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-26.12%
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1.66%
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5.27%
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Return After Taxes on Distributions
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-26.71%
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0.67%
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4.13%
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Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
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-15.29%
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1.03%
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3.76%
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MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
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-26.12%
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4.22%
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-%
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Fidelity Real Estate Linked Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
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-26.12%
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1.72%
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5.34%
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Investment Adviser
Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) (the Adviser) is the fund's manager. Geode Capital Management, LLC serves as a sub-adviser for the fund.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2011.
Peter Matthew (Senior Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2012.
Robert Regan (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2016.
Payal Gupta (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Navid Sohrabi (Portfolio Manager) has managed the fund since 2019.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
You may buy or sell shares through a Fidelity® brokerage or mutual fund account, through a retirement account, or through an investment professional.
You may buy or sell shares in various ways:
Internet
www.fidelity.com
Phone
Fidelity Automated Service Telephone (FAST®) 1-800-544-5555
To reach a Fidelity representative 1-800-544-6666
Mail
Additional purchases:
Fidelity Investments
P.O. Box 770001
Cincinnati, OH 45277-0003
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Redemptions:
Fidelity Investments
P.O. Box 770001
Cincinnati, OH 45277-0035
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TDD - Service for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
1-800-544-0118
The price to buy one share is its net asset value per share (NAV). Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The price to sell one share is its NAV. Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open.
There is no purchase minimum for fund shares.
Tax Information
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax and generally will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, and may also be subject to state or local taxes, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement account (in which case you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
The fund, the Adviser, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and/or their affiliates may pay intermediaries, which may include banks, broker-dealers, retirement plan sponsors, administrators, or service-providers (who may be affiliated with the Adviser or FDC), for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your intermediary and your investment professional to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your investment professional or visit your intermediary's web site for more information.
Fund Basics
Investment Details
Investment Objective
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of equity REITs and other real estate-related investments.
Principal Investment Strategies
Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) normally invests at least 80% of the fund's assets in securities included in the MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index. The index is a modified market capitalization-weighted index of stocks designed to measure the performance of real estate companies in the MSCI US Investable Market 2500 Index.
The fund may not always hold all of the same securities as the index. Geode may use statistical sampling techniques to attempt to replicate the returns of the index. Statistical sampling techniques attempt to match the investment characteristics of the index and the fund by taking into account such factors as capitalization, industry exposures, dividend yield, price/earnings (P/E) ratio, price/book (P/B) ratio, and earnings growth.
The fund may not track the index because differences between the index and the fund's portfolio can cause differences in performance. In addition, expenses and transaction costs, the size and frequency of cash flows into and out of the fund, and differences between how and when the fund and the index are valued can cause differences in performance.
The fund may lend securities to broker-dealers or other institutions to earn income.
If Geode's strategies do not work as intended, the fund may not achieve its objective.
Description of Principal Security Types
Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. Different types of equity securities provide different voting and dividend rights and priority in the event of the bankruptcy of the issuer. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, and warrants.
Principal Investment Risks
Many factors affect the fund's performance. Developments that disrupt global economies and financial markets, such as pandemics and epidemics, may magnify factors that affect a fund's performance. The fund's share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions and interest rates and in response to other economic, political, or financial developments. The fund's reaction to these developments will be affected by the types of securities in which the fund invests, the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of an issuer, and the fund's level of investment in the securities of that issuer. Because the fund concentrates its investments in a particular industry, the fund's performance could depend heavily on the performance of that industry and could be more volatile than the performance of less concentrated funds. When you sell your shares they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them, which means that you could lose money by investing in the fund.
The following factors can significantly affect the fund's performance:
Stock Market Volatility. The value of equity securities fluctuates in response to issuer, political, market, and economic developments. Fluctuations, especially in foreign markets, can be dramatic over the short as well as long term, and different parts of the market, including different market sectors, and different types of equity securities can react differently to these developments. For example, stocks of companies in one sector can react differently from those in another, large cap stocks can react differently from small cap stocks, and "growth" stocks can react differently from "value" stocks. Issuer, political, or economic developments can affect a single issuer, issuers within an industry or economic sector or geographic region, or the market as a whole. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact the market as a whole. Terrorism and related geo-political risks have led, and may in the future lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on world economies and markets generally.
Industry Concentration. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect a single industry, and the securities of companies in that industry could react similarly to these or other developments. In addition, from time to time, a small number of companies may represent a large portion of a single industry, and these companies can be sensitive to adverse economic, regulatory, or financial developments.
The real estate industry is particularly sensitive to economic downturns. The value of securities of issuers in the real estate industry, including real estate investment trusts (REITs), can be affected by changes in real estate values and rental income, property taxes, interest rates, tax and regulatory requirements, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. In addition, the value of REITs can depend on the structure of and cash flow generated by the REIT, and REITs may not have diversified holdings. Because REITs are pooled investment vehicles that have expenses of their own, the fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of those expenses.
Issuer-Specific Changes. Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty (e.g., broker-dealer or other borrower in a securities lending transaction), changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can increase the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security's or instrument's value or result in delays in recovering securities and/or capital from a counterparty. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Correlation to Index. The performance of the fund and its index may vary somewhat due to factors such as fees and expenses of the fund, transaction costs, imperfect correlation between the fund's securities and those in its index, timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from its index, and changes in the shares outstanding of the component securities. In addition, the fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its index or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the index due to regulatory restrictions. The fund may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into the fund or as a result of reserves of cash held by the fund to meet redemptions. The use of sampling techniques or futures or other derivative positions, as well as portfolio transactions carried out to minimize the distribution of capital gains to shareholders, may affect the fund's ability to achieve close correlation with its index. Errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.
Passive Management Risk. An index fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the fund's index or of the actual securities included in the index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, an index fund's performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers. The structure and composition of an index fund's index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the fund.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased.
Other Investment Strategies
In addition to the principal investment strategies discussed above, Geode may use various techniques, such as buying and selling futures contracts, swaps, and exchange traded funds, to increase or decrease the fund's exposure to changing security prices or other factors that affect security values. Geode may also engage in portfolio transactions carried out to minimize the distribution of capital gains to shareholders.
Fundamental Investment Policies
The following is fundamental, that is, subject to change only by shareholder approval:
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of equity REITs and other real estate-related investments.
Shareholder Notice
The following is subject to change only upon 60 days' prior notice to shareholders:
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in securities included in the MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index.
The fund is open for business each day the NYSE is open.
The NAV is the value of a single share. Fidelity normally calculates NAV as of the close of business of the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The fund's assets normally are valued as of this time for the purpose of computing NAV.
NAV is not calculated and the fund will not process purchase and redemption requests submitted on days when the fund is not open for business. The time at which shares are priced and until which purchase and redemption orders are accepted may be changed as permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
To the extent that the fund's assets are traded in other markets on days when the fund is not open for business, the value of the fund's assets may be affected on those days. In addition, trading in some of the fund's assets may not occur on days when the fund is open for business.
NAV is calculated using the values of other open-end funds, if any, in which the fund invests (referred to as underlying funds). Shares of underlying funds are valued at their respective NAVs. Other assets are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service. Certain short-term securities are valued on the basis of amortized cost. If market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the Adviser's opinion, are deemed unreliable for a security, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the Adviser's opinion, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, then that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. Fair value pricing will be used for high yield debt securities when available pricing information is determined to be stale or for other reasons not to accurately reflect fair value.
Arbitrage opportunities may exist when trading in a portfolio security or securities is halted and does not resume before a fund calculates its NAV. These arbitrage opportunities may enable short-term traders to dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Securities trading in overseas markets, if applicable, present time zone arbitrage opportunities when events affecting portfolio security values occur after the close of the overseas markets but prior to the close of the U.S. market. Fair valuation of a fund's portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of NAV by short-term traders.
Policies regarding excessive trading may not be effective to prevent short-term NAV arbitrage trading, particularly in regard to omnibus accounts.
Fair value pricing is based on subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value of a security may differ materially from the value that would be realized if the security were sold.
Shareholder Information
As used in this prospectus, the term "shares" generally refers to the shares offered through this prospectus.
General Information
Information on Fidelity
Fidelity Investments was established in 1946 to manage one of America's first mutual funds. Today, Fidelity is one of the world's largest providers of financial services.
In addition to its fund business, the company operates one of America's leading brokerage firms, Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC. Fidelity is also a leader in providing tax-advantaged retirement plans for individuals investing on their own or through their employer.
Ways to Invest
Subject to the purchase and sale requirements stated in this prospectus, you may buy or sell shares through a Fidelity® brokerage account or a Fidelity® mutual fund account. If you buy or sell shares (other than by exchange) through a Fidelity® brokerage account, your transactions generally involve your Fidelity® brokerage core (a settlement vehicle included as part of your Fidelity® brokerage account).
If you do not currently have a Fidelity® brokerage account or a Fidelity® mutual fund account and would like to invest in a fund, you may need to complete an application. For more information about a Fidelity® brokerage account or a Fidelity® mutual fund account, please visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com, call 1-800-FIDELITY, or visit a Fidelity Investor Center (call 1-800-544-9797 for the center nearest you).
You may also buy or sell shares through a retirement account (such as an IRA or an account funded through salary deduction) or an investment professional. Retirement specialists are available at 1-800-544-4774 to answer your questions about Fidelity® retirement products. If you buy or sell shares through a retirement account or an investment professional, the procedures for buying, selling, and exchanging shares and the account features, policies, and fees may differ from those discussed in this prospectus. Fees in addition to those discussed in this prospectus may apply. For example, you may be charged a transaction fee if you buy or sell shares through a non-Fidelity broker or other investment professional.
Information on Placing Orders
You should include the following information with any order:
- Your name
- Your account number
- Type of transaction requested
- Name(s) of fund(s) and class(es)
- Dollar amount or number of shares
Certain methods of contacting Fidelity may be unavailable or delayed (for example, during periods of unusual market activity). In addition, the level and type of service available may be restricted.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions
The fund may reject for any reason, or cancel as permitted or required by law, any purchase or exchange, including transactions deemed to represent excessive trading, at any time.
Excessive trading of fund shares can harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs to the fund (such as brokerage commissions or spreads paid to dealers who sell money market instruments), disrupting portfolio management strategies, and diluting the value of the shares in cases in which fluctuations in markets are not fully priced into the fund's NAV.
The fund reserves the right at any time to restrict purchases or exchanges or impose conditions that are more restrictive on excessive trading than those stated in this prospectus.
Excessive Trading Policy
The Board of Trustees has adopted policies designed to discourage excessive trading of fund shares. Excessive trading activity in a fund is measured by the number of roundtrip transactions in a shareholder's account and each class of a multiple class fund is treated separately. A roundtrip transaction occurs when a shareholder sells fund shares (including exchanges) within 30 days of the purchase date.
Shareholders with two or more roundtrip transactions in a single fund within a rolling 90-day period will be blocked from making additional purchases or exchange purchases of the fund for 85 days. Shareholders with four or more roundtrip transactions across all Fidelity® funds within any rolling 12-month period will be blocked for at least 85 days from additional purchases or exchange purchases across all Fidelity® funds. Any roundtrip within 12 months of the expiration of a multi-fund block will initiate another multi-fund block. Repeat offenders may be subject to long-term or permanent blocks on purchase or exchange purchase transactions in any account under the shareholder's control at any time. In addition to enforcing these roundtrip limitations, the fund may in its discretion restrict, reject, or cancel any purchases or exchanges that, in the Adviser's opinion, may be disruptive to the management of the fund or otherwise not be in the fund's interests.
Exceptions
The following transactions are exempt from the fund's excessive trading policy described above: (i) systematic withdrawal and/or contribution programs, (ii) mandatory retirement distributions, (iii) transactions initiated by a plan sponsor or sponsors of certain employee benefit plans or other related accounts, (iv) transactions within a qualified advisory program, and (v) transactions initiated by the trustee or adviser to a donor-advised charitable gift fund, qualified fund of funds, or other strategy funds.
A qualified advisory program is one that demonstrates to Fidelity that the program has investment strategies and trading policies designed to protect the interests of long-term investors and meets specific criteria outlined by Fidelity.
A qualified fund of funds is a mutual fund, qualified tuition program, or other strategy fund consisting of qualified plan assets that either applies the fund's excessive trading policies to shareholders at the fund of funds level, or demonstrates that the fund of funds has an investment strategy coupled with policies designed to control frequent trading that are reasonably likely to be effective as determined by the fund's Treasurer.
Fidelity may choose not to monitor transactions below certain dollar value thresholds.
Omnibus Accounts
Omnibus accounts, in which shares are held in the name of an intermediary on behalf of multiple investors, are a common form of holding shares among retirement plans and financial intermediaries such as brokers, advisers, and third-party administrators. Individual trades in omnibus accounts are often not disclosed to the fund, making it difficult to determine whether a particular shareholder is engaging in excessive trading. Excessive trading in omnibus accounts is likely to go undetected by the fund and may increase costs to the fund and disrupt its portfolio management.
Under policies adopted by the Board of Trustees, intermediaries will be permitted to apply the fund's excessive trading policy (described above), or their own excessive trading policy if approved by the Adviser. In these cases, the fund will typically not request or receive individual account data but will rely on the intermediary to monitor trading activity in good faith in accordance with its or the fund's policies. Reliance on intermediaries increases the risk that excessive trading may go undetected. For other intermediaries, the fund will generally monitor trading activity at the omnibus account level to attempt to identify disruptive trades. The fund may request transaction information, as frequently as daily, from any intermediary at any time, and may apply the fund's policy to transactions that exceed thresholds established by the Board of Trustees. The fund may prohibit purchases of fund shares by an intermediary or by some or all of any intermediary's clients. There is no assurance that the Adviser will request data with sufficient frequency to detect or deter excessive trading in omnibus accounts effectively.
If you purchase or sell fund shares through a financial intermediary, you may wish to contact the intermediary to determine the policies applicable to your account.
Retirement Plans
For employer-sponsored retirement plans, only participant directed exchanges count toward the roundtrip limits. Employer-sponsored retirement plan participants whose activity triggers a purchase or exchange block will be permitted one trade every calendar quarter. In the event of a block, employer and participant contributions and loan repayments by the participant may still be invested in the fund.
Other Information about the Excessive Trading Policy
The fund's Treasurer is authorized to suspend the fund's policies during periods of severe market turbulence or national emergency. The fund reserves the right to modify its policies at any time without prior notice.
The fund does not knowingly accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions of fund shares by investors, except to the extent permitted by the policies described above.
As described in "Valuing Shares," the fund also uses fair value pricing to help reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders. There is no assurance that the fund's excessive trading policy will be effective, or will successfully detect or deter excessive or disruptive trading.
Buying Shares
Eligibility
Shares are generally available only to investors residing in the United States.
There is no minimum balance or purchase minimum for fund shares.
Price to Buy
The price to buy one share is its NAV. Shares are sold without a sales charge.
Shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
The fund has authorized certain intermediaries to accept orders to buy shares on its behalf. When authorized intermediaries receive an order in proper form, the order is considered as being placed with the fund, and shares will be bought at the NAV next calculated after the order is received by the authorized intermediary. If applicable, orders by funds of funds for which Fidelity serves as investment manager will be treated as received by the fund at the same time that the corresponding orders are received in proper form by the funds of funds.
The fund may stop offering shares completely or may offer shares only on a limited basis, for a period of time or permanently.
If your payment is not received and collected, your purchase may be canceled and you could be liable for any losses or fees the fund or Fidelity has incurred.
Certain financial institutions that have entered into sales agreements with FDC may enter confirmed purchase orders on behalf of customers by phone, with payment to follow no later than the time when shares are priced on the following business day. If payment is not received by that time, the order will be canceled and the financial institution could be held liable for resulting fees or losses.
Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, purchase orders may be suspended, restricted, or canceled and the monies may be withheld.
Selling Shares
The price to sell one share is its NAV.
Shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after an order is received in proper form.
Normally, redemptions will be processed by the next business day, but it may take up to seven days to pay the redemption proceeds if making immediate payment would adversely affect the fund.
The fund has authorized certain intermediaries to accept orders to sell shares on its behalf. When authorized intermediaries receive an order in proper form, the order is considered as being placed with the fund, and shares will be sold at the NAV next calculated after the order is received by the authorized intermediary. If applicable, orders by funds of funds for which Fidelity serves as investment manager will be treated as received by the fund at the same time that the corresponding orders are received in proper form by the funds of funds.
See "Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares" below for additional redemption information.
A signature guarantee is designed to protect you and Fidelity from fraud. Fidelity may require that your request be made in writing and include a signature guarantee in certain circumstances, such as:
- When you wish to sell more than $100,000 worth of shares.
- When the address on your account (record address) has changed within the last 15 days or you are requesting that a check be mailed to an address different than the record address.
- When you are requesting that redemption proceeds be paid to someone other than the account owner.
- In certain situations when the redemption proceeds are being transferred to a Fidelity® brokerage or mutual fund account with a different registration.
You should be able to obtain a signature guarantee from a bank, broker (including Fidelity® Investor Centers), dealer, credit union (if authorized under state law), securities exchange or association, clearing agency, or savings association. A notary public cannot provide a signature guarantee.
When you place an order to sell shares, note the following:
- Redemption proceeds (other than exchanges) may be delayed until money from prior purchases sufficient to cover your redemption has been received and collected.
- Redemptions may be suspended or payment dates postponed when the NYSE is closed (other than weekends or holidays), when trading on the NYSE is restricted, or as permitted by the SEC.
- Redemption proceeds may be paid in securities or other property rather than in cash if the Adviser determines it is in the best interests of the fund.
- You will not receive interest on amounts represented by uncashed redemption checks.
- If you hold your shares in a Fidelity® brokerage or mutual fund account and your redemption check remains uncashed for six months, the check may be invested in additional shares at the NAV next calculated on the day of the investment.
- Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, redemption requests may be suspended, restricted, canceled, or processed and the proceeds may be withheld.
Policies Concerning the Redemption of Fund Shares
If your account is held directly with a fund, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends on the method you have elected to receive such proceeds. A fund typically expects to make payment of redemption proceeds by wire, automated clearing house (ACH) or by issuing a check by the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form. Proceeds from the periodic and automatic sale of shares of a Fidelity® money market fund that are used to buy shares of another Fidelity® fund are settled simultaneously.
If your account is held through an intermediary, the length of time that a fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds depends, in part, on the terms of the agreement in place between the intermediary and a fund. For redemption proceeds that are paid either directly to you from a fund or to your intermediary for transmittal to you, a fund typically expects to make payments by wire, by ACH or by issuing a check on the next business day following receipt of a redemption order in proper form from the intermediary by a fund. Redemption orders that are processed through investment professionals that utilize the National Securities Clearing Corporation will generally settle one to three business days following receipt of a redemption order in proper form.
As noted elsewhere, payment of redemption proceeds may take longer than the time a fund typically expects and may take up to seven days from the date of receipt of the redemption order as permitted by applicable law.
Redemption Methods Available. Generally a fund expects to pay redemption proceeds in cash. To do so, a fund typically expects to satisfy redemption requests either by using available cash (or cash equivalents) or by selling portfolio securities. On a less regular basis, a fund may also satisfy redemption requests by utilizing one or more of the following sources, if permitted: borrowing from another Fidelity® fund; drawing on an available line or lines of credit from a bank or banks; or using reverse repurchase agreements. These methods may be used during both normal and stressed market conditions.
In addition to paying redemption proceeds in cash, a fund reserves the right to pay part or all of your redemption proceeds in readily marketable securities instead of cash (redemption in-kind). Redemption in-kind proceeds will typically be made by delivering the selected securities to the redeeming shareholder within seven days after the receipt of the redemption order in proper form by a fund.
An exchange involves the redemption of all or a portion of the shares of one fund and the purchase of shares of another fund.
As a shareholder, you have the privilege of exchanging shares for shares of other Fidelity® funds.
However, you should note the following policies and restrictions governing exchanges:
- The exchange limit may be modified for accounts held by certain institutional retirement plans to conform to plan exchange limits and Department of Labor regulations. See your retirement plan materials for further information.
- The fund may refuse any exchange purchase for any reason. For example, the fund may refuse exchange purchases by any person or group if, in the Adviser's judgment, the fund would be unable to invest the money effectively in accordance with its investment objective and policies, or would otherwise potentially be adversely affected.
- Before any exchange, read the prospectus for the shares you are purchasing, including any purchase and sale requirements.
- The shares you are acquiring by exchange must be available for sale in your state.
- Exchanges may have tax consequences for you.
- If you are exchanging between accounts that are not registered in the same name, address, and taxpayer identification number (TIN), there may be additional requirements.
- Under applicable anti-money laundering rules and other regulations, exchange requests may be suspended, restricted, canceled, or processed and the proceeds may be withheld.
The fund may terminate or modify exchange privileges in the future.
Other funds may have different exchange restrictions and minimums. Check each fund's prospectus for details.
Features
The following features may be available to buy and sell shares of the fund or to move money to and from your account, if you are investing through a Fidelity® brokerage account or a Fidelity® mutual fund account. Please visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com or call 1-800-544-6666 for more information.
Electronic Funds Transfer: electronic money movement through the Automated Clearing House
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Wire: electronic money movement through the Federal Reserve wire system
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Automatic Transactions: periodic (automatic) transactions
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Policies
The following apply to you as a shareholder.
Statements that Fidelity sends to you, if applicable, include the following:
- Confirmation statements (after transactions affecting your fund balance except, to the extent applicable, reinvestment of distributions in the fund or another fund and certain transactions through automatic investment or withdrawal programs).
- Monthly or quarterly account statements (detailing fund balances and all transactions completed during the prior month or quarter).
Current regulations allow Fidelity to send a single copy of shareholder documents for Fidelity® funds, such as prospectuses, annual and semi-annual reports, and proxy materials, to certain mutual fund customers whom we believe are members of the same family who share the same address. For certain types of accounts, we will not send multiple copies of these documents to you and members of your family who share the same address. Instead, we will send only a single copy of these documents. This will continue for as long as you are a shareholder, unless you notify us otherwise. If at any time you choose to receive individual copies of any documents, please call 1-800-544-8544. We will begin sending individual copies to you within 30 days of receiving your call.
Electronic copies of most financial reports and prospectuses are available at Fidelity's web site. To participate in Fidelity's electronic delivery program, call Fidelity or visit Fidelity's web site for more information.
You may initiate many transactions by telephone or electronically. Fidelity will not be responsible for any loss, cost, expense, or other liability resulting from unauthorized transactions if it follows reasonable security procedures designed to verify the identity of the investor. Fidelity will request personalized security codes or other information, and may also record calls. For transactions conducted through the Internet, Fidelity recommends the use of an Internet browser with 128-bit encryption. You should verify the accuracy of your confirmation statements upon receipt and notify Fidelity immediately of any discrepancies in your account activity. If you do not want the ability to sell and exchange by telephone, call Fidelity for instructions. Additional documentation may be required from corporations, associations, and certain fiduciaries.
You may be asked to provide additional information in order for Fidelity to verify your identity in accordance with requirements under anti-money laundering regulations. Accounts may be restricted and/or closed, and the monies withheld, pending verification of this information or as otherwise required under these and other federal regulations. In addition, the fund reserves the right to involuntarily redeem an account in the case of: (i) actual or suspected threatening conduct or actual or suspected fraudulent, illegal or suspicious activity by the account owner or any other individual associated with the account; or (ii) the failure of the account owner to provide information to the fund related to opening the accounts. Your shares will be sold at the NAV, minus any applicable shareholder fees, calculated on the day Fidelity closes your fund position.
Fidelity may charge a fee for certain services, such as providing historical account documents.
The fund earns interest, dividends, and other income from its investments, and distributes this income (less expenses) to shareholders as dividends. The fund also realizes capital gains from its investments, and distributes these gains (less any losses) to shareholders as capital gain distributions.
Any dividends and capital gain distributions paid to retirement plan participants will be automatically reinvested.
The fund normally declares dividends and pays capital gain distributions per the tables below:
Fund Name
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Dividends Paid
|
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
March, June, September, December
|
Fund Name
|
Capital Gains Paid
|
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
September, December
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Distribution Options
When you open an account, specify how you want to receive your distributions. The following distribution options are available:
- 1. Reinvestment Option.
Any dividends and capital gain distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares. If you do not indicate a choice, you will be assigned this option.
- 2. Income-Earned Option.
Any capital gain distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares. Any dividends will be paid in cash.
- 3. Cash Option.
Any dividends and capital gain distributions will be paid in cash.
- 4. Directed Dividends® Option.
Any dividends will be automatically invested in shares of another identically registered Fidelity® fund. Any capital gain distributions will be automatically invested in shares of another identically registered Fidelity® fund, automatically reinvested in additional shares of the fund, or paid in cash.
Not all distribution options may be available for every account and certain restrictions may apply. If the distribution option you prefer is not listed on your account application, or if you want to change your current distribution option, visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com or call 1-800-544-6666 for more information.
If you elect to receive distributions paid in cash by check and the U.S. Postal Service does not deliver your checks, your distribution option may be converted to the Reinvestment Option. You will not receive interest on amounts represented by uncashed distribution checks.
If your dividend check(s) remains uncashed for six months, your check(s) may be invested in additional shares at the NAV next calculated on the day of the investment.
As with any investment, your investment in the fund could have tax consequences for you (for non-retirement accounts).
Taxes on Distributions
Distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income tax, and may also be subject to state or local taxes.
For federal tax purposes, certain distributions, including dividends and distributions of short-term capital gains, are taxable to you as ordinary income, while certain distributions, including distributions of long-term capital gains, are taxable to you generally as capital gains. A percentage of certain distributions of dividends may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met).
If you buy shares when a fund has realized but not yet distributed income or capital gains, you will be "buying a dividend" by paying the full price for the shares and then receiving a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable distribution.
Any taxable distributions you receive from the fund will normally be taxable to you when you receive them, regardless of your distribution option.
Taxes on Transactions
Your redemptions, including exchanges, may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment in the fund generally is the difference between the cost of your shares and the price you receive when you sell them.
Fund Services
Fund Management
The fund is a mutual fund, an investment that pools shareholders' money and invests it toward a specified goal.
Adviser
FMR. The Adviser is the fund's manager. The address of the Adviser is 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
As of December 31, 2022, the Adviser had approximately $3.1 trillion in discretionary assets under management, and approximately $3.9 trillion when combined with all of its affiliates' assets under management.
As the manager, the Adviser is responsible for handling the fund's business affairs.
Sub-Adviser(s)
Geode, at 100 Summer Street, 12th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as a sub-adviser for the fund. As of December 31, 2022, Geode had approximately $803.4 billion in discretionary assets under management.
Geode chooses the fund's investments and places orders to buy and sell the fund's investments.
Portfolio Manager(s)
Louis Bottari is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund, which he has managed since 2011. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2008, Mr. Bottari has worked as an assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Peter Matthew is Senior Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund, which he has managed since 2012. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2007, Mr. Matthew has worked as a senior operations associate, portfolio manager assistant, assistant portfolio manager, portfolio manager, and senior portfolio manager.
Robert Regan is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund, which he has managed since 2016. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2016, Mr. Regan has worked as a portfolio manager.
Payal Gupta is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund, which she has managed since 2019. She also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Ms. Gupta has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Ms. Gupta worked at State Street Global Advisors from 2005 to 2019, most recently as senior portfolio manager.
Navid Sohrabi is Portfolio Manager of Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund, which he has managed since 2019. He also manages other funds. Since joining Geode in 2019, Mr. Sohrabi has worked as a portfolio manager. Prior to joining Geode, Mr. Sohrabi worked at DWS, most recently as an index portfolio manager.
The Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides additional information about the compensation of, any other accounts managed by, and any fund shares held by the portfolio manager(s).
From time to time a manager, analyst, or other Fidelity employee may express views regarding a particular company, security, industry, or market sector. The views expressed by any such person are the views of only that individual as of the time expressed and do not necessarily represent the views of Fidelity or any other person in the Fidelity organization. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and Fidelity disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for a fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent on behalf of any fund.
Advisory Fee(s)
The fund pays a management fee to the Adviser.
The management fee is calculated and paid to the Adviser every month.
The Adviser pays all of the other expenses of Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund with limited exceptions.
The annual management fee rate, as a percentage of the fund's average net assets, is shown in the following table:
Fund
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Management Fee Rate
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Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
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0.07%
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The Adviser pays Geode for providing investment management services.
The basis for the Board of Trustees approving the management contract and sub-advisory agreement for the fund is available in the fund's semi-annual report for the fiscal period ended January 31, 2023.
From time to time, the Adviser or its affiliates may agree to reimburse or waive certain fund expenses while retaining the ability to be repaid if expenses fall below the specified limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Reimbursement or waiver arrangements can decrease expenses and boost performance.
Fund Distribution
FDC distributes the fund's shares.
Intermediaries may receive from the Adviser, FDC, and/or their affiliates compensation for providing recordkeeping and administrative services, as well as other retirement plan expenses, and compensation for services intended to result in the sale of fund shares. This compensation may take the form of payments for additional distribution-related activities and/or shareholder services and payments for educational seminars and training, including seminars sponsored by Fidelity, or by an intermediary.
These payments are described in more detail in this section and in the SAI.
Distribution and Service Plan(s)
The fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) with respect to its shares that recognizes that the Adviser may use its management fee revenues, as well as its past profits or its resources from any other source, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. The Adviser, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services. Currently, the Board of Trustees of the fund has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
If payments made by the Adviser to FDC or to intermediaries under the Distribution and Service Plan were considered to be paid out of the fund's assets on an ongoing basis, they might increase the cost of your investment and might cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
From time to time, FDC may offer special promotional programs to investors who purchase shares of Fidelity® funds. For example, FDC may offer merchandise, discounts, vouchers, or similar items to investors who purchase shares of certain Fidelity® funds during certain periods. To determine if you qualify for any such programs, contact Fidelity or visit our web site at www.fidelity.com.
No dealer, sales representative, or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in this prospectus and in the related SAI, in connection with the offer contained in this prospectus. If given or made, such other information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the fund or FDC. This prospectus and the related SAI do not constitute an offer by the fund or by FDC to sell shares of the fund to, or to buy shares of the fund from, any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer.
Appendix
Financial Highlights
Financial Highlights are intended to help you understand the financial history of fund shares for the past 5 years (or, if shorter, the period of operations). Certain information reflects financial results for a single share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in shares (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The annual information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with fund financial statements, is included in the annual report. Annual reports are available for free upon request.
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
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Years ended July 31,
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2023
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2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
2019
|
|||||
Selected Per-Share Data
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period
|
$
|
17.43
|
$
|
18.44
|
$
|
13.58
|
$
|
16.82
|
$
|
15.76
|
Income from Investment Operations
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) A,B
|
.49
|
.44
|
.39
|
.51
|
.53
|
|||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
|
(2.18)
|
(1.19)
|
4.88
|
(3.15)
|
1.13
|
|||||
Total from investment operations
|
(1.69)
|
(.75)
|
5.27
|
(2.64)
|
1.66
|
|||||
Distributions from net investment income
|
(.47)
|
(.26)
|
(.41)
|
(.47)
|
(.50)
|
|||||
Distributions from net realized gain
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(.13)
|
(.10)
|
|||||
Total distributions
|
(.47)
|
(.26)
|
(.41)
|
(.60)
|
(.60)
|
|||||
Net asset value, end of period
|
$
|
15.27
|
$
|
17.43
|
$
|
18.44
|
$
|
13.58
|
$
|
16.82
|
Total Return C
|
(9.70)%
|
(4.21)%
|
39.73%
|
(16.34)%
|
10.84%
|
|||||
Ratios to Average Net Assets A,D,E
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reductions
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
|||||
Expenses net of fee waivers, if any
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
|||||
Expenses net of all reductions
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
.07%
|
|||||
Net investment income (loss)
|
3.25%
|
2.45%
|
2.53%
|
3.32%
|
3.33%
|
|||||
Supplemental Data
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted)
|
$
|
2,488,753
|
$
|
2,873,997
|
$
|
2,939,615
|
$
|
2,082,589
|
$
|
2,256,495
|
Portfolio turnover rate F
|
13%
|
10%
|
44%
|
26%
|
10%
|
ANet investment income (loss) is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Net investment income (loss) of any mutual funds or ETFs is not included in the Fund's net investment income (loss) ratio.
BCalculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
CTotal returns would have been lower if certain expenses had not been reduced during the applicable periods shown.
DExpense ratios reflect operating expenses of the class. Expenses before reductions do not reflect amounts reimbursed, waived, or reduced through arrangements with the investment adviser, brokerage services, or other offset arrangements, if applicable, and do not represent the amount paid by the class during periods when reimbursements, waivers or reductions occur.
EFees and expenses of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are not included in the Fund's expense ratio. The Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of these expenses. For additional expense information related to investments in Fidelity Central Funds, please refer to the "Investments in Fidelity Central Funds" note found in the Notes to Financial Statements section of the most recent Annual or Semi-Annual report.
FAmount does not include the portfolio activity of any underlying mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Additional Index Information
Fidelity Real Estate Linked Index℠ is a modified market capitalization-weighted index of stocks designed to measure the performance of real estate companies in the MSCI US Investable Market 2500 Index. Index returns shown for periods prior to December 1, 2020 are returns of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Real Estate Securities Index (RESI). Index returns from December 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 represent a transition to the MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index. Index returns after January 1, 2021 represent the MSCI U.S. IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index.
MSCI US IMI Real Estate 25/25 Index is a modified market capitalization-weighted index of stocks designed to measure the performance of real estate companies in the MSCI U.S. Investable Market 2500 Index.
THIS FUND IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY MSCI INC. ("MSCI"), ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, ANY OF ITS INFORMATION PROVIDERS OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN, OR RELATED TO, COMPILING, COMPUTING OR CREATING ANY MSCI INDEX (COLLECTIVELY, THE "MSCI PARTIES"). THE MSCI INDEXES ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF MSCI. MSCI AND THE MSCI INDEX NAMES ARE SERVICE MARK(S) OF MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES AND HAVE BEEN LICENSED FOR USE FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES BY THE ADVISER. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF INVESTING IN FUNDS GENERALLY OR IN THIS FUND PARTICULARLY OR THE ABILITY OF ANY MSCI INDEX TO TRACK CORRESPONDING STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE. MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES ARE THE LICENSORS OF CERTAIN TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADE NAMES AND OF THE MSCI INDEXES WHICH ARE DETERMINED, COMPOSED AND CALCULATED BY MSCI WITHOUT REGARD TO THIS FUND OR THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION TO TAKE THE NEEDS OF THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY INTO CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINING, COMPOSING OR CALCULATING THE MSCI INDEXES. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OR HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE TIMING OF, PRICES AT, OR QUANTITIES OF THIS FUND TO BE ISSUED OR IN THE DETERMINATION OR CALCULATION OF THE EQUATION BY OR THE CONSIDERATION INTO WHICH THIS FUND IS REDEEMABLE. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR OFFERING OF THIS FUND.
ALTHOUGH MSCI SHALL OBTAIN INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN OR FOR USE IN THE CALCULATION OF THE MSCI INDEXES FROM SOURCES THAT MSCI CONSIDERS RELIABLE, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES WARRANTS OR GUARANTEES THE ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ISSUER OF THE FUND, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY, FROM THE USE OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, AND THE MSCI PARTIES HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO EACH MSCI INDEX AND ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
No purchaser, seller, or holder of this security, product or fund, or any other person or entity, should use or refer to any MSCI trade name, trademark or service mark to sponsor, endorse, market or promote this security without first contacting MSCI to determine whether MSCI's permission is required. Under no circumstances may any person or entity claim any affiliation with MSCI without the prior written permission of MSCI.
Inclusion of a stock in an index does not imply that it is a good investment.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT ACT), requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account.
For individual investors opening an account: When you open an account, you will be asked for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow Fidelity to identify you. You may also be asked to provide documents that may help to establish your identity, such as your driver's license. For investors other than individuals: When you open an account, you will be asked for the name of the entity, its principal place of business and taxpayer identification number (TIN). You will be asked to provide information about the entity's control person and beneficial owners, and person(s) with authority over the account, including name, address, date of birth and social security number. You may also be asked to provide documents, such as drivers' licenses, articles of incorporation, trust instruments or partnership agreements and other information that will help Fidelity identify the entity. |
You can obtain additional information about the fund. A description of the fund's policies and procedures for disclosing its holdings is available in its Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and on Fidelity's web sites. The SAI also includes more detailed information about the fund and its investments. The SAI is incorporated herein by reference (legally forms a part of the prospectus). The fund's annual and semi-annual reports also include additional information. The fund's annual report includes a discussion of the fund's holdings and recent market conditions and the fund's investment strategies that affected performance.
For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information or ask questions about the fund, call Fidelity at 1-800-544-8544. In addition, you may visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com for a free copy of a prospectus, SAI, or annual or semi-annual report or to request other information.
The SAI, the fund's annual and semi-annual reports and other related materials are available from the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) Database on the SEC's web site (http://www.sec.gov). You can obtain copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You can also review and copy information about the fund, including the fund's SAI, at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room.
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Investment Company Act of 1940, File Number(s), 811-02105
|
Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC) is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). You may obtain information about SIPC, including the SIPC brochure, by visiting www.sipc.org or calling SIPC at 202-371-8300.
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
1.929339.113
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URX-I-PRO-0923
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Fund
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Ticker
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Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
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FSWCX
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Fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
September 29, 2023
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. Portions of the fund's annual report are incorporated herein. The annual report(s) are supplied with this SAI.
To obtain a free additional copy of a prospectus or SAI, dated September 29, 2023, or an annual report, please call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455 or visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com.
For more information on any Fidelity® fund, including charges and expenses, call Fidelity at the number indicated above for a free prospectus. Read it carefully before investing or sending money.
245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
USV-PTB-0923
1.9885511.107
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND LIMITATIONS
The following policies and limitations supplement those set forth in the prospectus. Unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the fund's acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the fund's investment policies and limitations.
The fund's fundamental investment policies and limitations cannot be changed without approval by a "majority of the outstanding voting securities" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act)) of the fund. However, except for the fundamental investment limitations listed below, the investment policies and limitations described in this Statement of Additional Information (SAI) are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
The following are the fund's fundamental investment limitations set forth in their entirety.
Diversification
The fund may not with respect to 75% of the fund's total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, (a) more than 5% of the fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (b) the fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.
Senior Securities
The fund may not issue senior securities, except in connection with the insurance program established by the fund pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission or as otherwise permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Borrowing
The fund may not borrow money, except that the fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes (not for leveraging or investment) in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1/3% limitation.
Underwriting
The fund may not underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in the disposition of restricted securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies.
Concentration
The fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the fund's index concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or group of industries.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) looks through to the U.S. Government securities.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in Fidelity® Money Market Central Fund and/or any non-money market Central fund, FMR looks through to the holdings of the Central fund.
Real Estate
The fund may not purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).
Commodities
The fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).
Loans
The fund may not lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, but this limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.
The following investment limitations are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
Short Sales
The fund does not currently intend to sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in futures contracts and options are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.
Margin Purchases
The fund does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that the fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.
Borrowing
The fund may borrow money only (a) from a bank or from a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) by engaging in reverse repurchase agreements with any party (reverse repurchase agreements are treated as borrowings for purposes of the fundamental borrowing investment limitation).
Illiquid Securities
The fund does not currently intend to purchase any security if, as a result, more than 10% of its net assets would be invested in securities that are deemed to be illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business at approximately the prices at which they are valued.
For purposes of the fund's illiquid securities limitation discussed above, if through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, the fund were in a position where more than 10% of its net assets were invested in illiquid securities, it would consider appropriate steps to protect liquidity.
Loans
The fund does not currently intend to lend assets other than securities to other parties, except by (a) lending money (up to 15% of the fund's net assets) to a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) assuming any unfunded commitments in connection with the acquisition of loans, loan participations, or other forms of debt instruments. (This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities, to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.)
In addition to the fund's fundamental and non-fundamental investment limitations discussed above:
In order to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the fund currently intends to comply with certain diversification limits imposed by Subchapter M.
The following pages contain more detailed information about types of instruments in which the fund may invest, techniques the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may employ in pursuit of the fund's investment objective, and a summary of related risks. The fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may not buy all of these instruments or use all of these techniques unless it believes that doing so will help the fund achieve its goal. However, the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) is not required to buy any particular instrument or use any particular technique even if to do so might benefit the fund.
On the following pages in this section titled "Investment Policies and Limitations," and except as otherwise indicated, references to "an adviser" or "the adviser" may relate to the fund's adviser or a sub-adviser, as applicable.
Affiliated Bank Transactions. A Fidelity® fund may engage in transactions with financial institutions that are, or may be considered to be, "affiliated persons" of the fund under the 1940 Act. These transactions may involve repurchase agreements with custodian banks; short-term obligations of, and repurchase agreements with, the 50 largest U.S. banks (measured by deposits); municipal securities; U.S. Government securities with affiliated financial institutions that are primary dealers in these securities; short-term currency transactions; and short-term borrowings. In accordance with exemptive orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Board of Trustees has established and periodically reviews procedures applicable to transactions involving affiliated financial institutions.
Borrowing. If a fund borrows money, its share price may be subject to greater fluctuation until the borrowing is paid off. If a fund makes additional investments while borrowings are outstanding, this may be considered a form of leverage.
Cash Management. A fund may hold uninvested cash or may invest it in cash equivalents such as money market securities, repurchase agreements, or shares of short-term bond or money market funds, including (for Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients only) shares of Fidelity® Central funds. Generally, these securities offer less potential for gains than other types of securities.
Central Funds are special types of investment vehicles created by Fidelity for use by the Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients. Central funds are used to invest in particular security types or investment disciplines, or for cash management. Central funds incur certain costs related to their investment activity (such as custodial fees and expenses), but generally do not pay additional management fees. The investment results of the portions of a Fidelity® fund's assets invested in the Central funds will be based upon the investment results of those funds.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Notice of Exclusion. The Adviser, on behalf of the Fidelity® fund to which this SAI relates, has filed with the National Futures Association a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and the rules of the CFTC promulgated thereunder, with respect to the fund's operation. Accordingly, neither a fund nor its adviser is subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool or a CPO. As of the date of this SAI, the adviser does not expect to register as a CPO of the fund. However, there is no certainty that a fund or its adviser will be able to rely on an exclusion in the future as the fund's investments change over time. A fund may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional CFTC regulation or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If a fund or its adviser operates subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses.
Common Stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock, although related proceedings can take time to resolve and results can be unpredictable. For purposes of a Fidelity® fund's policies related to investment in common stock Fidelity considers depositary receipts evidencing ownership of common stock to be common stock.
Convertible Securities are bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a fund is called for redemption or conversion, the fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.
Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at prices above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.
Debt Securities are used by issuers to borrow money. The issuer usually pays a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest, and must repay the amount borrowed, usually at the maturity of the security. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay interest but are sold at a deep discount from their face values. Debt securities include corporate bonds, government securities, repurchase agreements, and mortgage and other asset-backed securities.
Disruption to Financial Markets and Related Government Intervention. Economic downturns can trigger various economic, legal, budgetary, tax, and regulatory reforms across the globe. Instability in the financial markets in the wake of events such as the 2008 economic downturn led the U.S. Government and other governments to take a number of then-unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases, a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, local, foreign, and other governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which a fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Reforms may also change the way in which a fund is regulated and could limit or preclude a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective or engage in certain strategies. Also, while reforms generally are intended to strengthen markets, systems, and public finances, they could affect fund expenses and the value of fund investments in unpredictable ways.
Similarly, widespread disease including pandemics and epidemics, and natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, droughts, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and climate-related phenomena generally, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of a fund's investments. Economies and financial markets throughout the world have become increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or country will adversely affect markets or issuers in other regions or countries, including the United States. Additionally, market disruptions may result in increased market volatility; regulatory trading halts; closure of domestic or foreign exchanges, markets, or governments; or market participants operating pursuant to business continuity plans for indeterminate periods of time. Further, market disruptions can (i) prevent a fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner, (ii) negatively impact a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective, and (iii) may exacerbate the risks discussed elsewhere in a fund's registration statement, including political, social, and economic risks.
The value of a fund's portfolio is also generally subject to the risk of future local, national, or global economic or natural disturbances based on unknown weaknesses in the markets in which a fund invests. In the event of such a disturbance, the issuers of securities held by a fund may experience significant declines in the value of their assets and even cease operations, or may receive government assistance accompanied by increased restrictions on their business operations or other government intervention. In addition, it remains uncertain that the U.S. Government or foreign governments will intervene in response to current or future market disturbances and the effect of any such future intervention cannot be predicted.
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are shares of other investment companies, commodity pools, or other entities that are traded on an exchange. Assets underlying the ETF shares may consist of stocks, bonds, commodities, or other instruments, depending on an ETF's investment objective and strategies. An ETF may seek to replicate the performance of a specific index or may be actively managed.
Typically, shares of an ETF that tracks an index are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark increases. However, in the case of inverse ETFs (also called "short ETFs" or "bear ETFs"), ETF shares are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark decreases. Inverse ETFs seek to deliver the opposite of the performance of the benchmark they track and are often marketed as a way for investors to profit from, or at least hedge their exposure to, downward moving markets. Investments in inverse ETFs are similar to holding short positions in the underlying benchmark.
ETF shares are redeemable only in large blocks of shares often called "creation units" by persons other than a fund, and are redeemed principally in-kind at each day's next calculated net asset value per share (NAV). ETFs typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a fund. A fund's purchase of ETFs results in the layering of expenses, such that the fund would indirectly bear a proportionate share of any ETF's operating expenses. Further, while traditional investment companies are continuously offered at NAV, ETFs are traded in the secondary market (e.g., on a stock exchange) on an intra-day basis at prices that may be above or below the value of their underlying portfolios.
Some of the risks of investing in an ETF that tracks an index are similar to those of investing in an indexed mutual fund, including tracking error risk (the risk of errors in matching the ETF's underlying assets to the index or other benchmark); and the risk that because an ETF that tracks an index is not actively managed, it cannot sell stocks or other assets as long as they are represented in the index or other benchmark. Other ETF risks include the risk that ETFs may trade in the secondary market at a discount from their NAV and the risk that the ETFs may not be liquid. ETFs also may be leveraged. Leveraged ETFs seek to deliver multiples of the performance of the index or other benchmark they track and use derivatives in an effort to amplify the returns (or decline, in the case of inverse ETFs) of the underlying index or benchmark. While leveraged ETFs may offer the potential for greater return, the potential for loss and the speed at which losses can be realized also are greater. Most leveraged and inverse ETFs "reset" daily, meaning they are designed to achieve their stated objectives on a daily basis. Leveraged and inverse ETFs can deviate substantially from the performance of their underlying benchmark over longer periods of time, particularly in volatile periods.
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) are a type of senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt security issued by financial institutions that combines aspects of both bonds and ETFs. An ETN's returns are based on the performance of a market index or other reference asset minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN's maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the market index or other reference asset to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs typically do not make periodic interest payments and principal typically is not protected.
ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable index. The market value of an ETN is determined by supply and demand, the current performance of the index or other reference asset, and the credit rating of the ETN issuer. The market value of ETN shares may differ from their intraday indicative value. The value of an ETN may also change due to a change in the issuer's credit rating. As a result, there may be times when an ETN's share trades at a premium or discount to its NAV. Some ETNs that use leverage in an effort to amplify the returns of an underlying index or other reference asset can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs may offer the potential for greater return, but the potential for loss and speed at which losses can be realized also are greater.
Exposure to Foreign and Emerging Markets. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
Foreign investments involve risks relating to local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments, and may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors. Such actions may include expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. From time to time, a fund's adviser and/or its affiliates may determine that, as a result of regulatory requirements that may apply to the adviser and/or its affiliates due to investments in a particular country, investments in the securities of issuers domiciled or listed on trading markets in that country above certain thresholds (which may apply at the account level or in the aggregate across all accounts managed by the adviser and its affiliates) may be impractical or undesirable. In such instances, the adviser may limit or exclude investment in a particular issuer, and investment flexibility may be restricted. Additionally, governmental issuers of foreign debt securities may be unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due and may require that the conditions for payment be renegotiated. There is no assurance that a fund's adviser will be able to anticipate these potential events or counter their effects. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.
It is anticipated that in most cases the best available market for foreign securities will be on an exchange or in over-the-counter (OTC) markets located outside of the United States. Foreign stock markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States, and securities of some foreign issuers may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign security trading, settlement and custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment) are often less developed than those in U.S. markets, and may result in increased investment or valuation risk or substantial delays in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign subcustodian. In addition, the costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.
Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets. Foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis. In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States. OTC markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated. Regulatory enforcement may be influenced by economic or political concerns, and investors may have difficulty enforcing their legal rights in foreign countries.
Some foreign securities impose restrictions on transfer within the United States or to U.S. persons. Although securities subject to such transfer restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. These risks include foreign exchange risk as well as the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country.
The risks of foreign investing may be magnified for investments in emerging markets. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
Foreign Currency Transactions. A fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies). Although foreign exchange dealers generally do not charge a fee for such conversions, they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the counterparty desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Forward contracts are customized transactions that require a specific amount of a currency to be delivered at a specific exchange rate on a specific date or range of dates in the future. Forward contracts are generally traded in an interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the contemplated currency exchange.
The following discussion summarizes the principal currency management strategies involving forward contracts that could be used by a fund. A fund may also use swap agreements, indexed securities, and options and futures contracts relating to foreign currencies for the same purposes. Forward contracts not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through payments in U.S. dollars rather than through delivery of the underlying currency. All of these instruments and transactions are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default.
A "settlement hedge" or "transaction hedge" is designed to protect a fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date a security denominated in a foreign currency is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying security transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars "locks in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. Forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency may also be used to protect a fund in anticipation of future purchases or sales of securities denominated in foreign currency, even if the specific investments have not yet been selected.
A fund may also use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in a foreign currency. For example, if a fund owned securities denominated in pounds sterling, it could enter into a forward contract to sell pounds sterling in return for U.S. dollars to hedge against possible declines in the pound's value. Such a hedge, sometimes referred to as a "position hedge," would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in security values caused by other factors. A fund could also attempt to hedge the position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the pound sterling. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as a "proxy hedge," could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency, but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.
A fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a "cross-hedge," will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, much as if a fund had sold a security denominated in one currency and purchased an equivalent security denominated in another. A fund may cross-hedge its U.S. dollar exposure in order to achieve a representative weighted mix of the major currencies in its benchmark index and/or to cover an underweight country or region exposure in its portfolio. Cross-hedges protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency, but will cause a fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases.
Successful use of currency management strategies will depend on an adviser's skill in analyzing currency values. Currency management strategies may substantially change a fund's investment exposure to changes in currency exchange rates and could result in losses to a fund if currencies do not perform as an adviser anticipates. For example, if a currency's value rose at a time when a fund had hedged its position by selling that currency in exchange for dollars, the fund would not participate in the currency's appreciation. If a fund hedges currency exposure through proxy hedges, the fund could realize currency losses from both the hedge and the security position if the two currencies do not move in tandem. Similarly, if a fund increases its exposure to a foreign currency and that currency's value declines, the fund will realize a loss. Foreign currency transactions involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted and that a fund's hedging strategies will be ineffective. Moreover, it is impossible to precisely forecast the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a foreign currency forward contract. Accordingly, a fund may be required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expenses of such transaction), if an adviser's predictions regarding the movement of foreign currency or securities markets prove inaccurate.
A fund may be required to limit its hedging transactions in foreign currency forwards, futures, and options in order to maintain its classification as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code (Code). Hedging transactions could result in the application of the mark-to-market provisions of the Code, which may cause an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid by a fund are classified as capital gains or ordinary income. There is no assurance that an adviser's use of currency management strategies will be advantageous to a fund or that it will employ currency management strategies at appropriate times.
Funds of Funds and Other Large Shareholders. Certain Fidelity® funds and accounts (including funds of funds) invest in other funds ("underlying funds") and, as a result, may at times have substantial investments in one or more underlying funds.
An underlying fund may experience large redemptions or investments due to transactions in its shares by funds of funds, other large shareholders, or similarly managed accounts. While it is impossible to predict the overall effect of these transactions over time, there could be an adverse impact on an underlying fund's performance. In the event of such redemptions or investments, an underlying fund could be required to sell securities or to invest cash at a time when it may not otherwise desire to do so. Such transactions may increase an underlying fund's brokerage and/or other transaction costs and affect the liquidity of a fund's portfolio. In addition, when funds of funds or other investors own a substantial portion of an underlying fund's shares, a large redemption by such an investor could cause actual expenses to increase, or could result in the underlying fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the underlying fund's expense ratio. Redemptions of underlying fund shares could also accelerate the realization of taxable capital gains in the fund if sales of securities result in capital gains. The impact of these transactions is likely to be greater when a fund of funds or other significant investor purchases, redeems, or owns a substantial portion of the underlying fund's shares.
When possible, Fidelity will consider how to minimize these potential adverse effects, and may take such actions as it deems appropriate to address potential adverse effects, including redemption of shares in-kind rather than in cash or carrying out the transactions over a period of time, although there can be no assurance that such actions will be successful. A high volume of redemption requests can impact an underlying fund the same way as the transactions of a single shareholder with substantial investments. As an additional safeguard, Fidelity® fund of funds may manage the placement of their redemption requests in a manner designed to minimize the impact of such requests on the day-to-day operations of the underlying funds in which they invest. This may involve, for example, redeeming its shares of an underlying fund gradually over time or through use of a transition account.
Fund's Rights as an Investor. Fidelity® funds do not intend to direct or administer the day-to-day operations of any company. A fund may, however, exercise its rights as a shareholder or lender and may communicate its views on important matters of policy to a company's management, board of directors, and shareholders, and holders of a company's other securities when such matters could have a significant effect on the value of the fund's investment in the company. The activities in which a fund may engage, either individually or in conjunction with others, may include, among others, supporting or opposing proposed changes in a company's corporate structure or business activities; seeking changes in a company's directors or management; seeking changes in a company's direction or policies; seeking the sale or reorganization of the company or a portion of its assets; supporting or opposing third-party takeover efforts; supporting the filing of a bankruptcy petition; or foreclosing on collateral securing a security. This area of corporate activity is increasingly prone to litigation and it is possible that a fund could be involved in lawsuits related to such activities. Such activities will be monitored with a view to mitigating, to the extent possible, the risk of litigation against a fund and the risk of actual liability if a fund is involved in litigation. No guarantee can be made, however, that litigation against a fund will not be undertaken or liabilities incurred. A fund's proxy voting guidelines are included in its SAI.
Futures, Options, and Swaps. The success of any strategy involving futures, options, and swaps depends on an adviser's analysis of many economic and mathematical factors and a fund's return may be higher if it never invested in such instruments. Additionally, some of the contracts discussed below are new instruments without a trading history and there can be no assurance that a market for the instruments will continue to exist. Government legislation or regulation could affect the use of such instruments and could limit a fund's ability to pursue its investment strategies. If a fund invests a significant portion of its assets in derivatives, its investment exposure could far exceed the value of its portfolio securities and its investment performance could be primarily dependent upon securities it does not own.
The policies and limitations regarding the fund's investments in futures contracts, options, and swaps may be changed as regulatory agencies permit.
The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which a fund may enter into futures, options on futures, and forward contracts.
Futures Contracts. In purchasing a futures contract, the buyer agrees to purchase a specified underlying instrument at a specified future date. In selling a futures contract, the seller agrees to sell a specified underlying instrument at a specified date. Futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts and the price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when the buyer and seller enter into the contract. Some currently available futures contracts are based on specific securities or baskets of securities, some are based on commodities or commodities indexes (for funds that seek commodities exposure), and some are based on indexes of securities prices (including foreign indexes for funds that seek foreign exposure). Futures on indexes and futures not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through cash payments rather than through delivery of the underlying instrument. Futures can be held until their delivery dates, or can be closed out by offsetting purchases or sales of futures contracts before then if a liquid market is available. A fund may realize a gain or loss by closing out its futures contracts.
The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of its underlying instrument. Therefore, purchasing futures contracts will tend to increase a fund's exposure to positive and negative price fluctuations in the underlying instrument, much as if it had purchased the underlying instrument directly. When a fund sells a futures contract, by contrast, the value of its futures position will tend to move in a direction contrary to the market for the underlying instrument. Selling futures contracts, therefore, will tend to offset both positive and negative market price changes, much as if the underlying instrument had been sold.
The purchaser or seller of a futures contract or an option for a futures contract is not required to deliver or pay for the underlying instrument or the final cash settlement price, as applicable, unless the contract is held until the delivery date. However, both the purchaser and seller are required to deposit "initial margin" with a futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant, when the contract is entered into. If the value of either party's position declines, that party will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to settle the change in value on a daily basis. This process of "marking to market" will be reflected in the daily calculation of open positions computed in a fund's NAV. The party that has a gain is entitled to receive all or a portion of this amount. Initial and variation margin payments do not constitute purchasing securities on margin for purposes of a fund's investment limitations. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a fund, but is instead a settlement between a fund and the futures commission merchant of the amount one would owe the other if the fund's contract expired. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a futures commission merchant that holds margin on behalf of a fund, the fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the futures commission merchant's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the fund.
Although futures exchanges generally operate similarly in the United States and abroad, foreign futures exchanges may follow trading, settlement, and margin procedures that are different from those for U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts traded outside the United States may not involve a clearing mechanism or related guarantees and may involve greater risk of loss than U.S.-traded contracts, including potentially greater risk of losses due to insolvency of a futures broker, exchange member, or other party that may owe initial or variation margin to a fund. Because initial and variation margin payments may be measured in foreign currency, a futures contract traded outside the United States may also involve the risk of foreign currency fluctuation.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for futures contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may work to prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.
If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or other market conditions, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value. These risks may be heightened for commodity futures contracts, which have historically been subject to greater price volatility than exists for instruments such as stocks and bonds.
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded futures contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in futures contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the futures position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell futures contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's futures positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments. In addition, the price of a commodity futures contract can reflect the storage costs associated with the purchase of the physical commodity.
Futures contracts on U.S. Government securities historically have reacted to an increase or decrease in interest rates in a manner similar to the manner in which the underlying U.S. Government securities reacted. To the extent, however, that a fund enters into such futures contracts, the value of these futures contracts will not vary in direct proportion to the value of the fund's holdings of U.S. Government securities. Thus, the anticipated spread between the price of the futures contract and the hedged security may be distorted due to differences in the nature of the markets. The spread also may be distorted by differences in initial and variation margin requirements, the liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.
Options. By purchasing a put option, the purchaser obtains the right (but not the obligation) to sell the option's underlying instrument at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, the purchaser pays the current market price for the option (known as the option premium). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific assets or securities, baskets of assets or securities, indexes of securities or commodities prices, and futures contracts (including commodity futures contracts). Options may be traded on an exchange or OTC. The purchaser may terminate its position in a put option by allowing it to expire or by exercising the option. If the option is allowed to expire, the purchaser will lose the entire premium. If the option is exercised, the purchaser completes the sale of the underlying instrument at the strike price. Depending on the terms of the contract, upon exercise, an option may require physical delivery of the underlying instrument or may be settled through cash payments. A purchaser may also terminate a put option position by closing it out in the secondary market at its current price, if a liquid secondary market exists.
The buyer of a typical put option can expect to realize a gain if the underlying instrument's price falls substantially. However, if the underlying instrument's price does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer can expect to suffer a loss (limited to the amount of the premium, plus related transaction costs).
The features of call options are essentially the same as those of put options, except that the purchaser of a call option obtains the right (but not the obligation) to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. A call buyer typically attempts to participate in potential price increases of the underlying instrument with risk limited to the cost of the option if the underlying instrument's price falls. At the same time, the buyer can expect to suffer a loss if the underlying instrument's price does not rise sufficiently to offset the cost of the option.
The writer of a put or call option takes the opposite side of the transaction from the option's purchaser. In return for receipt of the premium, the writer assumes the obligation to pay or receive the strike price for the option's underlying instrument if the other party to the option chooses to exercise it. The writer may seek to terminate a position in a put option before exercise by closing out the option in the secondary market at its current price. If the secondary market is not liquid for a put option, however, the writer must continue to be prepared to pay the strike price while the option is outstanding, regardless of price changes. When writing an option on a futures contract, a fund will be required to make margin payments to a futures commission merchant as described above for futures contracts.
If the underlying instrument's price rises, a put writer would generally expect to profit, although its gain would be limited to the amount of the premium it received. If the underlying instrument's price remains the same over time, it is likely that the writer will also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a lower price. If the underlying instrument's price falls, the put writer would expect to suffer a loss. This loss should be less than the loss from purchasing the underlying instrument directly, however, because the premium received for writing the option should mitigate the effects of the decline.
Writing a call option obligates the writer to sell or deliver the option's underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, upon exercise of the option. The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that writing calls generally is a profitable strategy if prices remain the same or fall. Through receipt of the option premium, a call writer should mitigate the effects of a price increase. At the same time, because a call writer must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, even if its current value is greater, a call writer gives up some ability to participate in price increases and, if a call writer does not hold the underlying instrument, a call writer's loss is theoretically unlimited.
Where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price to close out the put or call option on the secondary market may move more or less than the price of the related security.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular options contract at any particular time. Options may have relatively low trading volume and liquidity if their strike prices are not close to the underlying instrument's current price. In addition, exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for exchange-traded options contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or otherwise, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value.
Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size, and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the purchaser or writer greater flexibility to tailor an option to its needs, OTC options generally are less liquid and involve greater credit risk than exchange-traded options, which are backed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
Combined positions involve purchasing and writing options in combination with each other, or in combination with futures or forward contracts, to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, purchasing a put option and writing a call option on the same underlying instrument would construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract. Another possible combined position would involve writing a call option at one strike price and buying a call option at a lower price, to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
A fund may also buy and sell options on swaps (swaptions), which are generally options on interest rate swaps. An option on a swap gives a party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to extend, shorten, cancel or modify an existing contract at a specific date in the future in exchange for a premium. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes (sells) an option on a swap than it will incur when it purchases an option on a swap. When a fund purchases an option on a swap, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a fund writes an option on a swap, upon exercise of the option the fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. A fund that writes an option on a swap receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the preset rate on the underlying interest rate swap. Whether a fund's use of options on swaps will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Options on swaps may involve risks similar to those discussed below in "Swap Agreements."
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded options contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in options contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the options position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Options prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Options prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell options contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's options positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments.
Swap Agreements. Under a typical equity swap agreement, a counterparty such as a bank or broker-dealer agrees to pay a fund a return equal to the dividend payments and increase in value, if any, of an index or group of stocks, or of a stock, and the fund agrees in return to pay a fixed or floating rate of interest, plus any declines in value of the index. Swap agreements can also have features providing for maximum or minimum exposure to a designated index. In order to hedge its exposure effectively, a fund would generally have to own other assets returning approximately the same amount as the interest rate payable by the fund under the swap agreement.
Swap agreements allow a fund to acquire or reduce credit exposure to a particular issuer, asset, or basket of assets. The most significant factor in the performance of swap agreements is the change in value of the specific index, security, or currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from a fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a fund, the fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. If the creditworthiness of a fund's swap counterparty declines, the risk that the counterparty may not perform could increase, potentially resulting in a loss to the fund and impairing the fund's correlation with its applicable index. Although there can be no assurance that a fund will be able to do so, a fund may be able to reduce or eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or another more creditworthy party.
A fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. A fund would generally be required to provide margin or collateral for the benefit of that counterparty. If a counterparty to a swap transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited temporarily or permanently in exercising its right to the return of related fund assets designated as margin or collateral in an action against the counterparty.
Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to a fund's interest. A fund bears the risk that an adviser will not accurately forecast market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other economic factors in establishing swap positions for a fund. If an adviser attempts to use a swap as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, a fund may be exposed to the risk that the swap will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment, which could cause substantial losses for a fund. While hedging strategies involving swap instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other fund investments. Swaps are complex and often valued subjectively.
Hybrid and Preferred Securities. A hybrid security may be a debt security, warrant, convertible security, certificate of deposit or other evidence of indebtedness on which the value of the interest on or principal of which is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument or financial strength of a reference entity (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, index, or business entity such as a financial institution). Another example is contingent convertible securities, which are fixed income securities that, under certain circumstances, either convert into common stock of the issuer or undergo a principal write-down by a predetermined percentage if the issuer's capital ratio falls below a predetermined trigger level. The liquidation value of such a security may be reduced upon a regulatory action and without the need for a bankruptcy proceeding. Preferred securities may take the form of preferred stock and represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds generally take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.
The risks of investing in hybrid and preferred securities reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid or preferred security may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt or equity security. The risks of a particular hybrid or preferred security will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the value of any applicable reference instrument. Such risks may depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid or preferred security. Hybrid and preferred securities are potentially more volatile and carry greater market and liquidity risks than traditional debt or equity securities. Also, the price of the hybrid or preferred security and any applicable reference instrument may not move in the same direction or at the same time. In addition, because hybrid and preferred securities may be traded over-the-counter or in bilateral transactions with the issuer of the security, hybrid and preferred securities may be subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the security and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates. In addition, uncertainty regarding the tax and regulatory treatment of hybrid and preferred securities may reduce demand for such securities and tax and regulatory considerations may limit the extent of a fund's investments in certain hybrid and preferred securities.
Illiquid Investments means any investment that cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Difficulty in selling or disposing of illiquid investments may result in a loss or may be costly to a fund. Illiquid securities may include (1) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days without demand/redemption features, (2) OTC options and certain other derivatives, (3) private placements, (4) securities traded on markets and exchanges with structural constraints, and (5) loan participations.
Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, a Fidelity® fund's adviser classifies the liquidity of a fund's investments and monitors the extent of a fund's illiquid investments.
Various market, trading and investment-specific factors may be considered in determining the liquidity of a fund's investments including, but not limited to (1) the existence of an active trading market, (2) the nature of the security and the market in which it trades, (3) the number, diversity, and quality of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace, (4) the frequency, volume, and volatility of trade and price quotations, (5) bid-ask spreads, (6) dates of issuance and maturity, (7) demand, put or tender features, and (8) restrictions on trading or transferring the investment.
Fidelity classifies certain investments as illiquid based upon these criteria. Fidelity also monitors for certain market, trading and investment-specific events that may cause Fidelity to re-evaluate an investment's liquidity status and may lead to an investment being classified as illiquid. In addition, Fidelity uses a third-party to assist with the liquidity classifications of the fund's investments, which includes calculating the time to sell and settle a specified size position in a particular investment without the sale significantly changing the market value of the investment.
Increasing Government Debt. The total public debt of the United States and other countries around the globe as a percent of gross domestic product has, at times, grown rapidly. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented.
A high national debt level may increase market pressures to meet government funding needs, which may drive debt cost higher and cause a country to sell additional debt, thereby increasing refinancing risk. A high national debt also raises concerns that a government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. In the worst case, unsustainable debt levels can decline the valuation of currencies, and can prevent a government from implementing effective counter-cyclical fiscal policy in economic downturns.
Rating services have, in the past, lowered their long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States. The market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government may be adversely affected by rating services' decision to downgrade the long-term sovereign credit rating of the United States.
Indexed Securities are instruments whose prices are indexed to the prices of other securities, securities indexes, or other financial indicators. Indexed securities typically, but not always, are debt securities or deposits whose values at maturity or coupon rates are determined by reference to a specific instrument, statistic, or measure.
Indexed securities also include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and other fixed-income securities whose values at maturity or coupon interest rates are determined by reference to the returns of particular stock indexes. Indexed securities can be affected by stock prices as well as changes in interest rates and the creditworthiness of their issuers and may not track the indexes as accurately as direct investments in the indexes.
Insolvency of Issuers, Counterparties, and Intermediaries. Issuers of fund portfolio securities or counterparties to fund transactions that become insolvent or declare bankruptcy can pose special investment risks. In each circumstance, risk of loss, valuation uncertainty, increased illiquidity, and other unpredictable occurrences may negatively impact an investment. Each of these risks may be amplified in foreign markets, where security trading, settlement, and custodial practices can be less developed than those in the U.S. markets, and bankruptcy laws differ from those of the U.S.
As a general matter, if the issuer of a fund portfolio security is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock have priority over the claims of common stock owners. These events can negatively impact the value of the issuer's securities and the results of related proceedings can be unpredictable.
If a counterparty to a fund transaction, such as a swap transaction, a short sale, a borrowing, or other complex transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited in its ability to exercise rights to obtain the return of related fund assets or in exercising other rights against the counterparty. Uncertainty may also arise upon the insolvency of a securities or commodities intermediary such as a broker-dealer or futures commission merchant with which a fund has pending transactions. In addition, insolvency and liquidation proceedings take time to resolve, which can limit or preclude a fund's ability to terminate a transaction or obtain related assets or collateral in a timely fashion. If an intermediary becomes insolvent, while securities positions and other holdings may be protected by U.S. or foreign laws, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether these protections are available to specific trades based on the circumstances. Receiving the benefit of these protections can also take time to resolve, which may result in illiquid positions.
Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program. Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, a Fidelity® fund may lend money to, and borrow money from, other funds advised by FMR or its affiliates. A Fidelity® fund will borrow through the program only when the costs are equal to or lower than the costs of bank loans. A Fidelity® fund will lend through the program only when the returns are higher than those available from an investment in repurchase agreements. Interfund loans and borrowings normally extend overnight, but can have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. A Fidelity® fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.
Investment-Grade Debt Securities. Investment-grade debt securities include all types of debt instruments that are of medium and high-quality. Investment-grade debt securities include repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities as well as repurchase agreements collateralized by equity securities, non-investment-grade debt, and all other instruments in which a fund can perfect a security interest, provided the repurchase agreement counterparty has an investment-grade rating. Some investment-grade debt securities may possess speculative characteristics and may be more sensitive to economic changes and to changes in the financial conditions of issuers. An investment-grade rating means the security or issuer is rated investment-grade by a credit rating agency registered as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) with the SEC (for example, Moody's Investors Service, Inc.), or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by a fund's adviser. For purposes of determining the maximum maturity of an investment-grade debt security, an adviser may take into account normal settlement periods.
Loans and Other Direct Debt Instruments. Direct debt instruments are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to lenders or lending syndicates (loans and loan participations), to suppliers of goods or services (trade claims or other receivables), or to other parties. Direct debt instruments involve a risk of loss in case of default or insolvency of the borrower and may offer less legal protection to the purchaser in the event of fraud or misrepresentation, or there may be a requirement that a fund supply additional cash to a borrower on demand. A fund may acquire loans by buying an assignment of all or a portion of the loan from a lender or by purchasing a loan participation from a lender or other purchaser of a participation.
Lenders and purchasers of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. If scheduled interest or principal payments are not made, the value of the instrument may be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured provide more protections than an unsecured loan in the event of failure to make scheduled interest or principal payments. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the borrower's obligation, or that the collateral could be liquidated. Indebtedness of borrowers whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks and may be highly speculative. Different types of assets may be used as collateral for a fund's loans and there can be no assurance that a fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the fund's loans. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy or restructuring may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. In any restructuring or bankruptcy proceedings relating to a borrower funded by a fund, a fund may be required to accept collateral with less value than the amount of the loan made by the fund to the borrower. Direct indebtedness of foreign countries also involves a risk that the governmental entities responsible for the repayment of the debt may be unable, or unwilling, to pay interest and repay principal when due.
Loans and other types of direct indebtedness (which a fund may originate, acquire or otherwise gain exposure to) may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Some indebtedness may be difficult to dispose of readily at what the Adviser believes to be a fair price. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining a fund's net asset value than if that value were based on readily available market quotations, and could result in significant variations in a fund's daily share price. Some loan interests are traded among certain financial institutions and accordingly may be deemed liquid. As the market for different types of indebtedness develops, the liquidity of these instruments is expected to improve.
Direct lending and investments in loans through direct assignment of a financial institution's interests with respect to a loan may involve additional risks. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, the lender/purchaser could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In the event of a default by the borrower, a fund may have difficulty disposing of the assets used as collateral for a loan. In addition, a purchaser could be held liable as a co-lender. Direct debt instruments may also involve a risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other intermediary.
A loan is often administered by a bank or other financial institution that acts as agent for all holders. The agent administers the terms of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, the purchaser has direct recourse against the borrower, the purchaser may have to rely on the agent to apply appropriate credit remedies against a borrower. If assets held by the agent for the benefit of a purchaser were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent's general creditors, the purchaser might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on the loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal or interest. Direct loans are typically not administered by an underwriter or agent bank. The terms of direct loans are negotiated with borrowers in private transactions. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market.
A fund may seek to dispose of loans in certain cases, to the extent possible, through selling participations in the loan. In that case, a fund would remain subject to certain obligations, which may result in expenses for a fund and certain additional risks.
Direct indebtedness may include letters of credit, revolving credit facilities, or other standby financing commitments that obligate lenders/purchasers, including a fund, to make additional cash payments on demand. These commitments may have the effect of requiring a lender/purchaser to increase its investment in a borrower at a time when it would not otherwise have done so, even if the borrower's condition makes it unlikely that the amount will ever be repaid.
In the process of originating, buying, selling and holding loans, a fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to the interest payments received and may include facility, closing or upfront fees, commitment fees and commissions. A fund may receive or pay a facility, closing or upfront fee when it buys or sells a loan. A fund may receive a commitment fee throughout the life of the loan or as long as the fund remains invested in the loan (in addition to interest payments) for any unused portion of a committed line of credit. Other fees received by the fund may include prepayment fees, covenant waiver fees, ticking fees and/or modification fees. Legal fees related to the originating, buying, selling and holding loans may also be borne by the fund (including legal fees to assess conformity of a loan investment with 1940 Act provisions).
When engaging in direct lending, if permitted by its investment policies, a fund's performance may depend, in part, on the ability of the fund to originate loans on advantageous terms. A fund may compete with other lenders in originating and purchasing loans. Increased competition for, or a diminished available supply of, qualifying loans could result in lower yields on and/or less advantageous terms for such loans, which could reduce fund performance.
For a Fidelity® fund that limits the amount of total assets that it will invest in any one issuer or in issuers within the same industry, the fund generally will treat the borrower as the "issuer" of indebtedness held by the fund. In the case of loan participations where a bank or other lending institution serves as financial intermediary between a fund and the borrower, if the participation does not shift to the fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the borrower, SEC interpretations require a fund, in appropriate circumstances, to treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the borrower as "issuers" for these purposes. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict a fund's ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or a group of intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the underlying borrowers represent many different companies and industries.
A fund may choose, at its expense or in conjunction with others, to pursue litigation or otherwise to exercise its rights as a security holder to seek to protect the interests of security holders if it determines this to be in the best interest of the fund's shareholders.
If permitted by its investment policies, a fund may also obtain exposure to the lending activities described above indirectly through its investments in underlying Fidelity® funds or other vehicles that may engage in such activities directly.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Equity REITs own real estate properties, while mortgage REITs make construction, development, and long-term mortgage loans. Their value may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property of the trusts, the creditworthiness of the issuer, property taxes, interest rates, and tax and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment. Both types of trusts are dependent upon management skill, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status of income under the Internal Revenue Code and failing to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act.
Repurchase Agreements involve an agreement to purchase a security and to sell that security back to the original seller at an agreed-upon price. The resale price reflects the purchase price plus an agreed-upon incremental amount which is unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. As protection against the risk that the original seller will not fulfill its obligation, the securities are held in a separate account at a bank, marked-to-market daily, and maintained at a value at least equal to the sale price plus the accrued incremental amount. The value of the security purchased may be more or less than the price at which the counterparty has agreed to purchase the security. In addition, delays or losses could result if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes insolvent. A fund may be limited in its ability to exercise its right to liquidate assets related to a repurchase agreement with an insolvent counterparty. A Fidelity® fund may engage in repurchase agreement transactions with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser.
Restricted Securities (including Private Placements) are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling securities may result in a loss or be costly to a fund. Restricted securities, including private placements of private and public companies, generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (1933 Act), or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of a registered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the holder might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a fund sells a security to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at an agreed-upon price and time. A Fidelity® fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser. Such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of a fund's assets and, if applicable, a fund's yield, and may be viewed as a form of leverage. Under SEC requirements, a fund needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with its reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions.
SEC Rule 18f-4. In October 2020, the SEC adopted a final rule related to the use of derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and certain other transactions by registered investment companies (the "rule"). Subject to certain exceptions, the rule requires the funds to trade derivatives and certain other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations subject to a value-at-risk (VaR) leverage limit and to certain derivatives risk management program, reporting and board oversight requirements. Generally, these requirements apply to any fund engaging in derivatives transactions unless a fund satisfies a "limited derivatives users" exception, which requires the fund to limit its gross notional derivatives exposure (with certain exceptions) to 10% of its net assets and to adopt derivatives risk management procedures. Under the rule, when a fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. The SEC also provided guidance in connection with the final rule regarding the use of securities lending collateral that may limit securities lending activities. In addition, under the rule, a fund may invest in a security on a when-issued or forward-settling basis, or with a non-standard settlement cycle, and the transaction will be deemed not to involve a senior security (as defined under Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act), provided that (i) the fund intends to physically settle the transaction and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date (the "Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision"). A fund may otherwise engage in when-issued, forward-settling and non-standard settlement cycle securities transactions that do not meet the conditions of the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision so long as the fund treats any such transaction as a derivatives transaction for purposes of compliance with the rule. Furthermore, under the rule, a fund will be permitted to enter into an unfunded commitment agreement, and such unfunded commitment agreement will not be subject to the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act, if the fund reasonably believes, at the time it enters into such agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all such agreements as they come due. These requirements may limit the ability of the funds to use derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, and the other relevant transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements also may increase the cost of the fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.
Securities Lending. A Fidelity® fund may lend securities to parties such as broker-dealers or other institutions, including an affiliate, National Financial Services LLC (NFS). Fidelity® funds for which Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) serves as sub-adviser will not lend securities to Geode or its affiliates. Securities lending allows a fund to retain ownership of the securities loaned and, at the same time, earn additional income. The borrower provides the fund with collateral in an amount at least equal to the value of the securities loaned. The fund seeks to maintain the ability to obtain the right to vote or consent on proxy proposals involving material events affecting securities loaned. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased. For a Fidelity® fund, loans will be made only to parties deemed by the fund's adviser to be in good standing and when, in the adviser's judgment, the income earned would justify the risks.
The Fidelity® funds have retained agents, including NFS, an affiliate of the funds, to act as securities lending agent. If NFS acts as securities lending agent for a fund, it is subject to the overall supervision of the fund's adviser, and NFS will administer the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the fund's Trustees.
Cash received as collateral through loan transactions may be invested in other eligible securities, including shares of a money market fund. Investing this cash subjects that investment, as well as the securities loaned, to market appreciation or depreciation.
Securities of Other Investment Companies, including shares of closed-end investment companies (which include business development companies (BDCs)), unit investment trusts, and open-end investment companies such as mutual funds and ETFs, represent interests in professionally managed portfolios that may invest in any type of instrument. Investing in other investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments, but may involve additional expenses at the underlying investment company-level, such as portfolio management fees and operating expenses. Fees and expenses incurred indirectly by a fund as a result of its investment in shares of one or more other investment companies generally are referred to as "acquired fund fees and expenses" and may appear as a separate line item in a fund's prospectus fee table. For certain investment companies, such as BDCs, these expenses may be significant. Certain types of investment companies, such as closed-end investment companies, issue a fixed number of shares that trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their NAV. Others are continuously offered at NAV, but may also be traded in the secondary market. Similarly, ETFs trade on a securities exchange and may trade at a premium or a discount to their NAV.
The securities of closed-end funds may be leveraged. As a result, a fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of closed-end funds that use leverage may expose a fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the fund's long-term returns on such securities will be diminished.
A fund's ability to invest in securities of other investment companies may be limited by federal securities laws. To the extent a fund acquires securities issued by unaffiliated investment companies, the Adviser's access to information regarding such underlying fund's portfolio may be limited and subject to such fund's policies regarding disclosure of fund holdings.
A fund that seeks to track the performance of a particular index could invest in investment companies that seek to track the performance of indexes other than the index that the fund seeks to track.
Short Sales "Against the Box" are short sales of securities that a fund owns or has the right to obtain (equivalent in kind or amount to the securities sold short). If a fund enters into a short sale against the box, it will be required to set aside securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short (or securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and will be required to hold such securities while the short sale is outstanding. A fund will incur transaction costs, including interest expenses, in connection with opening, maintaining, and closing short sales against the box.
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs). A fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of SPACs or similar special purpose entities that pool money to seek potential acquisition opportunities. SPACs are collective investment structures formed to raise money in an initial public offering for the purpose of merging with or acquiring one or more operating companies (the "de-SPAC Transaction"). Until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets in US government securities, money market securities and cash. In connection with a de-SPAC Transaction, the SPAC may complete a PIPE (private investment in public equity) offering with certain investors. A fund may enter into a contingent commitment with a SPAC to purchase PIPE shares if and when the SPAC completes its de-SPAC Transaction.
Because SPACs do not have an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the SPAC's management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. An investment in a SPAC is subject to a variety of risks, including that (i) an attractive acquisition or merger target may not be identified at all and the SPAC will be required to return any remaining monies to shareholders; (ii) an acquisition or merger once effected may prove unsuccessful and an investment in the SPAC may lose value; (iii) the values of investments in SPACs may be highly volatile and may depreciate significantly over time; (iv) no or only a thinly traded market for shares of or interests in a SPAC may develop, leaving a fund unable to sell its interest in a SPAC or to sell its interest only at a price below what the fund believes is the SPAC interest's intrinsic value; (v) any proposed merger or acquisition may be unable to obtain the requisite approval, if any, of shareholders; (vi) an investment in a SPAC may be diluted by additional later offerings of interests in the SPAC or by other investors exercising existing rights to purchase shares of the SPAC; (vii) the warrants or other rights with respect to the SPAC held by a fund may expire worthless or may be repurchased or retired by the SPAC at an unfavorable price; (viii) a fund may be delayed in receiving any redemption or liquidation proceeds from a SPAC to which it is entitled; and (ix) a significant portion of the monies raised by the SPAC for the purpose of identifying and effecting an acquisition or merger may be expended during the search for a target transaction.
Purchased PIPE shares will be restricted from trading until the registration statement for the shares is declared effective. Upon registration, the shares can be freely sold, but only pursuant to an effective registration statement or other exemption from registration. The securities issued by a SPAC, which are typically traded either in the over-the-counter market or on an exchange, may be considered illiquid, more difficult to value, and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.
Structured Securities (also called "structured notes") are derivative debt securities, the interest rate on or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. The value of the interest rate on and/or the principal of structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, or index) or the relative change in two or more reference instruments. A structured security may be positively, negatively, or both positively and negatively indexed; that is, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases. Similarly, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument decreases. Further, the change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured security may be calculated as a multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument(s); therefore, the value of such structured security may be very volatile. Structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities. In addition, because structured securities generally are traded over-the-counter, structured securities are subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the structured security, and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates.
Transfer Agent Bank Accounts. Proceeds from shareholder purchases of a Fidelity® fund may pass through a series of demand deposit bank accounts before being held at the fund's custodian. Redemption proceeds may pass from the custodian to the shareholder through a similar series of bank accounts.
If a bank account is registered to the transfer agent or an affiliate, who acts as an agent for the fund when opening, closing, and conducting business in the bank account, the transfer agent or an affiliate may invest overnight balances in the account in repurchase agreements. Any balances that are not invested in repurchase agreements remain in the bank account overnight. Any risks associated with such an account are investment risks of the fund. The fund faces the risk of loss of these balances if the bank becomes insolvent.
Warrants. Warrants are instruments which entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss.
Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.
Zero Coupon Bonds do not make interest payments; instead, they are sold at a discount from their face value and are redeemed at face value when they mature. Because zero coupon bonds do not pay current income, their prices can be more volatile than other types of fixed-income securities when interest rates change. In calculating a fund's dividend, a portion of the difference between a zero coupon bond's purchase price and its face value is considered income.
In addition to the investment policies and limitations discussed above, a fund is subject to the additional operational risk discussed below.
Considerations Regarding Cybersecurity. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, a fund's service providers are susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events and may arise from external or internal sources. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information; corrupting data, equipment or systems; or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber incidents affecting a fund's manager, any sub-adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with a fund's ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of fund shareholders to transact business, destruction to equipment and systems, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cyber incidents affecting issuers of securities in which a fund invests, counterparties with which a fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for fund shareholders) and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future.
While a fund's service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect a fund or its shareholders. A fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities are placed on behalf of the fund by Geode pursuant to authority contained in the management contract and the sub-advisory agreement.
Geode may be responsible for the placement of portfolio securities transactions for other investment companies and investment accounts for which it has or its affiliates have investment discretion.
The fund will not incur any commissions or sales charges when it invests in shares of mutual funds (including any underlying Central funds), but it may incur such costs when it invests directly in other types of securities.
Purchases and sales of equity securities on a securities exchange or OTC are effected through brokers who receive compensation for their services. Generally, compensation relating to securities traded on foreign exchanges will be higher than compensation relating to securities traded on U.S. exchanges and may not be subject to negotiation. Compensation may also be paid in connection with principal transactions (in both OTC securities and securities listed on an exchange) and agency OTC transactions executed with an electronic communications network (ECN) or an alternative trading system. Equity securities may be purchased from underwriters at prices that include underwriting fees.
Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally made with an issuer or a primary market-maker acting as principal. Although there is no stated brokerage commission paid by the fund for any fixed-income security, the price paid by the fund to an underwriter includes the disclosed underwriting fee and prices in secondary trades usually include an undisclosed dealer commission or markup reflecting the spread between the bid and ask prices of the fixed-income security. New issues of equity and fixed-income securities may also be purchased in underwritten fixed price offerings.
The Trustees of the fund periodically review Geode's performance of its responsibilities in connection with the placement of portfolio securities transactions on behalf of the fund. The Trustees also review the compensation paid by the fund over representative periods of time to determine if it was reasonable in relation to the benefits to the fund.
Geode.
The Selection of Brokers
In selecting brokers or dealers (including affiliates of FMR) to execute the fund's portfolio transactions, Geode considers factors deemed relevant in the context of a particular trade and in regard to Geode's overall responsibilities with respect to the fund and other investment accounts, including any instructions from the fund's portfolio manager, which may emphasize, for example, speed of execution over other factors. The factors considered will influence whether it is appropriate to execute an order using ECNs, electronic channels including algorithmic trading, or by actively working an order. Other factors deemed relevant may include, but are not limited to: price; the size and type of the transaction; the reasonableness of compensation to be paid, including spreads and commission rates; the speed and certainty of trade executions; the nature and characteristics of the markets for the security to be purchased or sold, including the degree of specialization of the broker in such markets or securities; the availability of liquidity in the security, including the liquidity and depth afforded by a market center or market-maker; the reliability of a market center or broker; the degree of anonymity that a particular broker or market can provide; the potential for avoiding market impact; the execution services rendered on a continuing basis; the execution efficiency, settlement capability, and financial condition of the firm; arrangements for payment of fund expenses, if applicable; and the provision of additional brokerage and research products and services, if applicable. In seeking best qualitative execution, Geode may select a broker using a trading method for which the broker may charge a higher commission than its lowest available commission rate. Geode also may select a broker that charges more than the lowest commission rate available from another broker. For futures transactions, the selection of a futures commission merchant is generally based on the overall quality of execution and other services provided by the futures commission merchant.
The Acquisition of Brokerage and Research Products and Services
Brokers (who are not affiliates of FMR) that execute transactions for the fund may receive higher compensation from the fund than other brokers might have charged the fund, in recognition of the value of the brokerage or research products and services they provide to Geode.
Research Products and Services. These products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law: economic, industry, company, municipal, sovereign (U.S. and non-U.S.), legal, or political research reports; market color; company meeting facilitation; compilation of securities prices, earnings, dividends and similar data; quotation services, data, information and other services; analytical computer software and services; and investment recommendations. In addition to receiving brokerage and research products and services via written reports and computer-delivered services, such reports may also be provided by telephone and in person meetings with securities analysts, corporate and industry spokespersons, economists, academicians and government representatives and others with relevant professional expertise. Geode may request that a broker provide a specific proprietary or third-party product or service. Some of these products and services supplement Geode's own research activities in providing investment advice to the fund.
Execution Services. In addition, products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law, those that assist in the execution, clearing, and settlement of securities transactions, as well as other incidental functions (including, but not limited to, communication services related to trade execution, order routing and algorithmic trading, post-trade matching, exchange of messages among brokers or dealers, custodians and institutions, and the use of electronic confirmation and affirmation of institutional trades).
Mixed-Use Products and Services. Geode may use commission dollars to obtain certain products or services that are not used exclusively in Geode's investment decision-making process (mixed-use products or services). In those circumstances, Geode will make a good faith judgment to evaluate the various benefits and uses to which they intend to put the mixed-use product or service, and will pay for that portion of the mixed-use product or service that does not qualify as brokerage and research products and services with their own resources (referred to as "hard dollars").
Benefit to Geode. Geode's expenses would likely be increased if it attempted to generate these additional products and services through its own efforts, or if it paid for these products or services itself. Certain of the brokerage and research products and services Geode receives are furnished by brokers on their own initiative, either in connection with a particular transaction or as part of their overall services. Some of these products or services may not have an explicit cost associated with such product or service.
Geode's Decision-Making Process. Before causing the fund to pay a particular level of compensation, Geode will make a good faith determination that the compensation is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research products and services provided to Geode, viewed in terms of the particular transaction for the fund or Geode's overall responsibilities to the fund or other investment companies and investment accounts. While Geode may take into account the brokerage and/or research products and services provided by a broker in determining whether compensation paid is reasonable, neither Geode nor the fund incurs an obligation to any broker, dealer, or third party to pay for any product or service (or portion thereof) by generating a specific amount of compensation or otherwise. Typically, these products and services assist Geode in terms of its overall investment responsibilities to the fund and other investment companies and investment accounts; however, each product or service received may not benefit the fund. Certain funds or investment accounts may use brokerage commissions to acquire brokerage and research products and services that may also benefit other funds or accounts managed by Geode.
Affiliated Transactions
Geode may place trades with certain brokers, including NFS, through its Fidelity Capital Markets (FCM) division, and Luminex Trading & Analytics LLC (Luminex), with whom FMR is under common control, provided it determines that these affiliates' trade execution abilities and costs are comparable to those of non-affiliated, qualified brokerage firms.
The Trustees of the fund have approved procedures whereby a fund is permitted to purchase securities that are offered in underwritings in which an affiliate of the adviser or certain other affiliates participate. In addition, for underwritings where such an affiliate participates as a principal underwriter, certain restrictions may apply that could, among other things, limit the amount of securities that the fund could purchase in the underwritings.
Trade Allocation
Although the Trustees and officers of the fund are substantially the same as those of certain other Fidelity® funds, investment decisions for the fund are made independently from those of other Fidelity® funds or investment accounts (including proprietary accounts).The same security is often held in the portfolio of more than one of these funds or investment accounts. Simultaneous transactions are inevitable when several funds and investment accounts are managed by the same investment adviser, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objective of more than one fund or investment account.
When two or more funds or investment accounts are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security or instrument, the prices and amounts are allocated in accordance with procedures believed to be appropriate and equitable to each fund or investment account. In some cases this could have a detrimental effect on the price or value of the security or instrument as far as the fund is concerned. In other cases, however, the ability of the fund to participate in volume transactions will produce better executions and prices for the fund.
Orders for funds and investment accounts are not typically combined or "blocked". However, Geode may, when feasible and when consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all funds and investment accounts and best execution, block orders of various funds and investment accounts for order entry and execution.
Geode has established allocation policies for its various funds and investment accounts to ensure allocations are appropriate given its clients' differing investment objectives and other considerations. When the supply/demand is insufficient to satisfy all outstanding trade orders, generally the amount executed is distributed among participating funds and investment accounts based on account asset size (for purchases and short sales), and security position size (for sales and covers), or otherwise according to the allocation policies. These policies also apply to initial public and secondary offerings. Generally, allocations are determined by traders, independent of portfolio managers, in accordance with these policies. Allocations are determined and documented on trade date.
Geode's trade allocation policies identify circumstances under which it is appropriate to deviate from the general allocation criteria and describe the alternative procedures. For example, if a standard allocation would result in a fund or investment account receiving a very small allocation (e.g., because of its small asset size), the fund or investment account may receive an increased allocation to achieve a more meaningful allocation, or it may receive no allocation. Generally, any exceptions to Geode's policies (i.e., special allocations) must be approved by senior investment or trading personnel, reviewed by the compliance department, and documented.
Commissions Paid
A fund may pay compensation including both commissions and spreads in connection with the placement of portfolio transactions. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a fund may change from year to year because of, among other things, changing asset levels, shareholder activity, and/or portfolio turnover.
For Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund, the following table shows the fund's portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal period(s) ended July 31, 2023 and 2022. Variations in turnover rate may be due to a fluctuating volume of shareholder purchase and redemption orders and/or market conditions.
Turnover Rates
|
2023
|
2022
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
86%
|
62%
|
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, the following fund(s) held securities issued by one or more of its regular brokers or dealers or a parent company of its regular brokers or dealers. The following table shows the aggregate value of the securities of the regular broker or dealer or parent company held by the fund as of the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023.
|
Fund
|
Regular Broker or Dealer
|
Aggregate Value of
Securities Held
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
Bank of America Corp.
|
$
|
13,937,184
|
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
|
$
|
10,730,065
|
|
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
|
$
|
7,431,989
|
|
Citigroup, Inc.
|
$
|
5,828,484
|
The following table shows the total amount of brokerage commissions paid by the following fund(s), comprising commissions paid on securities and/or futures transactions, as applicable, for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. The total amount of brokerage commissions paid is stated as a dollar amount and a percentage of the fund's average net assets.
Fund
|
Fiscal Year
Ended
|
Dollar
Amount
|
Percentage
of
Average
Net Assets
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
374,434
|
0.03%
|
2022
|
$
|
96,975
|
0.00%
|
|
2021
|
$
|
141,550
|
0.01%
|
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund paid no brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
During the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2023, Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund did not allocate brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
VALUATION
The NAV is the value of a single share. NAV is computed by adding the value of a fund's investments, cash, and other assets, subtracting its liabilities, and dividing the result by the number of shares outstanding.
The Board of Trustees has designated the fund's investment adviser as the valuation designee responsible for the fair valuation function and performing fair value determinations as needed. The adviser has established a Fair Value Committee (the Committee) to carry out the day-to-day fair valuation responsibilities and has adopted policies and procedures to govern the fair valuation process and the activities of the Committee.
Shares of open-end investment companies (including any underlying Central funds) held by a fund are valued at their respective NAVs. If an underlying fund's NAV is unavailable, shares of that underlying fund will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies.
Generally, other portfolio securities and assets held by a fund, as well as portfolio securities and assets held by an underlying Central fund, are valued as follows:
Most equity securities are valued at the official closing price or the last reported sale price or, if no sale has occurred, at the last quoted bid price on the primary market or exchange on which they are traded.
Debt securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available may be valued at market values in the principal market in which they normally are traded, as furnished by recognized dealers in such securities or assets. Or, debt securities and convertible securities may be valued on the basis of information furnished by a pricing service that uses a valuation matrix which incorporates both dealer-supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques.
Short-term securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less for which market quotations and information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates current value.
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price. Options are valued at their market quotations, if available. Swaps are valued daily using quotations received from independent pricing services or recognized dealers.
Prices described above are obtained from pricing services that have been approved by the Committee. A number of pricing services are available and a fund may use more than one of these services. A fund may also discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time. A fund's adviser through the Committee engages in oversight activities with respect to the fund's pricing services, which includes, among other things, testing the prices provided by pricing services prior to calculation of a fund's NAV, conducting periodic due diligence meetings, and periodically reviewing the methodologies and inputs used by these services.
Foreign securities and instruments are valued in their local currency following the methodologies described above. Foreign securities, instruments and currencies are translated to U.S. dollars, based on foreign currency exchange rate quotations supplied by a pricing service as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which uses a proprietary model to determine the exchange rate. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at an interpolated rate based on days to maturity between the closest preceding and subsequent settlement period reported by the third party pricing service.
Other portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the opinion of the Committee, are deemed unreliable will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the opinion of the Committee, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. In fair valuing a security, the Committee may consider factors including, but not limited to, price movements in futures contracts and ADRs, market and trading trends, the bid/ask quotes of brokers, and off-exchange institutional trading. The frequency that portfolio securities or assets are fair valued cannot be predicted and may be significant.
In determining the fair value of a private placement security for which market quotations are not available, the Committee generally applies one or more valuation methods including the market approach, income approach and cost approach. The market approach considers factors including the price of recent investments in the same or a similar security or financial metrics of comparable securities. The income approach considers factors including expected future cash flows, security specific risks and corresponding discount rates. The cost approach considers factors including the value of the security's underlying assets and liabilities.
The fund's adviser reports to the Board information regarding the fair valuation process and related material matters.
BUYING AND SELLING INFORMATION
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
Investors participating in a discretionary investment program are charged an annual advisory fee based on a percentage of the average market value of assets in their account. The stated fee is then reduced by a credit reflecting the amount of fees, if any, received by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC or its affiliates from mutual funds for investment management or certain other services.
The fund may make redemption payments in whole or in part in readily marketable securities or other property pursuant to procedures approved by the Trustees if Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC determines it is in the best interests of the fund. Such securities or other property will be valued for this purpose as they are valued in computing the NAV of a fund or class, as applicable. Shareholders that receive securities or other property will realize, upon receipt, a gain or loss for tax purposes, and will incur additional costs and be exposed to market risk prior to and upon the sale of such securities or other property.
The fund, in its discretion, may determine to issue its shares in kind in exchange for securities held by the purchaser having a value, determined in accordance with the fund's policies for valuation of portfolio securities, equal to the purchase price of the fund shares issued. The fund will accept for in-kind purchases only securities or other instruments that are appropriate under its investment objective and policies. In addition, the fund generally will not accept securities of any issuer unless they are liquid, have a readily ascertainable market value, and are not subject to restrictions on resale. All dividends, distributions, and subscription or other rights associated with the securities become the property of the fund, along with the securities. Shares purchased in exchange for securities in kind generally cannot be redeemed for fifteen days following the exchange to allow time for the transfer to settle.
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends. A portion of the fund's income may qualify for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders. A portion of the fund's dividends, when distributed to individual shareholders, may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met). Distributions by the fund to tax-advantaged retirement plan accounts are not taxable currently (but you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Capital Gain Distributions. Unless your shares of the fund are held in a tax-advantaged retirement plan, the fund's long-term capital gain distributions are federally taxable to shareholders generally as capital gains.
Returns of Capital. If the fund's distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in the fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold in taxable accounts.
Foreign Tax Credit or Deduction. Foreign governments may impose withholding taxes on dividends and interest earned by the fund with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Foreign governments may also impose taxes on other payments or gains with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Because the fund does not currently anticipate that securities of foreign issuers or underlying regulated investment companies will constitute more than 50% of its total assets at the end of its fiscal year, or fiscal quarter, respectively, shareholders should not expect to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction on their federal income tax returns with respect to foreign taxes withheld.
Tax Status of the Fund. The fund intends to qualify each year as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code so that it will not be liable for federal tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, and avoid being subject to federal income or excise taxes at the fund level, the fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains within each calendar year as well as on a fiscal year basis (if the fiscal year is other than the calendar year), and intends to comply with other tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies.
Other Tax Information. The information above is only a summary of some of the tax consequences generally affecting the fund and its shareholders, and no attempt has been made to discuss individual tax consequences. It is up to you or your tax preparer to determine whether the sale of shares of the fund resulted in a capital gain or loss or other tax consequence to you. In addition to federal income taxes, shareholders may be subject to state and local taxes on fund distributions, and shares may be subject to state and local personal property taxes. Investors should consult their tax advisers to determine whether the fund is suitable to their particular tax situation.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
The Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the trust and fund, as applicable, are listed below. The Board of Trustees governs the fund and is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The Trustees are experienced executives who meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the fund's activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the fund, oversee management of the risks associated with such activities and contractual arrangements, and review the fund's performance. Except for Jonathan Chiel, each of the Trustees oversees 313 funds. Mr. Chiel oversees 191 funds.
The Trustees hold office without limit in time except that (a) any Trustee may resign; (b) any Trustee may be removed by written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the number of Trustees prior to such removal; (c) any Trustee who requests to be retired or who has become incapacitated by illness or injury may be retired by written instrument signed by a majority of the other Trustees; and (d) any Trustee may be removed at any special meeting of shareholders by a two-thirds vote of the outstanding voting securities of the trust. Each Trustee who is not an interested person (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the trust and the fund is referred to herein as an Independent Trustee. Each Independent Trustee shall retire not later than the last day of the calendar year in which his or her 75th birthday occurs. The Independent Trustees may waive this mandatory retirement age policy with respect to individual Trustees. Officers and Advisory Board Members hold office without limit in time, except that any officer or Advisory Board Member may resign or may be removed by a vote of a majority of the Trustees at any regular meeting or any special meeting of the Trustees. Except as indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the past five years.
Experience, Skills, Attributes, and Qualifications of the Trustees. The Governance and Nominating Committee has adopted a statement of policy that describes the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that are necessary and desirable for potential Independent Trustee candidates (Statement of Policy). The Board believes that each Trustee satisfied at the time he or she was initially elected or appointed a Trustee, and continues to satisfy, the standards contemplated by the Statement of Policy. The Governance and Nominating Committee also engages professional search firms to help identify potential Independent Trustee candidates who have the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills consistent with the Statement of Policy. From time to time, additional criteria based on the composition and skills of the current Independent Trustees, as well as experience or skills that may be appropriate in light of future changes to board composition, business conditions, and regulatory or other developments, have also been considered by the professional search firms and the Governance and Nominating Committee. In addition, the Board takes into account the Trustees' commitment and participation in Board and committee meetings, as well as their leadership of standing and ad hoc committees throughout their tenure.
In determining that a particular Trustee was and continues to be qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board has considered a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, was controlling. The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have balanced and diverse experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills, which allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the fund and protecting the interests of shareholders. Information about the specific experience, skills, attributes, and qualifications of each Trustee, which in each case led to the Board's conclusion that the Trustee should serve (or continue to serve) as a trustee of the fund, is provided below.
Board Structure and Oversight Function. Abigail P. Johnson is an interested person and currently serves as Chairman. The Trustees have determined that an interested Chairman is appropriate and benefits shareholders because an interested Chairman has a personal and professional stake in the quality and continuity of services provided to the fund. Independent Trustees exercise their informed business judgment to appoint an individual of their choosing to serve as Chairman, regardless of whether the Trustee happens to be independent or a member of management. The Independent Trustees have determined that they can act independently and effectively without having an Independent Trustee serve as Chairman and that a key structural component for assuring that they are in a position to do so is for the Independent Trustees to constitute a substantial majority for the Board. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet in executive session. Michael E. Kenneally serves as Chairman of the Independent Trustees and as such (i) acts as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management with respect to matters important to the Independent Trustees and (ii) with management prepares agendas for Board meetings.
Fidelity® funds are overseen by different Boards of Trustees. The fund's Board oversees Fidelity's investment-grade bond, money market, asset allocation and certain equity funds, and other Boards oversee Fidelity's alternative investment, high income and other equity funds. The asset allocation funds may invest in Fidelity® funds that are overseen by such other Boards. The use of separate Boards, each with its own committee structure, allows the Trustees of each group of Fidelity® funds to focus on the unique issues of the funds they oversee, including common research, investment, and operational issues. On occasion, the separate Boards establish joint committees to address issues of overlapping consequences for the Fidelity® funds overseen by each Board.
The Trustees operate using a system of committees to facilitate the timely and efficient consideration of all matters of importance to the Trustees, the fund, and fund shareholders and to facilitate compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and oversight of the fund's activities and associated risks. The Board, acting through its committees, has charged FMR and its affiliates with (i) identifying events or circumstances the occurrence of which could have demonstrably adverse effects on the fund's business and/or reputation; (ii) implementing processes and controls to lessen the possibility that such events or circumstances occur or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur; and (iii) creating and maintaining a system designed to evaluate continuously business and market conditions in order to facilitate the identification and implementation processes described in (i) and (ii) above. Because the day-to-day operations and activities of the fund are carried out by or through FMR, its affiliates, and other service providers, the fund's exposure to risks is mitigated but not eliminated by the processes overseen by the Trustees. While each of the Board's committees has responsibility for overseeing different aspects of the fund's activities, oversight is exercised primarily through the Operations and Audit Committees. In addition, an ad hoc Board committee of Independent Trustees has worked with FMR to enhance the Board's oversight of investment and financial risks, legal and regulatory risks, technology risks, and operational risks, including the development of additional risk reporting to the Board. Appropriate personnel, including but not limited to the fund's Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), FMR's internal auditor, the independent accountants, the fund's Treasurer and portfolio management personnel, make periodic reports to the Board's committees, as appropriate, including an annual review of Fidelity's risk management program for the Fidelity® funds. The responsibilities of each standing committee, including their oversight responsibilities, are described further under "Standing Committees of the Trustees."
Interested Trustees*:
Correspondence intended for a Trustee who is an interested person may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Jonathan Chiel (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Chiel also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Chiel is Executive Vice President and General Counsel for FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2012-present). Previously, Mr. Chiel served as general counsel (2004-2012) and senior vice president and deputy general counsel (2000-2004) for John Hancock Financial Services; a partner with Choate, Hall & Stewart (1996-2000) (law firm); and an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney's Office of the District of Massachusetts (1986-95), including Chief of the Criminal Division (1993-1995). Mr. Chiel is a director on the boards of the Boston Bar Foundation and the Maimonides School.
Abigail P. Johnson (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Ms. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Ms. Johnson serves as Chairman (2016-present), Chief Executive Officer (2014-present), and Director (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company), President of Fidelity Financial Services (2012-present) and President of Personal, Workplace and Institutional Services (2005-present). Ms. Johnson is Chairman and Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (investment adviser firm, 2011-present). Previously, Ms. Johnson served as Chairman and Director of FMR Co., Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2011-2019), Vice Chairman (2007-2016) and President (2013-2016) of FMR LLC, President and a Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company (2001-2005), a Trustee of other investment companies advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company, Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. (investment adviser firm), and FMR Co., Inc. (2001-2005), Senior Vice President of the Fidelity® funds (2001-2005), and managed a number of Fidelity® funds. Ms. Abigail P. Johnson and Mr. Arthur E. Johnson are not related.
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe (1959)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Ms. McAuliffe also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and as Trustee of Fidelity Charitable (2020-present). Previously, Ms. McAuliffe served as Co-Head of Fixed Income of Fidelity Investments Limited (now known as FIL Limited (FIL)) (diversified financial services company), Director of Research for FIL's credit and quantitative teams in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo and Director of Research for taxable and municipal bonds at Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. Ms. McAuliffe previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016). Ms. McAuliffe was previously a lawyer at Ropes & Gray LLP and an international banker at Chemical Bank NA (now JPMorgan Chase & Co.). Ms. McAuliffe also currently serves as director or trustee of several not-for-profit entities.
* Determined to be an "Interested Trustee" by virtue of, among other things, his or her affiliation with the trust or various entities under common control with FMR.
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Independent Trustees:
Correspondence intended for an Independent Trustee may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Elizabeth S. Acton (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Trustee
Ms. Acton also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Acton served as Executive Vice President, Finance (2011-2012), Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (2002-2011) and Treasurer (2004-2005) of Comerica Incorporated (financial services). Prior to joining Comerica, Ms. Acton held a variety of positions at Ford Motor Company (1983-2002), including Vice President and Treasurer (2000-2002) and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ford Motor Credit Company (1998-2000). Ms. Acton currently serves as a member of the Board and Audit and Finance Committees of Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (homebuilding, 2012-present). Ms. Acton previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2013-2016).
Ann E. Dunwoody (1953)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Trustee
General Dunwoody also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. General Dunwoody (United States Army, Retired) was the first woman in U.S. military history to achieve the rank of four-star general and prior to her retirement in 2012 held a variety of positions within the U.S. Army, including Commanding General, U.S. Army Material Command (2008-2012). General Dunwoody currently serves as a member of the Board, Chair of Nomination Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee of Kforce Inc. (professional staffing services, 2016-present) and a member of the Board of Automattic Inc. (software engineering, 2018-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as President of First to Four LLC (leadership and mentoring services, 2012-2022), a member of the Advisory Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of L3 Technologies, Inc. (communication, electronic, sensor and aerospace systems, 2013-2019) and a member of the Board and Audit and Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committees of Republic Services, Inc. (waste collection, disposal and recycling, 2013-2016). General Dunwoody also serves on several boards for non-profit organizations, including as a member of the Board, Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee of the Noble Reach Foundation (formerly Logistics Management Institute) (consulting non-profit, 2012-present) and a member of the Board of ThanksUSA (military family education non-profit, 2014-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as a member of the Board of Florida Institute of Technology (2015-2022) and a member of the Council of Trustees for the Association of the United States Army (advocacy non-profit, 2013-2021). General Dunwoody previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2018).
John Engler (1948)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2014
Trustee
Mr. Engler also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Engler served as Governor of Michigan (1991-2003), President of the Business Roundtable (2011-2017) and interim President of Michigan State University (2018-2019). Previously, Mr. Engler served as a member of the Board of Stride, Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.) (technology-based education company, 2012-2022), a member of the Board of Universal Forest Products (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2003-2019) and Trustee of The Munder Funds (2003-2014). Mr. Engler previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2014-2016).
Robert F. Gartland (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Trustee
Mr. Gartland also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Gartland held a variety of positions at Morgan Stanley (financial services, 1979-2007), including Managing Director (1987-2007) and Chase Manhattan Bank (1975-1978). Mr. Gartland previously served as Chairman and an investor in Gartland & Mellina Group Corp. (consulting, 2009-2019), as a member of the Board of National Securities Clearing Corporation (1993-1996) and as Chairman of TradeWeb (2003-2004).
Arthur E. Johnson (1947)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2008
Trustee
Mr. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Johnson served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategic Development of Lockheed Martin Corporation (defense contractor, 1999-2009). Mr. Johnson currently serves as a member of the Board of Booz Allen Hamilton (management consulting, 2011-present). Mr. Johnson previously served as a member of the Board of Eaton Corporation plc (diversified power management, 2009-2019) and a member of the Board of AGL Resources, Inc. (holding company, 2002-2016). Mr. Johnson previously served as Chairman (2018-2021) and Vice Chairman (2015-2018) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Mr. Arthur E. Johnson is not related to Ms. Abigail P. Johnson.
Michael E. Kenneally (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Independent Trustees
Mr. Kenneally also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and was Vice Chairman (2018-2021) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Prior to retirement in 2005, he was Chairman and Global Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management, the worldwide fund management and institutional investment business of Credit Suisse Group. Previously, Mr. Kenneally was an Executive Vice President and the Chief Investment Officer for Bank of America. In this role, he was responsible for the investment management, strategy and products delivered to the bank's institutional, high-net-worth and retail clients. Earlier, Mr. Kenneally directed the organization's equity and quantitative research groups. He began his career as a research analyst and then spent more than a dozen years as a portfolio manager for endowments, pension plans and mutual funds. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1991.
Mark A. Murray (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Murray also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Murray served as Co-Chief Executive Officer (2013-2016), President (2006-2013) and Vice Chairman (2013-2020) of Meijer, Inc. Mr. Murray serves as a member of the Board (2009-present) and Public Policy and Responsibility Committee (2009-present) and Chair of the Nuclear Review Committee (2019-present) of DTE Energy Company (diversified energy company). Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Board of Spectrum Health (not-for-profit health system, 2015-2019) and as a member of the Board and Audit Committee and Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Universal Forest Products, Inc. (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2004-2016). Mr. Murray also serves as a member of the Board of many community and professional organizations. Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016).
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Advisory Board Members and Officers:
Correspondence intended for a Member of the Advisory Board (if any) may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235. Correspondence intended for an officer may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Officers appear below in alphabetical order.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupation
Laura M. Bishop (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2022
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Bishop also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Bishop held a variety of positions at United Services Automobile Association (2001-2020), including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2014-2020) and Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer (2012-2014). Ms. Bishop currently serves as a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation and Personnel Committee (2021-present) of the Board of Directors of Korn Ferry (global organizational consulting).
Robert W. Helm (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Member of the Advisory Board
Mr. Helm also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Helm was formerly Deputy Chairman (2003-2020), partner (1991-2020) and an associate (1984-1991) of Dechert LLP (formerly Dechert Price & Rhoads). Mr. Helm currently serves on boards and committees of several not-for-profit organizations, including as a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs, a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Baltimore and a member of the Life Guard Society of Mt. Vernon.
Carol J. Zierhoffer (1960)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Zierhoffer also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Zierhoffer held a variety of positions at Bechtel Corporation (engineering company, 2013-2019), including Principal Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2013-2016) and Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2016-2019). Ms. Zierhoffer currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2020-present) and as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit and Finance Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (aviation operating services, 2021-present). Previously, Ms. Zierhoffer served as a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee and as the founding Chair of the Information Technology Committee of MedAssets, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2013-2016).
Heather Bonner (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Bonner also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Bonner serves as Senior Vice President (2022-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Ms. Bonner serves as Assistant Treasurer of Fidelity CRET Trustee LLC (2022-present). Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms. Bonner served as Managing Director at AQR Capital Management (2013-2022) and was the Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of the AQR Funds (2013-2022).
Craig S. Brown (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2019
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Brown also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Brown serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2013-present). Previously, Mr. Brown served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2022).
John J. Burke III (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Burke also serves as Chief Financial Officer of other funds. Mr. Burke serves as Head of Investment Operations for Fidelity Fund and Investment Operations (2018-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1998-present). Previously Mr. Burke served as head of Asset Management Investment Operations (2012-2018).
Margaret Carey (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer (CLO)
Ms. Carey also serves as an officer of other funds and as CLO of certain other Fidelity entities. She is a Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2019-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments.
David J. Carter (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2020
Assistant Secretary
Mr. Carter also serves as Assistant Secretary of other funds. Mr. Carter serves as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel (2022-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present).
Jonathan Davis (1968)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Davis also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Davis serves as Vice President Assistant Treasurer and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Mr. Davis serves as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity entities.
Laura M. Del Prato (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
President and Treasurer
Ms. Del Prato also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Del Prato serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2017-present). Previously, Ms. Del Prato served as President and Treasurer of The North Carolina Capital Management Trust: Cash Portfolio and Term Portfolio (2018-2020). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Del Prato served as a Managing Director and Treasurer of the JPMorgan Mutual Funds (2014-2017). Prior to JPMorgan, Ms. Del Prato served as a partner at Cohen Fund Audit Services (accounting firm, 2012-2013) and KPMG LLP (accounting firm, 2004-2012).
Robin Foley (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Vice President
Ms. Foley also serves as Vice President of other funds. Ms. Foley serves as Head of Fidelity's Fixed Income division (2023-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Ms. Foley served as Chief Investment Officer of Bonds (2017-2023).
Christopher M. Gouveia (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Gouveia also serves as Chief Compliance Officer of other funds. Mr. Gouveia serves as Senior Vice President of Asset Management Compliance for Fidelity Investments and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Mr. Gouveia served as Chief Compliance Officer of the North Carolina Capital Management Trust (2016-2019).
Colm A. Hogan (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Hogan also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Hogan serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present). Previously, Mr. Hogan served as Deputy Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2020) and Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2018).
Chris Maher (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Maher also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Maher serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2008-present). Previously, Mr. Maher served as Assistant Treasurer of certain funds (2013-2020); Vice President of Asset Management Compliance (2013), Vice President of the Program Management Group of FMR (investment adviser firm, 2010-2013), and Vice President of Valuation Oversight (2008-2010).
Brett Segaloff (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Officer
Mr. Segaloff also serves as an AML Officer of other funds and other related entities. He is Director, Anti-Money Laundering (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1996-present).
Stacie M. Smith (1974)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Smith also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Smith serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2009-present), and has served in other fund officer roles. Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Smith served as Senior Audit Manager of Ernst & Young LLP (accounting firm, 1996-2009). Previously, Ms. Smith served as Assistant Treasurer (2013-2019) and Deputy Treasurer (2013-2016) of certain Fidelity® funds.
Jim Wegmann (1979)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Deputy Treasurer
Mr. Wegmann also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Wegmann serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2011-present). Previously, Mr. Wegmann served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2021).
Standing Committees of the Trustees. The Board of Trustees has established various committees to support the Independent Trustees in acting independently in pursuing the best interests of the funds and their shareholders. Currently, the Board of Trustees has four standing committees. The members of each committee are Independent Trustees.
The Operations Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Kenneally currently serving as Chair. The committee normally meets at least six times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair, and serves as a forum for consideration of issues of importance to, or calling for particular determinations by, the Independent Trustees. The committee considers matters involving potential conflicts of interest between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, including matters involving potential claims of one or more funds (e.g., for reimbursements of expenses or losses) against FMR, and reviews proposed contracts and the proposed continuation of contracts between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, and annually reviews and makes recommendations regarding contracts with third parties unaffiliated with FMR, including insurance coverage and custody agreements. The committee has oversight of compliance issues not specifically within the scope of any other committee. These matters include, but are not limited to, significant non-conformance with contract requirements and other significant regulatory matters and recommending to the Board of Trustees the designation of a person to serve as the funds' CCO. The committee (i) serves as a primary point of contact (generally after the Independent Trustee who serves as a liaison for the CCO) for the CCO with regard to Board-related functions; (ii) oversees the annual performance review of the CCO; (iii) makes recommendations concerning the CCO's compensation; and (iv) makes recommendations as needed in respect of the removal of the CCO.
The Audit Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Ms. Acton currently serving as Chair. At least one committee member will be an "audit committee financial expert" as defined by the SEC. The committee normally meets four times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair or a majority of committee members. The committee meets separately, at least annually, with the funds' Treasurer, with the funds' Chief Financial Officer, with personnel responsible for the internal audit function of FMR LLC, with the funds' outside auditors, and with the funds' CCO. The committee has direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the work of the outside auditors employed by the funds. The committee assists the Trustees in overseeing and monitoring: (i) the systems of internal accounting and financial controls of the funds and the funds' service providers (to the extent such controls impact the funds' financial statements); (ii) the funds' auditors and the annual audits of the funds' financial statements; (iii) the financial reporting processes of the funds; (iv) whistleblower reports; and (v) the accounting policies and disclosures of the funds. The committee considers and acts upon (i) the provision by any outside auditor of any non-audit services for any fund, and (ii) the provision by any outside auditor of certain non-audit services to fund service providers and their affiliates to the extent that such approval (in the case of this clause (ii)) is required under applicable regulations of the SEC. It is responsible for approving all audit engagement fees and terms for the funds and for resolving disagreements between a fund and any outside auditor regarding any fund's financial reporting. Auditors of the funds report directly to the committee. The committee will obtain assurance of independence and objectivity from the outside auditors, including a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the auditor and the funds and any service providers consistent with the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. It oversees and receives reports on the funds' service providers' internal controls and reviews the adequacy and effectiveness of the service providers' accounting and financial controls, including: (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the funds' ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; (ii) any change in the fund's internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the fund's internal control over financial reporting; and (iii) any fraud, whether material or not, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the funds' or service providers internal controls over financial reporting. The committee will also review any correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies or published reports that raise material issues regarding the funds' financial statements or accounting policies. These matters may also be reviewed by the Operations Committee. The committee reviews at least annually a report from each outside auditor describing any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control, peer review, or Public Company Accounting Oversight Board examination of the auditing firm and any material issues raised by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities of the auditing firm and in each case any steps taken to deal with such issues. The committee will oversee and receive reports on the funds' financial reporting process from the funds' Treasurer and outside auditors and will oversee the resolution of any disagreements concerning financial reporting among applicable parties. The committee will discuss with FMR, the funds' Treasurer, outside auditors and, if appropriate, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC their qualitative judgments about the appropriateness and acceptability of accounting principles and financial disclosure practices used or proposed for adoption by the funds. The committee will review with FMR, the funds' outside auditor, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC and legal counsel, as appropriate, matters related to the audits of the funds' financial statements. The committee will discuss regularly and oversee the review of the internal controls of the funds and their service providers with respect to accounting, financial matters and risk management programs related to the funds. The committee will review periodically the funds' major internal controls exposures and the steps that have been taken to monitor and control such exposures.
The Fair Valuation Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Murray currently serving as Chair. The Committee normally meets quarterly, or more frequently as called by the Chair. The Fair Valuation Committee oversees the valuation of securities held by the funds, including the fair valuation of securities by the funds' valuation designee. The Committee receives and reviews related reports and information consistent with its oversight obligations.
The Governance and Nominating Committee is composed of Messrs. Kenneally (Chair) and Gartland (Vice Chair), and Ms. Acton. The committee meets as called by the Chair. With respect to fund governance and board administration matters, the committee periodically reviews procedures of the Board of Trustees and its committees (including committee charters) and periodically reviews compensation of Independent Trustees. The committee monitors corporate governance matters and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees on the frequency and structure of the Board of Trustee meetings and on any other aspect of Board procedures. It acts as the administrative committee under the retirement plan for Independent Trustees who retired prior to December 30, 1996 and under the fee deferral plan for Independent Trustees. It monitors the performance of legal counsel employed by both the funds and the Independent Trustees. The committee will engage and oversee any counsel utilized by the Independent Trustees as may be necessary or appropriate under applicable regulations or otherwise. The committee also approves Board administrative matters applicable to Independent Trustees, such as expense reimbursement policies and compensation for attendance at meetings, conferences and other events. The committee oversees compliance with the provisions of the code of ethics and any supplemental policies regarding personal securities transactions applicable to the Independent Trustees. The committee reviews the functioning of each Board committee and makes recommendations for any changes, including the creation or elimination of standing or ad hoc Board committees. The committee monitors regulatory and other developments to determine whether to recommend modifications to the committee's responsibilities or other Trustee policies and procedures in light of rule changes, reports concerning "recommended practices" in corporate governance and other developments in mutual fund governance. The committee meets with Independent Trustees at least once a year to discuss matters relating to fund governance. The committee recommends that the Board establish such special or ad hoc Board committees as may be desirable or necessary from time to time in order to address ethical, legal, or other matters that may arise. The committee also oversees the annual self-evaluation of the Board of Trustees and establishes procedures to allow it to exercise this oversight function. In conducting this oversight, the committee shall address all matters that it considers relevant to the performance of the Board of Trustees and shall report the results of its evaluation to the Board of Trustees, including any recommended amendments to the principles of governance, and any recommended changes to the funds' or the Board of Trustees' policies, procedures, and structures. The committee reviews periodically the size and composition of the Board of Trustees as a whole and recommends, if necessary, measures to be taken so that the Board of Trustees reflects the appropriate balance of knowledge, experience, skills, expertise, and diversity required for the Board as a whole and contains at least the minimum number of Independent Trustees required by law. The committee makes nominations for the election or appointment of Independent Trustees and non-management Members of any Advisory Board, and for membership on committees. The committee has the authority to retain and terminate any third-party advisers, including authority to approve fees and other retention terms. Such advisers may include search firms to identify Independent Trustee candidates and board compensation consultants. The committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the committee's scope of responsibilities, and may retain, at the funds' expense, such independent counsel or other advisers as it deems necessary. The committee will consider nominees to the Board of Trustees recommended by shareholders based upon the criteria applied to candidates presented to the committee by a search firm or other source. Recommendations, along with appropriate background material concerning the candidate that demonstrates his or her ability to serve as an Independent Trustee of the funds, should be submitted to the Chair of the committee at the address maintained for communications with Independent Trustees. If the committee retains a search firm, the Chair will generally forward all such submissions to the search firm for evaluation. With respect to the criteria for selecting Independent Trustees, it is expected that all candidates will possess the following minimum qualifications: (i) unquestioned personal integrity; (ii) not an interested person of the funds within the meaning of the 1940 Act; (iii) does not have a material relationship (e.g., commercial, banking, consulting, legal, or accounting) with the adviser, any sub-adviser or their affiliates that could create an appearance of lack of independence in respect of the funds; (iv) has the disposition to act independently in respect of FMR and its affiliates and others in order to protect the interests of the funds and all shareholders; (v) ability to attend regularly scheduled Board meetings during the year; (vi) demonstrates sound business judgment gained through broad experience in significant positions where the candidate has dealt with management, technical, financial, or regulatory issues; (vii) sufficient financial or accounting knowledge to add value in the complex financial environment of the funds; (viii) experience on corporate or other institutional oversight bodies having similar responsibilities, but which board memberships or other relationships could not result in business or regulatory conflicts with the funds; and (ix) capacity for the hard work and attention to detail that is required to be an effective Independent Trustee in light of the funds' complex regulatory, operational, and marketing setting. The Governance and Nominating Committee may determine that a candidate who does not have the type of previous experience or knowledge referred to above should nevertheless be considered as a nominee if the Governance and Nominating Committee finds that the candidate has additional qualifications such that his or her qualifications, taken as a whole, demonstrate the same level of fitness to serve as an Independent Trustee.
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, each committee held the number of meetings shown in the table below:
COMMITTEE
|
NUMBER OF MEETINGS HELD
|
Operations Committee
|
8
|
Audit Committee
|
4
|
Fair Valuation Committee
|
3
|
Governance and Nominating Committee
|
11
|
The following table sets forth information describing the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the fund and in all funds in the aggregate within the same fund family overseen by the Trustee for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022.
Interested Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Jonathan Chiel
|
Abigail P Johnson
|
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
none
|
over $100,000
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
Independent Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
Mark A Murray
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
The following table sets forth information describing the compensation of each Trustee and Member of the Advisory Board (if any) for his or her services for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, or calendar year ended December 31, 2022, as applicable.
Compensation Table(A)
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Laura M Bishop(B)
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
$
|
480
|
$
|
367
|
$
|
427
|
$
|
422
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
563,000
|
$
|
184,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
496,000
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Robert W Helm
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
$
|
475
|
$
|
430
|
$
|
414
|
$
|
512
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
565,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
492,500
|
$
|
612,500
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Mark A Murray
|
Carol J Zierhoffer(D)
|
||||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
$
|
421
|
$
|
88
|
||||
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
497,500
|
$
|
0
|
(A) Jonathan Chiel, Abigail P. Johnson, and Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe are interested persons and are compensated by Fidelity.
|
(B) Ms. Bishop serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective September 1, 2022.
|
(C) Reflects compensation received for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022 for 295 funds of 31 trusts (including Fidelity Central Investment Portfolios II LLC). Compensation figures include cash and may include amounts elected to be deferred. Certain individuals elected voluntarily to defer a portion of their compensation as follows: Elizabeth S. Acton, $120,000; Laura M. Bishop, $73,674; Ann E. Dunwoody, $274,597; John Engler, $274,597; Robert F. Gartland, $180,000; Robert W. Helm, $274,597; and Mark A. Murray, $274,597.
|
(D) Ms. Zierhoffer serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective March 1, 2023.
|
As of July 31, 2023, the Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the fund owned, in the aggregate, less than 1% of each class's total outstanding shares, with respect to the fund.
As of July 31, 2023, the following owned of record and/or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares:
Fund or Class Name
|
Owner Name
|
City
|
State
|
Ownership %
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
STRATEGIC ADVISERS® FIDELITY® U.S. TOTAL STOCK FUND
|
BOSTON
|
MA
|
13.32%
|
CONTROL OF INVESTMENT ADVISERS
FMR LLC, as successor by merger to FMR Corp., is the ultimate parent company of FMR. The voting common shares of FMR LLC are divided into two series. Series B is held predominantly by members of the Johnson family, including Abigail P. Johnson, directly or through trusts, and is entitled to 49% of the vote on any matter acted upon by the voting common shares. Series A is held predominantly by non-Johnson family member employees of FMR LLC and its affiliates and is entitled to 51% of the vote on any such matter. The Johnson family group and all other Series B shareholders have entered into a shareholders' voting agreement under which all Series B shares will be voted in accordance with the majority vote of Series B shares. Under the 1940 Act, control of a company is presumed where one individual or group of individuals owns more than 25% of the voting securities of that company. Therefore, through their ownership of voting common shares and the execution of the shareholders' voting agreement, members of the Johnson family may be deemed, under the 1940 Act, to form a controlling group with respect to FMR LLC.
At present, the primary business activities of FMR LLC and its subsidiaries are: (i) the provision of investment advisory, management, shareholder, investment information and assistance and certain fiduciary services for individual and institutional investors; (ii) the provision of securities brokerage services; (iii) the management and development of real estate; and (iv) the investment in and operation of a number of emerging businesses.
Geode, a registered investment adviser, is a subsidiary of Geode Capital Holdings LLC. Geode was founded in January 2001 to develop and manage quantitative investment strategies and to provide advisory and sub-advisory services.
FMR, Geode Capital Management, LLC, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and the fund have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that set forth employees' fiduciary responsibilities regarding the fund, establish procedures for personal investing, and restrict certain transactions. Employees subject to the codes of ethics, including Fidelity and Geode investment personnel, may invest in securities for their own investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the fund.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACT
The fund has entered into a management contract with FMR, pursuant to which FMR furnishes investment advisory and other services.
Management and Sub-Advisory Services. FMR provides the fund with all necessary office facilities and personnel for servicing the fund's investments, compensates all officers of the fund and all Trustees who are interested persons of the trust or of FMR, and compensates all personnel of the fund or FMR performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities.
In addition, FMR or its affiliates, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, provide the management and administrative services necessary for the operation of the fund. These services include providing facilities for maintaining the fund's organization; supervising relations with custodians, transfer and pricing agents, accountants, underwriters and other persons dealing with the fund; preparing all general shareholder communications and conducting shareholder relations; maintaining the fund's records and the registration of the fund's shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws; developing management and shareholder services for the fund; and furnishing reports, evaluations and analyses on a variety of subjects to the Trustees.
Geode serves as sub-adviser of the fund. Under its management contract with the fund, FMR acts as investment adviser. Under the sub-advisory agreement, and subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, Geode directs the investments of the fund in accordance with its investment objective, policies, and limitations.
Management-Related Expenses. In addition to the management fee payable to FMR and the fees payable to the transfer agent and pricing and bookkeeping agent, and the costs associated with securities lending, as applicable, the fund pays all of its expenses that are not assumed by those parties. The fund pays for the typesetting, printing, and mailing of its proxy materials to shareholders, legal expenses, and the fees of the custodian, auditor, and Independent Trustees. The fund's management contract further provides that the fund will pay for typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, notices, and reports to shareholders. Other expenses paid by the fund include interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable, the fund's proportionate share of insurance premiums and Investment Company Institute dues, and the costs of registering shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws. The fund is also liable for such non-recurring expenses as may arise, including costs of any litigation to which the fund may be a party, and any obligation it may have to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect to litigation.
Management Fee.
For the services of FMR under the management contract, the fund pays FMR a monthly management fee at the annual rate of 0.10% of the fund's average net assets throughout the month.
The following table shows the amount of management fees paid by the fund for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 to its current manager and prior affiliated manager(s), if any.
Fund(s)
|
Fiscal
Years
Ended
|
Management
Fees
Paid to
Investment Adviser
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
1,324,435
|
2022
|
$
|
3,506,013
|
|
2021
|
$
|
2,726,850
|
FMR may, from time to time, voluntarily reimburse all or a portion of a fund's or, in the case of a multiple class fund, a class's operating expenses. FMR retains the ability to be repaid for these expense reimbursements in the amount that expenses fall below the limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Expense reimbursements will increase returns, and repayment of the reimbursement will decrease returns.
Sub-Adviser - Geode. The fund and FMR have entered into sub-advisory agreement(s) with Geode. Pursuant to the sub-advisory agreement(s), FMR has granted Geode investment management authority as well as the authority to buy and sell securities.
Under the terms of the sub-advisory agreement(s), for providing investment management services to the fund, FMR, and not the fund, pays Geode fees at an annual rate of 0.030% of the average daily net assets of the fund.
The following table shows the amount of sub-advisory fees paid by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, on behalf of the fund, to Geode for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
Fund
|
Fiscal Years
Ended
|
Sub-Advisory Fees
Paid by FMR
to Geode
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
397,195
|
2022
|
$
|
1,051,728
|
|
2021
|
$
|
818,283
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund is managed by Geode, a sub-adviser to the fund. Louis Bottari is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Peter Matthew is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Payal Gupta is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Robert Regan is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Navid Sohrabi is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. As of July 31, 2023, portfolio manager compensation generally consists of a fixed base salary, a bonus that is based on both objective and subjective criteria, and, in certain cases, participation in a profit-based compensation plan. A portion of each portfolio manager's compensation may be deferred based on criteria established by Geode.
Each portfolio manager's base salary is determined annually by level of responsibility and tenure at Geode. The primary component for determining each portfolio manager's bonus is the pre-tax investment performance of the portfolio manager's fund(s) and account(s) relative to a custom peer group, if applicable, and relative to a benchmark index assigned to each fund or account. Performance is measured over multiple measurement periods that eventually encompass periods of up to five years. A portion of each portfolio manager's bonus is linked to Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund's relative pre-tax investment performance measured against the fund's benchmark index. A subjective component of each portfolio manager's bonus is based on the portfolio manager's overall contribution to the management of Geode, including recruiting, monitoring, and mentoring within the investment management teams, as well as time spent assisting in firm promotion. Each portfolio manager may also be compensated under a profit-based compensation plan, which is primarily based on the profits of Geode.
A portfolio manager's compensation plan can give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A manager's base pay tends to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management and a portion of the bonus relates to firm promotion efforts, which together indirectly link compensation to sales. Managing and providing research to multiple accounts (including proprietary accounts) can give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as a portfolio manager must allocate time and investment ideas across multiple accounts. Securities selected for accounts other than the fund may outperform the securities selected for the fund.
In addition to managing the fund's investment portfolio, each portfolio manager also manages other investment portfolios and accounts on behalf of Geode or its affiliates.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Louis Bottari as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund ($392 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Bottari was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Payal Gupta as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund ($392 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund beneficially owned by Ms. Gupta was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Peter Matthew as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund ($392 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Matthew was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Bob Regan as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund ($392 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Regan was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Navid Sohrabi as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund ($392 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Sohrabi was none.
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
Geode Proxy Voting Policies
As an investment adviser, Geode holds voting authority for securities in many of the client accounts that it manages. Geode takes seriously its responsibility to monitor events affecting securities in those client accounts and to exercise its voting authority with respect to those securities in the best interests of its clients (as well as shareholders of mutual funds for which it serves as adviser or sub-adviser). The purposes of these proxy voting policies are to (1) establish a framework for Geode's analysis and decision-making with respect to proxy voting and (2) set forth operational procedures for Geode's exercise of proxy voting authority.
Overview
Geode anticipates that, based on its current business model, it will manage the vast majority of assets under its management using passive investment management techniques, such as indexing. Geode also manages funds and separate accounts using active investment management techniques, primarily employing quantitative investment strategies.
Geode will engage established commercial proxy advisory firms for comprehensive analysis, research and voting recommendations, particularly for matters that may be controversial or require additional analysis under these Policies.
Geode may determine to follow or reject any recommendation based on the research and analysis provided by proxy advisory firms or on any independent research and analysis obtained or generated by Geode. However, Geode has retained a third-party proxy voting service (the "Agent") to affect votes based on the customized policies established by Geode and maintain records of all of Geode's proxy votes. In limited instances where the Policies do not address the specific matter, the Agent will refer the ballot back to Geode. For ballots related to proxy contests, mergers, acquisitions and other organizational transactions, Geode may determine it is appropriate to conduct a company specific evaluation. In cases of proxies not voted by the Agent, the ultimate voting decision and responsibility rests with Geode Proxy. Geode's Operations Committee oversees the exercise of voting authority under these proxy voting policies.
Due to its focused business model and the number of investments that Geode will make for its clients (particularly pursuant to its indexing strategy), Geode does not anticipate that actual or potential conflicts of interest are likely to occur in the ordinary course of its business. However, Geode believes it is essential to avoid having conflicts of interest affect its objective of voting in the best interests of its clients. Therefore, in the event that members of the Operations Committee, the Agent or any other person involved in the analysis or voting of proxies has knowledge of, or has reason to believe there may exist, any potential relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode (or any affiliate of Geode) or their respective directors, officers, employees or agents, such person shall notify the other members of the Operations Committee. Geode will analyze and address such potential conflict of interest, consulting with outside counsel, as appropriate. In the case of an actual conflict of interest, on the advice of counsel, Geode expects that the independent directors of Geode will consider the matter and may (1) determine that there is no conflict of interest (or that reasonable measures have been taken to remedy or avoid any conflict of interest) that would prevent Geode from voting the applicable proxy, (2) abstain, (3) cause authority to be delegated to the Agent or a similar special fiduciary to vote the applicable proxy or (4) recommend other methodology for mitigating the conflict of interest, if deemed appropriate (e.g., echo voting).
Geode has established the specific proxy voting policies that are summarized below to maximize the value of investments in its clients' accounts, which it believes will be furthered through (1) accountability of a company's management and directors to its shareholders, (2) alignment of the interests of management with those of shareholders (including through compensation, benefit and equity ownership programs), and (3) increased disclosure of a company's business and operations. Geode reserves the right to override any of its proxy voting policies with respect to a particular shareholder vote when such an override is, in Geode's best judgment, consistent with the overall principle of voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of Geode's clients.
Policies
All proxy votes shall be considered and made in a manner consistent with the best interests of Geode's clients (as well as shareholders of mutual fund clients) without regard to any other relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode or its affiliates. As a general matter, (1) proxies will be voted FOR incumbent members of a board of directors and FOR routine management proposals, except as otherwise addressed under these policies; (2) shareholder and non-routine management proposals addressed by these policies will be voted as provided in these policies; and (3) shareholder and non-routine management proposals not addressed by these policies will be evaluated by Geode ESG Stewardship based on fundamental analysis and/or research and recommendations provided by the Agent and other third-party proxy advisory firms.
When voting the securities of non-US issuers, Geode will evaluate proposals in accordance with these policies but will also take local market standards and best practices into consideration. Geode may also limit or modify its voting at certain non-US meetings (e.g., if shares are required to be blocked or reregistered in connection with voting).
Geode's specific policies are as follows:
I. Election of Directors
Geode will generally vote FOR incumbent members of a board of directors except:
• Attendance. The incumbent board member failed to attend at least 75% of meetings in the previous year and does not provide a reasonable explanation.
• Independent Directors. Nominee is not independent and full board comprises less than a majority of independents. Nominee is not independent and sits on the audit, compensation or nominating committee.
• Director Responsiveness. The board failed to act on shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year. The board failed to act on takeover offers where Geode and a majority of shareholders tendered their shares. At the previous board election, directors opposed by Geode received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast, and the company failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote.
• Golden Parachutes. Incumbent members of the compensation committee adopted or renewed an excessive golden parachute within the past year.
• Gender Diversity. If there are no women on the Board unless the Board has made a firm commitment to return to a gender-diverse status when there was a woman on the Board at the preceding annual meeting.
• Overboarding. The Director is a CEO and sits on the Board of more than two public companies besides his or her own; or a non-CEO Director who sits on more than five public company boards.
• Unequal Voting Rights. If the Company maintains a common stock structure with unequal voting rights. Exceptions to the policy may include, but aren't limited to: Newly-public companies with a reasonable sunset provision, where the unequal voting rights are considered de minimis; or the company provides sufficient safeguards for minority shareholders.
• In Other Circumstances when a member of the board has acted in a manner inconsistent with the interests of shareholders of a company whose securities are held in client accounts.
II. Majority Election. Unless a company has a policy achieving a similar result, Geode will generally vote in favor of a proposal calling for directors to be elected by a majority of votes cast in a board election provided that the plurality vote applies when there are more nominees than board seats.
III. Say on Pay (non-binding).
• Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. Geode will generally vote AGAINST advisory vote when: (1) there is a significant misalignment between executive pay and company performance; (2) the company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or (3) the board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders.
• Frequency Vote. Geode will generally vote FOR having an advisory vote on executive compensation every year.
• Advisory Vote on Golden Parachute. Geode will vote AGAINST excessive change-in-control severance payments.
IV. Vote AGAINST Anti-Takeover Proposals, including:
• Addition of Special Interest Directors to the board.
• Authorization of "Blank Check" Preferred Stock. Geode will vote FOR proposals to require shareholder approval for the distribution of preferred stock except for acquisitions and raising capital in the ordinary course of business.
• Classification of Boards, Geode will vote FOR proposals to de-classify boards.
• Fair Price Amendments, other than those that consider only a two-year price history and are not accompanied by other anti-takeover measures.
• Golden Parachutes, that Geode deems to be excessive in the event of change-in-control.
• Poison Pills. Adoption or extension of a Poison Pill without shareholder approval will result in our voting AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors, provided the matter will be considered if (a) the board has adopted a Poison Pill with a sunset provision; (b) the Pill is linked to a business strategy that will result in greater value for the shareholders; (c) the term is less than three years; (d) the Pill includes a qualifying offer clause; Or (e) shareholder approval is required to reinstate the expired Pill. Geode will vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring or recommending that shareholders be given an opportunity to vote on the adoption of poison pills.
• Reduction or Limitation of Shareholder Rights (e.g., action by written consent, ability to call meetings, or remove directors).
• Reincorporation in another state (when accompanied by Anti-Takeover Provisions, including increased statutory anti-takeover provisions). Geode will vote FOR reincorporation in another state when not accompanied by such anti-takeover provisions.
• Requirements that the Board Consider Non-Financial Effects of merger and acquisition proposals.
• Requirements regarding Size, Selection and Removal of the Board that are likely to have an anti-takeover effect (although changes with legitimate business purposes will be evaluated).
• Supermajority Voting Requirements (i.e., typically 2/3 or greater) for boards and shareholders. Geode will vote FOR proposals to eliminate supermajority voting requirements.
• Transfer of Authority from Shareholders to Directors.
V. Vote FOR proposed amendments to a company's certificate of incorporation or by-laws that enable the company to Opt Out of the Control Shares Acquisition Statutes.
VI. Vote AGAINST the introduction of new classes of Stock with Differential Voting Rights.
VII. Vote AGAINST introduction and FOR elimination of Cumulative Voting Rights, except in certain instances where it is determined not to enhance shareholders' interests.
VIII. Vote FOR elimination of Preemptive Rights.
IX. Vote FOR Anti-Greenmail proposals so long as they are not part of anti-takeover provisions (in which case the vote will be AGAINST).
X. Vote FOR charter and by-law amendments expanding the Indemnification of Directors to the maximum extent permitted under Delaware law (regardless of the state of incorporation) and vote AGAINST charter and by-law amendments completely Eliminating Directors' Liability for Breaches of Care.
XI. Vote FOR proposals to adopt Confidential Voting and Independent Vote Tabulation practices.
XII. Vote FOR Open-Market Stock Repurchase Programs, unless there is clear evidence of past abuse of the authority; the plan contains no safeguards against selective buybacks, or the authority can be used as an anti-takeover mechanism.
XIII. Vote FOR management proposals to implement a Reverse Stock Split when the number of authorized shares will be proportionately reduced or the Reverse Stock Split is necessary to avoid de-listing.
XIV. Vote FOR management proposals to Reduce the Par Value of common stock unless the proposal may facilitate an anti-takeover device or other negative corporate governance action.
XV. Vote FOR the Issuance of Large Blocks of Stock if such proposals have a legitimate business purpose and do not result in dilution of greater than 20%. However, a company's specific circumstances and market practices may be considered in determining whether the proposal is consistent with shareholders' interests.
XVI. Vote AGAINST Excessive Increases in Common Stock. Vote AGAINST increases in authorized common stock that would result in authorized capital in excess of three times the company's shares outstanding and reserved for legitimate purposes. For non-U.S. securities with conditional capital requests, vote AGAINST issuances of shares with preemptive rights in excess of 100% of the company's current shares outstanding. Special requests will be evaluated, taking company-specific circumstances into account.
XVII. Vote AGAINST the adoption of or amendment to authorize additional shares under a Stock Option Plan if:
• The stock option plan includes evergreen provisions, which provides for an automatic allotment of equity compensation every year.
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan (including by virtue of any "evergreen" or replenishment provision), plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
• The offering price of options is less than 100% of fair market value on the date of grant, except that the offering price may be as low as 85% of fair market value if the discount is expressly granted in lieu of salary or cash bonus, except that a modest number of shares (limited to 5% for a large capitalization company and 10% for a small and micro capitalization companies) may be available for grant to employees and directors under the plan if the grant is made by a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors (the "De Minimis Exception").
• The plan is administered by (1) a compensation committee not comprised entirely of independent directors or (2) a board of directors not comprised of a majority of independent directors, provided that a plan is acceptable if it satisfies the De Minimis Exception.
• The plan's terms allow repricing of underwater options, or the board/committee has repriced options outstanding under the plan in the past two years without shareholder approval, unless by the express terms of the plan or a board resolution such repricing is rarely used (and then only to maintain option value due to extreme circumstances beyond management's control) and is within the limits of the De Minimis Exception.
• Liberal Definition of Change in Control: the plan provides that the vesting of equity awards may accelerate even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XVIII. Vote AGAINST the election of incumbent members of the compensation committee or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if, within the last year and without shareholder approval, the company's board of directors or compensation committee has repriced outstanding options.
XIX. Evaluate proposals to Reprice Outstanding Stock Options, taking into account such factors as: (1) whether the repricing proposal excludes senior management and directors; (2) whether the options proposed to be repriced exceeded the dilution thresholds described in these current proxy voting policies when initially granted; (3) whether the repricing proposal is value neutral to shareholders based upon an acceptable options pricing model; (4) the company's relative performance compared to other companies within the relevant industry or industries; (5) economic and other conditions affecting the relevant industry or industries in which the company competes; and (6) other facts or circumstances relevant to determining whether a repricing proposal is consistent with the interests of shareholders.
XX. Vote AGAINST adoption of or amendments to authorize additional shares for Restricted Stock Awards ("RSA") if:
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan, plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
XXI. Vote AGAINST Omnibus Stock Plans if one or more component violates any of the criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, unless such component is de minimis. In the case of an omnibus stock plan, the dilution limits applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies will be measured against the total number of shares under all components of such plan.
XXII. Vote AGAINST Employee Stock Purchase Plans if the plan violates any of the relevant criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, except that (1) the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to or greater than 85% of the stock's fair market value if the plan constitutes a reasonable effort to encourage broad based participation in the company's equity, and (2) in the case of non-U.S. company stock purchase plans, the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to the prevailing "best practices," as articulated by the Agent, provided that the minimum stock purchase price must be at least 75% of the stock's fair market value.
XXIII. Vote AGAINST Stock Awards (other than stock options and RSAs) unless it is determined they are identified as being granted to officers/directors in lieu of salary or cash bonus, subject to number of shares being reasonable.
XXIV. Vote AGAINST equity vesting acceleration programs or amendments to authorize additional shares under such programs if the program provides for the acceleration of vesting of equity awards even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XXV. Vote FOR Employee Stock Ownership Plans ("ESOPs") of non-leveraged ESOPs, and in the case of leveraged ESOPs, giving consideration to the company's state of incorporation, existence of supermajority vote rules in the charter, number of shares authorized for the ESOP, and number of shares held by insiders. Geode may also examine where the ESOP shares are purchased and the dilution effect of the purchase. Geode will vote AGAINST a leveraged ESOP if all outstanding loans are due immediately upon a change in control.
XXVI. Vote AGAINST management or shareholder proposals on other Compensation Plans or Practices if such plans or practices are Inconsistent with the Interests of Shareholders. In addition, Geode may vote AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if Geode believes a board has approved executive compensation arrangements inconsistent with the interests of shareholders.
XXVII. Environmental and Social Proposals. Evaluate each proposal related to environmental and social issues (including political contributions). Generally, Geode expects to vote with management's recommendation on shareholder proposals concerning environmental or social issues, as Geode believes management and the board are ordinarily in the best position to address these matters. Geode may support certain shareholder environmental and social proposals that request additional disclosures from companies which may provide material information to the investment management process, or where Geode otherwise believes support will help maximize shareholder value. Geode may take action against the re-election of board members if there are serious concerns over ESG practices or the board failed to act on related shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year.
XXVIII. Geode will generally vote FOR proposals seeking to establish or amend proxy access which allow a shareholder (or shareholder group) holding at least 3% of the voting power of the company's outstanding shares continuously for a minimum of 3 years the ability to nominate no more than 25% of the board of directors. Geode will generally vote AGAINST proposals that do not meet the aforementioned criteria.
XXIX. Shares of Investment Companies.
• For institutional accounts, Geode will generally vote in favor of proposals recommended by the underlying funds' Board of Trustees, unless voting is not permitted under applicable laws and regulations.
• For retail managed accounts, Geode will employ echo voting when voting shares. To avoid certain potential conflicts of interest, if an investment company has a shareholder meeting, Geode would vote their shares in the investment company in the same proportion as the votes of the other shareholders of the investment company.
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To view a fund's proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, if applicable, visit www.fidelity.com/proxyvotingresults or visit the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.
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DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
The fund has entered into a distribution agreement with Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), an affiliate of FMR. The principal business address of FDC is 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917. FDC is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
The fund's distribution agreement calls for FDC to use all reasonable efforts, consistent with its other business, to secure purchasers for shares of the fund, which are continuously offered.
Promotional and administrative expenses in connection with the offer and sale of shares are paid by FMR.
The Trustees have approved a Distribution and Service Plan with respect to shares of the fund (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the Rule).
The Rule provides in substance that a fund may not engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity that is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund except pursuant to a plan approved on behalf of the fund under the Rule.
The Plan, as approved by the Trustees, allows shares of the fund and/or FMR to incur certain expenses that might be considered to constitute indirect payment by the fund of distribution expenses.
The Plan adopted for the fund or class, as applicable, is described in the prospectus.
Under the Plan, if the payment of management fees by the fund to FMR is deemed to be indirect financing by the fund of the distribution of its shares, such payment is authorized by the Plan.
The Plan specifically recognizes that FMR may use its management fee revenue, as well as its past profits or its other resources, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. In addition, the Plan provides that FMR, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services.
Currently, the Board of Trustees has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Prior to approving the Plan, the Trustees carefully considered all pertinent factors relating to the implementation of the Plan, and determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the fund or class, as applicable, and its shareholders.
In particular, the Trustees noted that the Plan does not authorize payments by shares of the fund other than those made to FMR under its management contract with the fund.
To the extent that the Plan gives FMR and FDC greater flexibility in connection with the distribution of shares, additional sales of shares or stabilization of cash flows may result.
Furthermore, certain shareholder support services may be provided more effectively under the Plan by local entities with whom shareholders have other relationships.
TRANSFER AND SERVICE AGENT AGREEMENTS
The fund has entered into a transfer agent agreement with Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company LLC (FIIOC), an affiliate of FMR, which is located at 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Under the terms of the agreement, FIIOC (or an agent, including an affiliate) performs transfer agency services.
For providing transfer agency services, FIIOC receives no fees from the fund.
FIIOC may collect fees charged in connection with providing certain types of services such as exchanges, closing out fund balances, maintaining fund positions with low balances, checkwriting, wire transactions, and providing historical account research, as applicable.
FIIOC bears the expense of typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, and all other reports, notices, and statements to existing shareholders, with the exception of proxy statements.
Fund shares may be owned by intermediaries for the benefit of their customers. In those instances, a fund may not maintain an account for shareholders, and some or all of the recordkeeping services for these accounts may be performed by third parties. FIIOC or an affiliate may make payments to intermediaries (including affiliates of FIIOC) for recordkeeping and other services.
Retirement plans may also hold fund shares in the name of the plan or its trustee, rather than the plan participant. In situations where FIIOC or an affiliate does not provide recordkeeping services, plan recordkeepers, who may have affiliated financial intermediaries who sell shares of the fund, may, upon direction, be paid for providing recordkeeping services to plan participants. Payments may also be made, upon direction, for other plan expenses. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
In certain situations where FIIOC or an affiliate provides recordkeeping services to a retirement plan, payments may be made to pay for plan expenses. The amount of such payments may be based on investments in particular Fidelity® funds, or may be fixed for a given period of time. Upon direction, payments may be made to plan sponsors, or at the direction of plan sponsors, third parties, for expenses incurred in connection with the plan. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
The fund has entered into a service agent agreement with Fidelity Service Company, Inc. (FSC), an affiliate of FMR (or an agent, including an affiliate). Under the terms of the agreement, FSC calculates the NAV and dividends for shares, maintains the fund's portfolio and general accounting records, and administers the fund's securities lending program.
For providing pricing and bookkeeping services, FSC receives no fee from the fund.
FMR bears the cost of transfer agency services and pricing and bookkeeping services.
SECURITIES LENDING
During the fiscal year, the securities lending agent, or the investment adviser (where the fund does not use a securities lending agent) monitors loan opportunities for the fund, negotiates the terms of the loans with borrowers, monitors the value of securities on loan and the value of the corresponding collateral, communicates with borrowers and the fund's custodian regarding marking to market the collateral, selects securities to be loaned and allocates those loan opportunities among lenders, and arranges for the return of the loaned securities upon the termination of the loan. Income and fees from securities lending activities for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, are shown in the following table:
A fund does not pay cash collateral management fees, separate indemnification fees, or other fees not reflected above.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
Trust Organization.
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Value Index Fund is a fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust, an open-end management investment company created under an initial declaration of trust dated September 5, 1984.
The Trustees are permitted to create additional funds in the trust and to create additional classes of a fund.
The assets of the trust received for the issue or sale of shares of each fund and all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, subject to the rights of creditors, are allocated to such fund, and constitute the underlying assets of such fund. The underlying assets of each fund in the trust shall be charged with the liabilities and expenses attributable to such fund. Any general expenses of the trust shall be allocated between or among any one or more of the funds.
Shareholder Liability. The trust is an entity commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the trust.
The Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for the debts, liabilities, obligations, and expenses of the trust or fund. The Declaration of Trust provides that the trust shall not have any claim against shareholders except for the payment of the purchase price of shares and requires that each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the trust or the Trustees relating to the trust or to a fund shall include a provision limiting the obligations created thereby to the trust or to one or more funds and its or their assets. The Declaration of Trust further provides that shareholders of a fund shall not have a claim on or right to any assets belonging to any other fund.
The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of a fund's property of any shareholder or former shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the fund solely by reason of his or her being or having been a shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason. The Declaration of Trust also provides that a fund shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the fund and satisfy any judgment thereon. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations. Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC believes that, in view of the above, the risk of personal liability to shareholders is remote.
Voting Rights. The fund's capital consists of shares of beneficial interest. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each dollar of net asset value they own. The voting rights of shareholders can be changed only by a shareholder vote. Shares may be voted in the aggregate, by fund, and by class.
The shares have no preemptive or conversion rights. Shares are fully paid and nonassessable, except as set forth under the heading "Shareholder Liability" above.
The trust or a fund or a class may be terminated upon the sale of its assets to, or merger with, another open-end management investment company, series, or class thereof, or upon liquidation and distribution of its assets. The Trustees may reorganize, terminate, merge, or sell all or a portion of the assets of a trust or a fund or a class without prior shareholder approval. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a trust, shareholders of each of its funds are entitled to receive the underlying assets of such fund available for distribution. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a fund or a class, shareholders of that fund or that class are entitled to receive the underlying assets of the fund or class available for distribution.
Custodians.
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is custodian of the assets of the fund.
The custodian is responsible for the safekeeping of the fund's assets and the appointment of any subcustodian banks and clearing agencies.
The Bank of New York Mellon, headquartered in New York, also may serve as special purpose custodian of certain assets in connection with repurchase agreement transactions.
From time to time, subject to approval by a fund's Treasurer, a Fidelity® fund may enter into escrow arrangements with other banks if necessary to participate in certain investment offerings.
FMR, its officers and directors, its affiliated companies, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and Members of the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, conduct transactions with various banks, including banks serving as custodians for certain funds advised by FMR or an affiliate. Transactions that have occurred to date include mortgages and personal and general business loans. In the judgment of the fund's adviser, the terms and conditions of those transactions were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other fund relationships.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 101 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts, independent registered public accounting firm, audits financial statements for the fund and provides other audit, tax, and related services.
FUND HOLDINGS INFORMATION
The fund views holdings information as sensitive and limits its dissemination. The Board authorized FMR to establish and administer guidelines for the dissemination of fund holdings information, which may be amended at any time without prior notice. FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee (comprising executive officers of FMR) evaluates disclosure policy with the goal of serving the fund's best interests by striking an appropriate balance between providing information about the fund's portfolio and protecting the fund from potentially harmful disclosure. The Board reviews the administration and modification of these guidelines and receives reports from the fund's chief compliance officer periodically.
The fund will provide a full list of holdings monthly on www.fidelity.com 30 days after the month-end (excluding high income security holdings, which generally will be presented collectively monthly and included in a list of full holdings 60 days after month-end).
The fund will provide its top ten holdings (excluding cash and futures) on Fidelity's web site monthly, 15 days after month-end.
Unless otherwise indicated, this information will be available on the web site until updated for the next applicable period.
The fund may also from time to time provide or make available to the Board or third parties upon request specific fund level performance attribution information and statistics. Third parties may include fund shareholders or prospective fund shareholders, members of the press, consultants, and ratings and ranking organizations. Nonexclusive examples of performance attribution information and statistics may include (i) the allocation of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions among various asset classes, sectors, industries, and countries, (ii) the characteristics of the stock and bond components of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions, (iii) the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry, and country and (iv) the volatility characteristics of the fund.
FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee may approve a request for fund level performance attribution and statistics as long as (i) such disclosure does not enable the receiving party to recreate the complete or partial portfolio holdings of any Fidelity® fund prior to such fund's public disclosure of its portfolio holdings and (ii) Fidelity has made a good faith determination that the requested information is not material given the particular facts and circumstances. Fidelity may deny any request for performance attribution information and other statistical information about a fund made by any person, and may do so for any reason or for no reason.
Disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information for a Fidelity® fund's portfolio may only be provided pursuant to the guidelines below.
The Use of Holdings In Connection With Fund Operations. Material non-public holdings information may be provided as part of the activities associated with managing Fidelity® funds to: entities which, by explicit agreement or by virtue of their respective duties to the fund, are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed; other parties if legally required; or persons FMR believes will not misuse the disclosed information. These entities, parties, and persons include, but are not limited to: the fund's trustees; the fund's manager, its sub-advisers, if any, and their affiliates whose access persons are subject to a code of ethics (including portfolio managers of affiliated funds of funds); contractors who are subject to a confidentiality agreement; the fund's auditors; the fund's custodians; proxy voting service providers; financial printers; pricing service vendors; broker-dealers in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities; securities lending agents; counsel to the fund or its Independent Trustees; regulatory authorities; stock exchanges and other listing organizations; parties to litigation; third parties in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding relating to a fund holding; and third parties who have submitted a standing request to a money market fund for daily holdings information. Non-public holdings information may also be provided to an issuer regarding the number or percentage of its shares that are owned by the fund and in connection with redemptions in kind.
Other Uses Of Holdings Information. In addition, the fund may provide material non-public holdings information to (i) third parties that calculate information derived from holdings for use by FMR, a sub-adviser, or their affiliates, (ii) ratings and rankings organizations, and (iii) an investment adviser, trustee, or their agents to whom holdings are disclosed for due diligence purposes or in anticipation of a merger involving the fund. Each individual request is reviewed by the Disclosure Policy Committee which must find, in its sole discretion that, based on the specific facts and circumstances, the disclosure appears unlikely to be harmful to the fund. Entities receiving this information must have in place control mechanisms to reasonably ensure or otherwise agree that, (a) the holdings information will be kept confidential, (b) no employee shall use the information to effect trading or for their personal benefit, and (c) the nature and type of information that they, in turn, may disclose to third parties is limited. FMR relies primarily on the existence of non-disclosure agreements and/or control mechanisms when determining that disclosure is not likely to be harmful to the fund.
At this time, the entities receiving information described in the preceding paragraph are: Factset Research Systems Inc. (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (full holdings weekly (generally as of the previous Friday), generally 5 business days thereafter); MSCI Inc. and certain affiliates (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); and Bloomberg, L.P. (full holdings daily, on the next business day).
FMR, its affiliates, or the fund will not enter into any arrangements with third parties from which they derive consideration for the disclosure of material non-public holdings information. If, in the future, such an arrangement is desired, prior Board approval would be sought and any such arrangements would be disclosed in the fund's SAI.
There can be no assurance that the fund's policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of fund portfolio holdings will prevent the misuse of such information by individuals and firms that receive such information.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The fund's financial statements and financial highlights for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, and report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the fund's annual report and are incorporated herein by reference.
Total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table may differ from the ratios of expenses to average net assets in the financial highlights because total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table include any acquired fund fees and expenses, whereas the ratios of expenses in the financial highlights do not, except to the extent any acquired fund fees and expenses relate to an entity, such as a wholly-owned subsidiary, with which a fund's financial statements are consolidated. Acquired funds include other investment companies (such as Central funds or other underlying funds) in which the fund has invested, if and to the extent it is permitted to do so.
Total annual operating expenses in the prospectus fee table and the financial highlights do not include any expenses associated with investments in certain structured or synthetic products that may rely on the exception from the definition of "investment company" provided by section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.
APPENDIX
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
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Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
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FUMIX
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Fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
September 29, 2023
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. Portions of the fund's annual report are incorporated herein. The annual report(s) are supplied with this SAI.
To obtain a free additional copy of a prospectus or SAI, dated September 29, 2023, or an annual report, please call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455 or visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com.
For more information on any Fidelity® fund, including charges and expenses, call Fidelity at the number indicated above for a free prospectus. Read it carefully before investing or sending money.
245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
SY1-PTB-0923
1.9878813.107
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND LIMITATIONS
The following policies and limitations supplement those set forth in the prospectus. Unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the fund's acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the fund's investment policies and limitations.
The fund's fundamental investment policies and limitations cannot be changed without approval by a "majority of the outstanding voting securities" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act)) of the fund. However, except for the fundamental investment limitations listed below, the investment policies and limitations described in this Statement of Additional Information (SAI) are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
The following are the fund's fundamental investment limitations set forth in their entirety.
Diversification
The fund may not with respect to 75% of the fund's total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, (a) more than 5% of the fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (b) the fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.
Senior Securities
The fund may not issue senior securities, except in connection with the insurance program established by the fund pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission or as otherwise permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Borrowing
The fund may not borrow money, except that the fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes (not for leveraging or investment) in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1/3% limitation.
Underwriting
The fund may not underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in the disposition of restricted securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies.
Concentration
The fund may not purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) looks through to the U.S. Government securities.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in Fidelity® Money Market Central Fund and/or any non-money market Central fund, FMR looks through to the holdings of the Central fund.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, FMR may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and security and assign an industry or sector classification consistent with those characteristics in the event that the third-party classification provider used by FMR does not assign a classification.
Real Estate
The fund may not purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).
Commodities
The fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).
Loans
The fund may not lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, but this limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.
The following investment limitations are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
Short Sales
The fund does not currently intend to sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in futures contracts and options are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.
Margin Purchases
The fund does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that the fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.
Borrowing
The fund may borrow money only (a) from a bank or from a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) by engaging in reverse repurchase agreements with any party (reverse repurchase agreements are treated as borrowings for purposes of the fundamental borrowing investment limitation).
Illiquid Securities
The fund does not currently intend to purchase any security if, as a result, more than 10% of its net assets would be invested in securities that are deemed to be illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business at approximately the prices at which they are valued.
For purposes of the fund's illiquid securities limitation discussed above, if through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, the fund were in a position where more than 10% of its net assets were invested in illiquid securities, it would consider appropriate steps to protect liquidity.
Loans
The fund does not currently intend to lend assets other than securities to other parties, except by (a) lending money (up to 15% of the fund's net assets) to a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) assuming any unfunded commitments in connection with the acquisition of loans, loan participations, or other forms of debt instruments. (This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities, to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.)
In addition to the fund's fundamental and non-fundamental investment limitations discussed above:
In order to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the fund currently intends to comply with certain diversification limits imposed by Subchapter M.
For the fund's policies and limitations on futures and options transactions, see "Investment Policies and Limitations - Futures, Options, and Swaps."
The following pages contain more detailed information about types of instruments in which the fund may invest, techniques the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may employ in pursuit of the fund's investment objective, and a summary of related risks. The fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may not buy all of these instruments or use all of these techniques unless it believes that doing so will help the fund achieve its goal. However, the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) is not required to buy any particular instrument or use any particular technique even if to do so might benefit the fund.
On the following pages in this section titled "Investment Policies and Limitations," and except as otherwise indicated, references to "an adviser" or "the adviser" may relate to the fund's adviser or a sub-adviser, as applicable.
Affiliated Bank Transactions. A Fidelity® fund may engage in transactions with financial institutions that are, or may be considered to be, "affiliated persons" of the fund under the 1940 Act. These transactions may involve repurchase agreements with custodian banks; short-term obligations of, and repurchase agreements with, the 50 largest U.S. banks (measured by deposits); municipal securities; U.S. Government securities with affiliated financial institutions that are primary dealers in these securities; short-term currency transactions; and short-term borrowings. In accordance with exemptive orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Board of Trustees has established and periodically reviews procedures applicable to transactions involving affiliated financial institutions.
Borrowing. If a fund borrows money, its share price may be subject to greater fluctuation until the borrowing is paid off. If a fund makes additional investments while borrowings are outstanding, this may be considered a form of leverage.
Cash Management. A fund may hold uninvested cash or may invest it in cash equivalents such as money market securities, repurchase agreements, or shares of short-term bond or money market funds, including (for Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients only) shares of Fidelity® Central funds. Generally, these securities offer less potential for gains than other types of securities.
Central Funds are special types of investment vehicles created by Fidelity for use by the Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients. Central funds are used to invest in particular security types or investment disciplines, or for cash management. Central funds incur certain costs related to their investment activity (such as custodial fees and expenses), but generally do not pay additional management fees. The investment results of the portions of a Fidelity® fund's assets invested in the Central funds will be based upon the investment results of those funds.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Notice of Exclusion. The Adviser, on behalf of the Fidelity® fund to which this SAI relates, has filed with the National Futures Association a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and the rules of the CFTC promulgated thereunder, with respect to the fund's operation. Accordingly, neither a fund nor its adviser is subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool or a CPO. As of the date of this SAI, the adviser does not expect to register as a CPO of the fund. However, there is no certainty that a fund or its adviser will be able to rely on an exclusion in the future as the fund's investments change over time. A fund may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional CFTC regulation or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If a fund or its adviser operates subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses.
Common Stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock, although related proceedings can take time to resolve and results can be unpredictable. For purposes of a Fidelity® fund's policies related to investment in common stock Fidelity considers depositary receipts evidencing ownership of common stock to be common stock.
Convertible Securities are bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a fund is called for redemption or conversion, the fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.
Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at prices above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.
Debt Securities are used by issuers to borrow money. The issuer usually pays a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest, and must repay the amount borrowed, usually at the maturity of the security. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay interest but are sold at a deep discount from their face values. Debt securities include corporate bonds, government securities, repurchase agreements, and mortgage and other asset-backed securities.
Disruption to Financial Markets and Related Government Intervention. Economic downturns can trigger various economic, legal, budgetary, tax, and regulatory reforms across the globe. Instability in the financial markets in the wake of events such as the 2008 economic downturn led the U.S. Government and other governments to take a number of then-unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases, a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, local, foreign, and other governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which a fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Reforms may also change the way in which a fund is regulated and could limit or preclude a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective or engage in certain strategies. Also, while reforms generally are intended to strengthen markets, systems, and public finances, they could affect fund expenses and the value of fund investments in unpredictable ways.
Similarly, widespread disease including pandemics and epidemics, and natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, droughts, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and climate-related phenomena generally, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of a fund's investments. Economies and financial markets throughout the world have become increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or country will adversely affect markets or issuers in other regions or countries, including the United States. Additionally, market disruptions may result in increased market volatility; regulatory trading halts; closure of domestic or foreign exchanges, markets, or governments; or market participants operating pursuant to business continuity plans for indeterminate periods of time. Further, market disruptions can (i) prevent a fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner, (ii) negatively impact a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective, and (iii) may exacerbate the risks discussed elsewhere in a fund's registration statement, including political, social, and economic risks.
The value of a fund's portfolio is also generally subject to the risk of future local, national, or global economic or natural disturbances based on unknown weaknesses in the markets in which a fund invests. In the event of such a disturbance, the issuers of securities held by a fund may experience significant declines in the value of their assets and even cease operations, or may receive government assistance accompanied by increased restrictions on their business operations or other government intervention. In addition, it remains uncertain that the U.S. Government or foreign governments will intervene in response to current or future market disturbances and the effect of any such future intervention cannot be predicted.
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are shares of other investment companies, commodity pools, or other entities that are traded on an exchange. Assets underlying the ETF shares may consist of stocks, bonds, commodities, or other instruments, depending on an ETF's investment objective and strategies. An ETF may seek to replicate the performance of a specific index or may be actively managed.
Typically, shares of an ETF that tracks an index are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark increases. However, in the case of inverse ETFs (also called "short ETFs" or "bear ETFs"), ETF shares are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark decreases. Inverse ETFs seek to deliver the opposite of the performance of the benchmark they track and are often marketed as a way for investors to profit from, or at least hedge their exposure to, downward moving markets. Investments in inverse ETFs are similar to holding short positions in the underlying benchmark.
ETF shares are redeemable only in large blocks of shares often called "creation units" by persons other than a fund, and are redeemed principally in-kind at each day's next calculated net asset value per share (NAV). ETFs typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a fund. A fund's purchase of ETFs results in the layering of expenses, such that the fund would indirectly bear a proportionate share of any ETF's operating expenses. Further, while traditional investment companies are continuously offered at NAV, ETFs are traded in the secondary market (e.g., on a stock exchange) on an intra-day basis at prices that may be above or below the value of their underlying portfolios.
Some of the risks of investing in an ETF that tracks an index are similar to those of investing in an indexed mutual fund, including tracking error risk (the risk of errors in matching the ETF's underlying assets to the index or other benchmark); and the risk that because an ETF that tracks an index is not actively managed, it cannot sell stocks or other assets as long as they are represented in the index or other benchmark. Other ETF risks include the risk that ETFs may trade in the secondary market at a discount from their NAV and the risk that the ETFs may not be liquid. ETFs also may be leveraged. Leveraged ETFs seek to deliver multiples of the performance of the index or other benchmark they track and use derivatives in an effort to amplify the returns (or decline, in the case of inverse ETFs) of the underlying index or benchmark. While leveraged ETFs may offer the potential for greater return, the potential for loss and the speed at which losses can be realized also are greater. Most leveraged and inverse ETFs "reset" daily, meaning they are designed to achieve their stated objectives on a daily basis. Leveraged and inverse ETFs can deviate substantially from the performance of their underlying benchmark over longer periods of time, particularly in volatile periods.
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) are a type of senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt security issued by financial institutions that combines aspects of both bonds and ETFs. An ETN's returns are based on the performance of a market index or other reference asset minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN's maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the market index or other reference asset to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs typically do not make periodic interest payments and principal typically is not protected.
ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable index. The market value of an ETN is determined by supply and demand, the current performance of the index or other reference asset, and the credit rating of the ETN issuer. The market value of ETN shares may differ from their intraday indicative value. The value of an ETN may also change due to a change in the issuer's credit rating. As a result, there may be times when an ETN's share trades at a premium or discount to its NAV. Some ETNs that use leverage in an effort to amplify the returns of an underlying index or other reference asset can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs may offer the potential for greater return, but the potential for loss and speed at which losses can be realized also are greater.
Exposure to Foreign and Emerging Markets. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
Foreign investments involve risks relating to local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments, and may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors. Such actions may include expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. From time to time, a fund's adviser and/or its affiliates may determine that, as a result of regulatory requirements that may apply to the adviser and/or its affiliates due to investments in a particular country, investments in the securities of issuers domiciled or listed on trading markets in that country above certain thresholds (which may apply at the account level or in the aggregate across all accounts managed by the adviser and its affiliates) may be impractical or undesirable. In such instances, the adviser may limit or exclude investment in a particular issuer, and investment flexibility may be restricted. Additionally, governmental issuers of foreign debt securities may be unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due and may require that the conditions for payment be renegotiated. There is no assurance that a fund's adviser will be able to anticipate these potential events or counter their effects. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.
It is anticipated that in most cases the best available market for foreign securities will be on an exchange or in over-the-counter (OTC) markets located outside of the United States. Foreign stock markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States, and securities of some foreign issuers may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign security trading, settlement and custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment) are often less developed than those in U.S. markets, and may result in increased investment or valuation risk or substantial delays in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign subcustodian. In addition, the costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.
Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets. Foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis. In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States. OTC markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated. Regulatory enforcement may be influenced by economic or political concerns, and investors may have difficulty enforcing their legal rights in foreign countries.
Some foreign securities impose restrictions on transfer within the United States or to U.S. persons. Although securities subject to such transfer restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. These risks include foreign exchange risk as well as the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country.
The risks of foreign investing may be magnified for investments in emerging markets. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
Foreign Currency Transactions. A fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies). Although foreign exchange dealers generally do not charge a fee for such conversions, they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the counterparty desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Forward contracts are customized transactions that require a specific amount of a currency to be delivered at a specific exchange rate on a specific date or range of dates in the future. Forward contracts are generally traded in an interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the contemplated currency exchange.
The following discussion summarizes the principal currency management strategies involving forward contracts that could be used by a fund. A fund may also use swap agreements, indexed securities, and options and futures contracts relating to foreign currencies for the same purposes. Forward contracts not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through payments in U.S. dollars rather than through delivery of the underlying currency. All of these instruments and transactions are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default.
A "settlement hedge" or "transaction hedge" is designed to protect a fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date a security denominated in a foreign currency is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying security transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars "locks in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. Forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency may also be used to protect a fund in anticipation of future purchases or sales of securities denominated in foreign currency, even if the specific investments have not yet been selected.
A fund may also use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in a foreign currency. For example, if a fund owned securities denominated in pounds sterling, it could enter into a forward contract to sell pounds sterling in return for U.S. dollars to hedge against possible declines in the pound's value. Such a hedge, sometimes referred to as a "position hedge," would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in security values caused by other factors. A fund could also attempt to hedge the position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the pound sterling. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as a "proxy hedge," could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency, but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.
A fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a "cross-hedge," will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, much as if a fund had sold a security denominated in one currency and purchased an equivalent security denominated in another. A fund may cross-hedge its U.S. dollar exposure in order to achieve a representative weighted mix of the major currencies in its benchmark index and/or to cover an underweight country or region exposure in its portfolio. Cross-hedges protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency, but will cause a fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases.
Successful use of currency management strategies will depend on an adviser's skill in analyzing currency values. Currency management strategies may substantially change a fund's investment exposure to changes in currency exchange rates and could result in losses to a fund if currencies do not perform as an adviser anticipates. For example, if a currency's value rose at a time when a fund had hedged its position by selling that currency in exchange for dollars, the fund would not participate in the currency's appreciation. If a fund hedges currency exposure through proxy hedges, the fund could realize currency losses from both the hedge and the security position if the two currencies do not move in tandem. Similarly, if a fund increases its exposure to a foreign currency and that currency's value declines, the fund will realize a loss. Foreign currency transactions involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted and that a fund's hedging strategies will be ineffective. Moreover, it is impossible to precisely forecast the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a foreign currency forward contract. Accordingly, a fund may be required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expenses of such transaction), if an adviser's predictions regarding the movement of foreign currency or securities markets prove inaccurate.
A fund may be required to limit its hedging transactions in foreign currency forwards, futures, and options in order to maintain its classification as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code (Code). Hedging transactions could result in the application of the mark-to-market provisions of the Code, which may cause an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid by a fund are classified as capital gains or ordinary income. There is no assurance that an adviser's use of currency management strategies will be advantageous to a fund or that it will employ currency management strategies at appropriate times.
Options and Futures Relating to Foreign Currencies. Currency futures contracts are similar to forward currency exchange contracts, except that they are traded on exchanges (and have margin requirements) and are standardized as to contract size and delivery date. Most currency futures contracts call for payment or delivery in U.S. dollars. The underlying instrument of a currency option may be a foreign currency, which generally is purchased or delivered in exchange for U.S. dollars, or may be a futures contract. The purchaser of a currency call obtains the right to purchase the underlying currency, and the purchaser of a currency put obtains the right to sell the underlying currency.
The uses and risks of currency options and futures are similar to options and futures relating to securities or indexes, as discussed below. A fund may purchase and sell currency futures and may purchase and write currency options to increase or decrease its exposure to different foreign currencies. Currency options may also be purchased or written in conjunction with each other or with currency futures or forward contracts. Currency futures and options values can be expected to correlate with exchange rates, but may not reflect other factors that affect the value of a fund's investments. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a Yen-denominated security from a decline in the Yen, but will not protect a fund against a price decline resulting from deterioration in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the value of a fund's foreign-denominated investments changes in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of currency options and futures to the value of the fund's investments exactly over time.
Currency options traded on U.S. or other exchanges may be subject to position limits which may limit the ability of the fund to reduce foreign currency risk using such options.
Funds of Funds and Other Large Shareholders. Certain Fidelity® funds and accounts (including funds of funds) invest in other funds ("underlying funds") and, as a result, may at times have substantial investments in one or more underlying funds.
An underlying fund may experience large redemptions or investments due to transactions in its shares by funds of funds, other large shareholders, or similarly managed accounts. While it is impossible to predict the overall effect of these transactions over time, there could be an adverse impact on an underlying fund's performance. In the event of such redemptions or investments, an underlying fund could be required to sell securities or to invest cash at a time when it may not otherwise desire to do so. Such transactions may increase an underlying fund's brokerage and/or other transaction costs and affect the liquidity of a fund's portfolio. In addition, when funds of funds or other investors own a substantial portion of an underlying fund's shares, a large redemption by such an investor could cause actual expenses to increase, or could result in the underlying fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the underlying fund's expense ratio. Redemptions of underlying fund shares could also accelerate the realization of taxable capital gains in the fund if sales of securities result in capital gains. The impact of these transactions is likely to be greater when a fund of funds or other significant investor purchases, redeems, or owns a substantial portion of the underlying fund's shares.
When possible, Fidelity will consider how to minimize these potential adverse effects, and may take such actions as it deems appropriate to address potential adverse effects, including redemption of shares in-kind rather than in cash or carrying out the transactions over a period of time, although there can be no assurance that such actions will be successful. A high volume of redemption requests can impact an underlying fund the same way as the transactions of a single shareholder with substantial investments. As an additional safeguard, Fidelity® fund of funds may manage the placement of their redemption requests in a manner designed to minimize the impact of such requests on the day-to-day operations of the underlying funds in which they invest. This may involve, for example, redeeming its shares of an underlying fund gradually over time or through use of a transition account.
Fund's Rights as an Investor. Fidelity® funds do not intend to direct or administer the day-to-day operations of any company. A fund may, however, exercise its rights as a shareholder or lender and may communicate its views on important matters of policy to a company's management, board of directors, and shareholders, and holders of a company's other securities when such matters could have a significant effect on the value of the fund's investment in the company. The activities in which a fund may engage, either individually or in conjunction with others, may include, among others, supporting or opposing proposed changes in a company's corporate structure or business activities; seeking changes in a company's directors or management; seeking changes in a company's direction or policies; seeking the sale or reorganization of the company or a portion of its assets; supporting or opposing third-party takeover efforts; supporting the filing of a bankruptcy petition; or foreclosing on collateral securing a security. This area of corporate activity is increasingly prone to litigation and it is possible that a fund could be involved in lawsuits related to such activities. Such activities will be monitored with a view to mitigating, to the extent possible, the risk of litigation against a fund and the risk of actual liability if a fund is involved in litigation. No guarantee can be made, however, that litigation against a fund will not be undertaken or liabilities incurred. A fund's proxy voting guidelines are included in its SAI.
Futures, Options, and Swaps. The success of any strategy involving futures, options, and swaps depends on an adviser's analysis of many economic and mathematical factors and a fund's return may be higher if it never invested in such instruments. Additionally, some of the contracts discussed below are new instruments without a trading history and there can be no assurance that a market for the instruments will continue to exist. Government legislation or regulation could affect the use of such instruments and could limit a fund's ability to pursue its investment strategies. If a fund invests a significant portion of its assets in derivatives, its investment exposure could far exceed the value of its portfolio securities and its investment performance could be primarily dependent upon securities it does not own.
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund will not: (a) sell futures contracts, purchase put options, or write call options if, as a result, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be hedged with futures and options under normal conditions; (b) purchase futures contracts or write put options if, as a result, the fund's total obligations upon settlement or exercise of purchased futures contracts and written put options would exceed 25% of its total assets under normal conditions; or (c) purchase call options if, as a result, the current value of option premiums for call options purchased by the fund would exceed 5% of the fund's total assets. These limitations do not apply to options attached to or acquired or traded together with their underlying securities, and do not apply to structured notes.
The policies and limitations regarding the fund's investments in futures contracts, options, and swaps may be changed as regulatory agencies permit.
The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which a fund may enter into futures, options on futures, and forward contracts.
Futures Contracts. In purchasing a futures contract, the buyer agrees to purchase a specified underlying instrument at a specified future date. In selling a futures contract, the seller agrees to sell a specified underlying instrument at a specified date. Futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts and the price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when the buyer and seller enter into the contract. Some currently available futures contracts are based on specific securities or baskets of securities, some are based on commodities or commodities indexes (for funds that seek commodities exposure), and some are based on indexes of securities prices (including foreign indexes for funds that seek foreign exposure). Futures on indexes and futures not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through cash payments rather than through delivery of the underlying instrument. Futures can be held until their delivery dates, or can be closed out by offsetting purchases or sales of futures contracts before then if a liquid market is available. A fund may realize a gain or loss by closing out its futures contracts.
The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of its underlying instrument. Therefore, purchasing futures contracts will tend to increase a fund's exposure to positive and negative price fluctuations in the underlying instrument, much as if it had purchased the underlying instrument directly. When a fund sells a futures contract, by contrast, the value of its futures position will tend to move in a direction contrary to the market for the underlying instrument. Selling futures contracts, therefore, will tend to offset both positive and negative market price changes, much as if the underlying instrument had been sold.
The purchaser or seller of a futures contract or an option for a futures contract is not required to deliver or pay for the underlying instrument or the final cash settlement price, as applicable, unless the contract is held until the delivery date. However, both the purchaser and seller are required to deposit "initial margin" with a futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant, when the contract is entered into. If the value of either party's position declines, that party will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to settle the change in value on a daily basis. This process of "marking to market" will be reflected in the daily calculation of open positions computed in a fund's NAV. The party that has a gain is entitled to receive all or a portion of this amount. Initial and variation margin payments do not constitute purchasing securities on margin for purposes of a fund's investment limitations. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a fund, but is instead a settlement between a fund and the futures commission merchant of the amount one would owe the other if the fund's contract expired. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a futures commission merchant that holds margin on behalf of a fund, the fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the futures commission merchant's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the fund.
Although futures exchanges generally operate similarly in the United States and abroad, foreign futures exchanges may follow trading, settlement, and margin procedures that are different from those for U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts traded outside the United States may not involve a clearing mechanism or related guarantees and may involve greater risk of loss than U.S.-traded contracts, including potentially greater risk of losses due to insolvency of a futures broker, exchange member, or other party that may owe initial or variation margin to a fund. Because initial and variation margin payments may be measured in foreign currency, a futures contract traded outside the United States may also involve the risk of foreign currency fluctuation.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for futures contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may work to prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.
If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or other market conditions, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value. These risks may be heightened for commodity futures contracts, which have historically been subject to greater price volatility than exists for instruments such as stocks and bonds.
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded futures contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in futures contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the futures position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell futures contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's futures positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments. In addition, the price of a commodity futures contract can reflect the storage costs associated with the purchase of the physical commodity.
Futures contracts on U.S. Government securities historically have reacted to an increase or decrease in interest rates in a manner similar to the manner in which the underlying U.S. Government securities reacted. To the extent, however, that a fund enters into such futures contracts, the value of these futures contracts will not vary in direct proportion to the value of the fund's holdings of U.S. Government securities. Thus, the anticipated spread between the price of the futures contract and the hedged security may be distorted due to differences in the nature of the markets. The spread also may be distorted by differences in initial and variation margin requirements, the liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.
Options. By purchasing a put option, the purchaser obtains the right (but not the obligation) to sell the option's underlying instrument at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, the purchaser pays the current market price for the option (known as the option premium). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific assets or securities, baskets of assets or securities, indexes of securities or commodities prices, and futures contracts (including commodity futures contracts). Options may be traded on an exchange or OTC. The purchaser may terminate its position in a put option by allowing it to expire or by exercising the option. If the option is allowed to expire, the purchaser will lose the entire premium. If the option is exercised, the purchaser completes the sale of the underlying instrument at the strike price. Depending on the terms of the contract, upon exercise, an option may require physical delivery of the underlying instrument or may be settled through cash payments. A purchaser may also terminate a put option position by closing it out in the secondary market at its current price, if a liquid secondary market exists.
The buyer of a typical put option can expect to realize a gain if the underlying instrument's price falls substantially. However, if the underlying instrument's price does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer can expect to suffer a loss (limited to the amount of the premium, plus related transaction costs).
The features of call options are essentially the same as those of put options, except that the purchaser of a call option obtains the right (but not the obligation) to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. A call buyer typically attempts to participate in potential price increases of the underlying instrument with risk limited to the cost of the option if the underlying instrument's price falls. At the same time, the buyer can expect to suffer a loss if the underlying instrument's price does not rise sufficiently to offset the cost of the option.
The writer of a put or call option takes the opposite side of the transaction from the option's purchaser. In return for receipt of the premium, the writer assumes the obligation to pay or receive the strike price for the option's underlying instrument if the other party to the option chooses to exercise it. The writer may seek to terminate a position in a put option before exercise by closing out the option in the secondary market at its current price. If the secondary market is not liquid for a put option, however, the writer must continue to be prepared to pay the strike price while the option is outstanding, regardless of price changes. When writing an option on a futures contract, a fund will be required to make margin payments to a futures commission merchant as described above for futures contracts.
If the underlying instrument's price rises, a put writer would generally expect to profit, although its gain would be limited to the amount of the premium it received. If the underlying instrument's price remains the same over time, it is likely that the writer will also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a lower price. If the underlying instrument's price falls, the put writer would expect to suffer a loss. This loss should be less than the loss from purchasing the underlying instrument directly, however, because the premium received for writing the option should mitigate the effects of the decline.
Writing a call option obligates the writer to sell or deliver the option's underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, upon exercise of the option. The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that writing calls generally is a profitable strategy if prices remain the same or fall. Through receipt of the option premium, a call writer should mitigate the effects of a price increase. At the same time, because a call writer must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, even if its current value is greater, a call writer gives up some ability to participate in price increases and, if a call writer does not hold the underlying instrument, a call writer's loss is theoretically unlimited.
Where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price to close out the put or call option on the secondary market may move more or less than the price of the related security.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular options contract at any particular time. Options may have relatively low trading volume and liquidity if their strike prices are not close to the underlying instrument's current price. In addition, exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for exchange-traded options contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or otherwise, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value.
Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size, and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the purchaser or writer greater flexibility to tailor an option to its needs, OTC options generally are less liquid and involve greater credit risk than exchange-traded options, which are backed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
Combined positions involve purchasing and writing options in combination with each other, or in combination with futures or forward contracts, to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, purchasing a put option and writing a call option on the same underlying instrument would construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract. Another possible combined position would involve writing a call option at one strike price and buying a call option at a lower price, to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
A fund may also buy and sell options on swaps (swaptions), which are generally options on interest rate swaps. An option on a swap gives a party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to extend, shorten, cancel or modify an existing contract at a specific date in the future in exchange for a premium. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes (sells) an option on a swap than it will incur when it purchases an option on a swap. When a fund purchases an option on a swap, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a fund writes an option on a swap, upon exercise of the option the fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. A fund that writes an option on a swap receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the preset rate on the underlying interest rate swap. Whether a fund's use of options on swaps will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Options on swaps may involve risks similar to those discussed below in "Swap Agreements."
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded options contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in options contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the options position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Options prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Options prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell options contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's options positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments.
Swap Agreements. Under a typical equity swap agreement, a counterparty such as a bank or broker-dealer agrees to pay a fund a return equal to the dividend payments and increase in value, if any, of an index or group of stocks, or of a stock, and the fund agrees in return to pay a fixed or floating rate of interest, plus any declines in value of the index. Swap agreements can also have features providing for maximum or minimum exposure to a designated index. In order to hedge its exposure effectively, a fund would generally have to own other assets returning approximately the same amount as the interest rate payable by the fund under the swap agreement.
Swap agreements allow a fund to acquire or reduce credit exposure to a particular issuer, asset, or basket of assets. The most significant factor in the performance of swap agreements is the change in value of the specific index, security, or currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from a fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a fund, the fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. If the creditworthiness of a fund's swap counterparty declines, the risk that the counterparty may not perform could increase, potentially resulting in a loss to the fund and impairing the fund's correlation with its applicable index. Although there can be no assurance that a fund will be able to do so, a fund may be able to reduce or eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or another more creditworthy party.
A fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. A fund would generally be required to provide margin or collateral for the benefit of that counterparty. If a counterparty to a swap transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited temporarily or permanently in exercising its right to the return of related fund assets designated as margin or collateral in an action against the counterparty.
Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to a fund's interest. A fund bears the risk that an adviser will not accurately forecast market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other economic factors in establishing swap positions for a fund. If an adviser attempts to use a swap as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, a fund may be exposed to the risk that the swap will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment, which could cause substantial losses for a fund. While hedging strategies involving swap instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other fund investments. Swaps are complex and often valued subjectively.
Hybrid and Preferred Securities. A hybrid security may be a debt security, warrant, convertible security, certificate of deposit or other evidence of indebtedness on which the value of the interest on or principal of which is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument or financial strength of a reference entity (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, index, or business entity such as a financial institution). Another example is contingent convertible securities, which are fixed income securities that, under certain circumstances, either convert into common stock of the issuer or undergo a principal write-down by a predetermined percentage if the issuer's capital ratio falls below a predetermined trigger level. The liquidation value of such a security may be reduced upon a regulatory action and without the need for a bankruptcy proceeding. Preferred securities may take the form of preferred stock and represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds generally take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.
The risks of investing in hybrid and preferred securities reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid or preferred security may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt or equity security. The risks of a particular hybrid or preferred security will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the value of any applicable reference instrument. Such risks may depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid or preferred security. Hybrid and preferred securities are potentially more volatile and carry greater market and liquidity risks than traditional debt or equity securities. Also, the price of the hybrid or preferred security and any applicable reference instrument may not move in the same direction or at the same time. In addition, because hybrid and preferred securities may be traded over-the-counter or in bilateral transactions with the issuer of the security, hybrid and preferred securities may be subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the security and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates. In addition, uncertainty regarding the tax and regulatory treatment of hybrid and preferred securities may reduce demand for such securities and tax and regulatory considerations may limit the extent of a fund's investments in certain hybrid and preferred securities.
Illiquid Investments means any investment that cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Difficulty in selling or disposing of illiquid investments may result in a loss or may be costly to a fund. Illiquid securities may include (1) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days without demand/redemption features, (2) OTC options and certain other derivatives, (3) private placements, (4) securities traded on markets and exchanges with structural constraints, and (5) loan participations.
Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, a Fidelity® fund's adviser classifies the liquidity of a fund's investments and monitors the extent of a fund's illiquid investments.
Various market, trading and investment-specific factors may be considered in determining the liquidity of a fund's investments including, but not limited to (1) the existence of an active trading market, (2) the nature of the security and the market in which it trades, (3) the number, diversity, and quality of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace, (4) the frequency, volume, and volatility of trade and price quotations, (5) bid-ask spreads, (6) dates of issuance and maturity, (7) demand, put or tender features, and (8) restrictions on trading or transferring the investment.
Fidelity classifies certain investments as illiquid based upon these criteria. Fidelity also monitors for certain market, trading and investment-specific events that may cause Fidelity to re-evaluate an investment's liquidity status and may lead to an investment being classified as illiquid. In addition, Fidelity uses a third-party to assist with the liquidity classifications of the fund's investments, which includes calculating the time to sell and settle a specified size position in a particular investment without the sale significantly changing the market value of the investment.
Increasing Government Debt. The total public debt of the United States and other countries around the globe as a percent of gross domestic product has, at times, grown rapidly. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented.
A high national debt level may increase market pressures to meet government funding needs, which may drive debt cost higher and cause a country to sell additional debt, thereby increasing refinancing risk. A high national debt also raises concerns that a government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. In the worst case, unsustainable debt levels can decline the valuation of currencies, and can prevent a government from implementing effective counter-cyclical fiscal policy in economic downturns.
Rating services have, in the past, lowered their long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States. The market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government may be adversely affected by rating services' decision to downgrade the long-term sovereign credit rating of the United States.
Indexed Securities are instruments whose prices are indexed to the prices of other securities, securities indexes, or other financial indicators. Indexed securities typically, but not always, are debt securities or deposits whose values at maturity or coupon rates are determined by reference to a specific instrument, statistic, or measure.
Indexed securities also include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and other fixed-income securities whose values at maturity or coupon interest rates are determined by reference to the returns of particular stock indexes. Indexed securities can be affected by stock prices as well as changes in interest rates and the creditworthiness of their issuers and may not track the indexes as accurately as direct investments in the indexes.
Insolvency of Issuers, Counterparties, and Intermediaries. Issuers of fund portfolio securities or counterparties to fund transactions that become insolvent or declare bankruptcy can pose special investment risks. In each circumstance, risk of loss, valuation uncertainty, increased illiquidity, and other unpredictable occurrences may negatively impact an investment. Each of these risks may be amplified in foreign markets, where security trading, settlement, and custodial practices can be less developed than those in the U.S. markets, and bankruptcy laws differ from those of the U.S.
As a general matter, if the issuer of a fund portfolio security is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock have priority over the claims of common stock owners. These events can negatively impact the value of the issuer's securities and the results of related proceedings can be unpredictable.
If a counterparty to a fund transaction, such as a swap transaction, a short sale, a borrowing, or other complex transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited in its ability to exercise rights to obtain the return of related fund assets or in exercising other rights against the counterparty. Uncertainty may also arise upon the insolvency of a securities or commodities intermediary such as a broker-dealer or futures commission merchant with which a fund has pending transactions. In addition, insolvency and liquidation proceedings take time to resolve, which can limit or preclude a fund's ability to terminate a transaction or obtain related assets or collateral in a timely fashion. If an intermediary becomes insolvent, while securities positions and other holdings may be protected by U.S. or foreign laws, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether these protections are available to specific trades based on the circumstances. Receiving the benefit of these protections can also take time to resolve, which may result in illiquid positions.
Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program. Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, a Fidelity® fund may lend money to, and borrow money from, other funds advised by FMR or its affiliates. A Fidelity® fund will borrow through the program only when the costs are equal to or lower than the costs of bank loans. A Fidelity® fund will lend through the program only when the returns are higher than those available from an investment in repurchase agreements. Interfund loans and borrowings normally extend overnight, but can have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. A Fidelity® fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.
Investment-Grade Debt Securities. Investment-grade debt securities include all types of debt instruments that are of medium and high-quality. Investment-grade debt securities include repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities as well as repurchase agreements collateralized by equity securities, non-investment-grade debt, and all other instruments in which a fund can perfect a security interest, provided the repurchase agreement counterparty has an investment-grade rating. Some investment-grade debt securities may possess speculative characteristics and may be more sensitive to economic changes and to changes in the financial conditions of issuers. An investment-grade rating means the security or issuer is rated investment-grade by a credit rating agency registered as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) with the SEC (for example, Moody's Investors Service, Inc.), or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by a fund's adviser. For purposes of determining the maximum maturity of an investment-grade debt security, an adviser may take into account normal settlement periods.
Loans and Other Direct Debt Instruments. Direct debt instruments are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to lenders or lending syndicates (loans and loan participations), to suppliers of goods or services (trade claims or other receivables), or to other parties. Direct debt instruments involve a risk of loss in case of default or insolvency of the borrower and may offer less legal protection to the purchaser in the event of fraud or misrepresentation, or there may be a requirement that a fund supply additional cash to a borrower on demand. A fund may acquire loans by buying an assignment of all or a portion of the loan from a lender or by purchasing a loan participation from a lender or other purchaser of a participation.
Lenders and purchasers of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. If scheduled interest or principal payments are not made, the value of the instrument may be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured provide more protections than an unsecured loan in the event of failure to make scheduled interest or principal payments. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the borrower's obligation, or that the collateral could be liquidated. Indebtedness of borrowers whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks and may be highly speculative. Different types of assets may be used as collateral for a fund's loans and there can be no assurance that a fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the fund's loans. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy or restructuring may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. In any restructuring or bankruptcy proceedings relating to a borrower funded by a fund, a fund may be required to accept collateral with less value than the amount of the loan made by the fund to the borrower. Direct indebtedness of foreign countries also involves a risk that the governmental entities responsible for the repayment of the debt may be unable, or unwilling, to pay interest and repay principal when due.
Loans and other types of direct indebtedness (which a fund may originate, acquire or otherwise gain exposure to) may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Some indebtedness may be difficult to dispose of readily at what the Adviser believes to be a fair price. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining a fund's net asset value than if that value were based on readily available market quotations, and could result in significant variations in a fund's daily share price. Some loan interests are traded among certain financial institutions and accordingly may be deemed liquid. As the market for different types of indebtedness develops, the liquidity of these instruments is expected to improve.
Direct lending and investments in loans through direct assignment of a financial institution's interests with respect to a loan may involve additional risks. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, the lender/purchaser could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In the event of a default by the borrower, a fund may have difficulty disposing of the assets used as collateral for a loan. In addition, a purchaser could be held liable as a co-lender. Direct debt instruments may also involve a risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other intermediary.
A loan is often administered by a bank or other financial institution that acts as agent for all holders. The agent administers the terms of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, the purchaser has direct recourse against the borrower, the purchaser may have to rely on the agent to apply appropriate credit remedies against a borrower. If assets held by the agent for the benefit of a purchaser were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent's general creditors, the purchaser might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on the loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal or interest. Direct loans are typically not administered by an underwriter or agent bank. The terms of direct loans are negotiated with borrowers in private transactions. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market.
A fund may seek to dispose of loans in certain cases, to the extent possible, through selling participations in the loan. In that case, a fund would remain subject to certain obligations, which may result in expenses for a fund and certain additional risks.
Direct indebtedness may include letters of credit, revolving credit facilities, or other standby financing commitments that obligate lenders/purchasers, including a fund, to make additional cash payments on demand. These commitments may have the effect of requiring a lender/purchaser to increase its investment in a borrower at a time when it would not otherwise have done so, even if the borrower's condition makes it unlikely that the amount will ever be repaid.
In the process of originating, buying, selling and holding loans, a fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to the interest payments received and may include facility, closing or upfront fees, commitment fees and commissions. A fund may receive or pay a facility, closing or upfront fee when it buys or sells a loan. A fund may receive a commitment fee throughout the life of the loan or as long as the fund remains invested in the loan (in addition to interest payments) for any unused portion of a committed line of credit. Other fees received by the fund may include prepayment fees, covenant waiver fees, ticking fees and/or modification fees. Legal fees related to the originating, buying, selling and holding loans may also be borne by the fund (including legal fees to assess conformity of a loan investment with 1940 Act provisions).
When engaging in direct lending, if permitted by its investment policies, a fund's performance may depend, in part, on the ability of the fund to originate loans on advantageous terms. A fund may compete with other lenders in originating and purchasing loans. Increased competition for, or a diminished available supply of, qualifying loans could result in lower yields on and/or less advantageous terms for such loans, which could reduce fund performance.
For a Fidelity® fund that limits the amount of total assets that it will invest in any one issuer or in issuers within the same industry, the fund generally will treat the borrower as the "issuer" of indebtedness held by the fund. In the case of loan participations where a bank or other lending institution serves as financial intermediary between a fund and the borrower, if the participation does not shift to the fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the borrower, SEC interpretations require a fund, in appropriate circumstances, to treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the borrower as "issuers" for these purposes. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict a fund's ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or a group of intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the underlying borrowers represent many different companies and industries.
A fund may choose, at its expense or in conjunction with others, to pursue litigation or otherwise to exercise its rights as a security holder to seek to protect the interests of security holders if it determines this to be in the best interest of the fund's shareholders.
If permitted by its investment policies, a fund may also obtain exposure to the lending activities described above indirectly through its investments in underlying Fidelity® funds or other vehicles that may engage in such activities directly.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Equity REITs own real estate properties, while mortgage REITs make construction, development, and long-term mortgage loans. Their value may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property of the trusts, the creditworthiness of the issuer, property taxes, interest rates, and tax and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment. Both types of trusts are dependent upon management skill, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status of income under the Internal Revenue Code and failing to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act.
Repurchase Agreements involve an agreement to purchase a security and to sell that security back to the original seller at an agreed-upon price. The resale price reflects the purchase price plus an agreed-upon incremental amount which is unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. As protection against the risk that the original seller will not fulfill its obligation, the securities are held in a separate account at a bank, marked-to-market daily, and maintained at a value at least equal to the sale price plus the accrued incremental amount. The value of the security purchased may be more or less than the price at which the counterparty has agreed to purchase the security. In addition, delays or losses could result if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes insolvent. A fund may be limited in its ability to exercise its right to liquidate assets related to a repurchase agreement with an insolvent counterparty. A Fidelity® fund may engage in repurchase agreement transactions with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser.
Restricted Securities (including Private Placements) are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling securities may result in a loss or be costly to a fund. Restricted securities, including private placements of private and public companies, generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (1933 Act), or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of a registered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the holder might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a fund sells a security to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at an agreed-upon price and time. A Fidelity® fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser. Such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of a fund's assets and, if applicable, a fund's yield, and may be viewed as a form of leverage. Under SEC requirements, a fund needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with its reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions.
SEC Rule 18f-4. In October 2020, the SEC adopted a final rule related to the use of derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and certain other transactions by registered investment companies (the "rule"). Subject to certain exceptions, the rule requires the funds to trade derivatives and certain other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations subject to a value-at-risk (VaR) leverage limit and to certain derivatives risk management program, reporting and board oversight requirements. Generally, these requirements apply to any fund engaging in derivatives transactions unless a fund satisfies a "limited derivatives users" exception, which requires the fund to limit its gross notional derivatives exposure (with certain exceptions) to 10% of its net assets and to adopt derivatives risk management procedures. Under the rule, when a fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. The SEC also provided guidance in connection with the final rule regarding the use of securities lending collateral that may limit securities lending activities. In addition, under the rule, a fund may invest in a security on a when-issued or forward-settling basis, or with a non-standard settlement cycle, and the transaction will be deemed not to involve a senior security (as defined under Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act), provided that (i) the fund intends to physically settle the transaction and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date (the "Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision"). A fund may otherwise engage in when-issued, forward-settling and non-standard settlement cycle securities transactions that do not meet the conditions of the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision so long as the fund treats any such transaction as a derivatives transaction for purposes of compliance with the rule. Furthermore, under the rule, a fund will be permitted to enter into an unfunded commitment agreement, and such unfunded commitment agreement will not be subject to the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act, if the fund reasonably believes, at the time it enters into such agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all such agreements as they come due. These requirements may limit the ability of the funds to use derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, and the other relevant transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements also may increase the cost of the fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.
Securities Lending. A Fidelity® fund may lend securities to parties such as broker-dealers or other institutions, including an affiliate, National Financial Services LLC (NFS). Fidelity® funds for which Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) serves as sub-adviser will not lend securities to Geode or its affiliates. Securities lending allows a fund to retain ownership of the securities loaned and, at the same time, earn additional income. The borrower provides the fund with collateral in an amount at least equal to the value of the securities loaned. The fund seeks to maintain the ability to obtain the right to vote or consent on proxy proposals involving material events affecting securities loaned. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased. For a Fidelity® fund, loans will be made only to parties deemed by the fund's adviser to be in good standing and when, in the adviser's judgment, the income earned would justify the risks.
The Fidelity® funds have retained agents, including NFS, an affiliate of the funds, to act as securities lending agent. If NFS acts as securities lending agent for a fund, it is subject to the overall supervision of the fund's adviser, and NFS will administer the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the fund's Trustees.
Cash received as collateral through loan transactions may be invested in other eligible securities, including shares of a money market fund. Investing this cash subjects that investment, as well as the securities loaned, to market appreciation or depreciation.
Securities of Other Investment Companies, including shares of closed-end investment companies (which include business development companies (BDCs)), unit investment trusts, and open-end investment companies such as mutual funds and ETFs, represent interests in professionally managed portfolios that may invest in any type of instrument. Investing in other investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments, but may involve additional expenses at the underlying investment company-level, such as portfolio management fees and operating expenses. Fees and expenses incurred indirectly by a fund as a result of its investment in shares of one or more other investment companies generally are referred to as "acquired fund fees and expenses" and may appear as a separate line item in a fund's prospectus fee table. For certain investment companies, such as BDCs, these expenses may be significant. Certain types of investment companies, such as closed-end investment companies, issue a fixed number of shares that trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their NAV. Others are continuously offered at NAV, but may also be traded in the secondary market. Similarly, ETFs trade on a securities exchange and may trade at a premium or a discount to their NAV.
The securities of closed-end funds may be leveraged. As a result, a fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of closed-end funds that use leverage may expose a fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the fund's long-term returns on such securities will be diminished.
A fund's ability to invest in securities of other investment companies may be limited by federal securities laws. To the extent a fund acquires securities issued by unaffiliated investment companies, the Adviser's access to information regarding such underlying fund's portfolio may be limited and subject to such fund's policies regarding disclosure of fund holdings.
A fund that seeks to track the performance of a particular index could invest in investment companies that seek to track the performance of indexes other than the index that the fund seeks to track.
Short Sales "Against the Box" are short sales of securities that a fund owns or has the right to obtain (equivalent in kind or amount to the securities sold short). If a fund enters into a short sale against the box, it will be required to set aside securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short (or securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and will be required to hold such securities while the short sale is outstanding. A fund will incur transaction costs, including interest expenses, in connection with opening, maintaining, and closing short sales against the box.
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs). A fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of SPACs or similar special purpose entities that pool money to seek potential acquisition opportunities. SPACs are collective investment structures formed to raise money in an initial public offering for the purpose of merging with or acquiring one or more operating companies (the "de-SPAC Transaction"). Until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets in US government securities, money market securities and cash. In connection with a de-SPAC Transaction, the SPAC may complete a PIPE (private investment in public equity) offering with certain investors. A fund may enter into a contingent commitment with a SPAC to purchase PIPE shares if and when the SPAC completes its de-SPAC Transaction.
Because SPACs do not have an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the SPAC's management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. An investment in a SPAC is subject to a variety of risks, including that (i) an attractive acquisition or merger target may not be identified at all and the SPAC will be required to return any remaining monies to shareholders; (ii) an acquisition or merger once effected may prove unsuccessful and an investment in the SPAC may lose value; (iii) the values of investments in SPACs may be highly volatile and may depreciate significantly over time; (iv) no or only a thinly traded market for shares of or interests in a SPAC may develop, leaving a fund unable to sell its interest in a SPAC or to sell its interest only at a price below what the fund believes is the SPAC interest's intrinsic value; (v) any proposed merger or acquisition may be unable to obtain the requisite approval, if any, of shareholders; (vi) an investment in a SPAC may be diluted by additional later offerings of interests in the SPAC or by other investors exercising existing rights to purchase shares of the SPAC; (vii) the warrants or other rights with respect to the SPAC held by a fund may expire worthless or may be repurchased or retired by the SPAC at an unfavorable price; (viii) a fund may be delayed in receiving any redemption or liquidation proceeds from a SPAC to which it is entitled; and (ix) a significant portion of the monies raised by the SPAC for the purpose of identifying and effecting an acquisition or merger may be expended during the search for a target transaction.
Purchased PIPE shares will be restricted from trading until the registration statement for the shares is declared effective. Upon registration, the shares can be freely sold, but only pursuant to an effective registration statement or other exemption from registration. The securities issued by a SPAC, which are typically traded either in the over-the-counter market or on an exchange, may be considered illiquid, more difficult to value, and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.
Structured Securities (also called "structured notes") are derivative debt securities, the interest rate on or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. The value of the interest rate on and/or the principal of structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, or index) or the relative change in two or more reference instruments. A structured security may be positively, negatively, or both positively and negatively indexed; that is, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases. Similarly, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument decreases. Further, the change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured security may be calculated as a multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument(s); therefore, the value of such structured security may be very volatile. Structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities. In addition, because structured securities generally are traded over-the-counter, structured securities are subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the structured security, and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates.
Transfer Agent Bank Accounts. Proceeds from shareholder purchases of a Fidelity® fund may pass through a series of demand deposit bank accounts before being held at the fund's custodian. Redemption proceeds may pass from the custodian to the shareholder through a similar series of bank accounts.
If a bank account is registered to the transfer agent or an affiliate, who acts as an agent for the fund when opening, closing, and conducting business in the bank account, the transfer agent or an affiliate may invest overnight balances in the account in repurchase agreements. Any balances that are not invested in repurchase agreements remain in the bank account overnight. Any risks associated with such an account are investment risks of the fund. The fund faces the risk of loss of these balances if the bank becomes insolvent.
Warrants. Warrants are instruments which entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss.
Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.
Zero Coupon Bonds do not make interest payments; instead, they are sold at a discount from their face value and are redeemed at face value when they mature. Because zero coupon bonds do not pay current income, their prices can be more volatile than other types of fixed-income securities when interest rates change. In calculating a fund's dividend, a portion of the difference between a zero coupon bond's purchase price and its face value is considered income.
In addition to the investment policies and limitations discussed above, a fund is subject to the additional operational risk discussed below.
Considerations Regarding Cybersecurity. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, a fund's service providers are susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events and may arise from external or internal sources. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information; corrupting data, equipment or systems; or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber incidents affecting a fund's manager, any sub-adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with a fund's ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of fund shareholders to transact business, destruction to equipment and systems, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cyber incidents affecting issuers of securities in which a fund invests, counterparties with which a fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for fund shareholders) and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future.
While a fund's service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect a fund or its shareholders. A fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities are placed on behalf of the fund by Geode pursuant to authority contained in the management contract and the sub-advisory agreement.
Geode may be responsible for the placement of portfolio securities transactions for other investment companies and investment accounts for which it has or its affiliates have investment discretion.
The fund will not incur any commissions or sales charges when it invests in shares of mutual funds (including any underlying Central funds), but it may incur such costs when it invests directly in other types of securities.
Purchases and sales of equity securities on a securities exchange or OTC are effected through brokers who receive compensation for their services. Generally, compensation relating to securities traded on foreign exchanges will be higher than compensation relating to securities traded on U.S. exchanges and may not be subject to negotiation. Compensation may also be paid in connection with principal transactions (in both OTC securities and securities listed on an exchange) and agency OTC transactions executed with an electronic communications network (ECN) or an alternative trading system. Equity securities may be purchased from underwriters at prices that include underwriting fees.
Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally made with an issuer or a primary market-maker acting as principal. Although there is no stated brokerage commission paid by the fund for any fixed-income security, the price paid by the fund to an underwriter includes the disclosed underwriting fee and prices in secondary trades usually include an undisclosed dealer commission or markup reflecting the spread between the bid and ask prices of the fixed-income security. New issues of equity and fixed-income securities may also be purchased in underwritten fixed price offerings.
The Trustees of the fund periodically review Geode's performance of its responsibilities in connection with the placement of portfolio securities transactions on behalf of the fund. The Trustees also review the compensation paid by the fund over representative periods of time to determine if it was reasonable in relation to the benefits to the fund.
Geode.
The Selection of Brokers
In selecting brokers or dealers (including affiliates of FMR) to execute the fund's portfolio transactions, Geode considers factors deemed relevant in the context of a particular trade and in regard to Geode's overall responsibilities with respect to the fund and other investment accounts, including any instructions from the fund's portfolio manager, which may emphasize, for example, speed of execution over other factors. The factors considered will influence whether it is appropriate to execute an order using ECNs, electronic channels including algorithmic trading, or by actively working an order. Other factors deemed relevant may include, but are not limited to: price; the size and type of the transaction; the reasonableness of compensation to be paid, including spreads and commission rates; the speed and certainty of trade executions; the nature and characteristics of the markets for the security to be purchased or sold, including the degree of specialization of the broker in such markets or securities; the availability of liquidity in the security, including the liquidity and depth afforded by a market center or market-maker; the reliability of a market center or broker; the degree of anonymity that a particular broker or market can provide; the potential for avoiding market impact; the execution services rendered on a continuing basis; the execution efficiency, settlement capability, and financial condition of the firm; arrangements for payment of fund expenses, if applicable; and the provision of additional brokerage and research products and services, if applicable. In seeking best qualitative execution, Geode may select a broker using a trading method for which the broker may charge a higher commission than its lowest available commission rate. Geode also may select a broker that charges more than the lowest commission rate available from another broker. For futures transactions, the selection of a futures commission merchant is generally based on the overall quality of execution and other services provided by the futures commission merchant.
The Acquisition of Brokerage and Research Products and Services
Brokers (who are not affiliates of FMR) that execute transactions for the fund may receive higher compensation from the fund than other brokers might have charged the fund, in recognition of the value of the brokerage or research products and services they provide to Geode.
Research Products and Services. These products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law: economic, industry, company, municipal, sovereign (U.S. and non-U.S.), legal, or political research reports; market color; company meeting facilitation; compilation of securities prices, earnings, dividends and similar data; quotation services, data, information and other services; analytical computer software and services; and investment recommendations. In addition to receiving brokerage and research products and services via written reports and computer-delivered services, such reports may also be provided by telephone and in person meetings with securities analysts, corporate and industry spokespersons, economists, academicians and government representatives and others with relevant professional expertise. Geode may request that a broker provide a specific proprietary or third-party product or service. Some of these products and services supplement Geode's own research activities in providing investment advice to the fund.
Execution Services. In addition, products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law, those that assist in the execution, clearing, and settlement of securities transactions, as well as other incidental functions (including, but not limited to, communication services related to trade execution, order routing and algorithmic trading, post-trade matching, exchange of messages among brokers or dealers, custodians and institutions, and the use of electronic confirmation and affirmation of institutional trades).
Mixed-Use Products and Services. Geode may use commission dollars to obtain certain products or services that are not used exclusively in Geode's investment decision-making process (mixed-use products or services). In those circumstances, Geode will make a good faith judgment to evaluate the various benefits and uses to which they intend to put the mixed-use product or service, and will pay for that portion of the mixed-use product or service that does not qualify as brokerage and research products and services with their own resources (referred to as "hard dollars").
Benefit to Geode. Geode's expenses would likely be increased if it attempted to generate these additional products and services through its own efforts, or if it paid for these products or services itself. Certain of the brokerage and research products and services Geode receives are furnished by brokers on their own initiative, either in connection with a particular transaction or as part of their overall services. Some of these products or services may not have an explicit cost associated with such product or service.
Geode's Decision-Making Process. Before causing the fund to pay a particular level of compensation, Geode will make a good faith determination that the compensation is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research products and services provided to Geode, viewed in terms of the particular transaction for the fund or Geode's overall responsibilities to the fund or other investment companies and investment accounts. While Geode may take into account the brokerage and/or research products and services provided by a broker in determining whether compensation paid is reasonable, neither Geode nor the fund incurs an obligation to any broker, dealer, or third party to pay for any product or service (or portion thereof) by generating a specific amount of compensation or otherwise. Typically, these products and services assist Geode in terms of its overall investment responsibilities to the fund and other investment companies and investment accounts; however, each product or service received may not benefit the fund. Certain funds or investment accounts may use brokerage commissions to acquire brokerage and research products and services that may also benefit other funds or accounts managed by Geode.
Affiliated Transactions
Geode may place trades with certain brokers, including NFS, through its Fidelity Capital Markets (FCM) division, and Luminex Trading & Analytics LLC (Luminex), with whom FMR is under common control, provided it determines that these affiliates' trade execution abilities and costs are comparable to those of non-affiliated, qualified brokerage firms.
The Trustees of the fund have approved procedures whereby a fund is permitted to purchase securities that are offered in underwritings in which an affiliate of the adviser or certain other affiliates participate. In addition, for underwritings where such an affiliate participates as a principal underwriter, certain restrictions may apply that could, among other things, limit the amount of securities that the fund could purchase in the underwritings.
Trade Allocation
Although the Trustees and officers of the fund are substantially the same as those of certain other Fidelity® funds, investment decisions for the fund are made independently from those of other Fidelity® funds or investment accounts (including proprietary accounts).The same security is often held in the portfolio of more than one of these funds or investment accounts. Simultaneous transactions are inevitable when several funds and investment accounts are managed by the same investment adviser, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objective of more than one fund or investment account.
When two or more funds or investment accounts are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security or instrument, the prices and amounts are allocated in accordance with procedures believed to be appropriate and equitable to each fund or investment account. In some cases this could have a detrimental effect on the price or value of the security or instrument as far as the fund is concerned. In other cases, however, the ability of the fund to participate in volume transactions will produce better executions and prices for the fund.
Orders for funds and investment accounts are not typically combined or "blocked". However, Geode may, when feasible and when consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all funds and investment accounts and best execution, block orders of various funds and investment accounts for order entry and execution.
Geode has established allocation policies for its various funds and investment accounts to ensure allocations are appropriate given its clients' differing investment objectives and other considerations. When the supply/demand is insufficient to satisfy all outstanding trade orders, generally the amount executed is distributed among participating funds and investment accounts based on account asset size (for purchases and short sales), and security position size (for sales and covers), or otherwise according to the allocation policies. These policies also apply to initial public and secondary offerings. Generally, allocations are determined by traders, independent of portfolio managers, in accordance with these policies. Allocations are determined and documented on trade date.
Geode's trade allocation policies identify circumstances under which it is appropriate to deviate from the general allocation criteria and describe the alternative procedures. For example, if a standard allocation would result in a fund or investment account receiving a very small allocation (e.g., because of its small asset size), the fund or investment account may receive an increased allocation to achieve a more meaningful allocation, or it may receive no allocation. Generally, any exceptions to Geode's policies (i.e., special allocations) must be approved by senior investment or trading personnel, reviewed by the compliance department, and documented.
Commissions Paid
A fund may pay compensation including both commissions and spreads in connection with the placement of portfolio transactions. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a fund may change from year to year because of, among other things, changing asset levels, shareholder activity, and/or portfolio turnover.
For Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund, the following table shows the fund's portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal period(s) ended July 31, 2023 and 2022. Variations in turnover rate may be due to a fluctuating volume of shareholder purchase and redemption orders and/or market conditions.
Turnover Rates
|
2023
|
2022
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
85%
|
138%
|
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, the following fund(s) held securities issued by one or more of its regular brokers or dealers or a parent company of its regular brokers or dealers. The following table shows the aggregate value of the securities of the regular broker or dealer or parent company held by the fund as of the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023.
|
Fund
|
Regular Broker or Dealer
|
Aggregate Value of
Securities Held
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
|
$
|
2,988,919
|
The following table shows the total amount of brokerage commissions paid by the following fund(s), comprising commissions paid on securities and/or futures transactions, as applicable, for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. The total amount of brokerage commissions paid is stated as a dollar amount and a percentage of the fund's average net assets.
Fund
|
Fiscal Year
Ended
|
Dollar
Amount
|
Percentage
of
Average
Net Assets
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
795,949
|
0.05%
|
2022
|
$
|
93,610
|
0.00%
|
|
2021
|
$
|
56,348
|
0.00%
|
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund paid no brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
During the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2023, Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund did not allocate brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
VALUATION
The NAV is the value of a single share. NAV is computed by adding the value of a fund's investments, cash, and other assets, subtracting its liabilities, and dividing the result by the number of shares outstanding.
The Board of Trustees has designated the fund's investment adviser as the valuation designee responsible for the fair valuation function and performing fair value determinations as needed. The adviser has established a Fair Value Committee (the Committee) to carry out the day-to-day fair valuation responsibilities and has adopted policies and procedures to govern the fair valuation process and the activities of the Committee.
Shares of open-end investment companies (including any underlying Central funds) held by a fund are valued at their respective NAVs. If an underlying fund's NAV is unavailable, shares of that underlying fund will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies.
Generally, other portfolio securities and assets held by a fund, as well as portfolio securities and assets held by an underlying Central fund, are valued as follows:
Most equity securities are valued at the official closing price or the last reported sale price or, if no sale has occurred, at the last quoted bid price on the primary market or exchange on which they are traded.
Debt securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available may be valued at market values in the principal market in which they normally are traded, as furnished by recognized dealers in such securities or assets. Or, debt securities and convertible securities may be valued on the basis of information furnished by a pricing service that uses a valuation matrix which incorporates both dealer-supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques.
Short-term securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less for which market quotations and information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates current value.
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price. Options are valued at their market quotations, if available. Swaps are valued daily using quotations received from independent pricing services or recognized dealers.
Prices described above are obtained from pricing services that have been approved by the Committee. A number of pricing services are available and a fund may use more than one of these services. A fund may also discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time. A fund's adviser through the Committee engages in oversight activities with respect to the fund's pricing services, which includes, among other things, testing the prices provided by pricing services prior to calculation of a fund's NAV, conducting periodic due diligence meetings, and periodically reviewing the methodologies and inputs used by these services.
Foreign securities and instruments are valued in their local currency following the methodologies described above. Foreign securities, instruments and currencies are translated to U.S. dollars, based on foreign currency exchange rate quotations supplied by a pricing service as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which uses a proprietary model to determine the exchange rate. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at an interpolated rate based on days to maturity between the closest preceding and subsequent settlement period reported by the third party pricing service.
Other portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the opinion of the Committee, are deemed unreliable will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the opinion of the Committee, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. In fair valuing a security, the Committee may consider factors including, but not limited to, price movements in futures contracts and ADRs, market and trading trends, the bid/ask quotes of brokers, and off-exchange institutional trading. The frequency that portfolio securities or assets are fair valued cannot be predicted and may be significant.
In determining the fair value of a private placement security for which market quotations are not available, the Committee generally applies one or more valuation methods including the market approach, income approach and cost approach. The market approach considers factors including the price of recent investments in the same or a similar security or financial metrics of comparable securities. The income approach considers factors including expected future cash flows, security specific risks and corresponding discount rates. The cost approach considers factors including the value of the security's underlying assets and liabilities.
The fund's adviser reports to the Board information regarding the fair valuation process and related material matters.
BUYING AND SELLING INFORMATION
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
Investors participating in a discretionary investment program are charged an annual advisory fee based on a percentage of the average market value of assets in their account. The stated fee is then reduced by a credit reflecting the amount of fees, if any, received by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC or its affiliates from mutual funds for investment management or certain other services.
The fund may make redemption payments in whole or in part in readily marketable securities or other property pursuant to procedures approved by the Trustees if Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC determines it is in the best interests of the fund. Such securities or other property will be valued for this purpose as they are valued in computing the NAV of a fund or class, as applicable. Shareholders that receive securities or other property will realize, upon receipt, a gain or loss for tax purposes, and will incur additional costs and be exposed to market risk prior to and upon the sale of such securities or other property.
The fund, in its discretion, may determine to issue its shares in kind in exchange for securities held by the purchaser having a value, determined in accordance with the fund's policies for valuation of portfolio securities, equal to the purchase price of the fund shares issued. The fund will accept for in-kind purchases only securities or other instruments that are appropriate under its investment objective and policies. In addition, the fund generally will not accept securities of any issuer unless they are liquid, have a readily ascertainable market value, and are not subject to restrictions on resale. All dividends, distributions, and subscription or other rights associated with the securities become the property of the fund, along with the securities. Shares purchased in exchange for securities in kind generally cannot be redeemed for fifteen days following the exchange to allow time for the transfer to settle.
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends. A portion of the fund's income may qualify for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders. A portion of the fund's dividends, when distributed to individual shareholders, may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met). Distributions by the fund to tax-advantaged retirement plan accounts are not taxable currently (but you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Capital Gain Distributions. Unless your shares of the fund are held in a tax-advantaged retirement plan, the fund's long-term capital gain distributions are federally taxable to shareholders generally as capital gains.
Returns of Capital. If the fund's distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in the fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold in taxable accounts.
Foreign Tax Credit or Deduction. Foreign governments may impose withholding taxes on dividends and interest earned by the fund with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Foreign governments may also impose taxes on other payments or gains with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Because the fund does not currently anticipate that securities of foreign issuers or underlying regulated investment companies will constitute more than 50% of its total assets at the end of its fiscal year, or fiscal quarter, respectively, shareholders should not expect to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction on their federal income tax returns with respect to foreign taxes withheld.
Tax Status of the Fund. The fund intends to qualify each year as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code so that it will not be liable for federal tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, and avoid being subject to federal income or excise taxes at the fund level, the fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains within each calendar year as well as on a fiscal year basis (if the fiscal year is other than the calendar year), and intends to comply with other tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies.
Other Tax Information. The information above is only a summary of some of the tax consequences generally affecting the fund and its shareholders, and no attempt has been made to discuss individual tax consequences. It is up to you or your tax preparer to determine whether the sale of shares of the fund resulted in a capital gain or loss or other tax consequence to you. In addition to federal income taxes, shareholders may be subject to state and local taxes on fund distributions, and shares may be subject to state and local personal property taxes. Investors should consult their tax advisers to determine whether the fund is suitable to their particular tax situation.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
The Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the trust and fund, as applicable, are listed below. The Board of Trustees governs the fund and is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The Trustees are experienced executives who meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the fund's activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the fund, oversee management of the risks associated with such activities and contractual arrangements, and review the fund's performance. Except for Jonathan Chiel, each of the Trustees oversees 313 funds. Mr. Chiel oversees 191 funds.
The Trustees hold office without limit in time except that (a) any Trustee may resign; (b) any Trustee may be removed by written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the number of Trustees prior to such removal; (c) any Trustee who requests to be retired or who has become incapacitated by illness or injury may be retired by written instrument signed by a majority of the other Trustees; and (d) any Trustee may be removed at any special meeting of shareholders by a two-thirds vote of the outstanding voting securities of the trust. Each Trustee who is not an interested person (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the trust and the fund is referred to herein as an Independent Trustee. Each Independent Trustee shall retire not later than the last day of the calendar year in which his or her 75th birthday occurs. The Independent Trustees may waive this mandatory retirement age policy with respect to individual Trustees. Officers and Advisory Board Members hold office without limit in time, except that any officer or Advisory Board Member may resign or may be removed by a vote of a majority of the Trustees at any regular meeting or any special meeting of the Trustees. Except as indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the past five years.
Experience, Skills, Attributes, and Qualifications of the Trustees. The Governance and Nominating Committee has adopted a statement of policy that describes the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that are necessary and desirable for potential Independent Trustee candidates (Statement of Policy). The Board believes that each Trustee satisfied at the time he or she was initially elected or appointed a Trustee, and continues to satisfy, the standards contemplated by the Statement of Policy. The Governance and Nominating Committee also engages professional search firms to help identify potential Independent Trustee candidates who have the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills consistent with the Statement of Policy. From time to time, additional criteria based on the composition and skills of the current Independent Trustees, as well as experience or skills that may be appropriate in light of future changes to board composition, business conditions, and regulatory or other developments, have also been considered by the professional search firms and the Governance and Nominating Committee. In addition, the Board takes into account the Trustees' commitment and participation in Board and committee meetings, as well as their leadership of standing and ad hoc committees throughout their tenure.
In determining that a particular Trustee was and continues to be qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board has considered a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, was controlling. The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have balanced and diverse experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills, which allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the fund and protecting the interests of shareholders. Information about the specific experience, skills, attributes, and qualifications of each Trustee, which in each case led to the Board's conclusion that the Trustee should serve (or continue to serve) as a trustee of the fund, is provided below.
Board Structure and Oversight Function. Abigail P. Johnson is an interested person and currently serves as Chairman. The Trustees have determined that an interested Chairman is appropriate and benefits shareholders because an interested Chairman has a personal and professional stake in the quality and continuity of services provided to the fund. Independent Trustees exercise their informed business judgment to appoint an individual of their choosing to serve as Chairman, regardless of whether the Trustee happens to be independent or a member of management. The Independent Trustees have determined that they can act independently and effectively without having an Independent Trustee serve as Chairman and that a key structural component for assuring that they are in a position to do so is for the Independent Trustees to constitute a substantial majority for the Board. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet in executive session. Michael E. Kenneally serves as Chairman of the Independent Trustees and as such (i) acts as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management with respect to matters important to the Independent Trustees and (ii) with management prepares agendas for Board meetings.
Fidelity® funds are overseen by different Boards of Trustees. The fund's Board oversees Fidelity's investment-grade bond, money market, asset allocation and certain equity funds, and other Boards oversee Fidelity's alternative investment, high income and other equity funds. The asset allocation funds may invest in Fidelity® funds that are overseen by such other Boards. The use of separate Boards, each with its own committee structure, allows the Trustees of each group of Fidelity® funds to focus on the unique issues of the funds they oversee, including common research, investment, and operational issues. On occasion, the separate Boards establish joint committees to address issues of overlapping consequences for the Fidelity® funds overseen by each Board.
The Trustees operate using a system of committees to facilitate the timely and efficient consideration of all matters of importance to the Trustees, the fund, and fund shareholders and to facilitate compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and oversight of the fund's activities and associated risks. The Board, acting through its committees, has charged FMR and its affiliates with (i) identifying events or circumstances the occurrence of which could have demonstrably adverse effects on the fund's business and/or reputation; (ii) implementing processes and controls to lessen the possibility that such events or circumstances occur or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur; and (iii) creating and maintaining a system designed to evaluate continuously business and market conditions in order to facilitate the identification and implementation processes described in (i) and (ii) above. Because the day-to-day operations and activities of the fund are carried out by or through FMR, its affiliates, and other service providers, the fund's exposure to risks is mitigated but not eliminated by the processes overseen by the Trustees. While each of the Board's committees has responsibility for overseeing different aspects of the fund's activities, oversight is exercised primarily through the Operations and Audit Committees. In addition, an ad hoc Board committee of Independent Trustees has worked with FMR to enhance the Board's oversight of investment and financial risks, legal and regulatory risks, technology risks, and operational risks, including the development of additional risk reporting to the Board. Appropriate personnel, including but not limited to the fund's Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), FMR's internal auditor, the independent accountants, the fund's Treasurer and portfolio management personnel, make periodic reports to the Board's committees, as appropriate, including an annual review of Fidelity's risk management program for the Fidelity® funds. The responsibilities of each standing committee, including their oversight responsibilities, are described further under "Standing Committees of the Trustees."
Interested Trustees*:
Correspondence intended for a Trustee who is an interested person may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Jonathan Chiel (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Chiel also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Chiel is Executive Vice President and General Counsel for FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2012-present). Previously, Mr. Chiel served as general counsel (2004-2012) and senior vice president and deputy general counsel (2000-2004) for John Hancock Financial Services; a partner with Choate, Hall & Stewart (1996-2000) (law firm); and an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney's Office of the District of Massachusetts (1986-95), including Chief of the Criminal Division (1993-1995). Mr. Chiel is a director on the boards of the Boston Bar Foundation and the Maimonides School.
Abigail P. Johnson (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Ms. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Ms. Johnson serves as Chairman (2016-present), Chief Executive Officer (2014-present), and Director (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company), President of Fidelity Financial Services (2012-present) and President of Personal, Workplace and Institutional Services (2005-present). Ms. Johnson is Chairman and Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (investment adviser firm, 2011-present). Previously, Ms. Johnson served as Chairman and Director of FMR Co., Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2011-2019), Vice Chairman (2007-2016) and President (2013-2016) of FMR LLC, President and a Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company (2001-2005), a Trustee of other investment companies advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company, Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. (investment adviser firm), and FMR Co., Inc. (2001-2005), Senior Vice President of the Fidelity® funds (2001-2005), and managed a number of Fidelity® funds. Ms. Abigail P. Johnson and Mr. Arthur E. Johnson are not related.
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe (1959)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Ms. McAuliffe also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and as Trustee of Fidelity Charitable (2020-present). Previously, Ms. McAuliffe served as Co-Head of Fixed Income of Fidelity Investments Limited (now known as FIL Limited (FIL)) (diversified financial services company), Director of Research for FIL's credit and quantitative teams in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo and Director of Research for taxable and municipal bonds at Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. Ms. McAuliffe previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016). Ms. McAuliffe was previously a lawyer at Ropes & Gray LLP and an international banker at Chemical Bank NA (now JPMorgan Chase & Co.). Ms. McAuliffe also currently serves as director or trustee of several not-for-profit entities.
* Determined to be an "Interested Trustee" by virtue of, among other things, his or her affiliation with the trust or various entities under common control with FMR.
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Independent Trustees:
Correspondence intended for an Independent Trustee may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Elizabeth S. Acton (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Trustee
Ms. Acton also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Acton served as Executive Vice President, Finance (2011-2012), Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (2002-2011) and Treasurer (2004-2005) of Comerica Incorporated (financial services). Prior to joining Comerica, Ms. Acton held a variety of positions at Ford Motor Company (1983-2002), including Vice President and Treasurer (2000-2002) and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ford Motor Credit Company (1998-2000). Ms. Acton currently serves as a member of the Board and Audit and Finance Committees of Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (homebuilding, 2012-present). Ms. Acton previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2013-2016).
Ann E. Dunwoody (1953)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Trustee
General Dunwoody also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. General Dunwoody (United States Army, Retired) was the first woman in U.S. military history to achieve the rank of four-star general and prior to her retirement in 2012 held a variety of positions within the U.S. Army, including Commanding General, U.S. Army Material Command (2008-2012). General Dunwoody currently serves as a member of the Board, Chair of Nomination Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee of Kforce Inc. (professional staffing services, 2016-present) and a member of the Board of Automattic Inc. (software engineering, 2018-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as President of First to Four LLC (leadership and mentoring services, 2012-2022), a member of the Advisory Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of L3 Technologies, Inc. (communication, electronic, sensor and aerospace systems, 2013-2019) and a member of the Board and Audit and Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committees of Republic Services, Inc. (waste collection, disposal and recycling, 2013-2016). General Dunwoody also serves on several boards for non-profit organizations, including as a member of the Board, Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee of the Noble Reach Foundation (formerly Logistics Management Institute) (consulting non-profit, 2012-present) and a member of the Board of ThanksUSA (military family education non-profit, 2014-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as a member of the Board of Florida Institute of Technology (2015-2022) and a member of the Council of Trustees for the Association of the United States Army (advocacy non-profit, 2013-2021). General Dunwoody previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2018).
John Engler (1948)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2014
Trustee
Mr. Engler also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Engler served as Governor of Michigan (1991-2003), President of the Business Roundtable (2011-2017) and interim President of Michigan State University (2018-2019). Previously, Mr. Engler served as a member of the Board of Stride, Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.) (technology-based education company, 2012-2022), a member of the Board of Universal Forest Products (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2003-2019) and Trustee of The Munder Funds (2003-2014). Mr. Engler previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2014-2016).
Robert F. Gartland (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Trustee
Mr. Gartland also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Gartland held a variety of positions at Morgan Stanley (financial services, 1979-2007), including Managing Director (1987-2007) and Chase Manhattan Bank (1975-1978). Mr. Gartland previously served as Chairman and an investor in Gartland & Mellina Group Corp. (consulting, 2009-2019), as a member of the Board of National Securities Clearing Corporation (1993-1996) and as Chairman of TradeWeb (2003-2004).
Arthur E. Johnson (1947)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2008
Trustee
Mr. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Johnson served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategic Development of Lockheed Martin Corporation (defense contractor, 1999-2009). Mr. Johnson currently serves as a member of the Board of Booz Allen Hamilton (management consulting, 2011-present). Mr. Johnson previously served as a member of the Board of Eaton Corporation plc (diversified power management, 2009-2019) and a member of the Board of AGL Resources, Inc. (holding company, 2002-2016). Mr. Johnson previously served as Chairman (2018-2021) and Vice Chairman (2015-2018) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Mr. Arthur E. Johnson is not related to Ms. Abigail P. Johnson.
Michael E. Kenneally (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Independent Trustees
Mr. Kenneally also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and was Vice Chairman (2018-2021) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Prior to retirement in 2005, he was Chairman and Global Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management, the worldwide fund management and institutional investment business of Credit Suisse Group. Previously, Mr. Kenneally was an Executive Vice President and the Chief Investment Officer for Bank of America. In this role, he was responsible for the investment management, strategy and products delivered to the bank's institutional, high-net-worth and retail clients. Earlier, Mr. Kenneally directed the organization's equity and quantitative research groups. He began his career as a research analyst and then spent more than a dozen years as a portfolio manager for endowments, pension plans and mutual funds. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1991.
Mark A. Murray (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Murray also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Murray served as Co-Chief Executive Officer (2013-2016), President (2006-2013) and Vice Chairman (2013-2020) of Meijer, Inc. Mr. Murray serves as a member of the Board (2009-present) and Public Policy and Responsibility Committee (2009-present) and Chair of the Nuclear Review Committee (2019-present) of DTE Energy Company (diversified energy company). Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Board of Spectrum Health (not-for-profit health system, 2015-2019) and as a member of the Board and Audit Committee and Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Universal Forest Products, Inc. (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2004-2016). Mr. Murray also serves as a member of the Board of many community and professional organizations. Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016).
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Advisory Board Members and Officers:
Correspondence intended for a Member of the Advisory Board (if any) may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235. Correspondence intended for an officer may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Officers appear below in alphabetical order.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupation
Laura M. Bishop (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2022
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Bishop also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Bishop held a variety of positions at United Services Automobile Association (2001-2020), including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2014-2020) and Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer (2012-2014). Ms. Bishop currently serves as a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation and Personnel Committee (2021-present) of the Board of Directors of Korn Ferry (global organizational consulting).
Robert W. Helm (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Member of the Advisory Board
Mr. Helm also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Helm was formerly Deputy Chairman (2003-2020), partner (1991-2020) and an associate (1984-1991) of Dechert LLP (formerly Dechert Price & Rhoads). Mr. Helm currently serves on boards and committees of several not-for-profit organizations, including as a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs, a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Baltimore and a member of the Life Guard Society of Mt. Vernon.
Carol J. Zierhoffer (1960)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Zierhoffer also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Zierhoffer held a variety of positions at Bechtel Corporation (engineering company, 2013-2019), including Principal Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2013-2016) and Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2016-2019). Ms. Zierhoffer currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2020-present) and as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit and Finance Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (aviation operating services, 2021-present). Previously, Ms. Zierhoffer served as a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee and as the founding Chair of the Information Technology Committee of MedAssets, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2013-2016).
Heather Bonner (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Bonner also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Bonner serves as Senior Vice President (2022-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Ms. Bonner serves as Assistant Treasurer of Fidelity CRET Trustee LLC (2022-present). Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms. Bonner served as Managing Director at AQR Capital Management (2013-2022) and was the Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of the AQR Funds (2013-2022).
Craig S. Brown (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2019
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Brown also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Brown serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2013-present). Previously, Mr. Brown served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2022).
John J. Burke III (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Burke also serves as Chief Financial Officer of other funds. Mr. Burke serves as Head of Investment Operations for Fidelity Fund and Investment Operations (2018-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1998-present). Previously Mr. Burke served as head of Asset Management Investment Operations (2012-2018).
Margaret Carey (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer (CLO)
Ms. Carey also serves as an officer of other funds and as CLO of certain other Fidelity entities. She is a Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2019-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments.
David J. Carter (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2020
Assistant Secretary
Mr. Carter also serves as Assistant Secretary of other funds. Mr. Carter serves as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel (2022-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present).
Jonathan Davis (1968)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Davis also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Davis serves as Vice President Assistant Treasurer and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Mr. Davis serves as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity entities.
Laura M. Del Prato (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
President and Treasurer
Ms. Del Prato also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Del Prato serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2017-present). Previously, Ms. Del Prato served as President and Treasurer of The North Carolina Capital Management Trust: Cash Portfolio and Term Portfolio (2018-2020). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Del Prato served as a Managing Director and Treasurer of the JPMorgan Mutual Funds (2014-2017). Prior to JPMorgan, Ms. Del Prato served as a partner at Cohen Fund Audit Services (accounting firm, 2012-2013) and KPMG LLP (accounting firm, 2004-2012).
Robin Foley (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Vice President
Ms. Foley also serves as Vice President of other funds. Ms. Foley serves as Head of Fidelity's Fixed Income division (2023-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Ms. Foley served as Chief Investment Officer of Bonds (2017-2023).
Christopher M. Gouveia (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Gouveia also serves as Chief Compliance Officer of other funds. Mr. Gouveia serves as Senior Vice President of Asset Management Compliance for Fidelity Investments and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Mr. Gouveia served as Chief Compliance Officer of the North Carolina Capital Management Trust (2016-2019).
Colm A. Hogan (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Hogan also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Hogan serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present). Previously, Mr. Hogan served as Deputy Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2020) and Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2018).
Chris Maher (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Maher also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Maher serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2008-present). Previously, Mr. Maher served as Assistant Treasurer of certain funds (2013-2020); Vice President of Asset Management Compliance (2013), Vice President of the Program Management Group of FMR (investment adviser firm, 2010-2013), and Vice President of Valuation Oversight (2008-2010).
Brett Segaloff (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Officer
Mr. Segaloff also serves as an AML Officer of other funds and other related entities. He is Director, Anti-Money Laundering (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1996-present).
Stacie M. Smith (1974)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Smith also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Smith serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2009-present), and has served in other fund officer roles. Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Smith served as Senior Audit Manager of Ernst & Young LLP (accounting firm, 1996-2009). Previously, Ms. Smith served as Assistant Treasurer (2013-2019) and Deputy Treasurer (2013-2016) of certain Fidelity® funds.
Jim Wegmann (1979)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Deputy Treasurer
Mr. Wegmann also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Wegmann serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2011-present). Previously, Mr. Wegmann served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2021).
Standing Committees of the Trustees. The Board of Trustees has established various committees to support the Independent Trustees in acting independently in pursuing the best interests of the funds and their shareholders. Currently, the Board of Trustees has four standing committees. The members of each committee are Independent Trustees.
The Operations Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Kenneally currently serving as Chair. The committee normally meets at least six times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair, and serves as a forum for consideration of issues of importance to, or calling for particular determinations by, the Independent Trustees. The committee considers matters involving potential conflicts of interest between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, including matters involving potential claims of one or more funds (e.g., for reimbursements of expenses or losses) against FMR, and reviews proposed contracts and the proposed continuation of contracts between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, and annually reviews and makes recommendations regarding contracts with third parties unaffiliated with FMR, including insurance coverage and custody agreements. The committee has oversight of compliance issues not specifically within the scope of any other committee. These matters include, but are not limited to, significant non-conformance with contract requirements and other significant regulatory matters and recommending to the Board of Trustees the designation of a person to serve as the funds' CCO. The committee (i) serves as a primary point of contact (generally after the Independent Trustee who serves as a liaison for the CCO) for the CCO with regard to Board-related functions; (ii) oversees the annual performance review of the CCO; (iii) makes recommendations concerning the CCO's compensation; and (iv) makes recommendations as needed in respect of the removal of the CCO.
The Audit Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Ms. Acton currently serving as Chair. At least one committee member will be an "audit committee financial expert" as defined by the SEC. The committee normally meets four times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair or a majority of committee members. The committee meets separately, at least annually, with the funds' Treasurer, with the funds' Chief Financial Officer, with personnel responsible for the internal audit function of FMR LLC, with the funds' outside auditors, and with the funds' CCO. The committee has direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the work of the outside auditors employed by the funds. The committee assists the Trustees in overseeing and monitoring: (i) the systems of internal accounting and financial controls of the funds and the funds' service providers (to the extent such controls impact the funds' financial statements); (ii) the funds' auditors and the annual audits of the funds' financial statements; (iii) the financial reporting processes of the funds; (iv) whistleblower reports; and (v) the accounting policies and disclosures of the funds. The committee considers and acts upon (i) the provision by any outside auditor of any non-audit services for any fund, and (ii) the provision by any outside auditor of certain non-audit services to fund service providers and their affiliates to the extent that such approval (in the case of this clause (ii)) is required under applicable regulations of the SEC. It is responsible for approving all audit engagement fees and terms for the funds and for resolving disagreements between a fund and any outside auditor regarding any fund's financial reporting. Auditors of the funds report directly to the committee. The committee will obtain assurance of independence and objectivity from the outside auditors, including a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the auditor and the funds and any service providers consistent with the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. It oversees and receives reports on the funds' service providers' internal controls and reviews the adequacy and effectiveness of the service providers' accounting and financial controls, including: (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the funds' ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; (ii) any change in the fund's internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the fund's internal control over financial reporting; and (iii) any fraud, whether material or not, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the funds' or service providers internal controls over financial reporting. The committee will also review any correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies or published reports that raise material issues regarding the funds' financial statements or accounting policies. These matters may also be reviewed by the Operations Committee. The committee reviews at least annually a report from each outside auditor describing any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control, peer review, or Public Company Accounting Oversight Board examination of the auditing firm and any material issues raised by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities of the auditing firm and in each case any steps taken to deal with such issues. The committee will oversee and receive reports on the funds' financial reporting process from the funds' Treasurer and outside auditors and will oversee the resolution of any disagreements concerning financial reporting among applicable parties. The committee will discuss with FMR, the funds' Treasurer, outside auditors and, if appropriate, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC their qualitative judgments about the appropriateness and acceptability of accounting principles and financial disclosure practices used or proposed for adoption by the funds. The committee will review with FMR, the funds' outside auditor, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC and legal counsel, as appropriate, matters related to the audits of the funds' financial statements. The committee will discuss regularly and oversee the review of the internal controls of the funds and their service providers with respect to accounting, financial matters and risk management programs related to the funds. The committee will review periodically the funds' major internal controls exposures and the steps that have been taken to monitor and control such exposures.
The Fair Valuation Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Murray currently serving as Chair. The Committee normally meets quarterly, or more frequently as called by the Chair. The Fair Valuation Committee oversees the valuation of securities held by the funds, including the fair valuation of securities by the funds' valuation designee. The Committee receives and reviews related reports and information consistent with its oversight obligations.
The Governance and Nominating Committee is composed of Messrs. Kenneally (Chair) and Gartland (Vice Chair), and Ms. Acton. The committee meets as called by the Chair. With respect to fund governance and board administration matters, the committee periodically reviews procedures of the Board of Trustees and its committees (including committee charters) and periodically reviews compensation of Independent Trustees. The committee monitors corporate governance matters and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees on the frequency and structure of the Board of Trustee meetings and on any other aspect of Board procedures. It acts as the administrative committee under the retirement plan for Independent Trustees who retired prior to December 30, 1996 and under the fee deferral plan for Independent Trustees. It monitors the performance of legal counsel employed by both the funds and the Independent Trustees. The committee will engage and oversee any counsel utilized by the Independent Trustees as may be necessary or appropriate under applicable regulations or otherwise. The committee also approves Board administrative matters applicable to Independent Trustees, such as expense reimbursement policies and compensation for attendance at meetings, conferences and other events. The committee oversees compliance with the provisions of the code of ethics and any supplemental policies regarding personal securities transactions applicable to the Independent Trustees. The committee reviews the functioning of each Board committee and makes recommendations for any changes, including the creation or elimination of standing or ad hoc Board committees. The committee monitors regulatory and other developments to determine whether to recommend modifications to the committee's responsibilities or other Trustee policies and procedures in light of rule changes, reports concerning "recommended practices" in corporate governance and other developments in mutual fund governance. The committee meets with Independent Trustees at least once a year to discuss matters relating to fund governance. The committee recommends that the Board establish such special or ad hoc Board committees as may be desirable or necessary from time to time in order to address ethical, legal, or other matters that may arise. The committee also oversees the annual self-evaluation of the Board of Trustees and establishes procedures to allow it to exercise this oversight function. In conducting this oversight, the committee shall address all matters that it considers relevant to the performance of the Board of Trustees and shall report the results of its evaluation to the Board of Trustees, including any recommended amendments to the principles of governance, and any recommended changes to the funds' or the Board of Trustees' policies, procedures, and structures. The committee reviews periodically the size and composition of the Board of Trustees as a whole and recommends, if necessary, measures to be taken so that the Board of Trustees reflects the appropriate balance of knowledge, experience, skills, expertise, and diversity required for the Board as a whole and contains at least the minimum number of Independent Trustees required by law. The committee makes nominations for the election or appointment of Independent Trustees and non-management Members of any Advisory Board, and for membership on committees. The committee has the authority to retain and terminate any third-party advisers, including authority to approve fees and other retention terms. Such advisers may include search firms to identify Independent Trustee candidates and board compensation consultants. The committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the committee's scope of responsibilities, and may retain, at the funds' expense, such independent counsel or other advisers as it deems necessary. The committee will consider nominees to the Board of Trustees recommended by shareholders based upon the criteria applied to candidates presented to the committee by a search firm or other source. Recommendations, along with appropriate background material concerning the candidate that demonstrates his or her ability to serve as an Independent Trustee of the funds, should be submitted to the Chair of the committee at the address maintained for communications with Independent Trustees. If the committee retains a search firm, the Chair will generally forward all such submissions to the search firm for evaluation. With respect to the criteria for selecting Independent Trustees, it is expected that all candidates will possess the following minimum qualifications: (i) unquestioned personal integrity; (ii) not an interested person of the funds within the meaning of the 1940 Act; (iii) does not have a material relationship (e.g., commercial, banking, consulting, legal, or accounting) with the adviser, any sub-adviser or their affiliates that could create an appearance of lack of independence in respect of the funds; (iv) has the disposition to act independently in respect of FMR and its affiliates and others in order to protect the interests of the funds and all shareholders; (v) ability to attend regularly scheduled Board meetings during the year; (vi) demonstrates sound business judgment gained through broad experience in significant positions where the candidate has dealt with management, technical, financial, or regulatory issues; (vii) sufficient financial or accounting knowledge to add value in the complex financial environment of the funds; (viii) experience on corporate or other institutional oversight bodies having similar responsibilities, but which board memberships or other relationships could not result in business or regulatory conflicts with the funds; and (ix) capacity for the hard work and attention to detail that is required to be an effective Independent Trustee in light of the funds' complex regulatory, operational, and marketing setting. The Governance and Nominating Committee may determine that a candidate who does not have the type of previous experience or knowledge referred to above should nevertheless be considered as a nominee if the Governance and Nominating Committee finds that the candidate has additional qualifications such that his or her qualifications, taken as a whole, demonstrate the same level of fitness to serve as an Independent Trustee.
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, each committee held the number of meetings shown in the table below:
COMMITTEE
|
NUMBER OF MEETINGS HELD
|
Operations Committee
|
8
|
Audit Committee
|
4
|
Fair Valuation Committee
|
3
|
Governance and Nominating Committee
|
11
|
The following table sets forth information describing the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the fund and in all funds in the aggregate within the same fund family overseen by the Trustee for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022.
Interested Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Jonathan Chiel
|
Abigail P Johnson
|
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
Independent Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
Mark A Murray
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
The following table sets forth information describing the compensation of each Trustee and Member of the Advisory Board (if any) for his or her services for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, or calendar year ended December 31, 2022, as applicable.
Compensation Table(A)
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Laura M Bishop(B)
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
$
|
631
|
$
|
471
|
$
|
562
|
$
|
553
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
563,000
|
$
|
184,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
496,000
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Robert W Helm
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
$
|
624
|
$
|
564
|
$
|
542
|
$
|
672
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
565,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
492,500
|
$
|
612,500
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Mark A Murray
|
Carol J Zierhoffer(D)
|
||||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
$
|
552
|
$
|
42
|
||||
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
497,500
|
$
|
0
|
(A) Jonathan Chiel, Abigail P. Johnson, and Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe are interested persons and are compensated by Fidelity.
|
(B) Ms. Bishop serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective September 1, 2022.
|
(C) Reflects compensation received for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022 for 295 funds of 31 trusts (including Fidelity Central Investment Portfolios II LLC). Compensation figures include cash and may include amounts elected to be deferred. Certain individuals elected voluntarily to defer a portion of their compensation as follows: Elizabeth S. Acton, $120,000; Laura M. Bishop, $73,674; Ann E. Dunwoody, $274,597; John Engler, $274,597; Robert F. Gartland, $180,000; Robert W. Helm, $274,597; and Mark A. Murray, $274,597.
|
(D) Ms. Zierhoffer serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective March 1, 2023.
|
As of July 31, 2023, the Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the fund owned, in the aggregate, less than 1% of each class's total outstanding shares, with respect to the fund.
CONTROL OF INVESTMENT ADVISERS
FMR LLC, as successor by merger to FMR Corp., is the ultimate parent company of FMR. The voting common shares of FMR LLC are divided into two series. Series B is held predominantly by members of the Johnson family, including Abigail P. Johnson, directly or through trusts, and is entitled to 49% of the vote on any matter acted upon by the voting common shares. Series A is held predominantly by non-Johnson family member employees of FMR LLC and its affiliates and is entitled to 51% of the vote on any such matter. The Johnson family group and all other Series B shareholders have entered into a shareholders' voting agreement under which all Series B shares will be voted in accordance with the majority vote of Series B shares. Under the 1940 Act, control of a company is presumed where one individual or group of individuals owns more than 25% of the voting securities of that company. Therefore, through their ownership of voting common shares and the execution of the shareholders' voting agreement, members of the Johnson family may be deemed, under the 1940 Act, to form a controlling group with respect to FMR LLC.
At present, the primary business activities of FMR LLC and its subsidiaries are: (i) the provision of investment advisory, management, shareholder, investment information and assistance and certain fiduciary services for individual and institutional investors; (ii) the provision of securities brokerage services; (iii) the management and development of real estate; and (iv) the investment in and operation of a number of emerging businesses.
Geode, a registered investment adviser, is a subsidiary of Geode Capital Holdings LLC. Geode was founded in January 2001 to develop and manage quantitative investment strategies and to provide advisory and sub-advisory services.
FMR, Geode Capital Management, LLC, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and the fund have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that set forth employees' fiduciary responsibilities regarding the fund, establish procedures for personal investing, and restrict certain transactions. Employees subject to the codes of ethics, including Fidelity and Geode investment personnel, may invest in securities for their own investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the fund.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACT
The fund has entered into a management contract with FMR, pursuant to which FMR furnishes investment advisory and other services.
Management and Sub-Advisory Services. FMR provides the fund with all necessary office facilities and personnel for servicing the fund's investments, compensates all officers of the fund and all Trustees who are interested persons of the trust or of FMR, and compensates all personnel of the fund or FMR performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities.
In addition, FMR or its affiliates, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, provide the management and administrative services necessary for the operation of the fund. These services include providing facilities for maintaining the fund's organization; supervising relations with custodians, transfer and pricing agents, accountants, underwriters and other persons dealing with the fund; preparing all general shareholder communications and conducting shareholder relations; maintaining the fund's records and the registration of the fund's shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws; developing management and shareholder services for the fund; and furnishing reports, evaluations and analyses on a variety of subjects to the Trustees.
Geode serves as sub-adviser of the fund. Under its management contract with the fund, FMR acts as investment adviser. Under the sub-advisory agreement, and subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, Geode directs the investments of the fund in accordance with its investment objective, policies, and limitations.
Management-Related Expenses. In addition to the management fee payable to FMR and the fees payable to the transfer agent and pricing and bookkeeping agent, and the costs associated with securities lending, as applicable, the fund pays all of its expenses that are not assumed by those parties. The fund pays for the typesetting, printing, and mailing of its proxy materials to shareholders, legal expenses, and the fees of the custodian, auditor, and Independent Trustees. The fund's management contract further provides that the fund will pay for typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, notices, and reports to shareholders. Other expenses paid by the fund include interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable, the fund's proportionate share of insurance premiums and Investment Company Institute dues, and the costs of registering shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws. The fund is also liable for such non-recurring expenses as may arise, including costs of any litigation to which the fund may be a party, and any obligation it may have to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect to litigation.
Management Fee.
For the services of FMR under the management contract, the fund pays FMR a monthly management fee at the annual rate of 0.10% of the fund's average net assets throughout the month.
The following table shows the amount of management fees paid by the fund for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 to its current manager and prior affiliated manager(s), if any.
Fund(s)
|
Fiscal
Years
Ended
|
Management
Fees
Paid to
Investment Adviser
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
1,650,392
|
2022
|
$
|
3,412,618
|
|
2021
|
$
|
2,252,964
|
FMR may, from time to time, voluntarily reimburse all or a portion of a fund's or, in the case of a multiple class fund, a class's operating expenses. FMR retains the ability to be repaid for these expense reimbursements in the amount that expenses fall below the limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Expense reimbursements will increase returns, and repayment of the reimbursement will decrease returns.
Sub-Adviser - Geode. The fund and FMR have entered into sub-advisory agreement(s) with Geode. Pursuant to the sub-advisory agreement(s), FMR has granted Geode investment management authority as well as the authority to buy and sell securities.
Under the terms of the sub-advisory agreement(s), for providing investment management services to the fund, FMR, and not the fund, pays Geode fees at an annual rate of 0.0275% of the average daily net assets of the fund.
The following table shows the amount of sub-advisory fees paid by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, on behalf of the fund, to Geode for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
Fund
|
Fiscal Years
Ended
|
Sub-Advisory Fees
Paid by FMR
to Geode
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund
|
2023(A)
|
$
|
470,415
|
2022
|
$
|
1,023,876
|
|
2021
|
$
|
675,915
|
(A) On October 1, 2022, FMR reduced the sub-advisory fee rate paid to Geode from 0.0300% to 0.0275%.
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund is managed by Geode, a sub-adviser to the fund. Louis Bottari is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Peter Matthew is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Payal Gupta is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Robert Regan is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Navid Sohrabi is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. As of July 31, 2023, portfolio manager compensation generally consists of a fixed base salary, a bonus that is based on both objective and subjective criteria, and, in certain cases, participation in a profit-based compensation plan. A portion of each portfolio manager's compensation may be deferred based on criteria established by Geode.
Each portfolio manager's base salary is determined annually by level of responsibility and tenure at Geode. The primary component for determining each portfolio manager's bonus is the pre-tax investment performance of the portfolio manager's fund(s) and account(s) relative to a custom peer group, if applicable, and relative to a benchmark index assigned to each fund or account. Performance is measured over multiple measurement periods that eventually encompass periods of up to five years. A portion of each portfolio manager's bonus is linked to Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund's relative pre-tax investment performance measured against the MSCI USA Momentum Index. A subjective component of each portfolio manager's bonus is based on the portfolio manager's overall contribution to the management of Geode, including recruiting, monitoring, and mentoring within the investment management teams, as well as time spent assisting in firm promotion. Each portfolio manager may also be compensated under a profit-based compensation plan, which is primarily based on the profits of Geode.
A portfolio manager's compensation plan can give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A manager's base pay tends to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management and a portion of the bonus relates to firm promotion efforts, which together indirectly link compensation to sales. Managing and providing research to multiple accounts (including proprietary accounts) can give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as a portfolio manager must allocate time and investment ideas across multiple accounts. Securities selected for accounts other than the fund may outperform the securities selected for the fund.
In addition to managing the fund's investment portfolio, each portfolio manager also manages other investment portfolios and accounts on behalf of Geode or its affiliates.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Louis Bottari as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund ($335 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Bottari was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Payal Gupta as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund ($335 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund beneficially owned by Ms. Gupta was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Peter Matthew as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund ($335 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Matthew was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Bob Regan as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund ($335 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Regan was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Navid Sohrabi as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund ($335 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Sohrabi was none.
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
Geode Proxy Voting Policies
As an investment adviser, Geode holds voting authority for securities in many of the client accounts that it manages. Geode takes seriously its responsibility to monitor events affecting securities in those client accounts and to exercise its voting authority with respect to those securities in the best interests of its clients (as well as shareholders of mutual funds for which it serves as adviser or sub-adviser). The purposes of these proxy voting policies are to (1) establish a framework for Geode's analysis and decision-making with respect to proxy voting and (2) set forth operational procedures for Geode's exercise of proxy voting authority.
Overview
Geode anticipates that, based on its current business model, it will manage the vast majority of assets under its management using passive investment management techniques, such as indexing. Geode also manages funds and separate accounts using active investment management techniques, primarily employing quantitative investment strategies.
Geode will engage established commercial proxy advisory firms for comprehensive analysis, research and voting recommendations, particularly for matters that may be controversial or require additional analysis under these Policies.
Geode may determine to follow or reject any recommendation based on the research and analysis provided by proxy advisory firms or on any independent research and analysis obtained or generated by Geode. However, Geode has retained a third-party proxy voting service (the "Agent") to affect votes based on the customized policies established by Geode and maintain records of all of Geode's proxy votes. In limited instances where the Policies do not address the specific matter, the Agent will refer the ballot back to Geode. For ballots related to proxy contests, mergers, acquisitions and other organizational transactions, Geode may determine it is appropriate to conduct a company specific evaluation. In cases of proxies not voted by the Agent, the ultimate voting decision and responsibility rests with Geode Proxy. Geode's Operations Committee oversees the exercise of voting authority under these proxy voting policies.
Due to its focused business model and the number of investments that Geode will make for its clients (particularly pursuant to its indexing strategy), Geode does not anticipate that actual or potential conflicts of interest are likely to occur in the ordinary course of its business. However, Geode believes it is essential to avoid having conflicts of interest affect its objective of voting in the best interests of its clients. Therefore, in the event that members of the Operations Committee, the Agent or any other person involved in the analysis or voting of proxies has knowledge of, or has reason to believe there may exist, any potential relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode (or any affiliate of Geode) or their respective directors, officers, employees or agents, such person shall notify the other members of the Operations Committee. Geode will analyze and address such potential conflict of interest, consulting with outside counsel, as appropriate. In the case of an actual conflict of interest, on the advice of counsel, Geode expects that the independent directors of Geode will consider the matter and may (1) determine that there is no conflict of interest (or that reasonable measures have been taken to remedy or avoid any conflict of interest) that would prevent Geode from voting the applicable proxy, (2) abstain, (3) cause authority to be delegated to the Agent or a similar special fiduciary to vote the applicable proxy or (4) recommend other methodology for mitigating the conflict of interest, if deemed appropriate (e.g., echo voting).
Geode has established the specific proxy voting policies that are summarized below to maximize the value of investments in its clients' accounts, which it believes will be furthered through (1) accountability of a company's management and directors to its shareholders, (2) alignment of the interests of management with those of shareholders (including through compensation, benefit and equity ownership programs), and (3) increased disclosure of a company's business and operations. Geode reserves the right to override any of its proxy voting policies with respect to a particular shareholder vote when such an override is, in Geode's best judgment, consistent with the overall principle of voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of Geode's clients.
Policies
All proxy votes shall be considered and made in a manner consistent with the best interests of Geode's clients (as well as shareholders of mutual fund clients) without regard to any other relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode or its affiliates. As a general matter, (1) proxies will be voted FOR incumbent members of a board of directors and FOR routine management proposals, except as otherwise addressed under these policies; (2) shareholder and non-routine management proposals addressed by these policies will be voted as provided in these policies; and (3) shareholder and non-routine management proposals not addressed by these policies will be evaluated by Geode ESG Stewardship based on fundamental analysis and/or research and recommendations provided by the Agent and other third-party proxy advisory firms.
When voting the securities of non-US issuers, Geode will evaluate proposals in accordance with these policies but will also take local market standards and best practices into consideration. Geode may also limit or modify its voting at certain non-US meetings (e.g., if shares are required to be blocked or reregistered in connection with voting).
Geode's specific policies are as follows:
I. Election of Directors
Geode will generally vote FOR incumbent members of a board of directors except:
• Attendance. The incumbent board member failed to attend at least 75% of meetings in the previous year and does not provide a reasonable explanation.
• Independent Directors. Nominee is not independent and full board comprises less than a majority of independents. Nominee is not independent and sits on the audit, compensation or nominating committee.
• Director Responsiveness. The board failed to act on shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year. The board failed to act on takeover offers where Geode and a majority of shareholders tendered their shares. At the previous board election, directors opposed by Geode received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast, and the company failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote.
• Golden Parachutes. Incumbent members of the compensation committee adopted or renewed an excessive golden parachute within the past year.
• Gender Diversity. If there are no women on the Board unless the Board has made a firm commitment to return to a gender-diverse status when there was a woman on the Board at the preceding annual meeting.
• Overboarding. The Director is a CEO and sits on the Board of more than two public companies besides his or her own; or a non-CEO Director who sits on more than five public company boards.
• Unequal Voting Rights. If the Company maintains a common stock structure with unequal voting rights. Exceptions to the policy may include, but aren't limited to: Newly-public companies with a reasonable sunset provision, where the unequal voting rights are considered de minimis; or the company provides sufficient safeguards for minority shareholders.
• In Other Circumstances when a member of the board has acted in a manner inconsistent with the interests of shareholders of a company whose securities are held in client accounts.
II. Majority Election. Unless a company has a policy achieving a similar result, Geode will generally vote in favor of a proposal calling for directors to be elected by a majority of votes cast in a board election provided that the plurality vote applies when there are more nominees than board seats.
III. Say on Pay (non-binding).
• Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. Geode will generally vote AGAINST advisory vote when: (1) there is a significant misalignment between executive pay and company performance; (2) the company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or (3) the board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders.
• Frequency Vote. Geode will generally vote FOR having an advisory vote on executive compensation every year.
• Advisory Vote on Golden Parachute. Geode will vote AGAINST excessive change-in-control severance payments.
IV. Vote AGAINST Anti-Takeover Proposals, including:
• Addition of Special Interest Directors to the board.
• Authorization of "Blank Check" Preferred Stock. Geode will vote FOR proposals to require shareholder approval for the distribution of preferred stock except for acquisitions and raising capital in the ordinary course of business.
• Classification of Boards, Geode will vote FOR proposals to de-classify boards.
• Fair Price Amendments, other than those that consider only a two-year price history and are not accompanied by other anti-takeover measures.
• Golden Parachutes, that Geode deems to be excessive in the event of change-in-control.
• Poison Pills. Adoption or extension of a Poison Pill without shareholder approval will result in our voting AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors, provided the matter will be considered if (a) the board has adopted a Poison Pill with a sunset provision; (b) the Pill is linked to a business strategy that will result in greater value for the shareholders; (c) the term is less than three years; (d) the Pill includes a qualifying offer clause; Or (e) shareholder approval is required to reinstate the expired Pill. Geode will vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring or recommending that shareholders be given an opportunity to vote on the adoption of poison pills.
• Reduction or Limitation of Shareholder Rights (e.g., action by written consent, ability to call meetings, or remove directors).
• Reincorporation in another state (when accompanied by Anti-Takeover Provisions, including increased statutory anti-takeover provisions). Geode will vote FOR reincorporation in another state when not accompanied by such anti-takeover provisions.
• Requirements that the Board Consider Non-Financial Effects of merger and acquisition proposals.
• Requirements regarding Size, Selection and Removal of the Board that are likely to have an anti-takeover effect (although changes with legitimate business purposes will be evaluated).
• Supermajority Voting Requirements (i.e., typically 2/3 or greater) for boards and shareholders. Geode will vote FOR proposals to eliminate supermajority voting requirements.
• Transfer of Authority from Shareholders to Directors.
V. Vote FOR proposed amendments to a company's certificate of incorporation or by-laws that enable the company to Opt Out of the Control Shares Acquisition Statutes.
VI. Vote AGAINST the introduction of new classes of Stock with Differential Voting Rights.
VII. Vote AGAINST introduction and FOR elimination of Cumulative Voting Rights, except in certain instances where it is determined not to enhance shareholders' interests.
VIII. Vote FOR elimination of Preemptive Rights.
IX. Vote FOR Anti-Greenmail proposals so long as they are not part of anti-takeover provisions (in which case the vote will be AGAINST).
X. Vote FOR charter and by-law amendments expanding the Indemnification of Directors to the maximum extent permitted under Delaware law (regardless of the state of incorporation) and vote AGAINST charter and by-law amendments completely Eliminating Directors' Liability for Breaches of Care.
XI. Vote FOR proposals to adopt Confidential Voting and Independent Vote Tabulation practices.
XII. Vote FOR Open-Market Stock Repurchase Programs, unless there is clear evidence of past abuse of the authority; the plan contains no safeguards against selective buybacks, or the authority can be used as an anti-takeover mechanism.
XIII. Vote FOR management proposals to implement a Reverse Stock Split when the number of authorized shares will be proportionately reduced or the Reverse Stock Split is necessary to avoid de-listing.
XIV. Vote FOR management proposals to Reduce the Par Value of common stock unless the proposal may facilitate an anti-takeover device or other negative corporate governance action.
XV. Vote FOR the Issuance of Large Blocks of Stock if such proposals have a legitimate business purpose and do not result in dilution of greater than 20%. However, a company's specific circumstances and market practices may be considered in determining whether the proposal is consistent with shareholders' interests.
XVI. Vote AGAINST Excessive Increases in Common Stock. Vote AGAINST increases in authorized common stock that would result in authorized capital in excess of three times the company's shares outstanding and reserved for legitimate purposes. For non-U.S. securities with conditional capital requests, vote AGAINST issuances of shares with preemptive rights in excess of 100% of the company's current shares outstanding. Special requests will be evaluated, taking company-specific circumstances into account.
XVII. Vote AGAINST the adoption of or amendment to authorize additional shares under a Stock Option Plan if:
• The stock option plan includes evergreen provisions, which provides for an automatic allotment of equity compensation every year.
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan (including by virtue of any "evergreen" or replenishment provision), plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
• The offering price of options is less than 100% of fair market value on the date of grant, except that the offering price may be as low as 85% of fair market value if the discount is expressly granted in lieu of salary or cash bonus, except that a modest number of shares (limited to 5% for a large capitalization company and 10% for a small and micro capitalization companies) may be available for grant to employees and directors under the plan if the grant is made by a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors (the "De Minimis Exception").
• The plan is administered by (1) a compensation committee not comprised entirely of independent directors or (2) a board of directors not comprised of a majority of independent directors, provided that a plan is acceptable if it satisfies the De Minimis Exception.
• The plan's terms allow repricing of underwater options, or the board/committee has repriced options outstanding under the plan in the past two years without shareholder approval, unless by the express terms of the plan or a board resolution such repricing is rarely used (and then only to maintain option value due to extreme circumstances beyond management's control) and is within the limits of the De Minimis Exception.
• Liberal Definition of Change in Control: the plan provides that the vesting of equity awards may accelerate even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XVIII. Vote AGAINST the election of incumbent members of the compensation committee or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if, within the last year and without shareholder approval, the company's board of directors or compensation committee has repriced outstanding options.
XIX. Evaluate proposals to Reprice Outstanding Stock Options, taking into account such factors as: (1) whether the repricing proposal excludes senior management and directors; (2) whether the options proposed to be repriced exceeded the dilution thresholds described in these current proxy voting policies when initially granted; (3) whether the repricing proposal is value neutral to shareholders based upon an acceptable options pricing model; (4) the company's relative performance compared to other companies within the relevant industry or industries; (5) economic and other conditions affecting the relevant industry or industries in which the company competes; and (6) other facts or circumstances relevant to determining whether a repricing proposal is consistent with the interests of shareholders.
XX. Vote AGAINST adoption of or amendments to authorize additional shares for Restricted Stock Awards ("RSA") if:
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan, plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
XXI. Vote AGAINST Omnibus Stock Plans if one or more component violates any of the criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, unless such component is de minimis. In the case of an omnibus stock plan, the dilution limits applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies will be measured against the total number of shares under all components of such plan.
XXII. Vote AGAINST Employee Stock Purchase Plans if the plan violates any of the relevant criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, except that (1) the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to or greater than 85% of the stock's fair market value if the plan constitutes a reasonable effort to encourage broad based participation in the company's equity, and (2) in the case of non-U.S. company stock purchase plans, the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to the prevailing "best practices," as articulated by the Agent, provided that the minimum stock purchase price must be at least 75% of the stock's fair market value.
XXIII. Vote AGAINST Stock Awards (other than stock options and RSAs) unless it is determined they are identified as being granted to officers/directors in lieu of salary or cash bonus, subject to number of shares being reasonable.
XXIV. Vote AGAINST equity vesting acceleration programs or amendments to authorize additional shares under such programs if the program provides for the acceleration of vesting of equity awards even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XXV. Vote FOR Employee Stock Ownership Plans ("ESOPs") of non-leveraged ESOPs, and in the case of leveraged ESOPs, giving consideration to the company's state of incorporation, existence of supermajority vote rules in the charter, number of shares authorized for the ESOP, and number of shares held by insiders. Geode may also examine where the ESOP shares are purchased and the dilution effect of the purchase. Geode will vote AGAINST a leveraged ESOP if all outstanding loans are due immediately upon a change in control.
XXVI. Vote AGAINST management or shareholder proposals on other Compensation Plans or Practices if such plans or practices are Inconsistent with the Interests of Shareholders. In addition, Geode may vote AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if Geode believes a board has approved executive compensation arrangements inconsistent with the interests of shareholders.
XXVII. Environmental and Social Proposals. Evaluate each proposal related to environmental and social issues (including political contributions). Generally, Geode expects to vote with management's recommendation on shareholder proposals concerning environmental or social issues, as Geode believes management and the board are ordinarily in the best position to address these matters. Geode may support certain shareholder environmental and social proposals that request additional disclosures from companies which may provide material information to the investment management process, or where Geode otherwise believes support will help maximize shareholder value. Geode may take action against the re-election of board members if there are serious concerns over ESG practices or the board failed to act on related shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year.
XXVIII. Geode will generally vote FOR proposals seeking to establish or amend proxy access which allow a shareholder (or shareholder group) holding at least 3% of the voting power of the company's outstanding shares continuously for a minimum of 3 years the ability to nominate no more than 25% of the board of directors. Geode will generally vote AGAINST proposals that do not meet the aforementioned criteria.
XXIX. Shares of Investment Companies.
• For institutional accounts, Geode will generally vote in favor of proposals recommended by the underlying funds' Board of Trustees, unless voting is not permitted under applicable laws and regulations.
• For retail managed accounts, Geode will employ echo voting when voting shares. To avoid certain potential conflicts of interest, if an investment company has a shareholder meeting, Geode would vote their shares in the investment company in the same proportion as the votes of the other shareholders of the investment company.
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To view a fund's proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, if applicable, visit www.fidelity.com/proxyvotingresults or visit the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.
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DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
The fund has entered into a distribution agreement with Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), an affiliate of FMR. The principal business address of FDC is 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917. FDC is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
The fund's distribution agreement calls for FDC to use all reasonable efforts, consistent with its other business, to secure purchasers for shares of the fund, which are continuously offered.
Promotional and administrative expenses in connection with the offer and sale of shares are paid by FMR.
The Trustees have approved a Distribution and Service Plan with respect to shares of the fund (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the Rule).
The Rule provides in substance that a fund may not engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity that is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund except pursuant to a plan approved on behalf of the fund under the Rule.
The Plan, as approved by the Trustees, allows shares of the fund and/or FMR to incur certain expenses that might be considered to constitute indirect payment by the fund of distribution expenses.
The Plan adopted for the fund or class, as applicable, is described in the prospectus.
Under the Plan, if the payment of management fees by the fund to FMR is deemed to be indirect financing by the fund of the distribution of its shares, such payment is authorized by the Plan.
The Plan specifically recognizes that FMR may use its management fee revenue, as well as its past profits or its other resources, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. In addition, the Plan provides that FMR, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services.
Currently, the Board of Trustees has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Prior to approving the Plan, the Trustees carefully considered all pertinent factors relating to the implementation of the Plan, and determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the fund or class, as applicable, and its shareholders.
In particular, the Trustees noted that the Plan does not authorize payments by shares of the fund other than those made to FMR under its management contract with the fund.
To the extent that the Plan gives FMR and FDC greater flexibility in connection with the distribution of shares, additional sales of shares or stabilization of cash flows may result.
Furthermore, certain shareholder support services may be provided more effectively under the Plan by local entities with whom shareholders have other relationships.
TRANSFER AND SERVICE AGENT AGREEMENTS
The fund has entered into a transfer agent agreement with Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company LLC (FIIOC), an affiliate of FMR, which is located at 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Under the terms of the agreement, FIIOC (or an agent, including an affiliate) performs transfer agency services.
For providing transfer agency services, FIIOC receives no fees from the fund.
FIIOC may collect fees charged in connection with providing certain types of services such as exchanges, closing out fund balances, maintaining fund positions with low balances, checkwriting, wire transactions, and providing historical account research, as applicable.
FIIOC bears the expense of typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, and all other reports, notices, and statements to existing shareholders, with the exception of proxy statements.
Fund shares may be owned by intermediaries for the benefit of their customers. In those instances, a fund may not maintain an account for shareholders, and some or all of the recordkeeping services for these accounts may be performed by third parties. FIIOC or an affiliate may make payments to intermediaries (including affiliates of FIIOC) for recordkeeping and other services.
Retirement plans may also hold fund shares in the name of the plan or its trustee, rather than the plan participant. In situations where FIIOC or an affiliate does not provide recordkeeping services, plan recordkeepers, who may have affiliated financial intermediaries who sell shares of the fund, may, upon direction, be paid for providing recordkeeping services to plan participants. Payments may also be made, upon direction, for other plan expenses. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
In certain situations where FIIOC or an affiliate provides recordkeeping services to a retirement plan, payments may be made to pay for plan expenses. The amount of such payments may be based on investments in particular Fidelity® funds, or may be fixed for a given period of time. Upon direction, payments may be made to plan sponsors, or at the direction of plan sponsors, third parties, for expenses incurred in connection with the plan. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
The fund has entered into a service agent agreement with Fidelity Service Company, Inc. (FSC), an affiliate of FMR (or an agent, including an affiliate). Under the terms of the agreement, FSC calculates the NAV and dividends for shares, maintains the fund's portfolio and general accounting records, and administers the fund's securities lending program.
For providing pricing and bookkeeping services, FSC receives no fee from the fund.
FMR bears the cost of transfer agency services and pricing and bookkeeping services.
SECURITIES LENDING
During the fiscal year, the securities lending agent, or the investment adviser (where the fund does not use a securities lending agent) monitors loan opportunities for the fund, negotiates the terms of the loans with borrowers, monitors the value of securities on loan and the value of the corresponding collateral, communicates with borrowers and the fund's custodian regarding marking to market the collateral, selects securities to be loaned and allocates those loan opportunities among lenders, and arranges for the return of the loaned securities upon the termination of the loan. Income and fees from securities lending activities for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, are shown in the following table:
A fund does not pay cash collateral management fees, separate indemnification fees, or other fees not reflected above.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
Trust Organization.
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Momentum Index Fund is a fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust, an open-end management investment company created under an initial declaration of trust dated September 5, 1984.
The Trustees are permitted to create additional funds in the trust and to create additional classes of a fund.
The assets of the trust received for the issue or sale of shares of each fund and all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, subject to the rights of creditors, are allocated to such fund, and constitute the underlying assets of such fund. The underlying assets of each fund in the trust shall be charged with the liabilities and expenses attributable to such fund. Any general expenses of the trust shall be allocated between or among any one or more of the funds.
Shareholder Liability. The trust is an entity commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the trust.
The Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for the debts, liabilities, obligations, and expenses of the trust or fund. The Declaration of Trust provides that the trust shall not have any claim against shareholders except for the payment of the purchase price of shares and requires that each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the trust or the Trustees relating to the trust or to a fund shall include a provision limiting the obligations created thereby to the trust or to one or more funds and its or their assets. The Declaration of Trust further provides that shareholders of a fund shall not have a claim on or right to any assets belonging to any other fund.
The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of a fund's property of any shareholder or former shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the fund solely by reason of his or her being or having been a shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason. The Declaration of Trust also provides that a fund shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the fund and satisfy any judgment thereon. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations. Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC believes that, in view of the above, the risk of personal liability to shareholders is remote.
Voting Rights. The fund's capital consists of shares of beneficial interest. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each dollar of net asset value they own. The voting rights of shareholders can be changed only by a shareholder vote. Shares may be voted in the aggregate, by fund, and by class.
The shares have no preemptive or conversion rights. Shares are fully paid and nonassessable, except as set forth under the heading "Shareholder Liability" above.
The trust or a fund or a class may be terminated upon the sale of its assets to, or merger with, another open-end management investment company, series, or class thereof, or upon liquidation and distribution of its assets. The Trustees may reorganize, terminate, merge, or sell all or a portion of the assets of a trust or a fund or a class without prior shareholder approval. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a trust, shareholders of each of its funds are entitled to receive the underlying assets of such fund available for distribution. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a fund or a class, shareholders of that fund or that class are entitled to receive the underlying assets of the fund or class available for distribution.
Custodians.
The Northern Trust Company, 50 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois, is custodian of the assets of the fund.
The custodian is responsible for the safekeeping of the fund's assets and the appointment of any subcustodian banks and clearing agencies.
The Bank of New York Mellon, headquartered in New York, also may serve as special purpose custodian of certain assets in connection with repurchase agreement transactions.
From time to time, subject to approval by a fund's Treasurer, a Fidelity® fund may enter into escrow arrangements with other banks if necessary to participate in certain investment offerings.
FMR, its officers and directors, its affiliated companies, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and Members of the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, conduct transactions with various banks, including banks serving as custodians for certain funds advised by FMR or an affiliate. Transactions that have occurred to date include mortgages and personal and general business loans. In the judgment of the fund's adviser, the terms and conditions of those transactions were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other fund relationships.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, Massachusetts, independent registered public accounting firm, and its affiliates, audit the financial statements for the fund and provide other audit, tax, and related services.
FUND HOLDINGS INFORMATION
The fund views holdings information as sensitive and limits its dissemination. The Board authorized FMR to establish and administer guidelines for the dissemination of fund holdings information, which may be amended at any time without prior notice. FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee (comprising executive officers of FMR) evaluates disclosure policy with the goal of serving the fund's best interests by striking an appropriate balance between providing information about the fund's portfolio and protecting the fund from potentially harmful disclosure. The Board reviews the administration and modification of these guidelines and receives reports from the fund's chief compliance officer periodically.
The fund will provide a full list of holdings monthly on www.fidelity.com 30 days after the month-end (excluding high income security holdings, which generally will be presented collectively monthly and included in a list of full holdings 60 days after month-end).
The fund will provide its top ten holdings (excluding cash and futures) on Fidelity's web site monthly, 15 days after month-end.
Unless otherwise indicated, this information will be available on the web site until updated for the next applicable period.
The fund may also from time to time provide or make available to the Board or third parties upon request specific fund level performance attribution information and statistics. Third parties may include fund shareholders or prospective fund shareholders, members of the press, consultants, and ratings and ranking organizations. Nonexclusive examples of performance attribution information and statistics may include (i) the allocation of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions among various asset classes, sectors, industries, and countries, (ii) the characteristics of the stock and bond components of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions, (iii) the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry, and country and (iv) the volatility characteristics of the fund.
FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee may approve a request for fund level performance attribution and statistics as long as (i) such disclosure does not enable the receiving party to recreate the complete or partial portfolio holdings of any Fidelity® fund prior to such fund's public disclosure of its portfolio holdings and (ii) Fidelity has made a good faith determination that the requested information is not material given the particular facts and circumstances. Fidelity may deny any request for performance attribution information and other statistical information about a fund made by any person, and may do so for any reason or for no reason.
Disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information for a Fidelity® fund's portfolio may only be provided pursuant to the guidelines below.
The Use of Holdings In Connection With Fund Operations. Material non-public holdings information may be provided as part of the activities associated with managing Fidelity® funds to: entities which, by explicit agreement or by virtue of their respective duties to the fund, are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed; other parties if legally required; or persons FMR believes will not misuse the disclosed information. These entities, parties, and persons include, but are not limited to: the fund's trustees; the fund's manager, its sub-advisers, if any, and their affiliates whose access persons are subject to a code of ethics (including portfolio managers of affiliated funds of funds); contractors who are subject to a confidentiality agreement; the fund's auditors; the fund's custodians; proxy voting service providers; financial printers; pricing service vendors; broker-dealers in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities; securities lending agents; counsel to the fund or its Independent Trustees; regulatory authorities; stock exchanges and other listing organizations; parties to litigation; third parties in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding relating to a fund holding; and third parties who have submitted a standing request to a money market fund for daily holdings information. Non-public holdings information may also be provided to an issuer regarding the number or percentage of its shares that are owned by the fund and in connection with redemptions in kind.
Other Uses Of Holdings Information. In addition, the fund may provide material non-public holdings information to (i) third parties that calculate information derived from holdings for use by FMR, a sub-adviser, or their affiliates, (ii) ratings and rankings organizations, and (iii) an investment adviser, trustee, or their agents to whom holdings are disclosed for due diligence purposes or in anticipation of a merger involving the fund. Each individual request is reviewed by the Disclosure Policy Committee which must find, in its sole discretion that, based on the specific facts and circumstances, the disclosure appears unlikely to be harmful to the fund. Entities receiving this information must have in place control mechanisms to reasonably ensure or otherwise agree that, (a) the holdings information will be kept confidential, (b) no employee shall use the information to effect trading or for their personal benefit, and (c) the nature and type of information that they, in turn, may disclose to third parties is limited. FMR relies primarily on the existence of non-disclosure agreements and/or control mechanisms when determining that disclosure is not likely to be harmful to the fund.
At this time, the entities receiving information described in the preceding paragraph are: Factset Research Systems Inc. (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (full holdings weekly (generally as of the previous Friday), generally 5 business days thereafter); MSCI Inc. and certain affiliates (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); and Bloomberg, L.P. (full holdings daily, on the next business day).
FMR, its affiliates, or the fund will not enter into any arrangements with third parties from which they derive consideration for the disclosure of material non-public holdings information. If, in the future, such an arrangement is desired, prior Board approval would be sought and any such arrangements would be disclosed in the fund's SAI.
There can be no assurance that the fund's policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of fund portfolio holdings will prevent the misuse of such information by individuals and firms that receive such information.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The fund's financial statements and financial highlights for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, and report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the fund's annual report and are incorporated herein by reference.
Total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table may differ from the ratios of expenses to average net assets in the financial highlights because total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table include any acquired fund fees and expenses, whereas the ratios of expenses in the financial highlights do not, except to the extent any acquired fund fees and expenses relate to an entity, such as a wholly-owned subsidiary, with which a fund's financial statements are consolidated. Acquired funds include other investment companies (such as Central funds or other underlying funds) in which the fund has invested, if and to the extent it is permitted to do so.
Total annual operating expenses in the prospectus fee table and the financial highlights do not include any expenses associated with investments in certain structured or synthetic products that may rely on the exception from the definition of "investment company" provided by section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.
APPENDIX
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
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Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
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FZFLX
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Fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
September 29, 2023
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. Portions of the fund's annual report are incorporated herein. The annual report(s) are supplied with this SAI.
To obtain a free additional copy of a prospectus or SAI, dated September 29, 2023, or an annual report, please call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455 or visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com.
For more information on any Fidelity® fund, including charges and expenses, call Fidelity at the number indicated above for a free prospectus. Read it carefully before investing or sending money.
245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
SV3-PTB-0923
1.9866048.109
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND LIMITATIONS
The following policies and limitations supplement those set forth in the prospectus. Unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the fund's acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the fund's investment policies and limitations.
The fund's fundamental investment policies and limitations cannot be changed without approval by a "majority of the outstanding voting securities" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act)) of the fund. However, except for the fundamental investment limitations listed below, the investment policies and limitations described in this Statement of Additional Information (SAI) are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
The following are the fund's fundamental investment limitations set forth in their entirety.
Diversification
The fund may not with respect to 75% of the fund's total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, (a) more than 5% of the fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (b) the fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.
Senior Securities
The fund may not issue senior securities, except in connection with the insurance program established by the fund pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission or as otherwise permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Borrowing
The fund may not borrow money, except that the fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes (not for leveraging or investment) in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1/3% limitation.
Underwriting
The fund may not underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in the disposition of restricted securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies.
Concentration
The fund may not purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) looks through to the U.S. Government securities.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in Fidelity® Money Market Central Fund and/or any non-money market Central fund, FMR looks through to the holdings of the Central fund.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, FMR may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and security and assign an industry or sector classification consistent with those characteristics in the event that the third-party classification provider used by FMR does not assign a classification.
Real Estate
The fund may not purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).
Commodities
The fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).
Loans
The fund may not lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, but this limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.
The following investment limitations are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
Short Sales
The fund does not currently intend to sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in futures contracts and options are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.
Margin Purchases
The fund does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that the fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.
Borrowing
The fund may borrow money only (a) from a bank or from a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) by engaging in reverse repurchase agreements with any party (reverse repurchase agreements are treated as borrowings for purposes of the fundamental borrowing investment limitation).
Illiquid Securities
The fund does not currently intend to purchase any security if, as a result, more than 10% of its net assets would be invested in securities that are deemed to be illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business at approximately the prices at which they are valued.
For purposes of the fund's illiquid securities limitation discussed above, if through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, the fund were in a position where more than 10% of its net assets were invested in illiquid securities, it would consider appropriate steps to protect liquidity.
Loans
The fund does not currently intend to lend assets other than securities to other parties, except by (a) lending money (up to 15% of the fund's net assets) to a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) assuming any unfunded commitments in connection with the acquisition of loans, loan participations, or other forms of debt instruments. (This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities, to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.)
In addition to the fund's fundamental and non-fundamental investment limitations discussed above:
In order to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the fund currently intends to comply with certain diversification limits imposed by Subchapter M.
For the fund's policies and limitations on futures and options transactions, see "Investment Policies and Limitations - Futures, Options, and Swaps."
The following pages contain more detailed information about types of instruments in which the fund may invest, techniques the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may employ in pursuit of the fund's investment objective, and a summary of related risks. The fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may not buy all of these instruments or use all of these techniques unless it believes that doing so will help the fund achieve its goal. However, the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) is not required to buy any particular instrument or use any particular technique even if to do so might benefit the fund.
On the following pages in this section titled "Investment Policies and Limitations," and except as otherwise indicated, references to "an adviser" or "the adviser" may relate to the fund's adviser or a sub-adviser, as applicable.
Affiliated Bank Transactions. A Fidelity® fund may engage in transactions with financial institutions that are, or may be considered to be, "affiliated persons" of the fund under the 1940 Act. These transactions may involve repurchase agreements with custodian banks; short-term obligations of, and repurchase agreements with, the 50 largest U.S. banks (measured by deposits); municipal securities; U.S. Government securities with affiliated financial institutions that are primary dealers in these securities; short-term currency transactions; and short-term borrowings. In accordance with exemptive orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Board of Trustees has established and periodically reviews procedures applicable to transactions involving affiliated financial institutions.
Borrowing. If a fund borrows money, its share price may be subject to greater fluctuation until the borrowing is paid off. If a fund makes additional investments while borrowings are outstanding, this may be considered a form of leverage.
Cash Management. A fund may hold uninvested cash or may invest it in cash equivalents such as money market securities, repurchase agreements, or shares of short-term bond or money market funds, including (for Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients only) shares of Fidelity® Central funds. Generally, these securities offer less potential for gains than other types of securities.
Central Funds are special types of investment vehicles created by Fidelity for use by the Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients. Central funds are used to invest in particular security types or investment disciplines, or for cash management. Central funds incur certain costs related to their investment activity (such as custodial fees and expenses), but generally do not pay additional management fees. The investment results of the portions of a Fidelity® fund's assets invested in the Central funds will be based upon the investment results of those funds.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Notice of Exclusion. The Adviser, on behalf of the Fidelity® fund to which this SAI relates, has filed with the National Futures Association a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and the rules of the CFTC promulgated thereunder, with respect to the fund's operation. Accordingly, neither a fund nor its adviser is subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool or a CPO. As of the date of this SAI, the adviser does not expect to register as a CPO of the fund. However, there is no certainty that a fund or its adviser will be able to rely on an exclusion in the future as the fund's investments change over time. A fund may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional CFTC regulation or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If a fund or its adviser operates subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses.
Common Stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock, although related proceedings can take time to resolve and results can be unpredictable. For purposes of a Fidelity® fund's policies related to investment in common stock Fidelity considers depositary receipts evidencing ownership of common stock to be common stock.
Convertible Securities are bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a fund is called for redemption or conversion, the fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.
Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at prices above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.
Debt Securities are used by issuers to borrow money. The issuer usually pays a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest, and must repay the amount borrowed, usually at the maturity of the security. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay interest but are sold at a deep discount from their face values. Debt securities include corporate bonds, government securities, repurchase agreements, and mortgage and other asset-backed securities.
Disruption to Financial Markets and Related Government Intervention. Economic downturns can trigger various economic, legal, budgetary, tax, and regulatory reforms across the globe. Instability in the financial markets in the wake of events such as the 2008 economic downturn led the U.S. Government and other governments to take a number of then-unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases, a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, local, foreign, and other governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which a fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Reforms may also change the way in which a fund is regulated and could limit or preclude a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective or engage in certain strategies. Also, while reforms generally are intended to strengthen markets, systems, and public finances, they could affect fund expenses and the value of fund investments in unpredictable ways.
Similarly, widespread disease including pandemics and epidemics, and natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, droughts, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and climate-related phenomena generally, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of a fund's investments. Economies and financial markets throughout the world have become increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or country will adversely affect markets or issuers in other regions or countries, including the United States. Additionally, market disruptions may result in increased market volatility; regulatory trading halts; closure of domestic or foreign exchanges, markets, or governments; or market participants operating pursuant to business continuity plans for indeterminate periods of time. Further, market disruptions can (i) prevent a fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner, (ii) negatively impact a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective, and (iii) may exacerbate the risks discussed elsewhere in a fund's registration statement, including political, social, and economic risks.
The value of a fund's portfolio is also generally subject to the risk of future local, national, or global economic or natural disturbances based on unknown weaknesses in the markets in which a fund invests. In the event of such a disturbance, the issuers of securities held by a fund may experience significant declines in the value of their assets and even cease operations, or may receive government assistance accompanied by increased restrictions on their business operations or other government intervention. In addition, it remains uncertain that the U.S. Government or foreign governments will intervene in response to current or future market disturbances and the effect of any such future intervention cannot be predicted.
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are shares of other investment companies, commodity pools, or other entities that are traded on an exchange. Assets underlying the ETF shares may consist of stocks, bonds, commodities, or other instruments, depending on an ETF's investment objective and strategies. An ETF may seek to replicate the performance of a specific index or may be actively managed.
Typically, shares of an ETF that tracks an index are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark increases. However, in the case of inverse ETFs (also called "short ETFs" or "bear ETFs"), ETF shares are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark decreases. Inverse ETFs seek to deliver the opposite of the performance of the benchmark they track and are often marketed as a way for investors to profit from, or at least hedge their exposure to, downward moving markets. Investments in inverse ETFs are similar to holding short positions in the underlying benchmark.
ETF shares are redeemable only in large blocks of shares often called "creation units" by persons other than a fund, and are redeemed principally in-kind at each day's next calculated net asset value per share (NAV). ETFs typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a fund. A fund's purchase of ETFs results in the layering of expenses, such that the fund would indirectly bear a proportionate share of any ETF's operating expenses. Further, while traditional investment companies are continuously offered at NAV, ETFs are traded in the secondary market (e.g., on a stock exchange) on an intra-day basis at prices that may be above or below the value of their underlying portfolios.
Some of the risks of investing in an ETF that tracks an index are similar to those of investing in an indexed mutual fund, including tracking error risk (the risk of errors in matching the ETF's underlying assets to the index or other benchmark); and the risk that because an ETF that tracks an index is not actively managed, it cannot sell stocks or other assets as long as they are represented in the index or other benchmark. Other ETF risks include the risk that ETFs may trade in the secondary market at a discount from their NAV and the risk that the ETFs may not be liquid. ETFs also may be leveraged. Leveraged ETFs seek to deliver multiples of the performance of the index or other benchmark they track and use derivatives in an effort to amplify the returns (or decline, in the case of inverse ETFs) of the underlying index or benchmark. While leveraged ETFs may offer the potential for greater return, the potential for loss and the speed at which losses can be realized also are greater. Most leveraged and inverse ETFs "reset" daily, meaning they are designed to achieve their stated objectives on a daily basis. Leveraged and inverse ETFs can deviate substantially from the performance of their underlying benchmark over longer periods of time, particularly in volatile periods.
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) are a type of senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt security issued by financial institutions that combines aspects of both bonds and ETFs. An ETN's returns are based on the performance of a market index or other reference asset minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN's maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the market index or other reference asset to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs typically do not make periodic interest payments and principal typically is not protected.
ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable index. The market value of an ETN is determined by supply and demand, the current performance of the index or other reference asset, and the credit rating of the ETN issuer. The market value of ETN shares may differ from their intraday indicative value. The value of an ETN may also change due to a change in the issuer's credit rating. As a result, there may be times when an ETN's share trades at a premium or discount to its NAV. Some ETNs that use leverage in an effort to amplify the returns of an underlying index or other reference asset can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs may offer the potential for greater return, but the potential for loss and speed at which losses can be realized also are greater.
Exposure to Foreign and Emerging Markets. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
Foreign investments involve risks relating to local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments, and may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors. Such actions may include expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. From time to time, a fund's adviser and/or its affiliates may determine that, as a result of regulatory requirements that may apply to the adviser and/or its affiliates due to investments in a particular country, investments in the securities of issuers domiciled or listed on trading markets in that country above certain thresholds (which may apply at the account level or in the aggregate across all accounts managed by the adviser and its affiliates) may be impractical or undesirable. In such instances, the adviser may limit or exclude investment in a particular issuer, and investment flexibility may be restricted. Additionally, governmental issuers of foreign debt securities may be unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due and may require that the conditions for payment be renegotiated. There is no assurance that a fund's adviser will be able to anticipate these potential events or counter their effects. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.
It is anticipated that in most cases the best available market for foreign securities will be on an exchange or in over-the-counter (OTC) markets located outside of the United States. Foreign stock markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States, and securities of some foreign issuers may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign security trading, settlement and custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment) are often less developed than those in U.S. markets, and may result in increased investment or valuation risk or substantial delays in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign subcustodian. In addition, the costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.
Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets. Foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis. In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States. OTC markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated. Regulatory enforcement may be influenced by economic or political concerns, and investors may have difficulty enforcing their legal rights in foreign countries.
Some foreign securities impose restrictions on transfer within the United States or to U.S. persons. Although securities subject to such transfer restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. These risks include foreign exchange risk as well as the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country.
The risks of foreign investing may be magnified for investments in emerging markets. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
Foreign Currency Transactions. A fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies). Although foreign exchange dealers generally do not charge a fee for such conversions, they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the counterparty desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Forward contracts are customized transactions that require a specific amount of a currency to be delivered at a specific exchange rate on a specific date or range of dates in the future. Forward contracts are generally traded in an interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the contemplated currency exchange.
The following discussion summarizes the principal currency management strategies involving forward contracts that could be used by a fund. A fund may also use swap agreements, indexed securities, and options and futures contracts relating to foreign currencies for the same purposes. Forward contracts not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through payments in U.S. dollars rather than through delivery of the underlying currency. All of these instruments and transactions are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default.
A "settlement hedge" or "transaction hedge" is designed to protect a fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date a security denominated in a foreign currency is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying security transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars "locks in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. Forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency may also be used to protect a fund in anticipation of future purchases or sales of securities denominated in foreign currency, even if the specific investments have not yet been selected.
A fund may also use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in a foreign currency. For example, if a fund owned securities denominated in pounds sterling, it could enter into a forward contract to sell pounds sterling in return for U.S. dollars to hedge against possible declines in the pound's value. Such a hedge, sometimes referred to as a "position hedge," would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in security values caused by other factors. A fund could also attempt to hedge the position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the pound sterling. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as a "proxy hedge," could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency, but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.
A fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a "cross-hedge," will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, much as if a fund had sold a security denominated in one currency and purchased an equivalent security denominated in another. A fund may cross-hedge its U.S. dollar exposure in order to achieve a representative weighted mix of the major currencies in its benchmark index and/or to cover an underweight country or region exposure in its portfolio. Cross-hedges protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency, but will cause a fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases.
Successful use of currency management strategies will depend on an adviser's skill in analyzing currency values. Currency management strategies may substantially change a fund's investment exposure to changes in currency exchange rates and could result in losses to a fund if currencies do not perform as an adviser anticipates. For example, if a currency's value rose at a time when a fund had hedged its position by selling that currency in exchange for dollars, the fund would not participate in the currency's appreciation. If a fund hedges currency exposure through proxy hedges, the fund could realize currency losses from both the hedge and the security position if the two currencies do not move in tandem. Similarly, if a fund increases its exposure to a foreign currency and that currency's value declines, the fund will realize a loss. Foreign currency transactions involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted and that a fund's hedging strategies will be ineffective. Moreover, it is impossible to precisely forecast the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a foreign currency forward contract. Accordingly, a fund may be required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expenses of such transaction), if an adviser's predictions regarding the movement of foreign currency or securities markets prove inaccurate.
A fund may be required to limit its hedging transactions in foreign currency forwards, futures, and options in order to maintain its classification as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code (Code). Hedging transactions could result in the application of the mark-to-market provisions of the Code, which may cause an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid by a fund are classified as capital gains or ordinary income. There is no assurance that an adviser's use of currency management strategies will be advantageous to a fund or that it will employ currency management strategies at appropriate times.
Options and Futures Relating to Foreign Currencies. Currency futures contracts are similar to forward currency exchange contracts, except that they are traded on exchanges (and have margin requirements) and are standardized as to contract size and delivery date. Most currency futures contracts call for payment or delivery in U.S. dollars. The underlying instrument of a currency option may be a foreign currency, which generally is purchased or delivered in exchange for U.S. dollars, or may be a futures contract. The purchaser of a currency call obtains the right to purchase the underlying currency, and the purchaser of a currency put obtains the right to sell the underlying currency.
The uses and risks of currency options and futures are similar to options and futures relating to securities or indexes, as discussed below. A fund may purchase and sell currency futures and may purchase and write currency options to increase or decrease its exposure to different foreign currencies. Currency options may also be purchased or written in conjunction with each other or with currency futures or forward contracts. Currency futures and options values can be expected to correlate with exchange rates, but may not reflect other factors that affect the value of a fund's investments. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a Yen-denominated security from a decline in the Yen, but will not protect a fund against a price decline resulting from deterioration in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the value of a fund's foreign-denominated investments changes in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of currency options and futures to the value of the fund's investments exactly over time.
Currency options traded on U.S. or other exchanges may be subject to position limits which may limit the ability of the fund to reduce foreign currency risk using such options.
Funds of Funds and Other Large Shareholders. Certain Fidelity® funds and accounts (including funds of funds) invest in other funds ("underlying funds") and, as a result, may at times have substantial investments in one or more underlying funds.
An underlying fund may experience large redemptions or investments due to transactions in its shares by funds of funds, other large shareholders, or similarly managed accounts. While it is impossible to predict the overall effect of these transactions over time, there could be an adverse impact on an underlying fund's performance. In the event of such redemptions or investments, an underlying fund could be required to sell securities or to invest cash at a time when it may not otherwise desire to do so. Such transactions may increase an underlying fund's brokerage and/or other transaction costs and affect the liquidity of a fund's portfolio. In addition, when funds of funds or other investors own a substantial portion of an underlying fund's shares, a large redemption by such an investor could cause actual expenses to increase, or could result in the underlying fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the underlying fund's expense ratio. Redemptions of underlying fund shares could also accelerate the realization of taxable capital gains in the fund if sales of securities result in capital gains. The impact of these transactions is likely to be greater when a fund of funds or other significant investor purchases, redeems, or owns a substantial portion of the underlying fund's shares.
When possible, Fidelity will consider how to minimize these potential adverse effects, and may take such actions as it deems appropriate to address potential adverse effects, including redemption of shares in-kind rather than in cash or carrying out the transactions over a period of time, although there can be no assurance that such actions will be successful. A high volume of redemption requests can impact an underlying fund the same way as the transactions of a single shareholder with substantial investments. As an additional safeguard, Fidelity® fund of funds may manage the placement of their redemption requests in a manner designed to minimize the impact of such requests on the day-to-day operations of the underlying funds in which they invest. This may involve, for example, redeeming its shares of an underlying fund gradually over time or through use of a transition account.
Fund's Rights as an Investor. Fidelity® funds do not intend to direct or administer the day-to-day operations of any company. A fund may, however, exercise its rights as a shareholder or lender and may communicate its views on important matters of policy to a company's management, board of directors, and shareholders, and holders of a company's other securities when such matters could have a significant effect on the value of the fund's investment in the company. The activities in which a fund may engage, either individually or in conjunction with others, may include, among others, supporting or opposing proposed changes in a company's corporate structure or business activities; seeking changes in a company's directors or management; seeking changes in a company's direction or policies; seeking the sale or reorganization of the company or a portion of its assets; supporting or opposing third-party takeover efforts; supporting the filing of a bankruptcy petition; or foreclosing on collateral securing a security. This area of corporate activity is increasingly prone to litigation and it is possible that a fund could be involved in lawsuits related to such activities. Such activities will be monitored with a view to mitigating, to the extent possible, the risk of litigation against a fund and the risk of actual liability if a fund is involved in litigation. No guarantee can be made, however, that litigation against a fund will not be undertaken or liabilities incurred. A fund's proxy voting guidelines are included in its SAI.
Futures, Options, and Swaps. The success of any strategy involving futures, options, and swaps depends on an adviser's analysis of many economic and mathematical factors and a fund's return may be higher if it never invested in such instruments. Additionally, some of the contracts discussed below are new instruments without a trading history and there can be no assurance that a market for the instruments will continue to exist. Government legislation or regulation could affect the use of such instruments and could limit a fund's ability to pursue its investment strategies. If a fund invests a significant portion of its assets in derivatives, its investment exposure could far exceed the value of its portfolio securities and its investment performance could be primarily dependent upon securities it does not own.
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund will not: (a) sell futures contracts, purchase put options, or write call options if, as a result, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be hedged with futures and options under normal conditions; (b) purchase futures contracts or write put options if, as a result, the fund's total obligations upon settlement or exercise of purchased futures contracts and written put options would exceed 25% of its total assets under normal conditions; or (c) purchase call options if, as a result, the current value of option premiums for call options purchased by the fund would exceed 5% of the fund's total assets. These limitations do not apply to options attached to or acquired or traded together with their underlying securities, and do not apply to structured notes.
The policies and limitations regarding the fund's investments in futures contracts, options, and swaps may be changed as regulatory agencies permit.
The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which a fund may enter into futures, options on futures, and forward contracts.
Futures Contracts. In purchasing a futures contract, the buyer agrees to purchase a specified underlying instrument at a specified future date. In selling a futures contract, the seller agrees to sell a specified underlying instrument at a specified date. Futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts and the price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when the buyer and seller enter into the contract. Some currently available futures contracts are based on specific securities or baskets of securities, some are based on commodities or commodities indexes (for funds that seek commodities exposure), and some are based on indexes of securities prices (including foreign indexes for funds that seek foreign exposure). Futures on indexes and futures not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through cash payments rather than through delivery of the underlying instrument. Futures can be held until their delivery dates, or can be closed out by offsetting purchases or sales of futures contracts before then if a liquid market is available. A fund may realize a gain or loss by closing out its futures contracts.
The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of its underlying instrument. Therefore, purchasing futures contracts will tend to increase a fund's exposure to positive and negative price fluctuations in the underlying instrument, much as if it had purchased the underlying instrument directly. When a fund sells a futures contract, by contrast, the value of its futures position will tend to move in a direction contrary to the market for the underlying instrument. Selling futures contracts, therefore, will tend to offset both positive and negative market price changes, much as if the underlying instrument had been sold.
The purchaser or seller of a futures contract or an option for a futures contract is not required to deliver or pay for the underlying instrument or the final cash settlement price, as applicable, unless the contract is held until the delivery date. However, both the purchaser and seller are required to deposit "initial margin" with a futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant, when the contract is entered into. If the value of either party's position declines, that party will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to settle the change in value on a daily basis. This process of "marking to market" will be reflected in the daily calculation of open positions computed in a fund's NAV. The party that has a gain is entitled to receive all or a portion of this amount. Initial and variation margin payments do not constitute purchasing securities on margin for purposes of a fund's investment limitations. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a fund, but is instead a settlement between a fund and the futures commission merchant of the amount one would owe the other if the fund's contract expired. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a futures commission merchant that holds margin on behalf of a fund, the fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the futures commission merchant's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the fund.
Although futures exchanges generally operate similarly in the United States and abroad, foreign futures exchanges may follow trading, settlement, and margin procedures that are different from those for U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts traded outside the United States may not involve a clearing mechanism or related guarantees and may involve greater risk of loss than U.S.-traded contracts, including potentially greater risk of losses due to insolvency of a futures broker, exchange member, or other party that may owe initial or variation margin to a fund. Because initial and variation margin payments may be measured in foreign currency, a futures contract traded outside the United States may also involve the risk of foreign currency fluctuation.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for futures contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may work to prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.
If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or other market conditions, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value. These risks may be heightened for commodity futures contracts, which have historically been subject to greater price volatility than exists for instruments such as stocks and bonds.
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded futures contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in futures contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the futures position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell futures contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's futures positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments. In addition, the price of a commodity futures contract can reflect the storage costs associated with the purchase of the physical commodity.
Futures contracts on U.S. Government securities historically have reacted to an increase or decrease in interest rates in a manner similar to the manner in which the underlying U.S. Government securities reacted. To the extent, however, that a fund enters into such futures contracts, the value of these futures contracts will not vary in direct proportion to the value of the fund's holdings of U.S. Government securities. Thus, the anticipated spread between the price of the futures contract and the hedged security may be distorted due to differences in the nature of the markets. The spread also may be distorted by differences in initial and variation margin requirements, the liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.
Options. By purchasing a put option, the purchaser obtains the right (but not the obligation) to sell the option's underlying instrument at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, the purchaser pays the current market price for the option (known as the option premium). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific assets or securities, baskets of assets or securities, indexes of securities or commodities prices, and futures contracts (including commodity futures contracts). Options may be traded on an exchange or OTC. The purchaser may terminate its position in a put option by allowing it to expire or by exercising the option. If the option is allowed to expire, the purchaser will lose the entire premium. If the option is exercised, the purchaser completes the sale of the underlying instrument at the strike price. Depending on the terms of the contract, upon exercise, an option may require physical delivery of the underlying instrument or may be settled through cash payments. A purchaser may also terminate a put option position by closing it out in the secondary market at its current price, if a liquid secondary market exists.
The buyer of a typical put option can expect to realize a gain if the underlying instrument's price falls substantially. However, if the underlying instrument's price does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer can expect to suffer a loss (limited to the amount of the premium, plus related transaction costs).
The features of call options are essentially the same as those of put options, except that the purchaser of a call option obtains the right (but not the obligation) to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. A call buyer typically attempts to participate in potential price increases of the underlying instrument with risk limited to the cost of the option if the underlying instrument's price falls. At the same time, the buyer can expect to suffer a loss if the underlying instrument's price does not rise sufficiently to offset the cost of the option.
The writer of a put or call option takes the opposite side of the transaction from the option's purchaser. In return for receipt of the premium, the writer assumes the obligation to pay or receive the strike price for the option's underlying instrument if the other party to the option chooses to exercise it. The writer may seek to terminate a position in a put option before exercise by closing out the option in the secondary market at its current price. If the secondary market is not liquid for a put option, however, the writer must continue to be prepared to pay the strike price while the option is outstanding, regardless of price changes. When writing an option on a futures contract, a fund will be required to make margin payments to a futures commission merchant as described above for futures contracts.
If the underlying instrument's price rises, a put writer would generally expect to profit, although its gain would be limited to the amount of the premium it received. If the underlying instrument's price remains the same over time, it is likely that the writer will also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a lower price. If the underlying instrument's price falls, the put writer would expect to suffer a loss. This loss should be less than the loss from purchasing the underlying instrument directly, however, because the premium received for writing the option should mitigate the effects of the decline.
Writing a call option obligates the writer to sell or deliver the option's underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, upon exercise of the option. The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that writing calls generally is a profitable strategy if prices remain the same or fall. Through receipt of the option premium, a call writer should mitigate the effects of a price increase. At the same time, because a call writer must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, even if its current value is greater, a call writer gives up some ability to participate in price increases and, if a call writer does not hold the underlying instrument, a call writer's loss is theoretically unlimited.
Where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price to close out the put or call option on the secondary market may move more or less than the price of the related security.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular options contract at any particular time. Options may have relatively low trading volume and liquidity if their strike prices are not close to the underlying instrument's current price. In addition, exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for exchange-traded options contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or otherwise, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value.
Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size, and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the purchaser or writer greater flexibility to tailor an option to its needs, OTC options generally are less liquid and involve greater credit risk than exchange-traded options, which are backed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
Combined positions involve purchasing and writing options in combination with each other, or in combination with futures or forward contracts, to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, purchasing a put option and writing a call option on the same underlying instrument would construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract. Another possible combined position would involve writing a call option at one strike price and buying a call option at a lower price, to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
A fund may also buy and sell options on swaps (swaptions), which are generally options on interest rate swaps. An option on a swap gives a party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to extend, shorten, cancel or modify an existing contract at a specific date in the future in exchange for a premium. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes (sells) an option on a swap than it will incur when it purchases an option on a swap. When a fund purchases an option on a swap, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a fund writes an option on a swap, upon exercise of the option the fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. A fund that writes an option on a swap receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the preset rate on the underlying interest rate swap. Whether a fund's use of options on swaps will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Options on swaps may involve risks similar to those discussed below in "Swap Agreements."
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded options contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in options contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the options position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Options prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Options prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell options contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's options positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments.
Swap Agreements. Under a typical equity swap agreement, a counterparty such as a bank or broker-dealer agrees to pay a fund a return equal to the dividend payments and increase in value, if any, of an index or group of stocks, or of a stock, and the fund agrees in return to pay a fixed or floating rate of interest, plus any declines in value of the index. Swap agreements can also have features providing for maximum or minimum exposure to a designated index. In order to hedge its exposure effectively, a fund would generally have to own other assets returning approximately the same amount as the interest rate payable by the fund under the swap agreement.
Swap agreements allow a fund to acquire or reduce credit exposure to a particular issuer, asset, or basket of assets. The most significant factor in the performance of swap agreements is the change in value of the specific index, security, or currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from a fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a fund, the fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. If the creditworthiness of a fund's swap counterparty declines, the risk that the counterparty may not perform could increase, potentially resulting in a loss to the fund and impairing the fund's correlation with its applicable index. Although there can be no assurance that a fund will be able to do so, a fund may be able to reduce or eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or another more creditworthy party.
A fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. A fund would generally be required to provide margin or collateral for the benefit of that counterparty. If a counterparty to a swap transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited temporarily or permanently in exercising its right to the return of related fund assets designated as margin or collateral in an action against the counterparty.
Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to a fund's interest. A fund bears the risk that an adviser will not accurately forecast market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other economic factors in establishing swap positions for a fund. If an adviser attempts to use a swap as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, a fund may be exposed to the risk that the swap will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment, which could cause substantial losses for a fund. While hedging strategies involving swap instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other fund investments. Swaps are complex and often valued subjectively.
Hybrid and Preferred Securities. A hybrid security may be a debt security, warrant, convertible security, certificate of deposit or other evidence of indebtedness on which the value of the interest on or principal of which is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument or financial strength of a reference entity (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, index, or business entity such as a financial institution). Another example is contingent convertible securities, which are fixed income securities that, under certain circumstances, either convert into common stock of the issuer or undergo a principal write-down by a predetermined percentage if the issuer's capital ratio falls below a predetermined trigger level. The liquidation value of such a security may be reduced upon a regulatory action and without the need for a bankruptcy proceeding. Preferred securities may take the form of preferred stock and represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds generally take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.
The risks of investing in hybrid and preferred securities reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid or preferred security may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt or equity security. The risks of a particular hybrid or preferred security will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the value of any applicable reference instrument. Such risks may depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid or preferred security. Hybrid and preferred securities are potentially more volatile and carry greater market and liquidity risks than traditional debt or equity securities. Also, the price of the hybrid or preferred security and any applicable reference instrument may not move in the same direction or at the same time. In addition, because hybrid and preferred securities may be traded over-the-counter or in bilateral transactions with the issuer of the security, hybrid and preferred securities may be subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the security and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates. In addition, uncertainty regarding the tax and regulatory treatment of hybrid and preferred securities may reduce demand for such securities and tax and regulatory considerations may limit the extent of a fund's investments in certain hybrid and preferred securities.
Illiquid Investments means any investment that cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Difficulty in selling or disposing of illiquid investments may result in a loss or may be costly to a fund. Illiquid securities may include (1) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days without demand/redemption features, (2) OTC options and certain other derivatives, (3) private placements, (4) securities traded on markets and exchanges with structural constraints, and (5) loan participations.
Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, a Fidelity® fund's adviser classifies the liquidity of a fund's investments and monitors the extent of a fund's illiquid investments.
Various market, trading and investment-specific factors may be considered in determining the liquidity of a fund's investments including, but not limited to (1) the existence of an active trading market, (2) the nature of the security and the market in which it trades, (3) the number, diversity, and quality of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace, (4) the frequency, volume, and volatility of trade and price quotations, (5) bid-ask spreads, (6) dates of issuance and maturity, (7) demand, put or tender features, and (8) restrictions on trading or transferring the investment.
Fidelity classifies certain investments as illiquid based upon these criteria. Fidelity also monitors for certain market, trading and investment-specific events that may cause Fidelity to re-evaluate an investment's liquidity status and may lead to an investment being classified as illiquid. In addition, Fidelity uses a third-party to assist with the liquidity classifications of the fund's investments, which includes calculating the time to sell and settle a specified size position in a particular investment without the sale significantly changing the market value of the investment.
Increasing Government Debt. The total public debt of the United States and other countries around the globe as a percent of gross domestic product has, at times, grown rapidly. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented.
A high national debt level may increase market pressures to meet government funding needs, which may drive debt cost higher and cause a country to sell additional debt, thereby increasing refinancing risk. A high national debt also raises concerns that a government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. In the worst case, unsustainable debt levels can decline the valuation of currencies, and can prevent a government from implementing effective counter-cyclical fiscal policy in economic downturns.
Rating services have, in the past, lowered their long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States. The market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government may be adversely affected by rating services' decision to downgrade the long-term sovereign credit rating of the United States.
Indexed Securities are instruments whose prices are indexed to the prices of other securities, securities indexes, or other financial indicators. Indexed securities typically, but not always, are debt securities or deposits whose values at maturity or coupon rates are determined by reference to a specific instrument, statistic, or measure.
Indexed securities also include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and other fixed-income securities whose values at maturity or coupon interest rates are determined by reference to the returns of particular stock indexes. Indexed securities can be affected by stock prices as well as changes in interest rates and the creditworthiness of their issuers and may not track the indexes as accurately as direct investments in the indexes.
Insolvency of Issuers, Counterparties, and Intermediaries. Issuers of fund portfolio securities or counterparties to fund transactions that become insolvent or declare bankruptcy can pose special investment risks. In each circumstance, risk of loss, valuation uncertainty, increased illiquidity, and other unpredictable occurrences may negatively impact an investment. Each of these risks may be amplified in foreign markets, where security trading, settlement, and custodial practices can be less developed than those in the U.S. markets, and bankruptcy laws differ from those of the U.S.
As a general matter, if the issuer of a fund portfolio security is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock have priority over the claims of common stock owners. These events can negatively impact the value of the issuer's securities and the results of related proceedings can be unpredictable.
If a counterparty to a fund transaction, such as a swap transaction, a short sale, a borrowing, or other complex transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited in its ability to exercise rights to obtain the return of related fund assets or in exercising other rights against the counterparty. Uncertainty may also arise upon the insolvency of a securities or commodities intermediary such as a broker-dealer or futures commission merchant with which a fund has pending transactions. In addition, insolvency and liquidation proceedings take time to resolve, which can limit or preclude a fund's ability to terminate a transaction or obtain related assets or collateral in a timely fashion. If an intermediary becomes insolvent, while securities positions and other holdings may be protected by U.S. or foreign laws, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether these protections are available to specific trades based on the circumstances. Receiving the benefit of these protections can also take time to resolve, which may result in illiquid positions.
Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program. Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, a Fidelity® fund may lend money to, and borrow money from, other funds advised by FMR or its affiliates. A Fidelity® fund will borrow through the program only when the costs are equal to or lower than the costs of bank loans. A Fidelity® fund will lend through the program only when the returns are higher than those available from an investment in repurchase agreements. Interfund loans and borrowings normally extend overnight, but can have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. A Fidelity® fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.
Investment-Grade Debt Securities. Investment-grade debt securities include all types of debt instruments that are of medium and high-quality. Investment-grade debt securities include repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities as well as repurchase agreements collateralized by equity securities, non-investment-grade debt, and all other instruments in which a fund can perfect a security interest, provided the repurchase agreement counterparty has an investment-grade rating. Some investment-grade debt securities may possess speculative characteristics and may be more sensitive to economic changes and to changes in the financial conditions of issuers. An investment-grade rating means the security or issuer is rated investment-grade by a credit rating agency registered as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) with the SEC (for example, Moody's Investors Service, Inc.), or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by a fund's adviser. For purposes of determining the maximum maturity of an investment-grade debt security, an adviser may take into account normal settlement periods.
Loans and Other Direct Debt Instruments. Direct debt instruments are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to lenders or lending syndicates (loans and loan participations), to suppliers of goods or services (trade claims or other receivables), or to other parties. Direct debt instruments involve a risk of loss in case of default or insolvency of the borrower and may offer less legal protection to the purchaser in the event of fraud or misrepresentation, or there may be a requirement that a fund supply additional cash to a borrower on demand. A fund may acquire loans by buying an assignment of all or a portion of the loan from a lender or by purchasing a loan participation from a lender or other purchaser of a participation.
Lenders and purchasers of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. If scheduled interest or principal payments are not made, the value of the instrument may be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured provide more protections than an unsecured loan in the event of failure to make scheduled interest or principal payments. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the borrower's obligation, or that the collateral could be liquidated. Indebtedness of borrowers whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks and may be highly speculative. Different types of assets may be used as collateral for a fund's loans and there can be no assurance that a fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the fund's loans. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy or restructuring may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. In any restructuring or bankruptcy proceedings relating to a borrower funded by a fund, a fund may be required to accept collateral with less value than the amount of the loan made by the fund to the borrower. Direct indebtedness of foreign countries also involves a risk that the governmental entities responsible for the repayment of the debt may be unable, or unwilling, to pay interest and repay principal when due.
Loans and other types of direct indebtedness (which a fund may originate, acquire or otherwise gain exposure to) may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Some indebtedness may be difficult to dispose of readily at what the Adviser believes to be a fair price. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining a fund's net asset value than if that value were based on readily available market quotations, and could result in significant variations in a fund's daily share price. Some loan interests are traded among certain financial institutions and accordingly may be deemed liquid. As the market for different types of indebtedness develops, the liquidity of these instruments is expected to improve.
Direct lending and investments in loans through direct assignment of a financial institution's interests with respect to a loan may involve additional risks. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, the lender/purchaser could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In the event of a default by the borrower, a fund may have difficulty disposing of the assets used as collateral for a loan. In addition, a purchaser could be held liable as a co-lender. Direct debt instruments may also involve a risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other intermediary.
A loan is often administered by a bank or other financial institution that acts as agent for all holders. The agent administers the terms of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, the purchaser has direct recourse against the borrower, the purchaser may have to rely on the agent to apply appropriate credit remedies against a borrower. If assets held by the agent for the benefit of a purchaser were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent's general creditors, the purchaser might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on the loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal or interest. Direct loans are typically not administered by an underwriter or agent bank. The terms of direct loans are negotiated with borrowers in private transactions. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market.
A fund may seek to dispose of loans in certain cases, to the extent possible, through selling participations in the loan. In that case, a fund would remain subject to certain obligations, which may result in expenses for a fund and certain additional risks.
Direct indebtedness may include letters of credit, revolving credit facilities, or other standby financing commitments that obligate lenders/purchasers, including a fund, to make additional cash payments on demand. These commitments may have the effect of requiring a lender/purchaser to increase its investment in a borrower at a time when it would not otherwise have done so, even if the borrower's condition makes it unlikely that the amount will ever be repaid.
In the process of originating, buying, selling and holding loans, a fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to the interest payments received and may include facility, closing or upfront fees, commitment fees and commissions. A fund may receive or pay a facility, closing or upfront fee when it buys or sells a loan. A fund may receive a commitment fee throughout the life of the loan or as long as the fund remains invested in the loan (in addition to interest payments) for any unused portion of a committed line of credit. Other fees received by the fund may include prepayment fees, covenant waiver fees, ticking fees and/or modification fees. Legal fees related to the originating, buying, selling and holding loans may also be borne by the fund (including legal fees to assess conformity of a loan investment with 1940 Act provisions).
When engaging in direct lending, if permitted by its investment policies, a fund's performance may depend, in part, on the ability of the fund to originate loans on advantageous terms. A fund may compete with other lenders in originating and purchasing loans. Increased competition for, or a diminished available supply of, qualifying loans could result in lower yields on and/or less advantageous terms for such loans, which could reduce fund performance.
For a Fidelity® fund that limits the amount of total assets that it will invest in any one issuer or in issuers within the same industry, the fund generally will treat the borrower as the "issuer" of indebtedness held by the fund. In the case of loan participations where a bank or other lending institution serves as financial intermediary between a fund and the borrower, if the participation does not shift to the fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the borrower, SEC interpretations require a fund, in appropriate circumstances, to treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the borrower as "issuers" for these purposes. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict a fund's ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or a group of intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the underlying borrowers represent many different companies and industries.
A fund may choose, at its expense or in conjunction with others, to pursue litigation or otherwise to exercise its rights as a security holder to seek to protect the interests of security holders if it determines this to be in the best interest of the fund's shareholders.
If permitted by its investment policies, a fund may also obtain exposure to the lending activities described above indirectly through its investments in underlying Fidelity® funds or other vehicles that may engage in such activities directly.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Equity REITs own real estate properties, while mortgage REITs make construction, development, and long-term mortgage loans. Their value may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property of the trusts, the creditworthiness of the issuer, property taxes, interest rates, and tax and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment. Both types of trusts are dependent upon management skill, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status of income under the Internal Revenue Code and failing to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act.
Repurchase Agreements involve an agreement to purchase a security and to sell that security back to the original seller at an agreed-upon price. The resale price reflects the purchase price plus an agreed-upon incremental amount which is unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. As protection against the risk that the original seller will not fulfill its obligation, the securities are held in a separate account at a bank, marked-to-market daily, and maintained at a value at least equal to the sale price plus the accrued incremental amount. The value of the security purchased may be more or less than the price at which the counterparty has agreed to purchase the security. In addition, delays or losses could result if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes insolvent. A fund may be limited in its ability to exercise its right to liquidate assets related to a repurchase agreement with an insolvent counterparty. A Fidelity® fund may engage in repurchase agreement transactions with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser.
Restricted Securities (including Private Placements) are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling securities may result in a loss or be costly to a fund. Restricted securities, including private placements of private and public companies, generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (1933 Act), or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of a registered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the holder might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a fund sells a security to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at an agreed-upon price and time. A Fidelity® fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser. Such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of a fund's assets and, if applicable, a fund's yield, and may be viewed as a form of leverage. Under SEC requirements, a fund needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with its reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions.
SEC Rule 18f-4. In October 2020, the SEC adopted a final rule related to the use of derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and certain other transactions by registered investment companies (the "rule"). Subject to certain exceptions, the rule requires the funds to trade derivatives and certain other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations subject to a value-at-risk (VaR) leverage limit and to certain derivatives risk management program, reporting and board oversight requirements. Generally, these requirements apply to any fund engaging in derivatives transactions unless a fund satisfies a "limited derivatives users" exception, which requires the fund to limit its gross notional derivatives exposure (with certain exceptions) to 10% of its net assets and to adopt derivatives risk management procedures. Under the rule, when a fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. The SEC also provided guidance in connection with the final rule regarding the use of securities lending collateral that may limit securities lending activities. In addition, under the rule, a fund may invest in a security on a when-issued or forward-settling basis, or with a non-standard settlement cycle, and the transaction will be deemed not to involve a senior security (as defined under Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act), provided that (i) the fund intends to physically settle the transaction and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date (the "Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision"). A fund may otherwise engage in when-issued, forward-settling and non-standard settlement cycle securities transactions that do not meet the conditions of the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision so long as the fund treats any such transaction as a derivatives transaction for purposes of compliance with the rule. Furthermore, under the rule, a fund will be permitted to enter into an unfunded commitment agreement, and such unfunded commitment agreement will not be subject to the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act, if the fund reasonably believes, at the time it enters into such agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all such agreements as they come due. These requirements may limit the ability of the funds to use derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, and the other relevant transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements also may increase the cost of the fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.
Securities Lending. A Fidelity® fund may lend securities to parties such as broker-dealers or other institutions, including an affiliate, National Financial Services LLC (NFS). Fidelity® funds for which Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) serves as sub-adviser will not lend securities to Geode or its affiliates. Securities lending allows a fund to retain ownership of the securities loaned and, at the same time, earn additional income. The borrower provides the fund with collateral in an amount at least equal to the value of the securities loaned. The fund seeks to maintain the ability to obtain the right to vote or consent on proxy proposals involving material events affecting securities loaned. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased. For a Fidelity® fund, loans will be made only to parties deemed by the fund's adviser to be in good standing and when, in the adviser's judgment, the income earned would justify the risks.
The Fidelity® funds have retained agents, including NFS, an affiliate of the funds, to act as securities lending agent. If NFS acts as securities lending agent for a fund, it is subject to the overall supervision of the fund's adviser, and NFS will administer the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the fund's Trustees.
Cash received as collateral through loan transactions may be invested in other eligible securities, including shares of a money market fund. Investing this cash subjects that investment, as well as the securities loaned, to market appreciation or depreciation.
Securities of Other Investment Companies, including shares of closed-end investment companies (which include business development companies (BDCs)), unit investment trusts, and open-end investment companies such as mutual funds and ETFs, represent interests in professionally managed portfolios that may invest in any type of instrument. Investing in other investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments, but may involve additional expenses at the underlying investment company-level, such as portfolio management fees and operating expenses. Fees and expenses incurred indirectly by a fund as a result of its investment in shares of one or more other investment companies generally are referred to as "acquired fund fees and expenses" and may appear as a separate line item in a fund's prospectus fee table. For certain investment companies, such as BDCs, these expenses may be significant. Certain types of investment companies, such as closed-end investment companies, issue a fixed number of shares that trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their NAV. Others are continuously offered at NAV, but may also be traded in the secondary market. Similarly, ETFs trade on a securities exchange and may trade at a premium or a discount to their NAV.
The securities of closed-end funds may be leveraged. As a result, a fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of closed-end funds that use leverage may expose a fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the fund's long-term returns on such securities will be diminished.
A fund's ability to invest in securities of other investment companies may be limited by federal securities laws. To the extent a fund acquires securities issued by unaffiliated investment companies, the Adviser's access to information regarding such underlying fund's portfolio may be limited and subject to such fund's policies regarding disclosure of fund holdings.
A fund that seeks to track the performance of a particular index could invest in investment companies that seek to track the performance of indexes other than the index that the fund seeks to track.
Short Sales "Against the Box" are short sales of securities that a fund owns or has the right to obtain (equivalent in kind or amount to the securities sold short). If a fund enters into a short sale against the box, it will be required to set aside securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short (or securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and will be required to hold such securities while the short sale is outstanding. A fund will incur transaction costs, including interest expenses, in connection with opening, maintaining, and closing short sales against the box.
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs). A fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of SPACs or similar special purpose entities that pool money to seek potential acquisition opportunities. SPACs are collective investment structures formed to raise money in an initial public offering for the purpose of merging with or acquiring one or more operating companies (the "de-SPAC Transaction"). Until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets in US government securities, money market securities and cash. In connection with a de-SPAC Transaction, the SPAC may complete a PIPE (private investment in public equity) offering with certain investors. A fund may enter into a contingent commitment with a SPAC to purchase PIPE shares if and when the SPAC completes its de-SPAC Transaction.
Because SPACs do not have an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the SPAC's management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. An investment in a SPAC is subject to a variety of risks, including that (i) an attractive acquisition or merger target may not be identified at all and the SPAC will be required to return any remaining monies to shareholders; (ii) an acquisition or merger once effected may prove unsuccessful and an investment in the SPAC may lose value; (iii) the values of investments in SPACs may be highly volatile and may depreciate significantly over time; (iv) no or only a thinly traded market for shares of or interests in a SPAC may develop, leaving a fund unable to sell its interest in a SPAC or to sell its interest only at a price below what the fund believes is the SPAC interest's intrinsic value; (v) any proposed merger or acquisition may be unable to obtain the requisite approval, if any, of shareholders; (vi) an investment in a SPAC may be diluted by additional later offerings of interests in the SPAC or by other investors exercising existing rights to purchase shares of the SPAC; (vii) the warrants or other rights with respect to the SPAC held by a fund may expire worthless or may be repurchased or retired by the SPAC at an unfavorable price; (viii) a fund may be delayed in receiving any redemption or liquidation proceeds from a SPAC to which it is entitled; and (ix) a significant portion of the monies raised by the SPAC for the purpose of identifying and effecting an acquisition or merger may be expended during the search for a target transaction.
Purchased PIPE shares will be restricted from trading until the registration statement for the shares is declared effective. Upon registration, the shares can be freely sold, but only pursuant to an effective registration statement or other exemption from registration. The securities issued by a SPAC, which are typically traded either in the over-the-counter market or on an exchange, may be considered illiquid, more difficult to value, and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.
Structured Securities (also called "structured notes") are derivative debt securities, the interest rate on or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. The value of the interest rate on and/or the principal of structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, or index) or the relative change in two or more reference instruments. A structured security may be positively, negatively, or both positively and negatively indexed; that is, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases. Similarly, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument decreases. Further, the change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured security may be calculated as a multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument(s); therefore, the value of such structured security may be very volatile. Structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities. In addition, because structured securities generally are traded over-the-counter, structured securities are subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the structured security, and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates.
Transfer Agent Bank Accounts. Proceeds from shareholder purchases of a Fidelity® fund may pass through a series of demand deposit bank accounts before being held at the fund's custodian. Redemption proceeds may pass from the custodian to the shareholder through a similar series of bank accounts.
If a bank account is registered to the transfer agent or an affiliate, who acts as an agent for the fund when opening, closing, and conducting business in the bank account, the transfer agent or an affiliate may invest overnight balances in the account in repurchase agreements. Any balances that are not invested in repurchase agreements remain in the bank account overnight. Any risks associated with such an account are investment risks of the fund. The fund faces the risk of loss of these balances if the bank becomes insolvent.
Warrants. Warrants are instruments which entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss.
Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.
Zero Coupon Bonds do not make interest payments; instead, they are sold at a discount from their face value and are redeemed at face value when they mature. Because zero coupon bonds do not pay current income, their prices can be more volatile than other types of fixed-income securities when interest rates change. In calculating a fund's dividend, a portion of the difference between a zero coupon bond's purchase price and its face value is considered income.
In addition to the investment policies and limitations discussed above, a fund is subject to the additional operational risk discussed below.
Considerations Regarding Cybersecurity. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, a fund's service providers are susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events and may arise from external or internal sources. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information; corrupting data, equipment or systems; or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber incidents affecting a fund's manager, any sub-adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with a fund's ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of fund shareholders to transact business, destruction to equipment and systems, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cyber incidents affecting issuers of securities in which a fund invests, counterparties with which a fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for fund shareholders) and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future.
While a fund's service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect a fund or its shareholders. A fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities are placed on behalf of the fund by Geode pursuant to authority contained in the management contract and the sub-advisory agreement.
Geode may be responsible for the placement of portfolio securities transactions for other investment companies and investment accounts for which it has or its affiliates have investment discretion.
The fund will not incur any commissions or sales charges when it invests in shares of mutual funds (including any underlying Central funds), but it may incur such costs when it invests directly in other types of securities.
Purchases and sales of equity securities on a securities exchange or OTC are effected through brokers who receive compensation for their services. Generally, compensation relating to securities traded on foreign exchanges will be higher than compensation relating to securities traded on U.S. exchanges and may not be subject to negotiation. Compensation may also be paid in connection with principal transactions (in both OTC securities and securities listed on an exchange) and agency OTC transactions executed with an electronic communications network (ECN) or an alternative trading system. Equity securities may be purchased from underwriters at prices that include underwriting fees.
Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally made with an issuer or a primary market-maker acting as principal. Although there is no stated brokerage commission paid by the fund for any fixed-income security, the price paid by the fund to an underwriter includes the disclosed underwriting fee and prices in secondary trades usually include an undisclosed dealer commission or markup reflecting the spread between the bid and ask prices of the fixed-income security. New issues of equity and fixed-income securities may also be purchased in underwritten fixed price offerings.
The Trustees of the fund periodically review Geode's performance of its responsibilities in connection with the placement of portfolio securities transactions on behalf of the fund. The Trustees also review the compensation paid by the fund over representative periods of time to determine if it was reasonable in relation to the benefits to the fund.
Geode.
The Selection of Brokers
In selecting brokers or dealers (including affiliates of FMR) to execute the fund's portfolio transactions, Geode considers factors deemed relevant in the context of a particular trade and in regard to Geode's overall responsibilities with respect to the fund and other investment accounts, including any instructions from the fund's portfolio manager, which may emphasize, for example, speed of execution over other factors. The factors considered will influence whether it is appropriate to execute an order using ECNs, electronic channels including algorithmic trading, or by actively working an order. Other factors deemed relevant may include, but are not limited to: price; the size and type of the transaction; the reasonableness of compensation to be paid, including spreads and commission rates; the speed and certainty of trade executions; the nature and characteristics of the markets for the security to be purchased or sold, including the degree of specialization of the broker in such markets or securities; the availability of liquidity in the security, including the liquidity and depth afforded by a market center or market-maker; the reliability of a market center or broker; the degree of anonymity that a particular broker or market can provide; the potential for avoiding market impact; the execution services rendered on a continuing basis; the execution efficiency, settlement capability, and financial condition of the firm; arrangements for payment of fund expenses, if applicable; and the provision of additional brokerage and research products and services, if applicable. In seeking best qualitative execution, Geode may select a broker using a trading method for which the broker may charge a higher commission than its lowest available commission rate. Geode also may select a broker that charges more than the lowest commission rate available from another broker. For futures transactions, the selection of a futures commission merchant is generally based on the overall quality of execution and other services provided by the futures commission merchant.
The Acquisition of Brokerage and Research Products and Services
Brokers (who are not affiliates of FMR) that execute transactions for the fund may receive higher compensation from the fund than other brokers might have charged the fund, in recognition of the value of the brokerage or research products and services they provide to Geode.
Research Products and Services. These products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law: economic, industry, company, municipal, sovereign (U.S. and non-U.S.), legal, or political research reports; market color; company meeting facilitation; compilation of securities prices, earnings, dividends and similar data; quotation services, data, information and other services; analytical computer software and services; and investment recommendations. In addition to receiving brokerage and research products and services via written reports and computer-delivered services, such reports may also be provided by telephone and in person meetings with securities analysts, corporate and industry spokespersons, economists, academicians and government representatives and others with relevant professional expertise. Geode may request that a broker provide a specific proprietary or third-party product or service. Some of these products and services supplement Geode's own research activities in providing investment advice to the fund.
Execution Services. In addition, products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law, those that assist in the execution, clearing, and settlement of securities transactions, as well as other incidental functions (including, but not limited to, communication services related to trade execution, order routing and algorithmic trading, post-trade matching, exchange of messages among brokers or dealers, custodians and institutions, and the use of electronic confirmation and affirmation of institutional trades).
Mixed-Use Products and Services. Geode may use commission dollars to obtain certain products or services that are not used exclusively in Geode's investment decision-making process (mixed-use products or services). In those circumstances, Geode will make a good faith judgment to evaluate the various benefits and uses to which they intend to put the mixed-use product or service, and will pay for that portion of the mixed-use product or service that does not qualify as brokerage and research products and services with their own resources (referred to as "hard dollars").
Benefit to Geode. Geode's expenses would likely be increased if it attempted to generate these additional products and services through its own efforts, or if it paid for these products or services itself. Certain of the brokerage and research products and services Geode receives are furnished by brokers on their own initiative, either in connection with a particular transaction or as part of their overall services. Some of these products or services may not have an explicit cost associated with such product or service.
Geode's Decision-Making Process. Before causing the fund to pay a particular level of compensation, Geode will make a good faith determination that the compensation is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research products and services provided to Geode, viewed in terms of the particular transaction for the fund or Geode's overall responsibilities to the fund or other investment companies and investment accounts. While Geode may take into account the brokerage and/or research products and services provided by a broker in determining whether compensation paid is reasonable, neither Geode nor the fund incurs an obligation to any broker, dealer, or third party to pay for any product or service (or portion thereof) by generating a specific amount of compensation or otherwise. Typically, these products and services assist Geode in terms of its overall investment responsibilities to the fund and other investment companies and investment accounts; however, each product or service received may not benefit the fund. Certain funds or investment accounts may use brokerage commissions to acquire brokerage and research products and services that may also benefit other funds or accounts managed by Geode.
Affiliated Transactions
Geode may place trades with certain brokers, including NFS, through its Fidelity Capital Markets (FCM) division, and Luminex Trading & Analytics LLC (Luminex), with whom FMR is under common control, provided it determines that these affiliates' trade execution abilities and costs are comparable to those of non-affiliated, qualified brokerage firms.
The Trustees of the fund have approved procedures whereby a fund is permitted to purchase securities that are offered in underwritings in which an affiliate of the adviser or certain other affiliates participate. In addition, for underwritings where such an affiliate participates as a principal underwriter, certain restrictions may apply that could, among other things, limit the amount of securities that the fund could purchase in the underwritings.
Trade Allocation
Although the Trustees and officers of the fund are substantially the same as those of certain other Fidelity® funds, investment decisions for the fund are made independently from those of other Fidelity® funds or investment accounts (including proprietary accounts).The same security is often held in the portfolio of more than one of these funds or investment accounts. Simultaneous transactions are inevitable when several funds and investment accounts are managed by the same investment adviser, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objective of more than one fund or investment account.
When two or more funds or investment accounts are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security or instrument, the prices and amounts are allocated in accordance with procedures believed to be appropriate and equitable to each fund or investment account. In some cases this could have a detrimental effect on the price or value of the security or instrument as far as the fund is concerned. In other cases, however, the ability of the fund to participate in volume transactions will produce better executions and prices for the fund.
Orders for funds and investment accounts are not typically combined or "blocked". However, Geode may, when feasible and when consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all funds and investment accounts and best execution, block orders of various funds and investment accounts for order entry and execution.
Geode has established allocation policies for its various funds and investment accounts to ensure allocations are appropriate given its clients' differing investment objectives and other considerations. When the supply/demand is insufficient to satisfy all outstanding trade orders, generally the amount executed is distributed among participating funds and investment accounts based on account asset size (for purchases and short sales), and security position size (for sales and covers), or otherwise according to the allocation policies. These policies also apply to initial public and secondary offerings. Generally, allocations are determined by traders, independent of portfolio managers, in accordance with these policies. Allocations are determined and documented on trade date.
Geode's trade allocation policies identify circumstances under which it is appropriate to deviate from the general allocation criteria and describe the alternative procedures. For example, if a standard allocation would result in a fund or investment account receiving a very small allocation (e.g., because of its small asset size), the fund or investment account may receive an increased allocation to achieve a more meaningful allocation, or it may receive no allocation. Generally, any exceptions to Geode's policies (i.e., special allocations) must be approved by senior investment or trading personnel, reviewed by the compliance department, and documented.
Commissions Paid
A fund may pay compensation including both commissions and spreads in connection with the placement of portfolio transactions. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a fund may change from year to year because of, among other things, changing asset levels, shareholder activity, and/or portfolio turnover.
For Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund, the following table shows the fund's portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal period(s) ended July 31, 2023 and 2022. Variations in turnover rate may be due to a fluctuating volume of shareholder purchase and redemption orders and/or market conditions.
Turnover Rates
|
2023
|
2022
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
76%
|
93%
|
The following table shows the total amount of brokerage commissions paid by the following fund(s), comprising commissions paid on securities and/or futures transactions, as applicable, for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. The total amount of brokerage commissions paid is stated as a dollar amount and a percentage of the fund's average net assets.
Fund
|
Fiscal Year
Ended
|
Dollar
Amount
|
Percentage
of
Average
Net Assets
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
64,903
|
0.01%
|
2022
|
$
|
75,790
|
0.01%
|
|
2021
|
$
|
99,230
|
0.00%
|
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund paid no brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
During the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2023, Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund did not allocate brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
VALUATION
The NAV is the value of a single share. NAV is computed by adding the value of a fund's investments, cash, and other assets, subtracting its liabilities, and dividing the result by the number of shares outstanding.
The Board of Trustees has designated the fund's investment adviser as the valuation designee responsible for the fair valuation function and performing fair value determinations as needed. The adviser has established a Fair Value Committee (the Committee) to carry out the day-to-day fair valuation responsibilities and has adopted policies and procedures to govern the fair valuation process and the activities of the Committee.
Shares of open-end investment companies (including any underlying Central funds) held by a fund are valued at their respective NAVs. If an underlying fund's NAV is unavailable, shares of that underlying fund will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies.
Generally, other portfolio securities and assets held by a fund, as well as portfolio securities and assets held by an underlying Central fund, are valued as follows:
Most equity securities are valued at the official closing price or the last reported sale price or, if no sale has occurred, at the last quoted bid price on the primary market or exchange on which they are traded.
Debt securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available may be valued at market values in the principal market in which they normally are traded, as furnished by recognized dealers in such securities or assets. Or, debt securities and convertible securities may be valued on the basis of information furnished by a pricing service that uses a valuation matrix which incorporates both dealer-supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques.
Short-term securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less for which market quotations and information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates current value.
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price. Options are valued at their market quotations, if available. Swaps are valued daily using quotations received from independent pricing services or recognized dealers.
Prices described above are obtained from pricing services that have been approved by the Committee. A number of pricing services are available and a fund may use more than one of these services. A fund may also discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time. A fund's adviser through the Committee engages in oversight activities with respect to the fund's pricing services, which includes, among other things, testing the prices provided by pricing services prior to calculation of a fund's NAV, conducting periodic due diligence meetings, and periodically reviewing the methodologies and inputs used by these services.
Foreign securities and instruments are valued in their local currency following the methodologies described above. Foreign securities, instruments and currencies are translated to U.S. dollars, based on foreign currency exchange rate quotations supplied by a pricing service as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which uses a proprietary model to determine the exchange rate. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at an interpolated rate based on days to maturity between the closest preceding and subsequent settlement period reported by the third party pricing service.
Other portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the opinion of the Committee, are deemed unreliable will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the opinion of the Committee, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. In fair valuing a security, the Committee may consider factors including, but not limited to, price movements in futures contracts and ADRs, market and trading trends, the bid/ask quotes of brokers, and off-exchange institutional trading. The frequency that portfolio securities or assets are fair valued cannot be predicted and may be significant.
In determining the fair value of a private placement security for which market quotations are not available, the Committee generally applies one or more valuation methods including the market approach, income approach and cost approach. The market approach considers factors including the price of recent investments in the same or a similar security or financial metrics of comparable securities. The income approach considers factors including expected future cash flows, security specific risks and corresponding discount rates. The cost approach considers factors including the value of the security's underlying assets and liabilities.
The fund's adviser reports to the Board information regarding the fair valuation process and related material matters.
BUYING AND SELLING INFORMATION
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
Investors participating in a discretionary investment program are charged an annual advisory fee based on a percentage of the average market value of assets in their account. The stated fee is then reduced by a credit reflecting the amount of fees, if any, received by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC or its affiliates from mutual funds for investment management or certain other services.
The fund may make redemption payments in whole or in part in readily marketable securities or other property pursuant to procedures approved by the Trustees if Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC determines it is in the best interests of the fund. Such securities or other property will be valued for this purpose as they are valued in computing the NAV of a fund or class, as applicable. Shareholders that receive securities or other property will realize, upon receipt, a gain or loss for tax purposes, and will incur additional costs and be exposed to market risk prior to and upon the sale of such securities or other property.
The fund, in its discretion, may determine to issue its shares in kind in exchange for securities held by the purchaser having a value, determined in accordance with the fund's policies for valuation of portfolio securities, equal to the purchase price of the fund shares issued. The fund will accept for in-kind purchases only securities or other instruments that are appropriate under its investment objective and policies. In addition, the fund generally will not accept securities of any issuer unless they are liquid, have a readily ascertainable market value, and are not subject to restrictions on resale. All dividends, distributions, and subscription or other rights associated with the securities become the property of the fund, along with the securities. Shares purchased in exchange for securities in kind generally cannot be redeemed for fifteen days following the exchange to allow time for the transfer to settle.
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends. A portion of the fund's income may qualify for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders. A portion of the fund's dividends, when distributed to individual shareholders, may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met). Distributions by the fund to tax-advantaged retirement plan accounts are not taxable currently (but you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Capital Gain Distributions. Unless your shares of the fund are held in a tax-advantaged retirement plan, the fund's long-term capital gain distributions are federally taxable to shareholders generally as capital gains.
Returns of Capital. If the fund's distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in the fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold in taxable accounts.
Foreign Tax Credit or Deduction. Foreign governments may impose withholding taxes on dividends and interest earned by the fund with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Foreign governments may also impose taxes on other payments or gains with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Because the fund does not currently anticipate that securities of foreign issuers or underlying regulated investment companies will constitute more than 50% of its total assets at the end of its fiscal year, or fiscal quarter, respectively, shareholders should not expect to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction on their federal income tax returns with respect to foreign taxes withheld.
Tax Status of the Fund. The fund intends to qualify each year as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code so that it will not be liable for federal tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, and avoid being subject to federal income or excise taxes at the fund level, the fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains within each calendar year as well as on a fiscal year basis (if the fiscal year is other than the calendar year), and intends to comply with other tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies.
Other Tax Information. The information above is only a summary of some of the tax consequences generally affecting the fund and its shareholders, and no attempt has been made to discuss individual tax consequences. It is up to you or your tax preparer to determine whether the sale of shares of the fund resulted in a capital gain or loss or other tax consequence to you. In addition to federal income taxes, shareholders may be subject to state and local taxes on fund distributions, and shares may be subject to state and local personal property taxes. Investors should consult their tax advisers to determine whether the fund is suitable to their particular tax situation.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
The Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the trust and fund, as applicable, are listed below. The Board of Trustees governs the fund and is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The Trustees are experienced executives who meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the fund's activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the fund, oversee management of the risks associated with such activities and contractual arrangements, and review the fund's performance. Except for Jonathan Chiel, each of the Trustees oversees 313 funds. Mr. Chiel oversees 191 funds.
The Trustees hold office without limit in time except that (a) any Trustee may resign; (b) any Trustee may be removed by written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the number of Trustees prior to such removal; (c) any Trustee who requests to be retired or who has become incapacitated by illness or injury may be retired by written instrument signed by a majority of the other Trustees; and (d) any Trustee may be removed at any special meeting of shareholders by a two-thirds vote of the outstanding voting securities of the trust. Each Trustee who is not an interested person (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the trust and the fund is referred to herein as an Independent Trustee. Each Independent Trustee shall retire not later than the last day of the calendar year in which his or her 75th birthday occurs. The Independent Trustees may waive this mandatory retirement age policy with respect to individual Trustees. Officers and Advisory Board Members hold office without limit in time, except that any officer or Advisory Board Member may resign or may be removed by a vote of a majority of the Trustees at any regular meeting or any special meeting of the Trustees. Except as indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the past five years.
Experience, Skills, Attributes, and Qualifications of the Trustees. The Governance and Nominating Committee has adopted a statement of policy that describes the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that are necessary and desirable for potential Independent Trustee candidates (Statement of Policy). The Board believes that each Trustee satisfied at the time he or she was initially elected or appointed a Trustee, and continues to satisfy, the standards contemplated by the Statement of Policy. The Governance and Nominating Committee also engages professional search firms to help identify potential Independent Trustee candidates who have the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills consistent with the Statement of Policy. From time to time, additional criteria based on the composition and skills of the current Independent Trustees, as well as experience or skills that may be appropriate in light of future changes to board composition, business conditions, and regulatory or other developments, have also been considered by the professional search firms and the Governance and Nominating Committee. In addition, the Board takes into account the Trustees' commitment and participation in Board and committee meetings, as well as their leadership of standing and ad hoc committees throughout their tenure.
In determining that a particular Trustee was and continues to be qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board has considered a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, was controlling. The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have balanced and diverse experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills, which allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the fund and protecting the interests of shareholders. Information about the specific experience, skills, attributes, and qualifications of each Trustee, which in each case led to the Board's conclusion that the Trustee should serve (or continue to serve) as a trustee of the fund, is provided below.
Board Structure and Oversight Function. Abigail P. Johnson is an interested person and currently serves as Chairman. The Trustees have determined that an interested Chairman is appropriate and benefits shareholders because an interested Chairman has a personal and professional stake in the quality and continuity of services provided to the fund. Independent Trustees exercise their informed business judgment to appoint an individual of their choosing to serve as Chairman, regardless of whether the Trustee happens to be independent or a member of management. The Independent Trustees have determined that they can act independently and effectively without having an Independent Trustee serve as Chairman and that a key structural component for assuring that they are in a position to do so is for the Independent Trustees to constitute a substantial majority for the Board. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet in executive session. Michael E. Kenneally serves as Chairman of the Independent Trustees and as such (i) acts as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management with respect to matters important to the Independent Trustees and (ii) with management prepares agendas for Board meetings.
Fidelity® funds are overseen by different Boards of Trustees. The fund's Board oversees Fidelity's investment-grade bond, money market, asset allocation and certain equity funds, and other Boards oversee Fidelity's alternative investment, high income and other equity funds. The asset allocation funds may invest in Fidelity® funds that are overseen by such other Boards. The use of separate Boards, each with its own committee structure, allows the Trustees of each group of Fidelity® funds to focus on the unique issues of the funds they oversee, including common research, investment, and operational issues. On occasion, the separate Boards establish joint committees to address issues of overlapping consequences for the Fidelity® funds overseen by each Board.
The Trustees operate using a system of committees to facilitate the timely and efficient consideration of all matters of importance to the Trustees, the fund, and fund shareholders and to facilitate compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and oversight of the fund's activities and associated risks. The Board, acting through its committees, has charged FMR and its affiliates with (i) identifying events or circumstances the occurrence of which could have demonstrably adverse effects on the fund's business and/or reputation; (ii) implementing processes and controls to lessen the possibility that such events or circumstances occur or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur; and (iii) creating and maintaining a system designed to evaluate continuously business and market conditions in order to facilitate the identification and implementation processes described in (i) and (ii) above. Because the day-to-day operations and activities of the fund are carried out by or through FMR, its affiliates, and other service providers, the fund's exposure to risks is mitigated but not eliminated by the processes overseen by the Trustees. While each of the Board's committees has responsibility for overseeing different aspects of the fund's activities, oversight is exercised primarily through the Operations and Audit Committees. In addition, an ad hoc Board committee of Independent Trustees has worked with FMR to enhance the Board's oversight of investment and financial risks, legal and regulatory risks, technology risks, and operational risks, including the development of additional risk reporting to the Board. Appropriate personnel, including but not limited to the fund's Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), FMR's internal auditor, the independent accountants, the fund's Treasurer and portfolio management personnel, make periodic reports to the Board's committees, as appropriate, including an annual review of Fidelity's risk management program for the Fidelity® funds. The responsibilities of each standing committee, including their oversight responsibilities, are described further under "Standing Committees of the Trustees."
Interested Trustees*:
Correspondence intended for a Trustee who is an interested person may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Jonathan Chiel (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Chiel also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Chiel is Executive Vice President and General Counsel for FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2012-present). Previously, Mr. Chiel served as general counsel (2004-2012) and senior vice president and deputy general counsel (2000-2004) for John Hancock Financial Services; a partner with Choate, Hall & Stewart (1996-2000) (law firm); and an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney's Office of the District of Massachusetts (1986-95), including Chief of the Criminal Division (1993-1995). Mr. Chiel is a director on the boards of the Boston Bar Foundation and the Maimonides School.
Abigail P. Johnson (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Ms. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Ms. Johnson serves as Chairman (2016-present), Chief Executive Officer (2014-present), and Director (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company), President of Fidelity Financial Services (2012-present) and President of Personal, Workplace and Institutional Services (2005-present). Ms. Johnson is Chairman and Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (investment adviser firm, 2011-present). Previously, Ms. Johnson served as Chairman and Director of FMR Co., Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2011-2019), Vice Chairman (2007-2016) and President (2013-2016) of FMR LLC, President and a Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company (2001-2005), a Trustee of other investment companies advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company, Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. (investment adviser firm), and FMR Co., Inc. (2001-2005), Senior Vice President of the Fidelity® funds (2001-2005), and managed a number of Fidelity® funds. Ms. Abigail P. Johnson and Mr. Arthur E. Johnson are not related.
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe (1959)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Ms. McAuliffe also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and as Trustee of Fidelity Charitable (2020-present). Previously, Ms. McAuliffe served as Co-Head of Fixed Income of Fidelity Investments Limited (now known as FIL Limited (FIL)) (diversified financial services company), Director of Research for FIL's credit and quantitative teams in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo and Director of Research for taxable and municipal bonds at Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. Ms. McAuliffe previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016). Ms. McAuliffe was previously a lawyer at Ropes & Gray LLP and an international banker at Chemical Bank NA (now JPMorgan Chase & Co.). Ms. McAuliffe also currently serves as director or trustee of several not-for-profit entities.
* Determined to be an "Interested Trustee" by virtue of, among other things, his or her affiliation with the trust or various entities under common control with FMR.
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Independent Trustees:
Correspondence intended for an Independent Trustee may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Elizabeth S. Acton (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Trustee
Ms. Acton also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Acton served as Executive Vice President, Finance (2011-2012), Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (2002-2011) and Treasurer (2004-2005) of Comerica Incorporated (financial services). Prior to joining Comerica, Ms. Acton held a variety of positions at Ford Motor Company (1983-2002), including Vice President and Treasurer (2000-2002) and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ford Motor Credit Company (1998-2000). Ms. Acton currently serves as a member of the Board and Audit and Finance Committees of Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (homebuilding, 2012-present). Ms. Acton previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2013-2016).
Ann E. Dunwoody (1953)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Trustee
General Dunwoody also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. General Dunwoody (United States Army, Retired) was the first woman in U.S. military history to achieve the rank of four-star general and prior to her retirement in 2012 held a variety of positions within the U.S. Army, including Commanding General, U.S. Army Material Command (2008-2012). General Dunwoody currently serves as a member of the Board, Chair of Nomination Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee of Kforce Inc. (professional staffing services, 2016-present) and a member of the Board of Automattic Inc. (software engineering, 2018-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as President of First to Four LLC (leadership and mentoring services, 2012-2022), a member of the Advisory Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of L3 Technologies, Inc. (communication, electronic, sensor and aerospace systems, 2013-2019) and a member of the Board and Audit and Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committees of Republic Services, Inc. (waste collection, disposal and recycling, 2013-2016). General Dunwoody also serves on several boards for non-profit organizations, including as a member of the Board, Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee of the Noble Reach Foundation (formerly Logistics Management Institute) (consulting non-profit, 2012-present) and a member of the Board of ThanksUSA (military family education non-profit, 2014-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as a member of the Board of Florida Institute of Technology (2015-2022) and a member of the Council of Trustees for the Association of the United States Army (advocacy non-profit, 2013-2021). General Dunwoody previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2018).
John Engler (1948)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2014
Trustee
Mr. Engler also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Engler served as Governor of Michigan (1991-2003), President of the Business Roundtable (2011-2017) and interim President of Michigan State University (2018-2019). Previously, Mr. Engler served as a member of the Board of Stride, Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.) (technology-based education company, 2012-2022), a member of the Board of Universal Forest Products (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2003-2019) and Trustee of The Munder Funds (2003-2014). Mr. Engler previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2014-2016).
Robert F. Gartland (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Trustee
Mr. Gartland also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Gartland held a variety of positions at Morgan Stanley (financial services, 1979-2007), including Managing Director (1987-2007) and Chase Manhattan Bank (1975-1978). Mr. Gartland previously served as Chairman and an investor in Gartland & Mellina Group Corp. (consulting, 2009-2019), as a member of the Board of National Securities Clearing Corporation (1993-1996) and as Chairman of TradeWeb (2003-2004).
Arthur E. Johnson (1947)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2008
Trustee
Mr. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Johnson served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategic Development of Lockheed Martin Corporation (defense contractor, 1999-2009). Mr. Johnson currently serves as a member of the Board of Booz Allen Hamilton (management consulting, 2011-present). Mr. Johnson previously served as a member of the Board of Eaton Corporation plc (diversified power management, 2009-2019) and a member of the Board of AGL Resources, Inc. (holding company, 2002-2016). Mr. Johnson previously served as Chairman (2018-2021) and Vice Chairman (2015-2018) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Mr. Arthur E. Johnson is not related to Ms. Abigail P. Johnson.
Michael E. Kenneally (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Independent Trustees
Mr. Kenneally also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and was Vice Chairman (2018-2021) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Prior to retirement in 2005, he was Chairman and Global Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management, the worldwide fund management and institutional investment business of Credit Suisse Group. Previously, Mr. Kenneally was an Executive Vice President and the Chief Investment Officer for Bank of America. In this role, he was responsible for the investment management, strategy and products delivered to the bank's institutional, high-net-worth and retail clients. Earlier, Mr. Kenneally directed the organization's equity and quantitative research groups. He began his career as a research analyst and then spent more than a dozen years as a portfolio manager for endowments, pension plans and mutual funds. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1991.
Mark A. Murray (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Murray also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Murray served as Co-Chief Executive Officer (2013-2016), President (2006-2013) and Vice Chairman (2013-2020) of Meijer, Inc. Mr. Murray serves as a member of the Board (2009-present) and Public Policy and Responsibility Committee (2009-present) and Chair of the Nuclear Review Committee (2019-present) of DTE Energy Company (diversified energy company). Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Board of Spectrum Health (not-for-profit health system, 2015-2019) and as a member of the Board and Audit Committee and Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Universal Forest Products, Inc. (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2004-2016). Mr. Murray also serves as a member of the Board of many community and professional organizations. Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016).
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Advisory Board Members and Officers:
Correspondence intended for a Member of the Advisory Board (if any) may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235. Correspondence intended for an officer may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Officers appear below in alphabetical order.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupation
Laura M. Bishop (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2022
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Bishop also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Bishop held a variety of positions at United Services Automobile Association (2001-2020), including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2014-2020) and Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer (2012-2014). Ms. Bishop currently serves as a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation and Personnel Committee (2021-present) of the Board of Directors of Korn Ferry (global organizational consulting).
Robert W. Helm (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Member of the Advisory Board
Mr. Helm also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Helm was formerly Deputy Chairman (2003-2020), partner (1991-2020) and an associate (1984-1991) of Dechert LLP (formerly Dechert Price & Rhoads). Mr. Helm currently serves on boards and committees of several not-for-profit organizations, including as a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs, a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Baltimore and a member of the Life Guard Society of Mt. Vernon.
Carol J. Zierhoffer (1960)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Zierhoffer also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Zierhoffer held a variety of positions at Bechtel Corporation (engineering company, 2013-2019), including Principal Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2013-2016) and Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2016-2019). Ms. Zierhoffer currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2020-present) and as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit and Finance Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (aviation operating services, 2021-present). Previously, Ms. Zierhoffer served as a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee and as the founding Chair of the Information Technology Committee of MedAssets, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2013-2016).
Heather Bonner (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Bonner also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Bonner serves as Senior Vice President (2022-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Ms. Bonner serves as Assistant Treasurer of Fidelity CRET Trustee LLC (2022-present). Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms. Bonner served as Managing Director at AQR Capital Management (2013-2022) and was the Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of the AQR Funds (2013-2022).
Craig S. Brown (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2019
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Brown also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Brown serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2013-present). Previously, Mr. Brown served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2022).
John J. Burke III (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Burke also serves as Chief Financial Officer of other funds. Mr. Burke serves as Head of Investment Operations for Fidelity Fund and Investment Operations (2018-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1998-present). Previously Mr. Burke served as head of Asset Management Investment Operations (2012-2018).
Margaret Carey (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer (CLO)
Ms. Carey also serves as an officer of other funds and as CLO of certain other Fidelity entities. She is a Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2019-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments.
David J. Carter (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2020
Assistant Secretary
Mr. Carter also serves as Assistant Secretary of other funds. Mr. Carter serves as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel (2022-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present).
Jonathan Davis (1968)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Davis also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Davis serves as Vice President Assistant Treasurer and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Mr. Davis serves as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity entities.
Laura M. Del Prato (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
President and Treasurer
Ms. Del Prato also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Del Prato serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2017-present). Previously, Ms. Del Prato served as President and Treasurer of The North Carolina Capital Management Trust: Cash Portfolio and Term Portfolio (2018-2020). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Del Prato served as a Managing Director and Treasurer of the JPMorgan Mutual Funds (2014-2017). Prior to JPMorgan, Ms. Del Prato served as a partner at Cohen Fund Audit Services (accounting firm, 2012-2013) and KPMG LLP (accounting firm, 2004-2012).
Robin Foley (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Vice President
Ms. Foley also serves as Vice President of other funds. Ms. Foley serves as Head of Fidelity's Fixed Income division (2023-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Ms. Foley served as Chief Investment Officer of Bonds (2017-2023).
Christopher M. Gouveia (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Gouveia also serves as Chief Compliance Officer of other funds. Mr. Gouveia serves as Senior Vice President of Asset Management Compliance for Fidelity Investments and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Mr. Gouveia served as Chief Compliance Officer of the North Carolina Capital Management Trust (2016-2019).
Colm A. Hogan (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Hogan also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Hogan serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present). Previously, Mr. Hogan served as Deputy Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2020) and Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2018).
Chris Maher (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Maher also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Maher serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2008-present). Previously, Mr. Maher served as Assistant Treasurer of certain funds (2013-2020); Vice President of Asset Management Compliance (2013), Vice President of the Program Management Group of FMR (investment adviser firm, 2010-2013), and Vice President of Valuation Oversight (2008-2010).
Brett Segaloff (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Officer
Mr. Segaloff also serves as an AML Officer of other funds and other related entities. He is Director, Anti-Money Laundering (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1996-present).
Stacie M. Smith (1974)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Smith also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Smith serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2009-present), and has served in other fund officer roles. Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Smith served as Senior Audit Manager of Ernst & Young LLP (accounting firm, 1996-2009). Previously, Ms. Smith served as Assistant Treasurer (2013-2019) and Deputy Treasurer (2013-2016) of certain Fidelity® funds.
Jim Wegmann (1979)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Deputy Treasurer
Mr. Wegmann also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Wegmann serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2011-present). Previously, Mr. Wegmann served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2021).
Standing Committees of the Trustees. The Board of Trustees has established various committees to support the Independent Trustees in acting independently in pursuing the best interests of the funds and their shareholders. Currently, the Board of Trustees has four standing committees. The members of each committee are Independent Trustees.
The Operations Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Kenneally currently serving as Chair. The committee normally meets at least six times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair, and serves as a forum for consideration of issues of importance to, or calling for particular determinations by, the Independent Trustees. The committee considers matters involving potential conflicts of interest between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, including matters involving potential claims of one or more funds (e.g., for reimbursements of expenses or losses) against FMR, and reviews proposed contracts and the proposed continuation of contracts between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, and annually reviews and makes recommendations regarding contracts with third parties unaffiliated with FMR, including insurance coverage and custody agreements. The committee has oversight of compliance issues not specifically within the scope of any other committee. These matters include, but are not limited to, significant non-conformance with contract requirements and other significant regulatory matters and recommending to the Board of Trustees the designation of a person to serve as the funds' CCO. The committee (i) serves as a primary point of contact (generally after the Independent Trustee who serves as a liaison for the CCO) for the CCO with regard to Board-related functions; (ii) oversees the annual performance review of the CCO; (iii) makes recommendations concerning the CCO's compensation; and (iv) makes recommendations as needed in respect of the removal of the CCO.
The Audit Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Ms. Acton currently serving as Chair. At least one committee member will be an "audit committee financial expert" as defined by the SEC. The committee normally meets four times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair or a majority of committee members. The committee meets separately, at least annually, with the funds' Treasurer, with the funds' Chief Financial Officer, with personnel responsible for the internal audit function of FMR LLC, with the funds' outside auditors, and with the funds' CCO. The committee has direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the work of the outside auditors employed by the funds. The committee assists the Trustees in overseeing and monitoring: (i) the systems of internal accounting and financial controls of the funds and the funds' service providers (to the extent such controls impact the funds' financial statements); (ii) the funds' auditors and the annual audits of the funds' financial statements; (iii) the financial reporting processes of the funds; (iv) whistleblower reports; and (v) the accounting policies and disclosures of the funds. The committee considers and acts upon (i) the provision by any outside auditor of any non-audit services for any fund, and (ii) the provision by any outside auditor of certain non-audit services to fund service providers and their affiliates to the extent that such approval (in the case of this clause (ii)) is required under applicable regulations of the SEC. It is responsible for approving all audit engagement fees and terms for the funds and for resolving disagreements between a fund and any outside auditor regarding any fund's financial reporting. Auditors of the funds report directly to the committee. The committee will obtain assurance of independence and objectivity from the outside auditors, including a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the auditor and the funds and any service providers consistent with the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. It oversees and receives reports on the funds' service providers' internal controls and reviews the adequacy and effectiveness of the service providers' accounting and financial controls, including: (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the funds' ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; (ii) any change in the fund's internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the fund's internal control over financial reporting; and (iii) any fraud, whether material or not, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the funds' or service providers internal controls over financial reporting. The committee will also review any correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies or published reports that raise material issues regarding the funds' financial statements or accounting policies. These matters may also be reviewed by the Operations Committee. The committee reviews at least annually a report from each outside auditor describing any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control, peer review, or Public Company Accounting Oversight Board examination of the auditing firm and any material issues raised by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities of the auditing firm and in each case any steps taken to deal with such issues. The committee will oversee and receive reports on the funds' financial reporting process from the funds' Treasurer and outside auditors and will oversee the resolution of any disagreements concerning financial reporting among applicable parties. The committee will discuss with FMR, the funds' Treasurer, outside auditors and, if appropriate, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC their qualitative judgments about the appropriateness and acceptability of accounting principles and financial disclosure practices used or proposed for adoption by the funds. The committee will review with FMR, the funds' outside auditor, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC and legal counsel, as appropriate, matters related to the audits of the funds' financial statements. The committee will discuss regularly and oversee the review of the internal controls of the funds and their service providers with respect to accounting, financial matters and risk management programs related to the funds. The committee will review periodically the funds' major internal controls exposures and the steps that have been taken to monitor and control such exposures.
The Fair Valuation Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Murray currently serving as Chair. The Committee normally meets quarterly, or more frequently as called by the Chair. The Fair Valuation Committee oversees the valuation of securities held by the funds, including the fair valuation of securities by the funds' valuation designee. The Committee receives and reviews related reports and information consistent with its oversight obligations.
The Governance and Nominating Committee is composed of Messrs. Kenneally (Chair) and Gartland (Vice Chair), and Ms. Acton. The committee meets as called by the Chair. With respect to fund governance and board administration matters, the committee periodically reviews procedures of the Board of Trustees and its committees (including committee charters) and periodically reviews compensation of Independent Trustees. The committee monitors corporate governance matters and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees on the frequency and structure of the Board of Trustee meetings and on any other aspect of Board procedures. It acts as the administrative committee under the retirement plan for Independent Trustees who retired prior to December 30, 1996 and under the fee deferral plan for Independent Trustees. It monitors the performance of legal counsel employed by both the funds and the Independent Trustees. The committee will engage and oversee any counsel utilized by the Independent Trustees as may be necessary or appropriate under applicable regulations or otherwise. The committee also approves Board administrative matters applicable to Independent Trustees, such as expense reimbursement policies and compensation for attendance at meetings, conferences and other events. The committee oversees compliance with the provisions of the code of ethics and any supplemental policies regarding personal securities transactions applicable to the Independent Trustees. The committee reviews the functioning of each Board committee and makes recommendations for any changes, including the creation or elimination of standing or ad hoc Board committees. The committee monitors regulatory and other developments to determine whether to recommend modifications to the committee's responsibilities or other Trustee policies and procedures in light of rule changes, reports concerning "recommended practices" in corporate governance and other developments in mutual fund governance. The committee meets with Independent Trustees at least once a year to discuss matters relating to fund governance. The committee recommends that the Board establish such special or ad hoc Board committees as may be desirable or necessary from time to time in order to address ethical, legal, or other matters that may arise. The committee also oversees the annual self-evaluation of the Board of Trustees and establishes procedures to allow it to exercise this oversight function. In conducting this oversight, the committee shall address all matters that it considers relevant to the performance of the Board of Trustees and shall report the results of its evaluation to the Board of Trustees, including any recommended amendments to the principles of governance, and any recommended changes to the funds' or the Board of Trustees' policies, procedures, and structures. The committee reviews periodically the size and composition of the Board of Trustees as a whole and recommends, if necessary, measures to be taken so that the Board of Trustees reflects the appropriate balance of knowledge, experience, skills, expertise, and diversity required for the Board as a whole and contains at least the minimum number of Independent Trustees required by law. The committee makes nominations for the election or appointment of Independent Trustees and non-management Members of any Advisory Board, and for membership on committees. The committee has the authority to retain and terminate any third-party advisers, including authority to approve fees and other retention terms. Such advisers may include search firms to identify Independent Trustee candidates and board compensation consultants. The committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the committee's scope of responsibilities, and may retain, at the funds' expense, such independent counsel or other advisers as it deems necessary. The committee will consider nominees to the Board of Trustees recommended by shareholders based upon the criteria applied to candidates presented to the committee by a search firm or other source. Recommendations, along with appropriate background material concerning the candidate that demonstrates his or her ability to serve as an Independent Trustee of the funds, should be submitted to the Chair of the committee at the address maintained for communications with Independent Trustees. If the committee retains a search firm, the Chair will generally forward all such submissions to the search firm for evaluation. With respect to the criteria for selecting Independent Trustees, it is expected that all candidates will possess the following minimum qualifications: (i) unquestioned personal integrity; (ii) not an interested person of the funds within the meaning of the 1940 Act; (iii) does not have a material relationship (e.g., commercial, banking, consulting, legal, or accounting) with the adviser, any sub-adviser or their affiliates that could create an appearance of lack of independence in respect of the funds; (iv) has the disposition to act independently in respect of FMR and its affiliates and others in order to protect the interests of the funds and all shareholders; (v) ability to attend regularly scheduled Board meetings during the year; (vi) demonstrates sound business judgment gained through broad experience in significant positions where the candidate has dealt with management, technical, financial, or regulatory issues; (vii) sufficient financial or accounting knowledge to add value in the complex financial environment of the funds; (viii) experience on corporate or other institutional oversight bodies having similar responsibilities, but which board memberships or other relationships could not result in business or regulatory conflicts with the funds; and (ix) capacity for the hard work and attention to detail that is required to be an effective Independent Trustee in light of the funds' complex regulatory, operational, and marketing setting. The Governance and Nominating Committee may determine that a candidate who does not have the type of previous experience or knowledge referred to above should nevertheless be considered as a nominee if the Governance and Nominating Committee finds that the candidate has additional qualifications such that his or her qualifications, taken as a whole, demonstrate the same level of fitness to serve as an Independent Trustee.
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, each committee held the number of meetings shown in the table below:
COMMITTEE
|
NUMBER OF MEETINGS HELD
|
Operations Committee
|
8
|
Audit Committee
|
4
|
Fair Valuation Committee
|
3
|
Governance and Nominating Committee
|
11
|
The following table sets forth information describing the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the fund and in all funds in the aggregate within the same fund family overseen by the Trustee for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022.
Interested Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Jonathan Chiel
|
Abigail P Johnson
|
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
Independent Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
Mark A Murray
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
The following table sets forth information describing the compensation of each Trustee and Member of the Advisory Board (if any) for his or her services for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, or calendar year ended December 31, 2022, as applicable.
Compensation Table(A)
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Laura M Bishop(B)
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
$
|
257
|
$
|
223
|
$
|
229
|
$
|
230
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
563,000
|
$
|
184,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
496,000
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Robert W Helm
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
$
|
257
|
$
|
238
|
$
|
221
|
$
|
279
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
565,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
492,500
|
$
|
612,500
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Mark A Murray
|
Carol J Zierhoffer(D)
|
||||||
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
$
|
228
|
$
|
139
|
||||
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
497,500
|
$
|
0
|
(A) Jonathan Chiel, Abigail P. Johnson, and Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe are interested persons and are compensated by Fidelity.
|
(B) Ms. Bishop serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective September 1, 2022.
|
(C) Reflects compensation received for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022 for 295 funds of 31 trusts (including Fidelity Central Investment Portfolios II LLC). Compensation figures include cash and may include amounts elected to be deferred. Certain individuals elected voluntarily to defer a portion of their compensation as follows: Elizabeth S. Acton, $120,000; Laura M. Bishop, $73,674; Ann E. Dunwoody, $274,597; John Engler, $274,597; Robert F. Gartland, $180,000; Robert W. Helm, $274,597; and Mark A. Murray, $274,597.
|
(D) Ms. Zierhoffer serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective March 1, 2023.
|
As of July 31, 2023, the Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the fund owned, in the aggregate, less than 1% of each class's total outstanding shares, with respect to the fund.
As of July 31, 2023, the following owned of record and/or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares:
Fund or Class Name
|
Owner Name
|
City
|
State
|
Ownership %
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
STRATEGIC ADVISERS® FIDELITY® U.S. TOTAL STOCK FUND
|
BOSTON
|
MA
|
70.87%
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
STRATEGIC ADVISERS® SMALL-MID CAP FUND
|
BOSTON
|
MA
|
29.06%
|
As of July 31, 2023, the following owned of record and/or beneficially 25% or more of the outstanding shares:
Fund Name
|
Owner Name
|
City
|
State
|
Ownership %
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
STRATEGIC ADVISERS® FIDELITY® U.S. TOTAL STOCK FUND
|
BOSTON
|
MA
|
70.87%
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
STRATEGIC ADVISERS® SMALL-MID CAP FUND
|
BOSTON
|
MA
|
29.06%
|
A shareholder owning of record or beneficially more than 25% of a fund's outstanding shares may be considered a controlling person. That shareholder's vote could have a more significant effect on matters presented at a shareholders' meeting than votes of other shareholders.
CONTROL OF INVESTMENT ADVISERS
FMR LLC, as successor by merger to FMR Corp., is the ultimate parent company of FMR. The voting common shares of FMR LLC are divided into two series. Series B is held predominantly by members of the Johnson family, including Abigail P. Johnson, directly or through trusts, and is entitled to 49% of the vote on any matter acted upon by the voting common shares. Series A is held predominantly by non-Johnson family member employees of FMR LLC and its affiliates and is entitled to 51% of the vote on any such matter. The Johnson family group and all other Series B shareholders have entered into a shareholders' voting agreement under which all Series B shares will be voted in accordance with the majority vote of Series B shares. Under the 1940 Act, control of a company is presumed where one individual or group of individuals owns more than 25% of the voting securities of that company. Therefore, through their ownership of voting common shares and the execution of the shareholders' voting agreement, members of the Johnson family may be deemed, under the 1940 Act, to form a controlling group with respect to FMR LLC.
At present, the primary business activities of FMR LLC and its subsidiaries are: (i) the provision of investment advisory, management, shareholder, investment information and assistance and certain fiduciary services for individual and institutional investors; (ii) the provision of securities brokerage services; (iii) the management and development of real estate; and (iv) the investment in and operation of a number of emerging businesses.
Geode, a registered investment adviser, is a subsidiary of Geode Capital Holdings LLC. Geode was founded in January 2001 to develop and manage quantitative investment strategies and to provide advisory and sub-advisory services.
FMR, Geode Capital Management, LLC, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and the fund have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that set forth employees' fiduciary responsibilities regarding the fund, establish procedures for personal investing, and restrict certain transactions. Employees subject to the codes of ethics, including Fidelity and Geode investment personnel, may invest in securities for their own investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the fund.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACT
The fund has entered into a management contract with FMR, pursuant to which FMR furnishes investment advisory and other services.
Management and Sub-Advisory Services. FMR provides the fund with all necessary office facilities and personnel for servicing the fund's investments, compensates all officers of the fund and all Trustees who are interested persons of the trust or of FMR, and compensates all personnel of the fund or FMR performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities.
In addition, FMR or its affiliates, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, provide the management and administrative services necessary for the operation of the fund. These services include providing facilities for maintaining the fund's organization; supervising relations with custodians, transfer and pricing agents, accountants, underwriters and other persons dealing with the fund; preparing all general shareholder communications and conducting shareholder relations; maintaining the fund's records and the registration of the fund's shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws; developing management and shareholder services for the fund; and furnishing reports, evaluations and analyses on a variety of subjects to the Trustees.
Geode serves as sub-adviser of the fund. Under its management contract with the fund, FMR acts as investment adviser. Under the sub-advisory agreement, and subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, Geode directs the investments of the fund in accordance with its investment objective, policies, and limitations.
Management-Related Expenses. In addition to the management fee payable to FMR and the fees payable to the transfer agent and pricing and bookkeeping agent, and the costs associated with securities lending, as applicable, the fund pays all of its expenses that are not assumed by those parties. The fund pays for the typesetting, printing, and mailing of its proxy materials to shareholders, legal expenses, and the fees of the custodian, auditor, and Independent Trustees. The fund's management contract further provides that the fund will pay for typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, notices, and reports to shareholders. Other expenses paid by the fund include interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable, the fund's proportionate share of insurance premiums and Investment Company Institute dues, and the costs of registering shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws. The fund is also liable for such non-recurring expenses as may arise, including costs of any litigation to which the fund may be a party, and any obligation it may have to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect to litigation.
Management Fee.
For the services of FMR under the management contract, the fund pays FMR a monthly management fee at the annual rate of 0.11% of the fund's average net assets throughout the month.
The following table shows the amount of management fees paid by the fund for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 to its current manager and prior affiliated manager(s), if any.
Fund(s)
|
Fiscal
Years
Ended
|
Management
Fees
Paid to
Investment Adviser
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
1,080,968
|
2022
|
$
|
758,081
|
|
2021
|
$
|
2,257,875
|
FMR may, from time to time, voluntarily reimburse all or a portion of a fund's or, in the case of a multiple class fund, a class's operating expenses. FMR retains the ability to be repaid for these expense reimbursements in the amount that expenses fall below the limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Expense reimbursements will increase returns, and repayment of the reimbursement will decrease returns.
Sub-Adviser - Geode. The fund and FMR have entered into sub-advisory agreement(s) with Geode. Pursuant to the sub-advisory agreement(s), FMR has granted Geode investment management authority as well as the authority to buy and sell securities.
Under the terms of the sub-advisory agreement, for providing investment management services to the fund, FMR, and not the fund, pays Geode fees at an annual rate of 0.0340% of the average daily net assets of the fund, subject to a minimum annual payment of $25,000.
In addition, effective January 1, 2024, Geode has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its sub-advisory fee.
The following table shows the amount of sub-advisory fees paid by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, on behalf of the fund, to Geode for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
Fund
|
Fiscal Years
Ended
|
Sub-Advisory Fees
Paid by FMR
to Geode
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund
|
2023(A)
|
$
|
334,616
|
2022(B)
|
$
|
241,082
|
|
2021
|
$
|
769,716
|
(A) On October 1, 2022, FMR reduced the sub-advisory fee rate paid to Geode from 0.0350% to 0.0340%.
|
(B) On August 1, 2021, FMR reduced the sub-advisory fee rate paid to Geode from 0.0375% to 0.0350%.
|
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund is managed by Geode, a sub-adviser to the fund. Louis Bottari is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Peter Matthew is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Payal Gupta is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Robert Regan is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Navid Sohrabi is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. As of July 31, 2023, portfolio manager compensation generally consists of a fixed base salary, a bonus that is based on both objective and subjective criteria, and, in certain cases, participation in a profit-based compensation plan. A portion of each portfolio manager's compensation may be deferred based on criteria established by Geode.
Each portfolio manager's base salary is determined annually by level of responsibility and tenure at Geode. The primary component for determining each portfolio manager's bonus is the pre-tax investment performance of the portfolio manager's fund(s) and account(s) relative to a custom peer group, if applicable, and relative to a benchmark index assigned to each fund or account. Performance is measured over multiple measurement periods that eventually encompass periods of up to five years. A portion of each portfolio manager's bonus is linked to Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund's relative pre-tax investment performance measured against the Russell SMID 500™ Index. A subjective component of each portfolio manager's bonus is based on the portfolio manager's overall contribution to the management of Geode, including recruiting, monitoring, and mentoring within the investment management teams, as well as time spent assisting in firm promotion. Each portfolio manager may also be compensated under a profit-based compensation plan, which is primarily based on the profits of Geode.
A portfolio manager's compensation plan can give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A manager's base pay tends to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management and a portion of the bonus relates to firm promotion efforts, which together indirectly link compensation to sales. Managing and providing research to multiple accounts (including proprietary accounts) can give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as a portfolio manager must allocate time and investment ideas across multiple accounts. Securities selected for accounts other than the fund may outperform the securities selected for the fund.
In addition to managing the fund's investment portfolio, each portfolio manager also manages other investment portfolios and accounts on behalf of Geode or its affiliates.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Louis Bottari as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund ($1,611 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Bottari was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Payal Gupta as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund ($1,611 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund beneficially owned by Ms. Gupta was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Peter Matthew as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund ($1,611 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Matthew was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Bob Regan as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund ($1,611 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Regan was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Navid Sohrabi as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
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Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund ($1,611 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Sohrabi was none.
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
Geode Proxy Voting Policies
As an investment adviser, Geode holds voting authority for securities in many of the client accounts that it manages. Geode takes seriously its responsibility to monitor events affecting securities in those client accounts and to exercise its voting authority with respect to those securities in the best interests of its clients (as well as shareholders of mutual funds for which it serves as adviser or sub-adviser). The purposes of these proxy voting policies are to (1) establish a framework for Geode's analysis and decision-making with respect to proxy voting and (2) set forth operational procedures for Geode's exercise of proxy voting authority.
Overview
Geode anticipates that, based on its current business model, it will manage the vast majority of assets under its management using passive investment management techniques, such as indexing. Geode also manages funds and separate accounts using active investment management techniques, primarily employing quantitative investment strategies.
Geode will engage established commercial proxy advisory firms for comprehensive analysis, research and voting recommendations, particularly for matters that may be controversial or require additional analysis under these Policies.
Geode may determine to follow or reject any recommendation based on the research and analysis provided by proxy advisory firms or on any independent research and analysis obtained or generated by Geode. However, Geode has retained a third-party proxy voting service (the "Agent") to affect votes based on the customized policies established by Geode and maintain records of all of Geode's proxy votes. In limited instances where the Policies do not address the specific matter, the Agent will refer the ballot back to Geode. For ballots related to proxy contests, mergers, acquisitions and other organizational transactions, Geode may determine it is appropriate to conduct a company specific evaluation. In cases of proxies not voted by the Agent, the ultimate voting decision and responsibility rests with Geode Proxy. Geode's Operations Committee oversees the exercise of voting authority under these proxy voting policies.
Due to its focused business model and the number of investments that Geode will make for its clients (particularly pursuant to its indexing strategy), Geode does not anticipate that actual or potential conflicts of interest are likely to occur in the ordinary course of its business. However, Geode believes it is essential to avoid having conflicts of interest affect its objective of voting in the best interests of its clients. Therefore, in the event that members of the Operations Committee, the Agent or any other person involved in the analysis or voting of proxies has knowledge of, or has reason to believe there may exist, any potential relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode (or any affiliate of Geode) or their respective directors, officers, employees or agents, such person shall notify the other members of the Operations Committee. Geode will analyze and address such potential conflict of interest, consulting with outside counsel, as appropriate. In the case of an actual conflict of interest, on the advice of counsel, Geode expects that the independent directors of Geode will consider the matter and may (1) determine that there is no conflict of interest (or that reasonable measures have been taken to remedy or avoid any conflict of interest) that would prevent Geode from voting the applicable proxy, (2) abstain, (3) cause authority to be delegated to the Agent or a similar special fiduciary to vote the applicable proxy or (4) recommend other methodology for mitigating the conflict of interest, if deemed appropriate (e.g., echo voting).
Geode has established the specific proxy voting policies that are summarized below to maximize the value of investments in its clients' accounts, which it believes will be furthered through (1) accountability of a company's management and directors to its shareholders, (2) alignment of the interests of management with those of shareholders (including through compensation, benefit and equity ownership programs), and (3) increased disclosure of a company's business and operations. Geode reserves the right to override any of its proxy voting policies with respect to a particular shareholder vote when such an override is, in Geode's best judgment, consistent with the overall principle of voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of Geode's clients.
Policies
All proxy votes shall be considered and made in a manner consistent with the best interests of Geode's clients (as well as shareholders of mutual fund clients) without regard to any other relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode or its affiliates. As a general matter, (1) proxies will be voted FOR incumbent members of a board of directors and FOR routine management proposals, except as otherwise addressed under these policies; (2) shareholder and non-routine management proposals addressed by these policies will be voted as provided in these policies; and (3) shareholder and non-routine management proposals not addressed by these policies will be evaluated by Geode ESG Stewardship based on fundamental analysis and/or research and recommendations provided by the Agent and other third-party proxy advisory firms.
When voting the securities of non-US issuers, Geode will evaluate proposals in accordance with these policies but will also take local market standards and best practices into consideration. Geode may also limit or modify its voting at certain non-US meetings (e.g., if shares are required to be blocked or reregistered in connection with voting).
Geode's specific policies are as follows:
I. Election of Directors
Geode will generally vote FOR incumbent members of a board of directors except:
• Attendance. The incumbent board member failed to attend at least 75% of meetings in the previous year and does not provide a reasonable explanation.
• Independent Directors. Nominee is not independent and full board comprises less than a majority of independents. Nominee is not independent and sits on the audit, compensation or nominating committee.
• Director Responsiveness. The board failed to act on shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year. The board failed to act on takeover offers where Geode and a majority of shareholders tendered their shares. At the previous board election, directors opposed by Geode received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast, and the company failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote.
• Golden Parachutes. Incumbent members of the compensation committee adopted or renewed an excessive golden parachute within the past year.
• Gender Diversity. If there are no women on the Board unless the Board has made a firm commitment to return to a gender-diverse status when there was a woman on the Board at the preceding annual meeting.
• Overboarding. The Director is a CEO and sits on the Board of more than two public companies besides his or her own; or a non-CEO Director who sits on more than five public company boards.
• Unequal Voting Rights. If the Company maintains a common stock structure with unequal voting rights. Exceptions to the policy may include, but aren't limited to: Newly-public companies with a reasonable sunset provision, where the unequal voting rights are considered de minimis; or the company provides sufficient safeguards for minority shareholders.
• In Other Circumstances when a member of the board has acted in a manner inconsistent with the interests of shareholders of a company whose securities are held in client accounts.
II. Majority Election. Unless a company has a policy achieving a similar result, Geode will generally vote in favor of a proposal calling for directors to be elected by a majority of votes cast in a board election provided that the plurality vote applies when there are more nominees than board seats.
III. Say on Pay (non-binding).
• Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. Geode will generally vote AGAINST advisory vote when: (1) there is a significant misalignment between executive pay and company performance; (2) the company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or (3) the board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders.
• Frequency Vote. Geode will generally vote FOR having an advisory vote on executive compensation every year.
• Advisory Vote on Golden Parachute. Geode will vote AGAINST excessive change-in-control severance payments.
IV. Vote AGAINST Anti-Takeover Proposals, including:
• Addition of Special Interest Directors to the board.
• Authorization of "Blank Check" Preferred Stock. Geode will vote FOR proposals to require shareholder approval for the distribution of preferred stock except for acquisitions and raising capital in the ordinary course of business.
• Classification of Boards, Geode will vote FOR proposals to de-classify boards.
• Fair Price Amendments, other than those that consider only a two-year price history and are not accompanied by other anti-takeover measures.
• Golden Parachutes, that Geode deems to be excessive in the event of change-in-control.
• Poison Pills. Adoption or extension of a Poison Pill without shareholder approval will result in our voting AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors, provided the matter will be considered if (a) the board has adopted a Poison Pill with a sunset provision; (b) the Pill is linked to a business strategy that will result in greater value for the shareholders; (c) the term is less than three years; (d) the Pill includes a qualifying offer clause; Or (e) shareholder approval is required to reinstate the expired Pill. Geode will vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring or recommending that shareholders be given an opportunity to vote on the adoption of poison pills.
• Reduction or Limitation of Shareholder Rights (e.g., action by written consent, ability to call meetings, or remove directors).
• Reincorporation in another state (when accompanied by Anti-Takeover Provisions, including increased statutory anti-takeover provisions). Geode will vote FOR reincorporation in another state when not accompanied by such anti-takeover provisions.
• Requirements that the Board Consider Non-Financial Effects of merger and acquisition proposals.
• Requirements regarding Size, Selection and Removal of the Board that are likely to have an anti-takeover effect (although changes with legitimate business purposes will be evaluated).
• Supermajority Voting Requirements (i.e., typically 2/3 or greater) for boards and shareholders. Geode will vote FOR proposals to eliminate supermajority voting requirements.
• Transfer of Authority from Shareholders to Directors.
V. Vote FOR proposed amendments to a company's certificate of incorporation or by-laws that enable the company to Opt Out of the Control Shares Acquisition Statutes.
VI. Vote AGAINST the introduction of new classes of Stock with Differential Voting Rights.
VII. Vote AGAINST introduction and FOR elimination of Cumulative Voting Rights, except in certain instances where it is determined not to enhance shareholders' interests.
VIII. Vote FOR elimination of Preemptive Rights.
IX. Vote FOR Anti-Greenmail proposals so long as they are not part of anti-takeover provisions (in which case the vote will be AGAINST).
X. Vote FOR charter and by-law amendments expanding the Indemnification of Directors to the maximum extent permitted under Delaware law (regardless of the state of incorporation) and vote AGAINST charter and by-law amendments completely Eliminating Directors' Liability for Breaches of Care.
XI. Vote FOR proposals to adopt Confidential Voting and Independent Vote Tabulation practices.
XII. Vote FOR Open-Market Stock Repurchase Programs, unless there is clear evidence of past abuse of the authority; the plan contains no safeguards against selective buybacks, or the authority can be used as an anti-takeover mechanism.
XIII. Vote FOR management proposals to implement a Reverse Stock Split when the number of authorized shares will be proportionately reduced or the Reverse Stock Split is necessary to avoid de-listing.
XIV. Vote FOR management proposals to Reduce the Par Value of common stock unless the proposal may facilitate an anti-takeover device or other negative corporate governance action.
XV. Vote FOR the Issuance of Large Blocks of Stock if such proposals have a legitimate business purpose and do not result in dilution of greater than 20%. However, a company's specific circumstances and market practices may be considered in determining whether the proposal is consistent with shareholders' interests.
XVI. Vote AGAINST Excessive Increases in Common Stock. Vote AGAINST increases in authorized common stock that would result in authorized capital in excess of three times the company's shares outstanding and reserved for legitimate purposes. For non-U.S. securities with conditional capital requests, vote AGAINST issuances of shares with preemptive rights in excess of 100% of the company's current shares outstanding. Special requests will be evaluated, taking company-specific circumstances into account.
XVII. Vote AGAINST the adoption of or amendment to authorize additional shares under a Stock Option Plan if:
• The stock option plan includes evergreen provisions, which provides for an automatic allotment of equity compensation every year.
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan (including by virtue of any "evergreen" or replenishment provision), plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
• The offering price of options is less than 100% of fair market value on the date of grant, except that the offering price may be as low as 85% of fair market value if the discount is expressly granted in lieu of salary or cash bonus, except that a modest number of shares (limited to 5% for a large capitalization company and 10% for a small and micro capitalization companies) may be available for grant to employees and directors under the plan if the grant is made by a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors (the "De Minimis Exception").
• The plan is administered by (1) a compensation committee not comprised entirely of independent directors or (2) a board of directors not comprised of a majority of independent directors, provided that a plan is acceptable if it satisfies the De Minimis Exception.
• The plan's terms allow repricing of underwater options, or the board/committee has repriced options outstanding under the plan in the past two years without shareholder approval, unless by the express terms of the plan or a board resolution such repricing is rarely used (and then only to maintain option value due to extreme circumstances beyond management's control) and is within the limits of the De Minimis Exception.
• Liberal Definition of Change in Control: the plan provides that the vesting of equity awards may accelerate even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XVIII. Vote AGAINST the election of incumbent members of the compensation committee or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if, within the last year and without shareholder approval, the company's board of directors or compensation committee has repriced outstanding options.
XIX. Evaluate proposals to Reprice Outstanding Stock Options, taking into account such factors as: (1) whether the repricing proposal excludes senior management and directors; (2) whether the options proposed to be repriced exceeded the dilution thresholds described in these current proxy voting policies when initially granted; (3) whether the repricing proposal is value neutral to shareholders based upon an acceptable options pricing model; (4) the company's relative performance compared to other companies within the relevant industry or industries; (5) economic and other conditions affecting the relevant industry or industries in which the company competes; and (6) other facts or circumstances relevant to determining whether a repricing proposal is consistent with the interests of shareholders.
XX. Vote AGAINST adoption of or amendments to authorize additional shares for Restricted Stock Awards ("RSA") if:
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan, plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
XXI. Vote AGAINST Omnibus Stock Plans if one or more component violates any of the criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, unless such component is de minimis. In the case of an omnibus stock plan, the dilution limits applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies will be measured against the total number of shares under all components of such plan.
XXII. Vote AGAINST Employee Stock Purchase Plans if the plan violates any of the relevant criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, except that (1) the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to or greater than 85% of the stock's fair market value if the plan constitutes a reasonable effort to encourage broad based participation in the company's equity, and (2) in the case of non-U.S. company stock purchase plans, the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to the prevailing "best practices," as articulated by the Agent, provided that the minimum stock purchase price must be at least 75% of the stock's fair market value.
XXIII. Vote AGAINST Stock Awards (other than stock options and RSAs) unless it is determined they are identified as being granted to officers/directors in lieu of salary or cash bonus, subject to number of shares being reasonable.
XXIV. Vote AGAINST equity vesting acceleration programs or amendments to authorize additional shares under such programs if the program provides for the acceleration of vesting of equity awards even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XXV. Vote FOR Employee Stock Ownership Plans ("ESOPs") of non-leveraged ESOPs, and in the case of leveraged ESOPs, giving consideration to the company's state of incorporation, existence of supermajority vote rules in the charter, number of shares authorized for the ESOP, and number of shares held by insiders. Geode may also examine where the ESOP shares are purchased and the dilution effect of the purchase. Geode will vote AGAINST a leveraged ESOP if all outstanding loans are due immediately upon a change in control.
XXVI. Vote AGAINST management or shareholder proposals on other Compensation Plans or Practices if such plans or practices are Inconsistent with the Interests of Shareholders. In addition, Geode may vote AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if Geode believes a board has approved executive compensation arrangements inconsistent with the interests of shareholders.
XXVII. Environmental and Social Proposals. Evaluate each proposal related to environmental and social issues (including political contributions). Generally, Geode expects to vote with management's recommendation on shareholder proposals concerning environmental or social issues, as Geode believes management and the board are ordinarily in the best position to address these matters. Geode may support certain shareholder environmental and social proposals that request additional disclosures from companies which may provide material information to the investment management process, or where Geode otherwise believes support will help maximize shareholder value. Geode may take action against the re-election of board members if there are serious concerns over ESG practices or the board failed to act on related shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year.
XXVIII. Geode will generally vote FOR proposals seeking to establish or amend proxy access which allow a shareholder (or shareholder group) holding at least 3% of the voting power of the company's outstanding shares continuously for a minimum of 3 years the ability to nominate no more than 25% of the board of directors. Geode will generally vote AGAINST proposals that do not meet the aforementioned criteria.
XXIX. Shares of Investment Companies.
• For institutional accounts, Geode will generally vote in favor of proposals recommended by the underlying funds' Board of Trustees, unless voting is not permitted under applicable laws and regulations.
• For retail managed accounts, Geode will employ echo voting when voting shares. To avoid certain potential conflicts of interest, if an investment company has a shareholder meeting, Geode would vote their shares in the investment company in the same proportion as the votes of the other shareholders of the investment company.
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To view a fund's proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, if applicable, visit www.fidelity.com/proxyvotingresults or visit the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.
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DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
The fund has entered into a distribution agreement with Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), an affiliate of FMR. The principal business address of FDC is 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917. FDC is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
The fund's distribution agreement calls for FDC to use all reasonable efforts, consistent with its other business, to secure purchasers for shares of the fund, which are continuously offered.
Promotional and administrative expenses in connection with the offer and sale of shares are paid by FMR.
The Trustees have approved a Distribution and Service Plan with respect to shares of the fund (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the Rule).
The Rule provides in substance that a fund may not engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity that is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund except pursuant to a plan approved on behalf of the fund under the Rule.
The Plan, as approved by the Trustees, allows shares of the fund and/or FMR to incur certain expenses that might be considered to constitute indirect payment by the fund of distribution expenses.
The Plan adopted for the fund or class, as applicable, is described in the prospectus.
Under the Plan, if the payment of management fees by the fund to FMR is deemed to be indirect financing by the fund of the distribution of its shares, such payment is authorized by the Plan.
The Plan specifically recognizes that FMR may use its management fee revenue, as well as its past profits or its other resources, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. In addition, the Plan provides that FMR, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services.
Currently, the Board of Trustees has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Prior to approving the Plan, the Trustees carefully considered all pertinent factors relating to the implementation of the Plan, and determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the fund or class, as applicable, and its shareholders.
In particular, the Trustees noted that the Plan does not authorize payments by shares of the fund other than those made to FMR under its management contract with the fund.
To the extent that the Plan gives FMR and FDC greater flexibility in connection with the distribution of shares, additional sales of shares or stabilization of cash flows may result.
Furthermore, certain shareholder support services may be provided more effectively under the Plan by local entities with whom shareholders have other relationships.
TRANSFER AND SERVICE AGENT AGREEMENTS
The fund has entered into a transfer agent agreement with Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company LLC (FIIOC), an affiliate of FMR, which is located at 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Under the terms of the agreement, FIIOC (or an agent, including an affiliate) performs transfer agency services.
For providing transfer agency services, FIIOC receives no fees from the fund.
FIIOC may collect fees charged in connection with providing certain types of services such as exchanges, closing out fund balances, maintaining fund positions with low balances, checkwriting, wire transactions, and providing historical account research, as applicable.
FIIOC bears the expense of typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, and all other reports, notices, and statements to existing shareholders, with the exception of proxy statements.
Fund shares may be owned by intermediaries for the benefit of their customers. In those instances, a fund may not maintain an account for shareholders, and some or all of the recordkeeping services for these accounts may be performed by third parties. FIIOC or an affiliate may make payments to intermediaries (including affiliates of FIIOC) for recordkeeping and other services.
Retirement plans may also hold fund shares in the name of the plan or its trustee, rather than the plan participant. In situations where FIIOC or an affiliate does not provide recordkeeping services, plan recordkeepers, who may have affiliated financial intermediaries who sell shares of the fund, may, upon direction, be paid for providing recordkeeping services to plan participants. Payments may also be made, upon direction, for other plan expenses. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
In certain situations where FIIOC or an affiliate provides recordkeeping services to a retirement plan, payments may be made to pay for plan expenses. The amount of such payments may be based on investments in particular Fidelity® funds, or may be fixed for a given period of time. Upon direction, payments may be made to plan sponsors, or at the direction of plan sponsors, third parties, for expenses incurred in connection with the plan. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
The fund has entered into a service agent agreement with Fidelity Service Company, Inc. (FSC), an affiliate of FMR (or an agent, including an affiliate). Under the terms of the agreement, FSC calculates the NAV and dividends for shares, maintains the fund's portfolio and general accounting records, and administers the fund's securities lending program.
For providing pricing and bookkeeping services, FSC receives no fee from the fund.
FMR bears the cost of transfer agency services and pricing and bookkeeping services.
SECURITIES LENDING
During the fiscal year, the securities lending agent, or the investment adviser (where the fund does not use a securities lending agent) monitors loan opportunities for the fund, negotiates the terms of the loans with borrowers, monitors the value of securities on loan and the value of the corresponding collateral, communicates with borrowers and the fund's custodian regarding marking to market the collateral, selects securities to be loaned and allocates those loan opportunities among lenders, and arranges for the return of the loaned securities upon the termination of the loan. Income and fees from securities lending activities for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, are shown in the following table:
A fund does not pay cash collateral management fees, separate indemnification fees, or other fees not reflected above.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
Trust Organization.
Fidelity® SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund is a fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust, an open-end management investment company created under an initial declaration of trust dated September 5, 1984.
The Trustees are permitted to create additional funds in the trust and to create additional classes of a fund.
The assets of the trust received for the issue or sale of shares of each fund and all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, subject to the rights of creditors, are allocated to such fund, and constitute the underlying assets of such fund. The underlying assets of each fund in the trust shall be charged with the liabilities and expenses attributable to such fund. Any general expenses of the trust shall be allocated between or among any one or more of the funds.
Shareholder Liability. The trust is an entity commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the trust.
The Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for the debts, liabilities, obligations, and expenses of the trust or fund. The Declaration of Trust provides that the trust shall not have any claim against shareholders except for the payment of the purchase price of shares and requires that each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the trust or the Trustees relating to the trust or to a fund shall include a provision limiting the obligations created thereby to the trust or to one or more funds and its or their assets. The Declaration of Trust further provides that shareholders of a fund shall not have a claim on or right to any assets belonging to any other fund.
The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of a fund's property of any shareholder or former shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the fund solely by reason of his or her being or having been a shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason. The Declaration of Trust also provides that a fund shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the fund and satisfy any judgment thereon. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations. Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC believes that, in view of the above, the risk of personal liability to shareholders is remote.
Voting Rights. The fund's capital consists of shares of beneficial interest. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each dollar of net asset value they own. The voting rights of shareholders can be changed only by a shareholder vote. Shares may be voted in the aggregate, by fund, and by class.
The shares have no preemptive or conversion rights. Shares are fully paid and nonassessable, except as set forth under the heading "Shareholder Liability" above.
The trust or a fund or a class may be terminated upon the sale of its assets to, or merger with, another open-end management investment company, series, or class thereof, or upon liquidation and distribution of its assets. The Trustees may reorganize, terminate, merge, or sell all or a portion of the assets of a trust or a fund or a class without prior shareholder approval. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a trust, shareholders of each of its funds are entitled to receive the underlying assets of such fund available for distribution. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a fund or a class, shareholders of that fund or that class are entitled to receive the underlying assets of the fund or class available for distribution.
Custodians.
The Bank of New York Mellon, 1 Wall Street, New York, New York, is custodian of the assets of the fund.
The custodian is responsible for the safekeeping of the fund's assets and the appointment of any subcustodian banks and clearing agencies.
From time to time, subject to approval by a fund's Treasurer, a Fidelity® fund may enter into escrow arrangements with other banks if necessary to participate in certain investment offerings.
FMR, its officers and directors, its affiliated companies, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and Members of the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, conduct transactions with various banks, including banks serving as custodians for certain funds advised by FMR or an affiliate. Transactions that have occurred to date include mortgages and personal and general business loans. In the judgment of the fund's adviser, the terms and conditions of those transactions were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other fund relationships.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, Massachusetts, independent registered public accounting firm, and its affiliates, audit the financial statements for the fund and provide other audit, tax, and related services.
FUND HOLDINGS INFORMATION
The fund views holdings information as sensitive and limits its dissemination. The Board authorized FMR to establish and administer guidelines for the dissemination of fund holdings information, which may be amended at any time without prior notice. FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee (comprising executive officers of FMR) evaluates disclosure policy with the goal of serving the fund's best interests by striking an appropriate balance between providing information about the fund's portfolio and protecting the fund from potentially harmful disclosure. The Board reviews the administration and modification of these guidelines and receives reports from the fund's chief compliance officer periodically.
The fund will provide a full list of holdings monthly on www.fidelity.com 30 days after the month-end (excluding high income security holdings, which generally will be presented collectively monthly and included in a list of full holdings 60 days after month-end).
The fund will provide its top ten holdings (excluding cash and futures) on Fidelity's web site monthly, 15 days after month-end.
Unless otherwise indicated, this information will be available on the web site until updated for the next applicable period.
The fund may also from time to time provide or make available to the Board or third parties upon request specific fund level performance attribution information and statistics. Third parties may include fund shareholders or prospective fund shareholders, members of the press, consultants, and ratings and ranking organizations. Nonexclusive examples of performance attribution information and statistics may include (i) the allocation of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions among various asset classes, sectors, industries, and countries, (ii) the characteristics of the stock and bond components of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions, (iii) the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry, and country and (iv) the volatility characteristics of the fund.
FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee may approve a request for fund level performance attribution and statistics as long as (i) such disclosure does not enable the receiving party to recreate the complete or partial portfolio holdings of any Fidelity® fund prior to such fund's public disclosure of its portfolio holdings and (ii) Fidelity has made a good faith determination that the requested information is not material given the particular facts and circumstances. Fidelity may deny any request for performance attribution information and other statistical information about a fund made by any person, and may do so for any reason or for no reason.
Disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information for a Fidelity® fund's portfolio may only be provided pursuant to the guidelines below.
The Use of Holdings In Connection With Fund Operations. Material non-public holdings information may be provided as part of the activities associated with managing Fidelity® funds to: entities which, by explicit agreement or by virtue of their respective duties to the fund, are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed; other parties if legally required; or persons FMR believes will not misuse the disclosed information. These entities, parties, and persons include, but are not limited to: the fund's trustees; the fund's manager, its sub-advisers, if any, and their affiliates whose access persons are subject to a code of ethics (including portfolio managers of affiliated funds of funds); contractors who are subject to a confidentiality agreement; the fund's auditors; the fund's custodians; proxy voting service providers; financial printers; pricing service vendors; broker-dealers in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities; securities lending agents; counsel to the fund or its Independent Trustees; regulatory authorities; stock exchanges and other listing organizations; parties to litigation; third parties in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding relating to a fund holding; and third parties who have submitted a standing request to a money market fund for daily holdings information. Non-public holdings information may also be provided to an issuer regarding the number or percentage of its shares that are owned by the fund and in connection with redemptions in kind.
Other Uses Of Holdings Information. In addition, the fund may provide material non-public holdings information to (i) third parties that calculate information derived from holdings for use by FMR, a sub-adviser, or their affiliates, (ii) ratings and rankings organizations, and (iii) an investment adviser, trustee, or their agents to whom holdings are disclosed for due diligence purposes or in anticipation of a merger involving the fund. Each individual request is reviewed by the Disclosure Policy Committee which must find, in its sole discretion that, based on the specific facts and circumstances, the disclosure appears unlikely to be harmful to the fund. Entities receiving this information must have in place control mechanisms to reasonably ensure or otherwise agree that, (a) the holdings information will be kept confidential, (b) no employee shall use the information to effect trading or for their personal benefit, and (c) the nature and type of information that they, in turn, may disclose to third parties is limited. FMR relies primarily on the existence of non-disclosure agreements and/or control mechanisms when determining that disclosure is not likely to be harmful to the fund.
At this time, the entities receiving information described in the preceding paragraph are: Factset Research Systems Inc. (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (full holdings weekly (generally as of the previous Friday), generally 5 business days thereafter); MSCI Inc. and certain affiliates (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); and Bloomberg, L.P. (full holdings daily, on the next business day).
FMR, its affiliates, or the fund will not enter into any arrangements with third parties from which they derive consideration for the disclosure of material non-public holdings information. If, in the future, such an arrangement is desired, prior Board approval would be sought and any such arrangements would be disclosed in the fund's SAI.
There can be no assurance that the fund's policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of fund portfolio holdings will prevent the misuse of such information by individuals and firms that receive such information.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The fund's financial statements and financial highlights for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, and report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the fund's annual report and are incorporated herein by reference.
Total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table may differ from the ratios of expenses to average net assets in the financial highlights because total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table include any acquired fund fees and expenses, whereas the ratios of expenses in the financial highlights do not, except to the extent any acquired fund fees and expenses relate to an entity, such as a wholly-owned subsidiary, with which a fund's financial statements are consolidated. Acquired funds include other investment companies (such as Central funds or other underlying funds) in which the fund has invested, if and to the extent it is permitted to do so.
Total annual operating expenses in the prospectus fee table and the financial highlights do not include any expenses associated with investments in certain structured or synthetic products that may rely on the exception from the definition of "investment company" provided by section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.
APPENDIX
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
Fund
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Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
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FUQIX
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Fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
September 29, 2023
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. Portions of the fund's annual report are incorporated herein. The annual report(s) are supplied with this SAI.
To obtain a free additional copy of a prospectus or SAI, dated September 29, 2023, or an annual report, please call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455 or visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com.
For more information on any Fidelity® fund, including charges and expenses, call Fidelity at the number indicated above for a free prospectus. Read it carefully before investing or sending money.
245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
SV4-PTB-0923
1.9867025.108
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND LIMITATIONS
The following policies and limitations supplement those set forth in the prospectus. Unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the fund's acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the fund's investment policies and limitations.
The fund's fundamental investment policies and limitations cannot be changed without approval by a "majority of the outstanding voting securities" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act)) of the fund. However, except for the fundamental investment limitations listed below, the investment policies and limitations described in this Statement of Additional Information (SAI) are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
The following are the fund's fundamental investment limitations set forth in their entirety.
Diversification
The fund may not with respect to 75% of the fund's total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, (a) more than 5% of the fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (b) the fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.
Senior Securities
The fund may not issue senior securities, except in connection with the insurance program established by the fund pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission or as otherwise permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Borrowing
The fund may not borrow money, except that the fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes (not for leveraging or investment) in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1/3% limitation.
Underwriting
The fund may not underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in the disposition of restricted securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies.
Concentration
The fund may not purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) looks through to the U.S. Government securities.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in Fidelity® Money Market Central Fund and/or any non-money market Central fund, FMR looks through to the holdings of the Central fund.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, FMR may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and security and assign an industry or sector classification consistent with those characteristics in the event that the third-party classification provider used by FMR does not assign a classification.
Real Estate
The fund may not purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).
Commodities
The fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).
Loans
The fund may not lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, but this limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.
The following investment limitations are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
Short Sales
The fund does not currently intend to sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in futures contracts and options are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.
Margin Purchases
The fund does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that the fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.
Borrowing
The fund may borrow money only (a) from a bank or from a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) by engaging in reverse repurchase agreements with any party (reverse repurchase agreements are treated as borrowings for purposes of the fundamental borrowing investment limitation).
Illiquid Securities
The fund does not currently intend to purchase any security if, as a result, more than 10% of its net assets would be invested in securities that are deemed to be illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business at approximately the prices at which they are valued.
For purposes of the fund's illiquid securities limitation discussed above, if through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, the fund were in a position where more than 10% of its net assets were invested in illiquid securities, it would consider appropriate steps to protect liquidity.
Loans
The fund does not currently intend to lend assets other than securities to other parties, except by (a) lending money (up to 15% of the fund's net assets) to a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) assuming any unfunded commitments in connection with the acquisition of loans, loan participations, or other forms of debt instruments. (This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities, to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.)
In addition to the fund's fundamental and non-fundamental investment limitations discussed above:
In order to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the fund currently intends to comply with certain diversification limits imposed by Subchapter M.
For the fund's policies and limitations on futures and options transactions, see "Investment Policies and Limitations - Futures, Options, and Swaps."
The following pages contain more detailed information about types of instruments in which the fund may invest, techniques the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may employ in pursuit of the fund's investment objective, and a summary of related risks. The fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may not buy all of these instruments or use all of these techniques unless it believes that doing so will help the fund achieve its goal. However, the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) is not required to buy any particular instrument or use any particular technique even if to do so might benefit the fund.
On the following pages in this section titled "Investment Policies and Limitations," and except as otherwise indicated, references to "an adviser" or "the adviser" may relate to the fund's adviser or a sub-adviser, as applicable.
Affiliated Bank Transactions. A Fidelity® fund may engage in transactions with financial institutions that are, or may be considered to be, "affiliated persons" of the fund under the 1940 Act. These transactions may involve repurchase agreements with custodian banks; short-term obligations of, and repurchase agreements with, the 50 largest U.S. banks (measured by deposits); municipal securities; U.S. Government securities with affiliated financial institutions that are primary dealers in these securities; short-term currency transactions; and short-term borrowings. In accordance with exemptive orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Board of Trustees has established and periodically reviews procedures applicable to transactions involving affiliated financial institutions.
Borrowing. If a fund borrows money, its share price may be subject to greater fluctuation until the borrowing is paid off. If a fund makes additional investments while borrowings are outstanding, this may be considered a form of leverage.
Cash Management. A fund may hold uninvested cash or may invest it in cash equivalents such as money market securities, repurchase agreements, or shares of short-term bond or money market funds, including (for Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients only) shares of Fidelity® Central funds. Generally, these securities offer less potential for gains than other types of securities.
Central Funds are special types of investment vehicles created by Fidelity for use by the Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients. Central funds are used to invest in particular security types or investment disciplines, or for cash management. Central funds incur certain costs related to their investment activity (such as custodial fees and expenses), but generally do not pay additional management fees. The investment results of the portions of a Fidelity® fund's assets invested in the Central funds will be based upon the investment results of those funds.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Notice of Exclusion. The Adviser, on behalf of the Fidelity® fund to which this SAI relates, has filed with the National Futures Association a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and the rules of the CFTC promulgated thereunder, with respect to the fund's operation. Accordingly, neither a fund nor its adviser is subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool or a CPO. As of the date of this SAI, the adviser does not expect to register as a CPO of the fund. However, there is no certainty that a fund or its adviser will be able to rely on an exclusion in the future as the fund's investments change over time. A fund may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional CFTC regulation or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If a fund or its adviser operates subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses.
Common Stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock, although related proceedings can take time to resolve and results can be unpredictable. For purposes of a Fidelity® fund's policies related to investment in common stock Fidelity considers depositary receipts evidencing ownership of common stock to be common stock.
Convertible Securities are bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a fund is called for redemption or conversion, the fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.
Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at prices above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.
Debt Securities are used by issuers to borrow money. The issuer usually pays a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest, and must repay the amount borrowed, usually at the maturity of the security. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay interest but are sold at a deep discount from their face values. Debt securities include corporate bonds, government securities, repurchase agreements, and mortgage and other asset-backed securities.
Disruption to Financial Markets and Related Government Intervention. Economic downturns can trigger various economic, legal, budgetary, tax, and regulatory reforms across the globe. Instability in the financial markets in the wake of events such as the 2008 economic downturn led the U.S. Government and other governments to take a number of then-unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases, a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, local, foreign, and other governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which a fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Reforms may also change the way in which a fund is regulated and could limit or preclude a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective or engage in certain strategies. Also, while reforms generally are intended to strengthen markets, systems, and public finances, they could affect fund expenses and the value of fund investments in unpredictable ways.
Similarly, widespread disease including pandemics and epidemics, and natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, droughts, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and climate-related phenomena generally, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of a fund's investments. Economies and financial markets throughout the world have become increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or country will adversely affect markets or issuers in other regions or countries, including the United States. Additionally, market disruptions may result in increased market volatility; regulatory trading halts; closure of domestic or foreign exchanges, markets, or governments; or market participants operating pursuant to business continuity plans for indeterminate periods of time. Further, market disruptions can (i) prevent a fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner, (ii) negatively impact a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective, and (iii) may exacerbate the risks discussed elsewhere in a fund's registration statement, including political, social, and economic risks.
The value of a fund's portfolio is also generally subject to the risk of future local, national, or global economic or natural disturbances based on unknown weaknesses in the markets in which a fund invests. In the event of such a disturbance, the issuers of securities held by a fund may experience significant declines in the value of their assets and even cease operations, or may receive government assistance accompanied by increased restrictions on their business operations or other government intervention. In addition, it remains uncertain that the U.S. Government or foreign governments will intervene in response to current or future market disturbances and the effect of any such future intervention cannot be predicted.
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are shares of other investment companies, commodity pools, or other entities that are traded on an exchange. Assets underlying the ETF shares may consist of stocks, bonds, commodities, or other instruments, depending on an ETF's investment objective and strategies. An ETF may seek to replicate the performance of a specific index or may be actively managed.
Typically, shares of an ETF that tracks an index are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark increases. However, in the case of inverse ETFs (also called "short ETFs" or "bear ETFs"), ETF shares are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark decreases. Inverse ETFs seek to deliver the opposite of the performance of the benchmark they track and are often marketed as a way for investors to profit from, or at least hedge their exposure to, downward moving markets. Investments in inverse ETFs are similar to holding short positions in the underlying benchmark.
ETF shares are redeemable only in large blocks of shares often called "creation units" by persons other than a fund, and are redeemed principally in-kind at each day's next calculated net asset value per share (NAV). ETFs typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a fund. A fund's purchase of ETFs results in the layering of expenses, such that the fund would indirectly bear a proportionate share of any ETF's operating expenses. Further, while traditional investment companies are continuously offered at NAV, ETFs are traded in the secondary market (e.g., on a stock exchange) on an intra-day basis at prices that may be above or below the value of their underlying portfolios.
Some of the risks of investing in an ETF that tracks an index are similar to those of investing in an indexed mutual fund, including tracking error risk (the risk of errors in matching the ETF's underlying assets to the index or other benchmark); and the risk that because an ETF that tracks an index is not actively managed, it cannot sell stocks or other assets as long as they are represented in the index or other benchmark. Other ETF risks include the risk that ETFs may trade in the secondary market at a discount from their NAV and the risk that the ETFs may not be liquid. ETFs also may be leveraged. Leveraged ETFs seek to deliver multiples of the performance of the index or other benchmark they track and use derivatives in an effort to amplify the returns (or decline, in the case of inverse ETFs) of the underlying index or benchmark. While leveraged ETFs may offer the potential for greater return, the potential for loss and the speed at which losses can be realized also are greater. Most leveraged and inverse ETFs "reset" daily, meaning they are designed to achieve their stated objectives on a daily basis. Leveraged and inverse ETFs can deviate substantially from the performance of their underlying benchmark over longer periods of time, particularly in volatile periods.
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) are a type of senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt security issued by financial institutions that combines aspects of both bonds and ETFs. An ETN's returns are based on the performance of a market index or other reference asset minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN's maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the market index or other reference asset to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs typically do not make periodic interest payments and principal typically is not protected.
ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable index. The market value of an ETN is determined by supply and demand, the current performance of the index or other reference asset, and the credit rating of the ETN issuer. The market value of ETN shares may differ from their intraday indicative value. The value of an ETN may also change due to a change in the issuer's credit rating. As a result, there may be times when an ETN's share trades at a premium or discount to its NAV. Some ETNs that use leverage in an effort to amplify the returns of an underlying index or other reference asset can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs may offer the potential for greater return, but the potential for loss and speed at which losses can be realized also are greater.
Exposure to Foreign and Emerging Markets. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
Foreign investments involve risks relating to local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments, and may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors. Such actions may include expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. From time to time, a fund's adviser and/or its affiliates may determine that, as a result of regulatory requirements that may apply to the adviser and/or its affiliates due to investments in a particular country, investments in the securities of issuers domiciled or listed on trading markets in that country above certain thresholds (which may apply at the account level or in the aggregate across all accounts managed by the adviser and its affiliates) may be impractical or undesirable. In such instances, the adviser may limit or exclude investment in a particular issuer, and investment flexibility may be restricted. Additionally, governmental issuers of foreign debt securities may be unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due and may require that the conditions for payment be renegotiated. There is no assurance that a fund's adviser will be able to anticipate these potential events or counter their effects. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.
It is anticipated that in most cases the best available market for foreign securities will be on an exchange or in over-the-counter (OTC) markets located outside of the United States. Foreign stock markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States, and securities of some foreign issuers may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign security trading, settlement and custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment) are often less developed than those in U.S. markets, and may result in increased investment or valuation risk or substantial delays in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign subcustodian. In addition, the costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.
Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets. Foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis. In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States. OTC markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated. Regulatory enforcement may be influenced by economic or political concerns, and investors may have difficulty enforcing their legal rights in foreign countries.
Some foreign securities impose restrictions on transfer within the United States or to U.S. persons. Although securities subject to such transfer restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. These risks include foreign exchange risk as well as the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country.
The risks of foreign investing may be magnified for investments in emerging markets. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
Foreign Currency Transactions. A fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies). Although foreign exchange dealers generally do not charge a fee for such conversions, they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the counterparty desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Forward contracts are customized transactions that require a specific amount of a currency to be delivered at a specific exchange rate on a specific date or range of dates in the future. Forward contracts are generally traded in an interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the contemplated currency exchange.
The following discussion summarizes the principal currency management strategies involving forward contracts that could be used by a fund. A fund may also use swap agreements, indexed securities, and options and futures contracts relating to foreign currencies for the same purposes. Forward contracts not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through payments in U.S. dollars rather than through delivery of the underlying currency. All of these instruments and transactions are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default.
A "settlement hedge" or "transaction hedge" is designed to protect a fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date a security denominated in a foreign currency is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying security transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars "locks in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. Forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency may also be used to protect a fund in anticipation of future purchases or sales of securities denominated in foreign currency, even if the specific investments have not yet been selected.
A fund may also use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in a foreign currency. For example, if a fund owned securities denominated in pounds sterling, it could enter into a forward contract to sell pounds sterling in return for U.S. dollars to hedge against possible declines in the pound's value. Such a hedge, sometimes referred to as a "position hedge," would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in security values caused by other factors. A fund could also attempt to hedge the position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the pound sterling. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as a "proxy hedge," could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency, but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.
A fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a "cross-hedge," will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, much as if a fund had sold a security denominated in one currency and purchased an equivalent security denominated in another. A fund may cross-hedge its U.S. dollar exposure in order to achieve a representative weighted mix of the major currencies in its benchmark index and/or to cover an underweight country or region exposure in its portfolio. Cross-hedges protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency, but will cause a fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases.
Successful use of currency management strategies will depend on an adviser's skill in analyzing currency values. Currency management strategies may substantially change a fund's investment exposure to changes in currency exchange rates and could result in losses to a fund if currencies do not perform as an adviser anticipates. For example, if a currency's value rose at a time when a fund had hedged its position by selling that currency in exchange for dollars, the fund would not participate in the currency's appreciation. If a fund hedges currency exposure through proxy hedges, the fund could realize currency losses from both the hedge and the security position if the two currencies do not move in tandem. Similarly, if a fund increases its exposure to a foreign currency and that currency's value declines, the fund will realize a loss. Foreign currency transactions involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted and that a fund's hedging strategies will be ineffective. Moreover, it is impossible to precisely forecast the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a foreign currency forward contract. Accordingly, a fund may be required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expenses of such transaction), if an adviser's predictions regarding the movement of foreign currency or securities markets prove inaccurate.
A fund may be required to limit its hedging transactions in foreign currency forwards, futures, and options in order to maintain its classification as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code (Code). Hedging transactions could result in the application of the mark-to-market provisions of the Code, which may cause an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid by a fund are classified as capital gains or ordinary income. There is no assurance that an adviser's use of currency management strategies will be advantageous to a fund or that it will employ currency management strategies at appropriate times.
Options and Futures Relating to Foreign Currencies. Currency futures contracts are similar to forward currency exchange contracts, except that they are traded on exchanges (and have margin requirements) and are standardized as to contract size and delivery date. Most currency futures contracts call for payment or delivery in U.S. dollars. The underlying instrument of a currency option may be a foreign currency, which generally is purchased or delivered in exchange for U.S. dollars, or may be a futures contract. The purchaser of a currency call obtains the right to purchase the underlying currency, and the purchaser of a currency put obtains the right to sell the underlying currency.
The uses and risks of currency options and futures are similar to options and futures relating to securities or indexes, as discussed below. A fund may purchase and sell currency futures and may purchase and write currency options to increase or decrease its exposure to different foreign currencies. Currency options may also be purchased or written in conjunction with each other or with currency futures or forward contracts. Currency futures and options values can be expected to correlate with exchange rates, but may not reflect other factors that affect the value of a fund's investments. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a Yen-denominated security from a decline in the Yen, but will not protect a fund against a price decline resulting from deterioration in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the value of a fund's foreign-denominated investments changes in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of currency options and futures to the value of the fund's investments exactly over time.
Currency options traded on U.S. or other exchanges may be subject to position limits which may limit the ability of the fund to reduce foreign currency risk using such options.
Funds of Funds and Other Large Shareholders. Certain Fidelity® funds and accounts (including funds of funds) invest in other funds ("underlying funds") and, as a result, may at times have substantial investments in one or more underlying funds.
An underlying fund may experience large redemptions or investments due to transactions in its shares by funds of funds, other large shareholders, or similarly managed accounts. While it is impossible to predict the overall effect of these transactions over time, there could be an adverse impact on an underlying fund's performance. In the event of such redemptions or investments, an underlying fund could be required to sell securities or to invest cash at a time when it may not otherwise desire to do so. Such transactions may increase an underlying fund's brokerage and/or other transaction costs and affect the liquidity of a fund's portfolio. In addition, when funds of funds or other investors own a substantial portion of an underlying fund's shares, a large redemption by such an investor could cause actual expenses to increase, or could result in the underlying fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the underlying fund's expense ratio. Redemptions of underlying fund shares could also accelerate the realization of taxable capital gains in the fund if sales of securities result in capital gains. The impact of these transactions is likely to be greater when a fund of funds or other significant investor purchases, redeems, or owns a substantial portion of the underlying fund's shares.
When possible, Fidelity will consider how to minimize these potential adverse effects, and may take such actions as it deems appropriate to address potential adverse effects, including redemption of shares in-kind rather than in cash or carrying out the transactions over a period of time, although there can be no assurance that such actions will be successful. A high volume of redemption requests can impact an underlying fund the same way as the transactions of a single shareholder with substantial investments. As an additional safeguard, Fidelity® fund of funds may manage the placement of their redemption requests in a manner designed to minimize the impact of such requests on the day-to-day operations of the underlying funds in which they invest. This may involve, for example, redeeming its shares of an underlying fund gradually over time or through use of a transition account.
Fund's Rights as an Investor. Fidelity® funds do not intend to direct or administer the day-to-day operations of any company. A fund may, however, exercise its rights as a shareholder or lender and may communicate its views on important matters of policy to a company's management, board of directors, and shareholders, and holders of a company's other securities when such matters could have a significant effect on the value of the fund's investment in the company. The activities in which a fund may engage, either individually or in conjunction with others, may include, among others, supporting or opposing proposed changes in a company's corporate structure or business activities; seeking changes in a company's directors or management; seeking changes in a company's direction or policies; seeking the sale or reorganization of the company or a portion of its assets; supporting or opposing third-party takeover efforts; supporting the filing of a bankruptcy petition; or foreclosing on collateral securing a security. This area of corporate activity is increasingly prone to litigation and it is possible that a fund could be involved in lawsuits related to such activities. Such activities will be monitored with a view to mitigating, to the extent possible, the risk of litigation against a fund and the risk of actual liability if a fund is involved in litigation. No guarantee can be made, however, that litigation against a fund will not be undertaken or liabilities incurred. A fund's proxy voting guidelines are included in its SAI.
Futures, Options, and Swaps. The success of any strategy involving futures, options, and swaps depends on an adviser's analysis of many economic and mathematical factors and a fund's return may be higher if it never invested in such instruments. Additionally, some of the contracts discussed below are new instruments without a trading history and there can be no assurance that a market for the instruments will continue to exist. Government legislation or regulation could affect the use of such instruments and could limit a fund's ability to pursue its investment strategies. If a fund invests a significant portion of its assets in derivatives, its investment exposure could far exceed the value of its portfolio securities and its investment performance could be primarily dependent upon securities it does not own.
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund will not: (a) sell futures contracts, purchase put options, or write call options if, as a result, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be hedged with futures and options under normal conditions; (b) purchase futures contracts or write put options if, as a result, the fund's total obligations upon settlement or exercise of purchased futures contracts and written put options would exceed 25% of its total assets under normal conditions; or (c) purchase call options if, as a result, the current value of option premiums for call options purchased by the fund would exceed 5% of the fund's total assets. These limitations do not apply to options attached to or acquired or traded together with their underlying securities, and do not apply to structured notes.
The policies and limitations regarding the fund's investments in futures contracts, options, and swaps may be changed as regulatory agencies permit.
The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which a fund may enter into futures, options on futures, and forward contracts.
Futures Contracts. In purchasing a futures contract, the buyer agrees to purchase a specified underlying instrument at a specified future date. In selling a futures contract, the seller agrees to sell a specified underlying instrument at a specified date. Futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts and the price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when the buyer and seller enter into the contract. Some currently available futures contracts are based on specific securities or baskets of securities, some are based on commodities or commodities indexes (for funds that seek commodities exposure), and some are based on indexes of securities prices (including foreign indexes for funds that seek foreign exposure). Futures on indexes and futures not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through cash payments rather than through delivery of the underlying instrument. Futures can be held until their delivery dates, or can be closed out by offsetting purchases or sales of futures contracts before then if a liquid market is available. A fund may realize a gain or loss by closing out its futures contracts.
The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of its underlying instrument. Therefore, purchasing futures contracts will tend to increase a fund's exposure to positive and negative price fluctuations in the underlying instrument, much as if it had purchased the underlying instrument directly. When a fund sells a futures contract, by contrast, the value of its futures position will tend to move in a direction contrary to the market for the underlying instrument. Selling futures contracts, therefore, will tend to offset both positive and negative market price changes, much as if the underlying instrument had been sold.
The purchaser or seller of a futures contract or an option for a futures contract is not required to deliver or pay for the underlying instrument or the final cash settlement price, as applicable, unless the contract is held until the delivery date. However, both the purchaser and seller are required to deposit "initial margin" with a futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant, when the contract is entered into. If the value of either party's position declines, that party will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to settle the change in value on a daily basis. This process of "marking to market" will be reflected in the daily calculation of open positions computed in a fund's NAV. The party that has a gain is entitled to receive all or a portion of this amount. Initial and variation margin payments do not constitute purchasing securities on margin for purposes of a fund's investment limitations. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a fund, but is instead a settlement between a fund and the futures commission merchant of the amount one would owe the other if the fund's contract expired. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a futures commission merchant that holds margin on behalf of a fund, the fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the futures commission merchant's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the fund.
Although futures exchanges generally operate similarly in the United States and abroad, foreign futures exchanges may follow trading, settlement, and margin procedures that are different from those for U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts traded outside the United States may not involve a clearing mechanism or related guarantees and may involve greater risk of loss than U.S.-traded contracts, including potentially greater risk of losses due to insolvency of a futures broker, exchange member, or other party that may owe initial or variation margin to a fund. Because initial and variation margin payments may be measured in foreign currency, a futures contract traded outside the United States may also involve the risk of foreign currency fluctuation.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for futures contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may work to prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.
If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or other market conditions, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value. These risks may be heightened for commodity futures contracts, which have historically been subject to greater price volatility than exists for instruments such as stocks and bonds.
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded futures contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in futures contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the futures position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell futures contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's futures positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments. In addition, the price of a commodity futures contract can reflect the storage costs associated with the purchase of the physical commodity.
Futures contracts on U.S. Government securities historically have reacted to an increase or decrease in interest rates in a manner similar to the manner in which the underlying U.S. Government securities reacted. To the extent, however, that a fund enters into such futures contracts, the value of these futures contracts will not vary in direct proportion to the value of the fund's holdings of U.S. Government securities. Thus, the anticipated spread between the price of the futures contract and the hedged security may be distorted due to differences in the nature of the markets. The spread also may be distorted by differences in initial and variation margin requirements, the liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.
Options. By purchasing a put option, the purchaser obtains the right (but not the obligation) to sell the option's underlying instrument at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, the purchaser pays the current market price for the option (known as the option premium). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific assets or securities, baskets of assets or securities, indexes of securities or commodities prices, and futures contracts (including commodity futures contracts). Options may be traded on an exchange or OTC. The purchaser may terminate its position in a put option by allowing it to expire or by exercising the option. If the option is allowed to expire, the purchaser will lose the entire premium. If the option is exercised, the purchaser completes the sale of the underlying instrument at the strike price. Depending on the terms of the contract, upon exercise, an option may require physical delivery of the underlying instrument or may be settled through cash payments. A purchaser may also terminate a put option position by closing it out in the secondary market at its current price, if a liquid secondary market exists.
The buyer of a typical put option can expect to realize a gain if the underlying instrument's price falls substantially. However, if the underlying instrument's price does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer can expect to suffer a loss (limited to the amount of the premium, plus related transaction costs).
The features of call options are essentially the same as those of put options, except that the purchaser of a call option obtains the right (but not the obligation) to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. A call buyer typically attempts to participate in potential price increases of the underlying instrument with risk limited to the cost of the option if the underlying instrument's price falls. At the same time, the buyer can expect to suffer a loss if the underlying instrument's price does not rise sufficiently to offset the cost of the option.
The writer of a put or call option takes the opposite side of the transaction from the option's purchaser. In return for receipt of the premium, the writer assumes the obligation to pay or receive the strike price for the option's underlying instrument if the other party to the option chooses to exercise it. The writer may seek to terminate a position in a put option before exercise by closing out the option in the secondary market at its current price. If the secondary market is not liquid for a put option, however, the writer must continue to be prepared to pay the strike price while the option is outstanding, regardless of price changes. When writing an option on a futures contract, a fund will be required to make margin payments to a futures commission merchant as described above for futures contracts.
If the underlying instrument's price rises, a put writer would generally expect to profit, although its gain would be limited to the amount of the premium it received. If the underlying instrument's price remains the same over time, it is likely that the writer will also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a lower price. If the underlying instrument's price falls, the put writer would expect to suffer a loss. This loss should be less than the loss from purchasing the underlying instrument directly, however, because the premium received for writing the option should mitigate the effects of the decline.
Writing a call option obligates the writer to sell or deliver the option's underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, upon exercise of the option. The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that writing calls generally is a profitable strategy if prices remain the same or fall. Through receipt of the option premium, a call writer should mitigate the effects of a price increase. At the same time, because a call writer must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, even if its current value is greater, a call writer gives up some ability to participate in price increases and, if a call writer does not hold the underlying instrument, a call writer's loss is theoretically unlimited.
Where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price to close out the put or call option on the secondary market may move more or less than the price of the related security.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular options contract at any particular time. Options may have relatively low trading volume and liquidity if their strike prices are not close to the underlying instrument's current price. In addition, exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for exchange-traded options contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or otherwise, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value.
Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size, and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the purchaser or writer greater flexibility to tailor an option to its needs, OTC options generally are less liquid and involve greater credit risk than exchange-traded options, which are backed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
Combined positions involve purchasing and writing options in combination with each other, or in combination with futures or forward contracts, to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, purchasing a put option and writing a call option on the same underlying instrument would construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract. Another possible combined position would involve writing a call option at one strike price and buying a call option at a lower price, to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
A fund may also buy and sell options on swaps (swaptions), which are generally options on interest rate swaps. An option on a swap gives a party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to extend, shorten, cancel or modify an existing contract at a specific date in the future in exchange for a premium. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes (sells) an option on a swap than it will incur when it purchases an option on a swap. When a fund purchases an option on a swap, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a fund writes an option on a swap, upon exercise of the option the fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. A fund that writes an option on a swap receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the preset rate on the underlying interest rate swap. Whether a fund's use of options on swaps will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Options on swaps may involve risks similar to those discussed below in "Swap Agreements."
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded options contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in options contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the options position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Options prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Options prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell options contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's options positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments.
Swap Agreements. Under a typical equity swap agreement, a counterparty such as a bank or broker-dealer agrees to pay a fund a return equal to the dividend payments and increase in value, if any, of an index or group of stocks, or of a stock, and the fund agrees in return to pay a fixed or floating rate of interest, plus any declines in value of the index. Swap agreements can also have features providing for maximum or minimum exposure to a designated index. In order to hedge its exposure effectively, a fund would generally have to own other assets returning approximately the same amount as the interest rate payable by the fund under the swap agreement.
Swap agreements allow a fund to acquire or reduce credit exposure to a particular issuer, asset, or basket of assets. The most significant factor in the performance of swap agreements is the change in value of the specific index, security, or currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from a fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a fund, the fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. If the creditworthiness of a fund's swap counterparty declines, the risk that the counterparty may not perform could increase, potentially resulting in a loss to the fund and impairing the fund's correlation with its applicable index. Although there can be no assurance that a fund will be able to do so, a fund may be able to reduce or eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or another more creditworthy party.
A fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. A fund would generally be required to provide margin or collateral for the benefit of that counterparty. If a counterparty to a swap transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited temporarily or permanently in exercising its right to the return of related fund assets designated as margin or collateral in an action against the counterparty.
Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to a fund's interest. A fund bears the risk that an adviser will not accurately forecast market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other economic factors in establishing swap positions for a fund. If an adviser attempts to use a swap as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, a fund may be exposed to the risk that the swap will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment, which could cause substantial losses for a fund. While hedging strategies involving swap instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other fund investments. Swaps are complex and often valued subjectively.
Hybrid and Preferred Securities. A hybrid security may be a debt security, warrant, convertible security, certificate of deposit or other evidence of indebtedness on which the value of the interest on or principal of which is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument or financial strength of a reference entity (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, index, or business entity such as a financial institution). Another example is contingent convertible securities, which are fixed income securities that, under certain circumstances, either convert into common stock of the issuer or undergo a principal write-down by a predetermined percentage if the issuer's capital ratio falls below a predetermined trigger level. The liquidation value of such a security may be reduced upon a regulatory action and without the need for a bankruptcy proceeding. Preferred securities may take the form of preferred stock and represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds generally take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.
The risks of investing in hybrid and preferred securities reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid or preferred security may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt or equity security. The risks of a particular hybrid or preferred security will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the value of any applicable reference instrument. Such risks may depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid or preferred security. Hybrid and preferred securities are potentially more volatile and carry greater market and liquidity risks than traditional debt or equity securities. Also, the price of the hybrid or preferred security and any applicable reference instrument may not move in the same direction or at the same time. In addition, because hybrid and preferred securities may be traded over-the-counter or in bilateral transactions with the issuer of the security, hybrid and preferred securities may be subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the security and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates. In addition, uncertainty regarding the tax and regulatory treatment of hybrid and preferred securities may reduce demand for such securities and tax and regulatory considerations may limit the extent of a fund's investments in certain hybrid and preferred securities.
Illiquid Investments means any investment that cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Difficulty in selling or disposing of illiquid investments may result in a loss or may be costly to a fund. Illiquid securities may include (1) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days without demand/redemption features, (2) OTC options and certain other derivatives, (3) private placements, (4) securities traded on markets and exchanges with structural constraints, and (5) loan participations.
Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, a Fidelity® fund's adviser classifies the liquidity of a fund's investments and monitors the extent of a fund's illiquid investments.
Various market, trading and investment-specific factors may be considered in determining the liquidity of a fund's investments including, but not limited to (1) the existence of an active trading market, (2) the nature of the security and the market in which it trades, (3) the number, diversity, and quality of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace, (4) the frequency, volume, and volatility of trade and price quotations, (5) bid-ask spreads, (6) dates of issuance and maturity, (7) demand, put or tender features, and (8) restrictions on trading or transferring the investment.
Fidelity classifies certain investments as illiquid based upon these criteria. Fidelity also monitors for certain market, trading and investment-specific events that may cause Fidelity to re-evaluate an investment's liquidity status and may lead to an investment being classified as illiquid. In addition, Fidelity uses a third-party to assist with the liquidity classifications of the fund's investments, which includes calculating the time to sell and settle a specified size position in a particular investment without the sale significantly changing the market value of the investment.
Increasing Government Debt. The total public debt of the United States and other countries around the globe as a percent of gross domestic product has, at times, grown rapidly. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented.
A high national debt level may increase market pressures to meet government funding needs, which may drive debt cost higher and cause a country to sell additional debt, thereby increasing refinancing risk. A high national debt also raises concerns that a government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. In the worst case, unsustainable debt levels can decline the valuation of currencies, and can prevent a government from implementing effective counter-cyclical fiscal policy in economic downturns.
Rating services have, in the past, lowered their long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States. The market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government may be adversely affected by rating services' decision to downgrade the long-term sovereign credit rating of the United States.
Indexed Securities are instruments whose prices are indexed to the prices of other securities, securities indexes, or other financial indicators. Indexed securities typically, but not always, are debt securities or deposits whose values at maturity or coupon rates are determined by reference to a specific instrument, statistic, or measure.
Indexed securities also include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and other fixed-income securities whose values at maturity or coupon interest rates are determined by reference to the returns of particular stock indexes. Indexed securities can be affected by stock prices as well as changes in interest rates and the creditworthiness of their issuers and may not track the indexes as accurately as direct investments in the indexes.
Insolvency of Issuers, Counterparties, and Intermediaries. Issuers of fund portfolio securities or counterparties to fund transactions that become insolvent or declare bankruptcy can pose special investment risks. In each circumstance, risk of loss, valuation uncertainty, increased illiquidity, and other unpredictable occurrences may negatively impact an investment. Each of these risks may be amplified in foreign markets, where security trading, settlement, and custodial practices can be less developed than those in the U.S. markets, and bankruptcy laws differ from those of the U.S.
As a general matter, if the issuer of a fund portfolio security is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock have priority over the claims of common stock owners. These events can negatively impact the value of the issuer's securities and the results of related proceedings can be unpredictable.
If a counterparty to a fund transaction, such as a swap transaction, a short sale, a borrowing, or other complex transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited in its ability to exercise rights to obtain the return of related fund assets or in exercising other rights against the counterparty. Uncertainty may also arise upon the insolvency of a securities or commodities intermediary such as a broker-dealer or futures commission merchant with which a fund has pending transactions. In addition, insolvency and liquidation proceedings take time to resolve, which can limit or preclude a fund's ability to terminate a transaction or obtain related assets or collateral in a timely fashion. If an intermediary becomes insolvent, while securities positions and other holdings may be protected by U.S. or foreign laws, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether these protections are available to specific trades based on the circumstances. Receiving the benefit of these protections can also take time to resolve, which may result in illiquid positions.
Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program. Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, a Fidelity® fund may lend money to, and borrow money from, other funds advised by FMR or its affiliates. A Fidelity® fund will borrow through the program only when the costs are equal to or lower than the costs of bank loans. A Fidelity® fund will lend through the program only when the returns are higher than those available from an investment in repurchase agreements. Interfund loans and borrowings normally extend overnight, but can have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. A Fidelity® fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.
Investment-Grade Debt Securities. Investment-grade debt securities include all types of debt instruments that are of medium and high-quality. Investment-grade debt securities include repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities as well as repurchase agreements collateralized by equity securities, non-investment-grade debt, and all other instruments in which a fund can perfect a security interest, provided the repurchase agreement counterparty has an investment-grade rating. Some investment-grade debt securities may possess speculative characteristics and may be more sensitive to economic changes and to changes in the financial conditions of issuers. An investment-grade rating means the security or issuer is rated investment-grade by a credit rating agency registered as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) with the SEC (for example, Moody's Investors Service, Inc.), or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by a fund's adviser. For purposes of determining the maximum maturity of an investment-grade debt security, an adviser may take into account normal settlement periods.
Loans and Other Direct Debt Instruments. Direct debt instruments are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to lenders or lending syndicates (loans and loan participations), to suppliers of goods or services (trade claims or other receivables), or to other parties. Direct debt instruments involve a risk of loss in case of default or insolvency of the borrower and may offer less legal protection to the purchaser in the event of fraud or misrepresentation, or there may be a requirement that a fund supply additional cash to a borrower on demand. A fund may acquire loans by buying an assignment of all or a portion of the loan from a lender or by purchasing a loan participation from a lender or other purchaser of a participation.
Lenders and purchasers of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. If scheduled interest or principal payments are not made, the value of the instrument may be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured provide more protections than an unsecured loan in the event of failure to make scheduled interest or principal payments. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the borrower's obligation, or that the collateral could be liquidated. Indebtedness of borrowers whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks and may be highly speculative. Different types of assets may be used as collateral for a fund's loans and there can be no assurance that a fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the fund's loans. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy or restructuring may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. In any restructuring or bankruptcy proceedings relating to a borrower funded by a fund, a fund may be required to accept collateral with less value than the amount of the loan made by the fund to the borrower. Direct indebtedness of foreign countries also involves a risk that the governmental entities responsible for the repayment of the debt may be unable, or unwilling, to pay interest and repay principal when due.
Loans and other types of direct indebtedness (which a fund may originate, acquire or otherwise gain exposure to) may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Some indebtedness may be difficult to dispose of readily at what the Adviser believes to be a fair price. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining a fund's net asset value than if that value were based on readily available market quotations, and could result in significant variations in a fund's daily share price. Some loan interests are traded among certain financial institutions and accordingly may be deemed liquid. As the market for different types of indebtedness develops, the liquidity of these instruments is expected to improve.
Direct lending and investments in loans through direct assignment of a financial institution's interests with respect to a loan may involve additional risks. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, the lender/purchaser could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In the event of a default by the borrower, a fund may have difficulty disposing of the assets used as collateral for a loan. In addition, a purchaser could be held liable as a co-lender. Direct debt instruments may also involve a risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other intermediary.
A loan is often administered by a bank or other financial institution that acts as agent for all holders. The agent administers the terms of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, the purchaser has direct recourse against the borrower, the purchaser may have to rely on the agent to apply appropriate credit remedies against a borrower. If assets held by the agent for the benefit of a purchaser were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent's general creditors, the purchaser might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on the loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal or interest. Direct loans are typically not administered by an underwriter or agent bank. The terms of direct loans are negotiated with borrowers in private transactions. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market.
A fund may seek to dispose of loans in certain cases, to the extent possible, through selling participations in the loan. In that case, a fund would remain subject to certain obligations, which may result in expenses for a fund and certain additional risks.
Direct indebtedness may include letters of credit, revolving credit facilities, or other standby financing commitments that obligate lenders/purchasers, including a fund, to make additional cash payments on demand. These commitments may have the effect of requiring a lender/purchaser to increase its investment in a borrower at a time when it would not otherwise have done so, even if the borrower's condition makes it unlikely that the amount will ever be repaid.
In the process of originating, buying, selling and holding loans, a fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to the interest payments received and may include facility, closing or upfront fees, commitment fees and commissions. A fund may receive or pay a facility, closing or upfront fee when it buys or sells a loan. A fund may receive a commitment fee throughout the life of the loan or as long as the fund remains invested in the loan (in addition to interest payments) for any unused portion of a committed line of credit. Other fees received by the fund may include prepayment fees, covenant waiver fees, ticking fees and/or modification fees. Legal fees related to the originating, buying, selling and holding loans may also be borne by the fund (including legal fees to assess conformity of a loan investment with 1940 Act provisions).
When engaging in direct lending, if permitted by its investment policies, a fund's performance may depend, in part, on the ability of the fund to originate loans on advantageous terms. A fund may compete with other lenders in originating and purchasing loans. Increased competition for, or a diminished available supply of, qualifying loans could result in lower yields on and/or less advantageous terms for such loans, which could reduce fund performance.
For a Fidelity® fund that limits the amount of total assets that it will invest in any one issuer or in issuers within the same industry, the fund generally will treat the borrower as the "issuer" of indebtedness held by the fund. In the case of loan participations where a bank or other lending institution serves as financial intermediary between a fund and the borrower, if the participation does not shift to the fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the borrower, SEC interpretations require a fund, in appropriate circumstances, to treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the borrower as "issuers" for these purposes. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict a fund's ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or a group of intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the underlying borrowers represent many different companies and industries.
A fund may choose, at its expense or in conjunction with others, to pursue litigation or otherwise to exercise its rights as a security holder to seek to protect the interests of security holders if it determines this to be in the best interest of the fund's shareholders.
If permitted by its investment policies, a fund may also obtain exposure to the lending activities described above indirectly through its investments in underlying Fidelity® funds or other vehicles that may engage in such activities directly.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Equity REITs own real estate properties, while mortgage REITs make construction, development, and long-term mortgage loans. Their value may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property of the trusts, the creditworthiness of the issuer, property taxes, interest rates, and tax and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment. Both types of trusts are dependent upon management skill, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status of income under the Internal Revenue Code and failing to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act.
Repurchase Agreements involve an agreement to purchase a security and to sell that security back to the original seller at an agreed-upon price. The resale price reflects the purchase price plus an agreed-upon incremental amount which is unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. As protection against the risk that the original seller will not fulfill its obligation, the securities are held in a separate account at a bank, marked-to-market daily, and maintained at a value at least equal to the sale price plus the accrued incremental amount. The value of the security purchased may be more or less than the price at which the counterparty has agreed to purchase the security. In addition, delays or losses could result if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes insolvent. A fund may be limited in its ability to exercise its right to liquidate assets related to a repurchase agreement with an insolvent counterparty. A Fidelity® fund may engage in repurchase agreement transactions with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser.
Restricted Securities (including Private Placements) are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling securities may result in a loss or be costly to a fund. Restricted securities, including private placements of private and public companies, generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (1933 Act), or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of a registered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the holder might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a fund sells a security to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at an agreed-upon price and time. A Fidelity® fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser. Such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of a fund's assets and, if applicable, a fund's yield, and may be viewed as a form of leverage. Under SEC requirements, a fund needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with its reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions.
SEC Rule 18f-4. In October 2020, the SEC adopted a final rule related to the use of derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and certain other transactions by registered investment companies (the "rule"). Subject to certain exceptions, the rule requires the funds to trade derivatives and certain other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations subject to a value-at-risk (VaR) leverage limit and to certain derivatives risk management program, reporting and board oversight requirements. Generally, these requirements apply to any fund engaging in derivatives transactions unless a fund satisfies a "limited derivatives users" exception, which requires the fund to limit its gross notional derivatives exposure (with certain exceptions) to 10% of its net assets and to adopt derivatives risk management procedures. Under the rule, when a fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. The SEC also provided guidance in connection with the final rule regarding the use of securities lending collateral that may limit securities lending activities. In addition, under the rule, a fund may invest in a security on a when-issued or forward-settling basis, or with a non-standard settlement cycle, and the transaction will be deemed not to involve a senior security (as defined under Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act), provided that (i) the fund intends to physically settle the transaction and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date (the "Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision"). A fund may otherwise engage in when-issued, forward-settling and non-standard settlement cycle securities transactions that do not meet the conditions of the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision so long as the fund treats any such transaction as a derivatives transaction for purposes of compliance with the rule. Furthermore, under the rule, a fund will be permitted to enter into an unfunded commitment agreement, and such unfunded commitment agreement will not be subject to the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act, if the fund reasonably believes, at the time it enters into such agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all such agreements as they come due. These requirements may limit the ability of the funds to use derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, and the other relevant transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements also may increase the cost of the fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.
Securities Lending. A Fidelity® fund may lend securities to parties such as broker-dealers or other institutions, including an affiliate, National Financial Services LLC (NFS). Fidelity® funds for which Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) serves as sub-adviser will not lend securities to Geode or its affiliates. Securities lending allows a fund to retain ownership of the securities loaned and, at the same time, earn additional income. The borrower provides the fund with collateral in an amount at least equal to the value of the securities loaned. The fund seeks to maintain the ability to obtain the right to vote or consent on proxy proposals involving material events affecting securities loaned. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased. For a Fidelity® fund, loans will be made only to parties deemed by the fund's adviser to be in good standing and when, in the adviser's judgment, the income earned would justify the risks.
The Fidelity® funds have retained agents, including NFS, an affiliate of the funds, to act as securities lending agent. If NFS acts as securities lending agent for a fund, it is subject to the overall supervision of the fund's adviser, and NFS will administer the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the fund's Trustees.
Cash received as collateral through loan transactions may be invested in other eligible securities, including shares of a money market fund. Investing this cash subjects that investment, as well as the securities loaned, to market appreciation or depreciation.
Securities of Other Investment Companies, including shares of closed-end investment companies (which include business development companies (BDCs)), unit investment trusts, and open-end investment companies such as mutual funds and ETFs, represent interests in professionally managed portfolios that may invest in any type of instrument. Investing in other investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments, but may involve additional expenses at the underlying investment company-level, such as portfolio management fees and operating expenses. Fees and expenses incurred indirectly by a fund as a result of its investment in shares of one or more other investment companies generally are referred to as "acquired fund fees and expenses" and may appear as a separate line item in a fund's prospectus fee table. For certain investment companies, such as BDCs, these expenses may be significant. Certain types of investment companies, such as closed-end investment companies, issue a fixed number of shares that trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their NAV. Others are continuously offered at NAV, but may also be traded in the secondary market. Similarly, ETFs trade on a securities exchange and may trade at a premium or a discount to their NAV.
The securities of closed-end funds may be leveraged. As a result, a fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of closed-end funds that use leverage may expose a fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the fund's long-term returns on such securities will be diminished.
A fund's ability to invest in securities of other investment companies may be limited by federal securities laws. To the extent a fund acquires securities issued by unaffiliated investment companies, the Adviser's access to information regarding such underlying fund's portfolio may be limited and subject to such fund's policies regarding disclosure of fund holdings.
A fund that seeks to track the performance of a particular index could invest in investment companies that seek to track the performance of indexes other than the index that the fund seeks to track.
Short Sales "Against the Box" are short sales of securities that a fund owns or has the right to obtain (equivalent in kind or amount to the securities sold short). If a fund enters into a short sale against the box, it will be required to set aside securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short (or securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and will be required to hold such securities while the short sale is outstanding. A fund will incur transaction costs, including interest expenses, in connection with opening, maintaining, and closing short sales against the box.
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs). A fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of SPACs or similar special purpose entities that pool money to seek potential acquisition opportunities. SPACs are collective investment structures formed to raise money in an initial public offering for the purpose of merging with or acquiring one or more operating companies (the "de-SPAC Transaction"). Until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets in US government securities, money market securities and cash. In connection with a de-SPAC Transaction, the SPAC may complete a PIPE (private investment in public equity) offering with certain investors. A fund may enter into a contingent commitment with a SPAC to purchase PIPE shares if and when the SPAC completes its de-SPAC Transaction.
Because SPACs do not have an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the SPAC's management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. An investment in a SPAC is subject to a variety of risks, including that (i) an attractive acquisition or merger target may not be identified at all and the SPAC will be required to return any remaining monies to shareholders; (ii) an acquisition or merger once effected may prove unsuccessful and an investment in the SPAC may lose value; (iii) the values of investments in SPACs may be highly volatile and may depreciate significantly over time; (iv) no or only a thinly traded market for shares of or interests in a SPAC may develop, leaving a fund unable to sell its interest in a SPAC or to sell its interest only at a price below what the fund believes is the SPAC interest's intrinsic value; (v) any proposed merger or acquisition may be unable to obtain the requisite approval, if any, of shareholders; (vi) an investment in a SPAC may be diluted by additional later offerings of interests in the SPAC or by other investors exercising existing rights to purchase shares of the SPAC; (vii) the warrants or other rights with respect to the SPAC held by a fund may expire worthless or may be repurchased or retired by the SPAC at an unfavorable price; (viii) a fund may be delayed in receiving any redemption or liquidation proceeds from a SPAC to which it is entitled; and (ix) a significant portion of the monies raised by the SPAC for the purpose of identifying and effecting an acquisition or merger may be expended during the search for a target transaction.
Purchased PIPE shares will be restricted from trading until the registration statement for the shares is declared effective. Upon registration, the shares can be freely sold, but only pursuant to an effective registration statement or other exemption from registration. The securities issued by a SPAC, which are typically traded either in the over-the-counter market or on an exchange, may be considered illiquid, more difficult to value, and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.
Structured Securities (also called "structured notes") are derivative debt securities, the interest rate on or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. The value of the interest rate on and/or the principal of structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, or index) or the relative change in two or more reference instruments. A structured security may be positively, negatively, or both positively and negatively indexed; that is, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases. Similarly, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument decreases. Further, the change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured security may be calculated as a multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument(s); therefore, the value of such structured security may be very volatile. Structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities. In addition, because structured securities generally are traded over-the-counter, structured securities are subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the structured security, and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates.
Transfer Agent Bank Accounts. Proceeds from shareholder purchases of a Fidelity® fund may pass through a series of demand deposit bank accounts before being held at the fund's custodian. Redemption proceeds may pass from the custodian to the shareholder through a similar series of bank accounts.
If a bank account is registered to the transfer agent or an affiliate, who acts as an agent for the fund when opening, closing, and conducting business in the bank account, the transfer agent or an affiliate may invest overnight balances in the account in repurchase agreements. Any balances that are not invested in repurchase agreements remain in the bank account overnight. Any risks associated with such an account are investment risks of the fund. The fund faces the risk of loss of these balances if the bank becomes insolvent.
Warrants. Warrants are instruments which entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss.
Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.
Zero Coupon Bonds do not make interest payments; instead, they are sold at a discount from their face value and are redeemed at face value when they mature. Because zero coupon bonds do not pay current income, their prices can be more volatile than other types of fixed-income securities when interest rates change. In calculating a fund's dividend, a portion of the difference between a zero coupon bond's purchase price and its face value is considered income.
In addition to the investment policies and limitations discussed above, a fund is subject to the additional operational risk discussed below.
Considerations Regarding Cybersecurity. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, a fund's service providers are susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events and may arise from external or internal sources. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information; corrupting data, equipment or systems; or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber incidents affecting a fund's manager, any sub-adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with a fund's ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of fund shareholders to transact business, destruction to equipment and systems, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cyber incidents affecting issuers of securities in which a fund invests, counterparties with which a fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for fund shareholders) and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future.
While a fund's service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect a fund or its shareholders. A fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities are placed on behalf of the fund by Geode pursuant to authority contained in the management contract and the sub-advisory agreement.
Geode may be responsible for the placement of portfolio securities transactions for other investment companies and investment accounts for which it has or its affiliates have investment discretion.
The fund will not incur any commissions or sales charges when it invests in shares of mutual funds (including any underlying Central funds), but it may incur such costs when it invests directly in other types of securities.
Purchases and sales of equity securities on a securities exchange or OTC are effected through brokers who receive compensation for their services. Generally, compensation relating to securities traded on foreign exchanges will be higher than compensation relating to securities traded on U.S. exchanges and may not be subject to negotiation. Compensation may also be paid in connection with principal transactions (in both OTC securities and securities listed on an exchange) and agency OTC transactions executed with an electronic communications network (ECN) or an alternative trading system. Equity securities may be purchased from underwriters at prices that include underwriting fees.
Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally made with an issuer or a primary market-maker acting as principal. Although there is no stated brokerage commission paid by the fund for any fixed-income security, the price paid by the fund to an underwriter includes the disclosed underwriting fee and prices in secondary trades usually include an undisclosed dealer commission or markup reflecting the spread between the bid and ask prices of the fixed-income security. New issues of equity and fixed-income securities may also be purchased in underwritten fixed price offerings.
The Trustees of the fund periodically review Geode's performance of its responsibilities in connection with the placement of portfolio securities transactions on behalf of the fund. The Trustees also review the compensation paid by the fund over representative periods of time to determine if it was reasonable in relation to the benefits to the fund.
Geode.
The Selection of Brokers
In selecting brokers or dealers (including affiliates of FMR) to execute the fund's portfolio transactions, Geode considers factors deemed relevant in the context of a particular trade and in regard to Geode's overall responsibilities with respect to the fund and other investment accounts, including any instructions from the fund's portfolio manager, which may emphasize, for example, speed of execution over other factors. The factors considered will influence whether it is appropriate to execute an order using ECNs, electronic channels including algorithmic trading, or by actively working an order. Other factors deemed relevant may include, but are not limited to: price; the size and type of the transaction; the reasonableness of compensation to be paid, including spreads and commission rates; the speed and certainty of trade executions; the nature and characteristics of the markets for the security to be purchased or sold, including the degree of specialization of the broker in such markets or securities; the availability of liquidity in the security, including the liquidity and depth afforded by a market center or market-maker; the reliability of a market center or broker; the degree of anonymity that a particular broker or market can provide; the potential for avoiding market impact; the execution services rendered on a continuing basis; the execution efficiency, settlement capability, and financial condition of the firm; arrangements for payment of fund expenses, if applicable; and the provision of additional brokerage and research products and services, if applicable. In seeking best qualitative execution, Geode may select a broker using a trading method for which the broker may charge a higher commission than its lowest available commission rate. Geode also may select a broker that charges more than the lowest commission rate available from another broker. For futures transactions, the selection of a futures commission merchant is generally based on the overall quality of execution and other services provided by the futures commission merchant.
The Acquisition of Brokerage and Research Products and Services
Brokers (who are not affiliates of FMR) that execute transactions for the fund may receive higher compensation from the fund than other brokers might have charged the fund, in recognition of the value of the brokerage or research products and services they provide to Geode.
Research Products and Services. These products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law: economic, industry, company, municipal, sovereign (U.S. and non-U.S.), legal, or political research reports; market color; company meeting facilitation; compilation of securities prices, earnings, dividends and similar data; quotation services, data, information and other services; analytical computer software and services; and investment recommendations. In addition to receiving brokerage and research products and services via written reports and computer-delivered services, such reports may also be provided by telephone and in person meetings with securities analysts, corporate and industry spokespersons, economists, academicians and government representatives and others with relevant professional expertise. Geode may request that a broker provide a specific proprietary or third-party product or service. Some of these products and services supplement Geode's own research activities in providing investment advice to the fund.
Execution Services. In addition, products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law, those that assist in the execution, clearing, and settlement of securities transactions, as well as other incidental functions (including, but not limited to, communication services related to trade execution, order routing and algorithmic trading, post-trade matching, exchange of messages among brokers or dealers, custodians and institutions, and the use of electronic confirmation and affirmation of institutional trades).
Mixed-Use Products and Services. Geode may use commission dollars to obtain certain products or services that are not used exclusively in Geode's investment decision-making process (mixed-use products or services). In those circumstances, Geode will make a good faith judgment to evaluate the various benefits and uses to which they intend to put the mixed-use product or service, and will pay for that portion of the mixed-use product or service that does not qualify as brokerage and research products and services with their own resources (referred to as "hard dollars").
Benefit to Geode. Geode's expenses would likely be increased if it attempted to generate these additional products and services through its own efforts, or if it paid for these products or services itself. Certain of the brokerage and research products and services Geode receives are furnished by brokers on their own initiative, either in connection with a particular transaction or as part of their overall services. Some of these products or services may not have an explicit cost associated with such product or service.
Geode's Decision-Making Process. Before causing the fund to pay a particular level of compensation, Geode will make a good faith determination that the compensation is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research products and services provided to Geode, viewed in terms of the particular transaction for the fund or Geode's overall responsibilities to the fund or other investment companies and investment accounts. While Geode may take into account the brokerage and/or research products and services provided by a broker in determining whether compensation paid is reasonable, neither Geode nor the fund incurs an obligation to any broker, dealer, or third party to pay for any product or service (or portion thereof) by generating a specific amount of compensation or otherwise. Typically, these products and services assist Geode in terms of its overall investment responsibilities to the fund and other investment companies and investment accounts; however, each product or service received may not benefit the fund. Certain funds or investment accounts may use brokerage commissions to acquire brokerage and research products and services that may also benefit other funds or accounts managed by Geode.
Affiliated Transactions
Geode may place trades with certain brokers, including NFS, through its Fidelity Capital Markets (FCM) division, and Luminex Trading & Analytics LLC (Luminex), with whom FMR is under common control, provided it determines that these affiliates' trade execution abilities and costs are comparable to those of non-affiliated, qualified brokerage firms.
The Trustees of the fund have approved procedures whereby a fund is permitted to purchase securities that are offered in underwritings in which an affiliate of the adviser or certain other affiliates participate. In addition, for underwritings where such an affiliate participates as a principal underwriter, certain restrictions may apply that could, among other things, limit the amount of securities that the fund could purchase in the underwritings.
Trade Allocation
Although the Trustees and officers of the fund are substantially the same as those of certain other Fidelity® funds, investment decisions for the fund are made independently from those of other Fidelity® funds or investment accounts (including proprietary accounts).The same security is often held in the portfolio of more than one of these funds or investment accounts. Simultaneous transactions are inevitable when several funds and investment accounts are managed by the same investment adviser, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objective of more than one fund or investment account.
When two or more funds or investment accounts are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security or instrument, the prices and amounts are allocated in accordance with procedures believed to be appropriate and equitable to each fund or investment account. In some cases this could have a detrimental effect on the price or value of the security or instrument as far as the fund is concerned. In other cases, however, the ability of the fund to participate in volume transactions will produce better executions and prices for the fund.
Orders for funds and investment accounts are not typically combined or "blocked". However, Geode may, when feasible and when consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all funds and investment accounts and best execution, block orders of various funds and investment accounts for order entry and execution.
Geode has established allocation policies for its various funds and investment accounts to ensure allocations are appropriate given its clients' differing investment objectives and other considerations. When the supply/demand is insufficient to satisfy all outstanding trade orders, generally the amount executed is distributed among participating funds and investment accounts based on account asset size (for purchases and short sales), and security position size (for sales and covers), or otherwise according to the allocation policies. These policies also apply to initial public and secondary offerings. Generally, allocations are determined by traders, independent of portfolio managers, in accordance with these policies. Allocations are determined and documented on trade date.
Geode's trade allocation policies identify circumstances under which it is appropriate to deviate from the general allocation criteria and describe the alternative procedures. For example, if a standard allocation would result in a fund or investment account receiving a very small allocation (e.g., because of its small asset size), the fund or investment account may receive an increased allocation to achieve a more meaningful allocation, or it may receive no allocation. Generally, any exceptions to Geode's policies (i.e., special allocations) must be approved by senior investment or trading personnel, reviewed by the compliance department, and documented.
Commissions Paid
A fund may pay compensation including both commissions and spreads in connection with the placement of portfolio transactions. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a fund may change from year to year because of, among other things, changing asset levels, shareholder activity, and/or portfolio turnover.
For Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund, the following table shows the fund's portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal period(s) ended July 31, 2023 and 2022. Variations in turnover rate may be due to a fluctuating volume of shareholder purchase and redemption orders and/or market conditions.
Turnover Rates
|
2023
|
2022
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
58%
|
47%
|
The following table shows the total amount of brokerage commissions paid by the following fund(s), comprising commissions paid on securities and/or futures transactions, as applicable, for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. The total amount of brokerage commissions paid is stated as a dollar amount and a percentage of the fund's average net assets.
Fund
|
Fiscal Year
Ended
|
Dollar
Amount
|
Percentage
of
Average
Net Assets
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
163,167
|
0.00%
|
2022
|
$
|
183,367
|
0.00%
|
|
2021
|
$
|
141,750
|
0.00%
|
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund paid no brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
During the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2023, Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund did not allocate brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
VALUATION
The NAV is the value of a single share. NAV is computed by adding the value of a fund's investments, cash, and other assets, subtracting its liabilities, and dividing the result by the number of shares outstanding.
The Board of Trustees has designated the fund's investment adviser as the valuation designee responsible for the fair valuation function and performing fair value determinations as needed. The adviser has established a Fair Value Committee (the Committee) to carry out the day-to-day fair valuation responsibilities and has adopted policies and procedures to govern the fair valuation process and the activities of the Committee.
Shares of open-end investment companies (including any underlying Central funds) held by a fund are valued at their respective NAVs. If an underlying fund's NAV is unavailable, shares of that underlying fund will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies.
Generally, other portfolio securities and assets held by a fund, as well as portfolio securities and assets held by an underlying Central fund, are valued as follows:
Most equity securities are valued at the official closing price or the last reported sale price or, if no sale has occurred, at the last quoted bid price on the primary market or exchange on which they are traded.
Debt securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available may be valued at market values in the principal market in which they normally are traded, as furnished by recognized dealers in such securities or assets. Or, debt securities and convertible securities may be valued on the basis of information furnished by a pricing service that uses a valuation matrix which incorporates both dealer-supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques.
Short-term securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less for which market quotations and information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates current value.
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price. Options are valued at their market quotations, if available. Swaps are valued daily using quotations received from independent pricing services or recognized dealers.
Prices described above are obtained from pricing services that have been approved by the Committee. A number of pricing services are available and a fund may use more than one of these services. A fund may also discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time. A fund's adviser through the Committee engages in oversight activities with respect to the fund's pricing services, which includes, among other things, testing the prices provided by pricing services prior to calculation of a fund's NAV, conducting periodic due diligence meetings, and periodically reviewing the methodologies and inputs used by these services.
Foreign securities and instruments are valued in their local currency following the methodologies described above. Foreign securities, instruments and currencies are translated to U.S. dollars, based on foreign currency exchange rate quotations supplied by a pricing service as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which uses a proprietary model to determine the exchange rate. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at an interpolated rate based on days to maturity between the closest preceding and subsequent settlement period reported by the third party pricing service.
Other portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the opinion of the Committee, are deemed unreliable will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the opinion of the Committee, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. In fair valuing a security, the Committee may consider factors including, but not limited to, price movements in futures contracts and ADRs, market and trading trends, the bid/ask quotes of brokers, and off-exchange institutional trading. The frequency that portfolio securities or assets are fair valued cannot be predicted and may be significant.
In determining the fair value of a private placement security for which market quotations are not available, the Committee generally applies one or more valuation methods including the market approach, income approach and cost approach. The market approach considers factors including the price of recent investments in the same or a similar security or financial metrics of comparable securities. The income approach considers factors including expected future cash flows, security specific risks and corresponding discount rates. The cost approach considers factors including the value of the security's underlying assets and liabilities.
The fund's adviser reports to the Board information regarding the fair valuation process and related material matters.
BUYING AND SELLING INFORMATION
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
Investors participating in a discretionary investment program are charged an annual advisory fee based on a percentage of the average market value of assets in their account. The stated fee is then reduced by a credit reflecting the amount of fees, if any, received by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC or its affiliates from mutual funds for investment management or certain other services.
The fund may make redemption payments in whole or in part in readily marketable securities or other property pursuant to procedures approved by the Trustees if Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC determines it is in the best interests of the fund. Such securities or other property will be valued for this purpose as they are valued in computing the NAV of a fund or class, as applicable. Shareholders that receive securities or other property will realize, upon receipt, a gain or loss for tax purposes, and will incur additional costs and be exposed to market risk prior to and upon the sale of such securities or other property.
The fund, in its discretion, may determine to issue its shares in kind in exchange for securities held by the purchaser having a value, determined in accordance with the fund's policies for valuation of portfolio securities, equal to the purchase price of the fund shares issued. The fund will accept for in-kind purchases only securities or other instruments that are appropriate under its investment objective and policies. In addition, the fund generally will not accept securities of any issuer unless they are liquid, have a readily ascertainable market value, and are not subject to restrictions on resale. All dividends, distributions, and subscription or other rights associated with the securities become the property of the fund, along with the securities. Shares purchased in exchange for securities in kind generally cannot be redeemed for fifteen days following the exchange to allow time for the transfer to settle.
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends. A portion of the fund's income may qualify for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders. A portion of the fund's dividends, when distributed to individual shareholders, may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met). Distributions by the fund to tax-advantaged retirement plan accounts are not taxable currently (but you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Capital Gain Distributions. Unless your shares of the fund are held in a tax-advantaged retirement plan, the fund's long-term capital gain distributions are federally taxable to shareholders generally as capital gains.
Returns of Capital. If the fund's distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in the fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold in taxable accounts.
Foreign Tax Credit or Deduction. Foreign governments may impose withholding taxes on dividends and interest earned by the fund with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Foreign governments may also impose taxes on other payments or gains with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Because the fund does not currently anticipate that securities of foreign issuers or underlying regulated investment companies will constitute more than 50% of its total assets at the end of its fiscal year, or fiscal quarter, respectively, shareholders should not expect to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction on their federal income tax returns with respect to foreign taxes withheld.
Tax Status of the Fund. The fund intends to qualify each year as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code so that it will not be liable for federal tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, and avoid being subject to federal income or excise taxes at the fund level, the fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains within each calendar year as well as on a fiscal year basis (if the fiscal year is other than the calendar year), and intends to comply with other tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies.
Other Tax Information. The information above is only a summary of some of the tax consequences generally affecting the fund and its shareholders, and no attempt has been made to discuss individual tax consequences. It is up to you or your tax preparer to determine whether the sale of shares of the fund resulted in a capital gain or loss or other tax consequence to you. In addition to federal income taxes, shareholders may be subject to state and local taxes on fund distributions, and shares may be subject to state and local personal property taxes. Investors should consult their tax advisers to determine whether the fund is suitable to their particular tax situation.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
The Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the trust and fund, as applicable, are listed below. The Board of Trustees governs the fund and is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The Trustees are experienced executives who meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the fund's activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the fund, oversee management of the risks associated with such activities and contractual arrangements, and review the fund's performance. Except for Jonathan Chiel, each of the Trustees oversees 313 funds. Mr. Chiel oversees 191 funds.
The Trustees hold office without limit in time except that (a) any Trustee may resign; (b) any Trustee may be removed by written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the number of Trustees prior to such removal; (c) any Trustee who requests to be retired or who has become incapacitated by illness or injury may be retired by written instrument signed by a majority of the other Trustees; and (d) any Trustee may be removed at any special meeting of shareholders by a two-thirds vote of the outstanding voting securities of the trust. Each Trustee who is not an interested person (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the trust and the fund is referred to herein as an Independent Trustee. Each Independent Trustee shall retire not later than the last day of the calendar year in which his or her 75th birthday occurs. The Independent Trustees may waive this mandatory retirement age policy with respect to individual Trustees. Officers and Advisory Board Members hold office without limit in time, except that any officer or Advisory Board Member may resign or may be removed by a vote of a majority of the Trustees at any regular meeting or any special meeting of the Trustees. Except as indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the past five years.
Experience, Skills, Attributes, and Qualifications of the Trustees. The Governance and Nominating Committee has adopted a statement of policy that describes the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that are necessary and desirable for potential Independent Trustee candidates (Statement of Policy). The Board believes that each Trustee satisfied at the time he or she was initially elected or appointed a Trustee, and continues to satisfy, the standards contemplated by the Statement of Policy. The Governance and Nominating Committee also engages professional search firms to help identify potential Independent Trustee candidates who have the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills consistent with the Statement of Policy. From time to time, additional criteria based on the composition and skills of the current Independent Trustees, as well as experience or skills that may be appropriate in light of future changes to board composition, business conditions, and regulatory or other developments, have also been considered by the professional search firms and the Governance and Nominating Committee. In addition, the Board takes into account the Trustees' commitment and participation in Board and committee meetings, as well as their leadership of standing and ad hoc committees throughout their tenure.
In determining that a particular Trustee was and continues to be qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board has considered a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, was controlling. The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have balanced and diverse experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills, which allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the fund and protecting the interests of shareholders. Information about the specific experience, skills, attributes, and qualifications of each Trustee, which in each case led to the Board's conclusion that the Trustee should serve (or continue to serve) as a trustee of the fund, is provided below.
Board Structure and Oversight Function. Abigail P. Johnson is an interested person and currently serves as Chairman. The Trustees have determined that an interested Chairman is appropriate and benefits shareholders because an interested Chairman has a personal and professional stake in the quality and continuity of services provided to the fund. Independent Trustees exercise their informed business judgment to appoint an individual of their choosing to serve as Chairman, regardless of whether the Trustee happens to be independent or a member of management. The Independent Trustees have determined that they can act independently and effectively without having an Independent Trustee serve as Chairman and that a key structural component for assuring that they are in a position to do so is for the Independent Trustees to constitute a substantial majority for the Board. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet in executive session. Michael E. Kenneally serves as Chairman of the Independent Trustees and as such (i) acts as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management with respect to matters important to the Independent Trustees and (ii) with management prepares agendas for Board meetings.
Fidelity® funds are overseen by different Boards of Trustees. The fund's Board oversees Fidelity's investment-grade bond, money market, asset allocation and certain equity funds, and other Boards oversee Fidelity's alternative investment, high income and other equity funds. The asset allocation funds may invest in Fidelity® funds that are overseen by such other Boards. The use of separate Boards, each with its own committee structure, allows the Trustees of each group of Fidelity® funds to focus on the unique issues of the funds they oversee, including common research, investment, and operational issues. On occasion, the separate Boards establish joint committees to address issues of overlapping consequences for the Fidelity® funds overseen by each Board.
The Trustees operate using a system of committees to facilitate the timely and efficient consideration of all matters of importance to the Trustees, the fund, and fund shareholders and to facilitate compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and oversight of the fund's activities and associated risks. The Board, acting through its committees, has charged FMR and its affiliates with (i) identifying events or circumstances the occurrence of which could have demonstrably adverse effects on the fund's business and/or reputation; (ii) implementing processes and controls to lessen the possibility that such events or circumstances occur or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur; and (iii) creating and maintaining a system designed to evaluate continuously business and market conditions in order to facilitate the identification and implementation processes described in (i) and (ii) above. Because the day-to-day operations and activities of the fund are carried out by or through FMR, its affiliates, and other service providers, the fund's exposure to risks is mitigated but not eliminated by the processes overseen by the Trustees. While each of the Board's committees has responsibility for overseeing different aspects of the fund's activities, oversight is exercised primarily through the Operations and Audit Committees. In addition, an ad hoc Board committee of Independent Trustees has worked with FMR to enhance the Board's oversight of investment and financial risks, legal and regulatory risks, technology risks, and operational risks, including the development of additional risk reporting to the Board. Appropriate personnel, including but not limited to the fund's Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), FMR's internal auditor, the independent accountants, the fund's Treasurer and portfolio management personnel, make periodic reports to the Board's committees, as appropriate, including an annual review of Fidelity's risk management program for the Fidelity® funds. The responsibilities of each standing committee, including their oversight responsibilities, are described further under "Standing Committees of the Trustees."
Interested Trustees*:
Correspondence intended for a Trustee who is an interested person may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Jonathan Chiel (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Chiel also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Chiel is Executive Vice President and General Counsel for FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2012-present). Previously, Mr. Chiel served as general counsel (2004-2012) and senior vice president and deputy general counsel (2000-2004) for John Hancock Financial Services; a partner with Choate, Hall & Stewart (1996-2000) (law firm); and an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney's Office of the District of Massachusetts (1986-95), including Chief of the Criminal Division (1993-1995). Mr. Chiel is a director on the boards of the Boston Bar Foundation and the Maimonides School.
Abigail P. Johnson (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Ms. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Ms. Johnson serves as Chairman (2016-present), Chief Executive Officer (2014-present), and Director (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company), President of Fidelity Financial Services (2012-present) and President of Personal, Workplace and Institutional Services (2005-present). Ms. Johnson is Chairman and Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (investment adviser firm, 2011-present). Previously, Ms. Johnson served as Chairman and Director of FMR Co., Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2011-2019), Vice Chairman (2007-2016) and President (2013-2016) of FMR LLC, President and a Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company (2001-2005), a Trustee of other investment companies advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company, Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. (investment adviser firm), and FMR Co., Inc. (2001-2005), Senior Vice President of the Fidelity® funds (2001-2005), and managed a number of Fidelity® funds. Ms. Abigail P. Johnson and Mr. Arthur E. Johnson are not related.
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe (1959)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Ms. McAuliffe also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and as Trustee of Fidelity Charitable (2020-present). Previously, Ms. McAuliffe served as Co-Head of Fixed Income of Fidelity Investments Limited (now known as FIL Limited (FIL)) (diversified financial services company), Director of Research for FIL's credit and quantitative teams in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo and Director of Research for taxable and municipal bonds at Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. Ms. McAuliffe previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016). Ms. McAuliffe was previously a lawyer at Ropes & Gray LLP and an international banker at Chemical Bank NA (now JPMorgan Chase & Co.). Ms. McAuliffe also currently serves as director or trustee of several not-for-profit entities.
* Determined to be an "Interested Trustee" by virtue of, among other things, his or her affiliation with the trust or various entities under common control with FMR.
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Independent Trustees:
Correspondence intended for an Independent Trustee may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Elizabeth S. Acton (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Trustee
Ms. Acton also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Acton served as Executive Vice President, Finance (2011-2012), Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (2002-2011) and Treasurer (2004-2005) of Comerica Incorporated (financial services). Prior to joining Comerica, Ms. Acton held a variety of positions at Ford Motor Company (1983-2002), including Vice President and Treasurer (2000-2002) and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ford Motor Credit Company (1998-2000). Ms. Acton currently serves as a member of the Board and Audit and Finance Committees of Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (homebuilding, 2012-present). Ms. Acton previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2013-2016).
Ann E. Dunwoody (1953)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Trustee
General Dunwoody also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. General Dunwoody (United States Army, Retired) was the first woman in U.S. military history to achieve the rank of four-star general and prior to her retirement in 2012 held a variety of positions within the U.S. Army, including Commanding General, U.S. Army Material Command (2008-2012). General Dunwoody currently serves as a member of the Board, Chair of Nomination Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee of Kforce Inc. (professional staffing services, 2016-present) and a member of the Board of Automattic Inc. (software engineering, 2018-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as President of First to Four LLC (leadership and mentoring services, 2012-2022), a member of the Advisory Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of L3 Technologies, Inc. (communication, electronic, sensor and aerospace systems, 2013-2019) and a member of the Board and Audit and Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committees of Republic Services, Inc. (waste collection, disposal and recycling, 2013-2016). General Dunwoody also serves on several boards for non-profit organizations, including as a member of the Board, Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee of the Noble Reach Foundation (formerly Logistics Management Institute) (consulting non-profit, 2012-present) and a member of the Board of ThanksUSA (military family education non-profit, 2014-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as a member of the Board of Florida Institute of Technology (2015-2022) and a member of the Council of Trustees for the Association of the United States Army (advocacy non-profit, 2013-2021). General Dunwoody previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2018).
John Engler (1948)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2014
Trustee
Mr. Engler also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Engler served as Governor of Michigan (1991-2003), President of the Business Roundtable (2011-2017) and interim President of Michigan State University (2018-2019). Previously, Mr. Engler served as a member of the Board of Stride, Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.) (technology-based education company, 2012-2022), a member of the Board of Universal Forest Products (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2003-2019) and Trustee of The Munder Funds (2003-2014). Mr. Engler previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2014-2016).
Robert F. Gartland (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Trustee
Mr. Gartland also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Gartland held a variety of positions at Morgan Stanley (financial services, 1979-2007), including Managing Director (1987-2007) and Chase Manhattan Bank (1975-1978). Mr. Gartland previously served as Chairman and an investor in Gartland & Mellina Group Corp. (consulting, 2009-2019), as a member of the Board of National Securities Clearing Corporation (1993-1996) and as Chairman of TradeWeb (2003-2004).
Arthur E. Johnson (1947)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2008
Trustee
Mr. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Johnson served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategic Development of Lockheed Martin Corporation (defense contractor, 1999-2009). Mr. Johnson currently serves as a member of the Board of Booz Allen Hamilton (management consulting, 2011-present). Mr. Johnson previously served as a member of the Board of Eaton Corporation plc (diversified power management, 2009-2019) and a member of the Board of AGL Resources, Inc. (holding company, 2002-2016). Mr. Johnson previously served as Chairman (2018-2021) and Vice Chairman (2015-2018) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Mr. Arthur E. Johnson is not related to Ms. Abigail P. Johnson.
Michael E. Kenneally (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Independent Trustees
Mr. Kenneally also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and was Vice Chairman (2018-2021) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Prior to retirement in 2005, he was Chairman and Global Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management, the worldwide fund management and institutional investment business of Credit Suisse Group. Previously, Mr. Kenneally was an Executive Vice President and the Chief Investment Officer for Bank of America. In this role, he was responsible for the investment management, strategy and products delivered to the bank's institutional, high-net-worth and retail clients. Earlier, Mr. Kenneally directed the organization's equity and quantitative research groups. He began his career as a research analyst and then spent more than a dozen years as a portfolio manager for endowments, pension plans and mutual funds. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1991.
Mark A. Murray (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Murray also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Murray served as Co-Chief Executive Officer (2013-2016), President (2006-2013) and Vice Chairman (2013-2020) of Meijer, Inc. Mr. Murray serves as a member of the Board (2009-present) and Public Policy and Responsibility Committee (2009-present) and Chair of the Nuclear Review Committee (2019-present) of DTE Energy Company (diversified energy company). Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Board of Spectrum Health (not-for-profit health system, 2015-2019) and as a member of the Board and Audit Committee and Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Universal Forest Products, Inc. (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2004-2016). Mr. Murray also serves as a member of the Board of many community and professional organizations. Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016).
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Advisory Board Members and Officers:
Correspondence intended for a Member of the Advisory Board (if any) may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235. Correspondence intended for an officer may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Officers appear below in alphabetical order.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupation
Laura M. Bishop (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2022
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Bishop also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Bishop held a variety of positions at United Services Automobile Association (2001-2020), including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2014-2020) and Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer (2012-2014). Ms. Bishop currently serves as a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation and Personnel Committee (2021-present) of the Board of Directors of Korn Ferry (global organizational consulting).
Robert W. Helm (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Member of the Advisory Board
Mr. Helm also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Helm was formerly Deputy Chairman (2003-2020), partner (1991-2020) and an associate (1984-1991) of Dechert LLP (formerly Dechert Price & Rhoads). Mr. Helm currently serves on boards and committees of several not-for-profit organizations, including as a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs, a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Baltimore and a member of the Life Guard Society of Mt. Vernon.
Carol J. Zierhoffer (1960)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Zierhoffer also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Zierhoffer held a variety of positions at Bechtel Corporation (engineering company, 2013-2019), including Principal Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2013-2016) and Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2016-2019). Ms. Zierhoffer currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2020-present) and as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit and Finance Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (aviation operating services, 2021-present). Previously, Ms. Zierhoffer served as a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee and as the founding Chair of the Information Technology Committee of MedAssets, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2013-2016).
Heather Bonner (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Bonner also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Bonner serves as Senior Vice President (2022-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Ms. Bonner serves as Assistant Treasurer of Fidelity CRET Trustee LLC (2022-present). Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms. Bonner served as Managing Director at AQR Capital Management (2013-2022) and was the Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of the AQR Funds (2013-2022).
Craig S. Brown (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2019
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Brown also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Brown serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2013-present). Previously, Mr. Brown served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2022).
John J. Burke III (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Burke also serves as Chief Financial Officer of other funds. Mr. Burke serves as Head of Investment Operations for Fidelity Fund and Investment Operations (2018-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1998-present). Previously Mr. Burke served as head of Asset Management Investment Operations (2012-2018).
Margaret Carey (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer (CLO)
Ms. Carey also serves as an officer of other funds and as CLO of certain other Fidelity entities. She is a Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2019-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments.
David J. Carter (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2020
Assistant Secretary
Mr. Carter also serves as Assistant Secretary of other funds. Mr. Carter serves as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel (2022-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present).
Jonathan Davis (1968)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Davis also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Davis serves as Vice President Assistant Treasurer and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Mr. Davis serves as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity entities.
Laura M. Del Prato (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
President and Treasurer
Ms. Del Prato also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Del Prato serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2017-present). Previously, Ms. Del Prato served as President and Treasurer of The North Carolina Capital Management Trust: Cash Portfolio and Term Portfolio (2018-2020). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Del Prato served as a Managing Director and Treasurer of the JPMorgan Mutual Funds (2014-2017). Prior to JPMorgan, Ms. Del Prato served as a partner at Cohen Fund Audit Services (accounting firm, 2012-2013) and KPMG LLP (accounting firm, 2004-2012).
Robin Foley (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Vice President
Ms. Foley also serves as Vice President of other funds. Ms. Foley serves as Head of Fidelity's Fixed Income division (2023-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Ms. Foley served as Chief Investment Officer of Bonds (2017-2023).
Christopher M. Gouveia (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Gouveia also serves as Chief Compliance Officer of other funds. Mr. Gouveia serves as Senior Vice President of Asset Management Compliance for Fidelity Investments and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Mr. Gouveia served as Chief Compliance Officer of the North Carolina Capital Management Trust (2016-2019).
Colm A. Hogan (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Hogan also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Hogan serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present). Previously, Mr. Hogan served as Deputy Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2020) and Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2018).
Chris Maher (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Maher also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Maher serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2008-present). Previously, Mr. Maher served as Assistant Treasurer of certain funds (2013-2020); Vice President of Asset Management Compliance (2013), Vice President of the Program Management Group of FMR (investment adviser firm, 2010-2013), and Vice President of Valuation Oversight (2008-2010).
Brett Segaloff (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Officer
Mr. Segaloff also serves as an AML Officer of other funds and other related entities. He is Director, Anti-Money Laundering (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1996-present).
Stacie M. Smith (1974)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Smith also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Smith serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2009-present), and has served in other fund officer roles. Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Smith served as Senior Audit Manager of Ernst & Young LLP (accounting firm, 1996-2009). Previously, Ms. Smith served as Assistant Treasurer (2013-2019) and Deputy Treasurer (2013-2016) of certain Fidelity® funds.
Jim Wegmann (1979)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Deputy Treasurer
Mr. Wegmann also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Wegmann serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2011-present). Previously, Mr. Wegmann served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2021).
Standing Committees of the Trustees. The Board of Trustees has established various committees to support the Independent Trustees in acting independently in pursuing the best interests of the funds and their shareholders. Currently, the Board of Trustees has four standing committees. The members of each committee are Independent Trustees.
The Operations Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Kenneally currently serving as Chair. The committee normally meets at least six times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair, and serves as a forum for consideration of issues of importance to, or calling for particular determinations by, the Independent Trustees. The committee considers matters involving potential conflicts of interest between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, including matters involving potential claims of one or more funds (e.g., for reimbursements of expenses or losses) against FMR, and reviews proposed contracts and the proposed continuation of contracts between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, and annually reviews and makes recommendations regarding contracts with third parties unaffiliated with FMR, including insurance coverage and custody agreements. The committee has oversight of compliance issues not specifically within the scope of any other committee. These matters include, but are not limited to, significant non-conformance with contract requirements and other significant regulatory matters and recommending to the Board of Trustees the designation of a person to serve as the funds' CCO. The committee (i) serves as a primary point of contact (generally after the Independent Trustee who serves as a liaison for the CCO) for the CCO with regard to Board-related functions; (ii) oversees the annual performance review of the CCO; (iii) makes recommendations concerning the CCO's compensation; and (iv) makes recommendations as needed in respect of the removal of the CCO.
The Audit Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Ms. Acton currently serving as Chair. At least one committee member will be an "audit committee financial expert" as defined by the SEC. The committee normally meets four times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair or a majority of committee members. The committee meets separately, at least annually, with the funds' Treasurer, with the funds' Chief Financial Officer, with personnel responsible for the internal audit function of FMR LLC, with the funds' outside auditors, and with the funds' CCO. The committee has direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the work of the outside auditors employed by the funds. The committee assists the Trustees in overseeing and monitoring: (i) the systems of internal accounting and financial controls of the funds and the funds' service providers (to the extent such controls impact the funds' financial statements); (ii) the funds' auditors and the annual audits of the funds' financial statements; (iii) the financial reporting processes of the funds; (iv) whistleblower reports; and (v) the accounting policies and disclosures of the funds. The committee considers and acts upon (i) the provision by any outside auditor of any non-audit services for any fund, and (ii) the provision by any outside auditor of certain non-audit services to fund service providers and their affiliates to the extent that such approval (in the case of this clause (ii)) is required under applicable regulations of the SEC. It is responsible for approving all audit engagement fees and terms for the funds and for resolving disagreements between a fund and any outside auditor regarding any fund's financial reporting. Auditors of the funds report directly to the committee. The committee will obtain assurance of independence and objectivity from the outside auditors, including a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the auditor and the funds and any service providers consistent with the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. It oversees and receives reports on the funds' service providers' internal controls and reviews the adequacy and effectiveness of the service providers' accounting and financial controls, including: (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the funds' ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; (ii) any change in the fund's internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the fund's internal control over financial reporting; and (iii) any fraud, whether material or not, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the funds' or service providers internal controls over financial reporting. The committee will also review any correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies or published reports that raise material issues regarding the funds' financial statements or accounting policies. These matters may also be reviewed by the Operations Committee. The committee reviews at least annually a report from each outside auditor describing any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control, peer review, or Public Company Accounting Oversight Board examination of the auditing firm and any material issues raised by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities of the auditing firm and in each case any steps taken to deal with such issues. The committee will oversee and receive reports on the funds' financial reporting process from the funds' Treasurer and outside auditors and will oversee the resolution of any disagreements concerning financial reporting among applicable parties. The committee will discuss with FMR, the funds' Treasurer, outside auditors and, if appropriate, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC their qualitative judgments about the appropriateness and acceptability of accounting principles and financial disclosure practices used or proposed for adoption by the funds. The committee will review with FMR, the funds' outside auditor, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC and legal counsel, as appropriate, matters related to the audits of the funds' financial statements. The committee will discuss regularly and oversee the review of the internal controls of the funds and their service providers with respect to accounting, financial matters and risk management programs related to the funds. The committee will review periodically the funds' major internal controls exposures and the steps that have been taken to monitor and control such exposures.
The Fair Valuation Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Murray currently serving as Chair. The Committee normally meets quarterly, or more frequently as called by the Chair. The Fair Valuation Committee oversees the valuation of securities held by the funds, including the fair valuation of securities by the funds' valuation designee. The Committee receives and reviews related reports and information consistent with its oversight obligations.
The Governance and Nominating Committee is composed of Messrs. Kenneally (Chair) and Gartland (Vice Chair), and Ms. Acton. The committee meets as called by the Chair. With respect to fund governance and board administration matters, the committee periodically reviews procedures of the Board of Trustees and its committees (including committee charters) and periodically reviews compensation of Independent Trustees. The committee monitors corporate governance matters and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees on the frequency and structure of the Board of Trustee meetings and on any other aspect of Board procedures. It acts as the administrative committee under the retirement plan for Independent Trustees who retired prior to December 30, 1996 and under the fee deferral plan for Independent Trustees. It monitors the performance of legal counsel employed by both the funds and the Independent Trustees. The committee will engage and oversee any counsel utilized by the Independent Trustees as may be necessary or appropriate under applicable regulations or otherwise. The committee also approves Board administrative matters applicable to Independent Trustees, such as expense reimbursement policies and compensation for attendance at meetings, conferences and other events. The committee oversees compliance with the provisions of the code of ethics and any supplemental policies regarding personal securities transactions applicable to the Independent Trustees. The committee reviews the functioning of each Board committee and makes recommendations for any changes, including the creation or elimination of standing or ad hoc Board committees. The committee monitors regulatory and other developments to determine whether to recommend modifications to the committee's responsibilities or other Trustee policies and procedures in light of rule changes, reports concerning "recommended practices" in corporate governance and other developments in mutual fund governance. The committee meets with Independent Trustees at least once a year to discuss matters relating to fund governance. The committee recommends that the Board establish such special or ad hoc Board committees as may be desirable or necessary from time to time in order to address ethical, legal, or other matters that may arise. The committee also oversees the annual self-evaluation of the Board of Trustees and establishes procedures to allow it to exercise this oversight function. In conducting this oversight, the committee shall address all matters that it considers relevant to the performance of the Board of Trustees and shall report the results of its evaluation to the Board of Trustees, including any recommended amendments to the principles of governance, and any recommended changes to the funds' or the Board of Trustees' policies, procedures, and structures. The committee reviews periodically the size and composition of the Board of Trustees as a whole and recommends, if necessary, measures to be taken so that the Board of Trustees reflects the appropriate balance of knowledge, experience, skills, expertise, and diversity required for the Board as a whole and contains at least the minimum number of Independent Trustees required by law. The committee makes nominations for the election or appointment of Independent Trustees and non-management Members of any Advisory Board, and for membership on committees. The committee has the authority to retain and terminate any third-party advisers, including authority to approve fees and other retention terms. Such advisers may include search firms to identify Independent Trustee candidates and board compensation consultants. The committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the committee's scope of responsibilities, and may retain, at the funds' expense, such independent counsel or other advisers as it deems necessary. The committee will consider nominees to the Board of Trustees recommended by shareholders based upon the criteria applied to candidates presented to the committee by a search firm or other source. Recommendations, along with appropriate background material concerning the candidate that demonstrates his or her ability to serve as an Independent Trustee of the funds, should be submitted to the Chair of the committee at the address maintained for communications with Independent Trustees. If the committee retains a search firm, the Chair will generally forward all such submissions to the search firm for evaluation. With respect to the criteria for selecting Independent Trustees, it is expected that all candidates will possess the following minimum qualifications: (i) unquestioned personal integrity; (ii) not an interested person of the funds within the meaning of the 1940 Act; (iii) does not have a material relationship (e.g., commercial, banking, consulting, legal, or accounting) with the adviser, any sub-adviser or their affiliates that could create an appearance of lack of independence in respect of the funds; (iv) has the disposition to act independently in respect of FMR and its affiliates and others in order to protect the interests of the funds and all shareholders; (v) ability to attend regularly scheduled Board meetings during the year; (vi) demonstrates sound business judgment gained through broad experience in significant positions where the candidate has dealt with management, technical, financial, or regulatory issues; (vii) sufficient financial or accounting knowledge to add value in the complex financial environment of the funds; (viii) experience on corporate or other institutional oversight bodies having similar responsibilities, but which board memberships or other relationships could not result in business or regulatory conflicts with the funds; and (ix) capacity for the hard work and attention to detail that is required to be an effective Independent Trustee in light of the funds' complex regulatory, operational, and marketing setting. The Governance and Nominating Committee may determine that a candidate who does not have the type of previous experience or knowledge referred to above should nevertheless be considered as a nominee if the Governance and Nominating Committee finds that the candidate has additional qualifications such that his or her qualifications, taken as a whole, demonstrate the same level of fitness to serve as an Independent Trustee.
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, each committee held the number of meetings shown in the table below:
COMMITTEE
|
NUMBER OF MEETINGS HELD
|
Operations Committee
|
8
|
Audit Committee
|
4
|
Fair Valuation Committee
|
3
|
Governance and Nominating Committee
|
11
|
The following table sets forth information describing the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the fund and in all funds in the aggregate within the same fund family overseen by the Trustee for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022.
Interested Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Jonathan Chiel
|
Abigail P Johnson
|
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
Independent Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
Mark A Murray
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
The following table sets forth information describing the compensation of each Trustee and Member of the Advisory Board (if any) for his or her services for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, or calendar year ended December 31, 2022, as applicable.
Compensation Table(A)
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Laura M Bishop(B)
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
$
|
3,353
|
$
|
2,759
|
$
|
2,990
|
$
|
2,974
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
563,000
|
$
|
184,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
496,000
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Robert W Helm
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
$
|
3,344
|
$
|
3,074
|
$
|
2,880
|
$
|
3,612
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
565,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
492,500
|
$
|
612,500
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Mark A Murray
|
Carol J Zierhoffer(D)
|
||||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
$
|
2,960
|
$
|
1,202
|
||||
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
497,500
|
$
|
0
|
(A) Jonathan Chiel, Abigail P. Johnson, and Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe are interested persons and are compensated by Fidelity.
|
(B) Ms. Bishop serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective September 1, 2022.
|
(C) Reflects compensation received for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022 for 295 funds of 31 trusts (including Fidelity Central Investment Portfolios II LLC). Compensation figures include cash and may include amounts elected to be deferred. Certain individuals elected voluntarily to defer a portion of their compensation as follows: Elizabeth S. Acton, $120,000; Laura M. Bishop, $73,674; Ann E. Dunwoody, $274,597; John Engler, $274,597; Robert F. Gartland, $180,000; Robert W. Helm, $274,597; and Mark A. Murray, $274,597.
|
(D) Ms. Zierhoffer serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective March 1, 2023.
|
As of July 31, 2023, the Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the fund owned, in the aggregate, less than 1% of each class's total outstanding shares, with respect to the fund.
As of July 31, 2023, the following owned of record and/or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares:
Fund or Class Name
|
Owner Name
|
City
|
State
|
Ownership %
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
STRATEGIC ADVISERS® FIDELITY® U.S. TOTAL STOCK FUND
|
BOSTON
|
MA
|
84.23%
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
STRATEGIC ADVISERS® LARGE CAP FUND
|
BOSTON
|
MA
|
5.36%
|
As of July 31, 2023, the following owned of record and/or beneficially 25% or more of the outstanding shares:
Fund Name
|
Owner Name
|
City
|
State
|
Ownership %
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
STRATEGIC ADVISERS® FIDELITY® U.S. TOTAL STOCK FUND
|
BOSTON
|
MA
|
84.23%
|
A shareholder owning of record or beneficially more than 25% of a fund's outstanding shares may be considered a controlling person. That shareholder's vote could have a more significant effect on matters presented at a shareholders' meeting than votes of other shareholders.
CONTROL OF INVESTMENT ADVISERS
FMR LLC, as successor by merger to FMR Corp., is the ultimate parent company of FMR. The voting common shares of FMR LLC are divided into two series. Series B is held predominantly by members of the Johnson family, including Abigail P. Johnson, directly or through trusts, and is entitled to 49% of the vote on any matter acted upon by the voting common shares. Series A is held predominantly by non-Johnson family member employees of FMR LLC and its affiliates and is entitled to 51% of the vote on any such matter. The Johnson family group and all other Series B shareholders have entered into a shareholders' voting agreement under which all Series B shares will be voted in accordance with the majority vote of Series B shares. Under the 1940 Act, control of a company is presumed where one individual or group of individuals owns more than 25% of the voting securities of that company. Therefore, through their ownership of voting common shares and the execution of the shareholders' voting agreement, members of the Johnson family may be deemed, under the 1940 Act, to form a controlling group with respect to FMR LLC.
At present, the primary business activities of FMR LLC and its subsidiaries are: (i) the provision of investment advisory, management, shareholder, investment information and assistance and certain fiduciary services for individual and institutional investors; (ii) the provision of securities brokerage services; (iii) the management and development of real estate; and (iv) the investment in and operation of a number of emerging businesses.
Geode, a registered investment adviser, is a subsidiary of Geode Capital Holdings LLC. Geode was founded in January 2001 to develop and manage quantitative investment strategies and to provide advisory and sub-advisory services.
FMR, Geode Capital Management, LLC, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and the fund have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that set forth employees' fiduciary responsibilities regarding the fund, establish procedures for personal investing, and restrict certain transactions. Employees subject to the codes of ethics, including Fidelity and Geode investment personnel, may invest in securities for their own investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the fund.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACT
The fund has entered into a management contract with FMR, pursuant to which FMR furnishes investment advisory and other services.
Management and Sub-Advisory Services. FMR provides the fund with all necessary office facilities and personnel for servicing the fund's investments, compensates all officers of the fund and all Trustees who are interested persons of the trust or of FMR, and compensates all personnel of the fund or FMR performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities.
In addition, FMR or its affiliates, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, provide the management and administrative services necessary for the operation of the fund. These services include providing facilities for maintaining the fund's organization; supervising relations with custodians, transfer and pricing agents, accountants, underwriters and other persons dealing with the fund; preparing all general shareholder communications and conducting shareholder relations; maintaining the fund's records and the registration of the fund's shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws; developing management and shareholder services for the fund; and furnishing reports, evaluations and analyses on a variety of subjects to the Trustees.
Geode serves as sub-adviser of the fund. Under its management contract with the fund, FMR acts as investment adviser. Under the sub-advisory agreement, and subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, Geode directs the investments of the fund in accordance with its investment objective, policies, and limitations.
Management-Related Expenses. In addition to the management fee payable to FMR and the fees payable to the transfer agent and pricing and bookkeeping agent, and the costs associated with securities lending, as applicable, the fund pays all of its expenses that are not assumed by those parties. The fund pays for the typesetting, printing, and mailing of its proxy materials to shareholders, legal expenses, and the fees of the custodian, auditor, and Independent Trustees. The fund's management contract further provides that the fund will pay for typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, notices, and reports to shareholders. Other expenses paid by the fund include interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable, the fund's proportionate share of insurance premiums and Investment Company Institute dues, and the costs of registering shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws. The fund is also liable for such non-recurring expenses as may arise, including costs of any litigation to which the fund may be a party, and any obligation it may have to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect to litigation.
Management Fee.
For the services of FMR under the management contract, the fund pays FMR a monthly management fee at the annual rate of 0.10% of the fund's average net assets throughout the month.
The following table shows the amount of management fees paid by the fund for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 to its current manager and prior affiliated manager(s), if any.
Fund(s)
|
Fiscal
Years
Ended
|
Management
Fees
Paid to
Investment Adviser
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
11,200,646
|
2022
|
$
|
10,854,340
|
|
2021
|
$
|
8,313,330
|
FMR may, from time to time, voluntarily reimburse all or a portion of a fund's or, in the case of a multiple class fund, a class's operating expenses. FMR retains the ability to be repaid for these expense reimbursements in the amount that expenses fall below the limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Expense reimbursements will increase returns, and repayment of the reimbursement will decrease returns.
Sub-Adviser - Geode. The fund and FMR have entered into sub-advisory agreement(s) with Geode. Pursuant to the sub-advisory agreement(s), FMR has granted Geode investment management authority as well as the authority to buy and sell securities.
Under the terms of the sub-advisory agreement(s), for providing investment management services to the fund, FMR, and not the fund, pays Geode fees at an annual rate of 0.0200% of the average daily net assets of the fund.
The following table shows the amount of sub-advisory fees paid by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, on behalf of the fund, to Geode for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
Fund
|
Fiscal Years
Ended
|
Sub-Advisory Fees
Paid by FMR
to Geode
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
2,240,039
|
2022
|
$
|
2,171,168
|
|
2021
|
$
|
1,662,788
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund is managed by Geode, a sub-adviser to the fund. Louis Bottari is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Peter Matthew is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Payal Gupta is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Robert Regan is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Navid Sohrabi is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. As of July 31, 2023, portfolio manager compensation generally consists of a fixed base salary, a bonus that is based on both objective and subjective criteria, and, in certain cases, participation in a profit-based compensation plan. A portion of each portfolio manager's compensation may be deferred based on criteria established by Geode.
Each portfolio manager's base salary is determined annually by level of responsibility and tenure at Geode. The primary component for determining each portfolio manager's bonus is the pre-tax investment performance of the portfolio manager's fund(s) and account(s) relative to a custom peer group, if applicable, and relative to a benchmark index assigned to each fund or account. Performance is measured over multiple measurement periods that eventually encompass periods of up to five years. A portion of each portfolio manager's bonus is linked to Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund's relative pre-tax investment performance measured against the fund's benchmark index. A subjective component of each portfolio manager's bonus is based on the portfolio manager's overall contribution to the management of Geode, including recruiting, monitoring, and mentoring within the investment management teams, as well as time spent assisting in firm promotion. Each portfolio manager may also be compensated under a profit-based compensation plan, which is primarily based on the profits of Geode.
A portfolio manager's compensation plan can give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A manager's base pay tends to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management and a portion of the bonus relates to firm promotion efforts, which together indirectly link compensation to sales. Managing and providing research to multiple accounts (including proprietary accounts) can give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as a portfolio manager must allocate time and investment ideas across multiple accounts. Securities selected for accounts other than the fund may outperform the securities selected for the fund.
In addition to managing the fund's investment portfolio, each portfolio manager also manages other investment portfolios and accounts on behalf of Geode or its affiliates.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Louis Bottari as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund ($13,074 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Bottari was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Payal Gupta as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund ($13,074 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund beneficially owned by Ms. Gupta was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Peter Matthew as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund ($13,074 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Matthew was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Bob Regan as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund ($13,074 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Regan was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Navid Sohrabi as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund ($13,074 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Sohrabi was none.
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
Geode Proxy Voting Policies
As an investment adviser, Geode holds voting authority for securities in many of the client accounts that it manages. Geode takes seriously its responsibility to monitor events affecting securities in those client accounts and to exercise its voting authority with respect to those securities in the best interests of its clients (as well as shareholders of mutual funds for which it serves as adviser or sub-adviser). The purposes of these proxy voting policies are to (1) establish a framework for Geode's analysis and decision-making with respect to proxy voting and (2) set forth operational procedures for Geode's exercise of proxy voting authority.
Overview
Geode anticipates that, based on its current business model, it will manage the vast majority of assets under its management using passive investment management techniques, such as indexing. Geode also manages funds and separate accounts using active investment management techniques, primarily employing quantitative investment strategies.
Geode will engage established commercial proxy advisory firms for comprehensive analysis, research and voting recommendations, particularly for matters that may be controversial or require additional analysis under these Policies.
Geode may determine to follow or reject any recommendation based on the research and analysis provided by proxy advisory firms or on any independent research and analysis obtained or generated by Geode. However, Geode has retained a third-party proxy voting service (the "Agent") to affect votes based on the customized policies established by Geode and maintain records of all of Geode's proxy votes. In limited instances where the Policies do not address the specific matter, the Agent will refer the ballot back to Geode. For ballots related to proxy contests, mergers, acquisitions and other organizational transactions, Geode may determine it is appropriate to conduct a company specific evaluation. In cases of proxies not voted by the Agent, the ultimate voting decision and responsibility rests with Geode Proxy. Geode's Operations Committee oversees the exercise of voting authority under these proxy voting policies.
Due to its focused business model and the number of investments that Geode will make for its clients (particularly pursuant to its indexing strategy), Geode does not anticipate that actual or potential conflicts of interest are likely to occur in the ordinary course of its business. However, Geode believes it is essential to avoid having conflicts of interest affect its objective of voting in the best interests of its clients. Therefore, in the event that members of the Operations Committee, the Agent or any other person involved in the analysis or voting of proxies has knowledge of, or has reason to believe there may exist, any potential relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode (or any affiliate of Geode) or their respective directors, officers, employees or agents, such person shall notify the other members of the Operations Committee. Geode will analyze and address such potential conflict of interest, consulting with outside counsel, as appropriate. In the case of an actual conflict of interest, on the advice of counsel, Geode expects that the independent directors of Geode will consider the matter and may (1) determine that there is no conflict of interest (or that reasonable measures have been taken to remedy or avoid any conflict of interest) that would prevent Geode from voting the applicable proxy, (2) abstain, (3) cause authority to be delegated to the Agent or a similar special fiduciary to vote the applicable proxy or (4) recommend other methodology for mitigating the conflict of interest, if deemed appropriate (e.g., echo voting).
Geode has established the specific proxy voting policies that are summarized below to maximize the value of investments in its clients' accounts, which it believes will be furthered through (1) accountability of a company's management and directors to its shareholders, (2) alignment of the interests of management with those of shareholders (including through compensation, benefit and equity ownership programs), and (3) increased disclosure of a company's business and operations. Geode reserves the right to override any of its proxy voting policies with respect to a particular shareholder vote when such an override is, in Geode's best judgment, consistent with the overall principle of voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of Geode's clients.
Policies
All proxy votes shall be considered and made in a manner consistent with the best interests of Geode's clients (as well as shareholders of mutual fund clients) without regard to any other relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode or its affiliates. As a general matter, (1) proxies will be voted FOR incumbent members of a board of directors and FOR routine management proposals, except as otherwise addressed under these policies; (2) shareholder and non-routine management proposals addressed by these policies will be voted as provided in these policies; and (3) shareholder and non-routine management proposals not addressed by these policies will be evaluated by Geode ESG Stewardship based on fundamental analysis and/or research and recommendations provided by the Agent and other third-party proxy advisory firms.
When voting the securities of non-US issuers, Geode will evaluate proposals in accordance with these policies but will also take local market standards and best practices into consideration. Geode may also limit or modify its voting at certain non-US meetings (e.g., if shares are required to be blocked or reregistered in connection with voting).
Geode's specific policies are as follows:
I. Election of Directors
Geode will generally vote FOR incumbent members of a board of directors except:
• Attendance. The incumbent board member failed to attend at least 75% of meetings in the previous year and does not provide a reasonable explanation.
• Independent Directors. Nominee is not independent and full board comprises less than a majority of independents. Nominee is not independent and sits on the audit, compensation or nominating committee.
• Director Responsiveness. The board failed to act on shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year. The board failed to act on takeover offers where Geode and a majority of shareholders tendered their shares. At the previous board election, directors opposed by Geode received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast, and the company failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote.
• Golden Parachutes. Incumbent members of the compensation committee adopted or renewed an excessive golden parachute within the past year.
• Gender Diversity. If there are no women on the Board unless the Board has made a firm commitment to return to a gender-diverse status when there was a woman on the Board at the preceding annual meeting.
• Overboarding. The Director is a CEO and sits on the Board of more than two public companies besides his or her own; or a non-CEO Director who sits on more than five public company boards.
• Unequal Voting Rights. If the Company maintains a common stock structure with unequal voting rights. Exceptions to the policy may include, but aren't limited to: Newly-public companies with a reasonable sunset provision, where the unequal voting rights are considered de minimis; or the company provides sufficient safeguards for minority shareholders.
• In Other Circumstances when a member of the board has acted in a manner inconsistent with the interests of shareholders of a company whose securities are held in client accounts.
II. Majority Election. Unless a company has a policy achieving a similar result, Geode will generally vote in favor of a proposal calling for directors to be elected by a majority of votes cast in a board election provided that the plurality vote applies when there are more nominees than board seats.
III. Say on Pay (non-binding).
• Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. Geode will generally vote AGAINST advisory vote when: (1) there is a significant misalignment between executive pay and company performance; (2) the company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or (3) the board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders.
• Frequency Vote. Geode will generally vote FOR having an advisory vote on executive compensation every year.
• Advisory Vote on Golden Parachute. Geode will vote AGAINST excessive change-in-control severance payments.
IV. Vote AGAINST Anti-Takeover Proposals, including:
• Addition of Special Interest Directors to the board.
• Authorization of "Blank Check" Preferred Stock. Geode will vote FOR proposals to require shareholder approval for the distribution of preferred stock except for acquisitions and raising capital in the ordinary course of business.
• Classification of Boards, Geode will vote FOR proposals to de-classify boards.
• Fair Price Amendments, other than those that consider only a two-year price history and are not accompanied by other anti-takeover measures.
• Golden Parachutes, that Geode deems to be excessive in the event of change-in-control.
• Poison Pills. Adoption or extension of a Poison Pill without shareholder approval will result in our voting AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors, provided the matter will be considered if (a) the board has adopted a Poison Pill with a sunset provision; (b) the Pill is linked to a business strategy that will result in greater value for the shareholders; (c) the term is less than three years; (d) the Pill includes a qualifying offer clause; Or (e) shareholder approval is required to reinstate the expired Pill. Geode will vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring or recommending that shareholders be given an opportunity to vote on the adoption of poison pills.
• Reduction or Limitation of Shareholder Rights (e.g., action by written consent, ability to call meetings, or remove directors).
• Reincorporation in another state (when accompanied by Anti-Takeover Provisions, including increased statutory anti-takeover provisions). Geode will vote FOR reincorporation in another state when not accompanied by such anti-takeover provisions.
• Requirements that the Board Consider Non-Financial Effects of merger and acquisition proposals.
• Requirements regarding Size, Selection and Removal of the Board that are likely to have an anti-takeover effect (although changes with legitimate business purposes will be evaluated).
• Supermajority Voting Requirements (i.e., typically 2/3 or greater) for boards and shareholders. Geode will vote FOR proposals to eliminate supermajority voting requirements.
• Transfer of Authority from Shareholders to Directors.
V. Vote FOR proposed amendments to a company's certificate of incorporation or by-laws that enable the company to Opt Out of the Control Shares Acquisition Statutes.
VI. Vote AGAINST the introduction of new classes of Stock with Differential Voting Rights.
VII. Vote AGAINST introduction and FOR elimination of Cumulative Voting Rights, except in certain instances where it is determined not to enhance shareholders' interests.
VIII. Vote FOR elimination of Preemptive Rights.
IX. Vote FOR Anti-Greenmail proposals so long as they are not part of anti-takeover provisions (in which case the vote will be AGAINST).
X. Vote FOR charter and by-law amendments expanding the Indemnification of Directors to the maximum extent permitted under Delaware law (regardless of the state of incorporation) and vote AGAINST charter and by-law amendments completely Eliminating Directors' Liability for Breaches of Care.
XI. Vote FOR proposals to adopt Confidential Voting and Independent Vote Tabulation practices.
XII. Vote FOR Open-Market Stock Repurchase Programs, unless there is clear evidence of past abuse of the authority; the plan contains no safeguards against selective buybacks, or the authority can be used as an anti-takeover mechanism.
XIII. Vote FOR management proposals to implement a Reverse Stock Split when the number of authorized shares will be proportionately reduced or the Reverse Stock Split is necessary to avoid de-listing.
XIV. Vote FOR management proposals to Reduce the Par Value of common stock unless the proposal may facilitate an anti-takeover device or other negative corporate governance action.
XV. Vote FOR the Issuance of Large Blocks of Stock if such proposals have a legitimate business purpose and do not result in dilution of greater than 20%. However, a company's specific circumstances and market practices may be considered in determining whether the proposal is consistent with shareholders' interests.
XVI. Vote AGAINST Excessive Increases in Common Stock. Vote AGAINST increases in authorized common stock that would result in authorized capital in excess of three times the company's shares outstanding and reserved for legitimate purposes. For non-U.S. securities with conditional capital requests, vote AGAINST issuances of shares with preemptive rights in excess of 100% of the company's current shares outstanding. Special requests will be evaluated, taking company-specific circumstances into account.
XVII. Vote AGAINST the adoption of or amendment to authorize additional shares under a Stock Option Plan if:
• The stock option plan includes evergreen provisions, which provides for an automatic allotment of equity compensation every year.
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan (including by virtue of any "evergreen" or replenishment provision), plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
• The offering price of options is less than 100% of fair market value on the date of grant, except that the offering price may be as low as 85% of fair market value if the discount is expressly granted in lieu of salary or cash bonus, except that a modest number of shares (limited to 5% for a large capitalization company and 10% for a small and micro capitalization companies) may be available for grant to employees and directors under the plan if the grant is made by a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors (the "De Minimis Exception").
• The plan is administered by (1) a compensation committee not comprised entirely of independent directors or (2) a board of directors not comprised of a majority of independent directors, provided that a plan is acceptable if it satisfies the De Minimis Exception.
• The plan's terms allow repricing of underwater options, or the board/committee has repriced options outstanding under the plan in the past two years without shareholder approval, unless by the express terms of the plan or a board resolution such repricing is rarely used (and then only to maintain option value due to extreme circumstances beyond management's control) and is within the limits of the De Minimis Exception.
• Liberal Definition of Change in Control: the plan provides that the vesting of equity awards may accelerate even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XVIII. Vote AGAINST the election of incumbent members of the compensation committee or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if, within the last year and without shareholder approval, the company's board of directors or compensation committee has repriced outstanding options.
XIX. Evaluate proposals to Reprice Outstanding Stock Options, taking into account such factors as: (1) whether the repricing proposal excludes senior management and directors; (2) whether the options proposed to be repriced exceeded the dilution thresholds described in these current proxy voting policies when initially granted; (3) whether the repricing proposal is value neutral to shareholders based upon an acceptable options pricing model; (4) the company's relative performance compared to other companies within the relevant industry or industries; (5) economic and other conditions affecting the relevant industry or industries in which the company competes; and (6) other facts or circumstances relevant to determining whether a repricing proposal is consistent with the interests of shareholders.
XX. Vote AGAINST adoption of or amendments to authorize additional shares for Restricted Stock Awards ("RSA") if:
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan, plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
XXI. Vote AGAINST Omnibus Stock Plans if one or more component violates any of the criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, unless such component is de minimis. In the case of an omnibus stock plan, the dilution limits applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies will be measured against the total number of shares under all components of such plan.
XXII. Vote AGAINST Employee Stock Purchase Plans if the plan violates any of the relevant criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, except that (1) the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to or greater than 85% of the stock's fair market value if the plan constitutes a reasonable effort to encourage broad based participation in the company's equity, and (2) in the case of non-U.S. company stock purchase plans, the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to the prevailing "best practices," as articulated by the Agent, provided that the minimum stock purchase price must be at least 75% of the stock's fair market value.
XXIII. Vote AGAINST Stock Awards (other than stock options and RSAs) unless it is determined they are identified as being granted to officers/directors in lieu of salary or cash bonus, subject to number of shares being reasonable.
XXIV. Vote AGAINST equity vesting acceleration programs or amendments to authorize additional shares under such programs if the program provides for the acceleration of vesting of equity awards even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XXV. Vote FOR Employee Stock Ownership Plans ("ESOPs") of non-leveraged ESOPs, and in the case of leveraged ESOPs, giving consideration to the company's state of incorporation, existence of supermajority vote rules in the charter, number of shares authorized for the ESOP, and number of shares held by insiders. Geode may also examine where the ESOP shares are purchased and the dilution effect of the purchase. Geode will vote AGAINST a leveraged ESOP if all outstanding loans are due immediately upon a change in control.
XXVI. Vote AGAINST management or shareholder proposals on other Compensation Plans or Practices if such plans or practices are Inconsistent with the Interests of Shareholders. In addition, Geode may vote AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if Geode believes a board has approved executive compensation arrangements inconsistent with the interests of shareholders.
XXVII. Environmental and Social Proposals. Evaluate each proposal related to environmental and social issues (including political contributions). Generally, Geode expects to vote with management's recommendation on shareholder proposals concerning environmental or social issues, as Geode believes management and the board are ordinarily in the best position to address these matters. Geode may support certain shareholder environmental and social proposals that request additional disclosures from companies which may provide material information to the investment management process, or where Geode otherwise believes support will help maximize shareholder value. Geode may take action against the re-election of board members if there are serious concerns over ESG practices or the board failed to act on related shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year.
XXVIII. Geode will generally vote FOR proposals seeking to establish or amend proxy access which allow a shareholder (or shareholder group) holding at least 3% of the voting power of the company's outstanding shares continuously for a minimum of 3 years the ability to nominate no more than 25% of the board of directors. Geode will generally vote AGAINST proposals that do not meet the aforementioned criteria.
XXIX. Shares of Investment Companies.
• For institutional accounts, Geode will generally vote in favor of proposals recommended by the underlying funds' Board of Trustees, unless voting is not permitted under applicable laws and regulations.
• For retail managed accounts, Geode will employ echo voting when voting shares. To avoid certain potential conflicts of interest, if an investment company has a shareholder meeting, Geode would vote their shares in the investment company in the same proportion as the votes of the other shareholders of the investment company.
|
To view a fund's proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, if applicable, visit www.fidelity.com/proxyvotingresults or visit the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.
|
DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
The fund has entered into a distribution agreement with Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), an affiliate of FMR. The principal business address of FDC is 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917. FDC is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
The fund's distribution agreement calls for FDC to use all reasonable efforts, consistent with its other business, to secure purchasers for shares of the fund, which are continuously offered.
Promotional and administrative expenses in connection with the offer and sale of shares are paid by FMR.
The Trustees have approved a Distribution and Service Plan with respect to shares of the fund (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the Rule).
The Rule provides in substance that a fund may not engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity that is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund except pursuant to a plan approved on behalf of the fund under the Rule.
The Plan, as approved by the Trustees, allows shares of the fund and/or FMR to incur certain expenses that might be considered to constitute indirect payment by the fund of distribution expenses.
The Plan adopted for the fund or class, as applicable, is described in the prospectus.
Under the Plan, if the payment of management fees by the fund to FMR is deemed to be indirect financing by the fund of the distribution of its shares, such payment is authorized by the Plan.
The Plan specifically recognizes that FMR may use its management fee revenue, as well as its past profits or its other resources, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. In addition, the Plan provides that FMR, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services.
Currently, the Board of Trustees has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Prior to approving the Plan, the Trustees carefully considered all pertinent factors relating to the implementation of the Plan, and determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the fund or class, as applicable, and its shareholders.
In particular, the Trustees noted that the Plan does not authorize payments by shares of the fund other than those made to FMR under its management contract with the fund.
To the extent that the Plan gives FMR and FDC greater flexibility in connection with the distribution of shares, additional sales of shares or stabilization of cash flows may result.
Furthermore, certain shareholder support services may be provided more effectively under the Plan by local entities with whom shareholders have other relationships.
TRANSFER AND SERVICE AGENT AGREEMENTS
The fund has entered into a transfer agent agreement with Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company LLC (FIIOC), an affiliate of FMR, which is located at 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Under the terms of the agreement, FIIOC (or an agent, including an affiliate) performs transfer agency services.
For providing transfer agency services, FIIOC receives no fees from the fund.
FIIOC may collect fees charged in connection with providing certain types of services such as exchanges, closing out fund balances, maintaining fund positions with low balances, checkwriting, wire transactions, and providing historical account research, as applicable.
FIIOC bears the expense of typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, and all other reports, notices, and statements to existing shareholders, with the exception of proxy statements.
Fund shares may be owned by intermediaries for the benefit of their customers. In those instances, a fund may not maintain an account for shareholders, and some or all of the recordkeeping services for these accounts may be performed by third parties. FIIOC or an affiliate may make payments to intermediaries (including affiliates of FIIOC) for recordkeeping and other services.
Retirement plans may also hold fund shares in the name of the plan or its trustee, rather than the plan participant. In situations where FIIOC or an affiliate does not provide recordkeeping services, plan recordkeepers, who may have affiliated financial intermediaries who sell shares of the fund, may, upon direction, be paid for providing recordkeeping services to plan participants. Payments may also be made, upon direction, for other plan expenses. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
In certain situations where FIIOC or an affiliate provides recordkeeping services to a retirement plan, payments may be made to pay for plan expenses. The amount of such payments may be based on investments in particular Fidelity® funds, or may be fixed for a given period of time. Upon direction, payments may be made to plan sponsors, or at the direction of plan sponsors, third parties, for expenses incurred in connection with the plan. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
The fund has entered into a service agent agreement with Fidelity Service Company, Inc. (FSC), an affiliate of FMR (or an agent, including an affiliate). Under the terms of the agreement, FSC calculates the NAV and dividends for shares, maintains the fund's portfolio and general accounting records, and administers the fund's securities lending program.
For providing pricing and bookkeeping services, FSC receives no fee from the fund.
FMR bears the cost of transfer agency services and pricing and bookkeeping services.
SECURITIES LENDING
During the fiscal year, the securities lending agent, or the investment adviser (where the fund does not use a securities lending agent) monitors loan opportunities for the fund, negotiates the terms of the loans with borrowers, monitors the value of securities on loan and the value of the corresponding collateral, communicates with borrowers and the fund's custodian regarding marking to market the collateral, selects securities to be loaned and allocates those loan opportunities among lenders, and arranges for the return of the loaned securities upon the termination of the loan. Income and fees from securities lending activities for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, are shown in the following table:
A fund does not pay cash collateral management fees, separate indemnification fees, or other fees not reflected above.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
Trust Organization.
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Quality Index Fund is a fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust, an open-end management investment company created under an initial declaration of trust dated September 5, 1984.
The Trustees are permitted to create additional funds in the trust and to create additional classes of a fund.
The assets of the trust received for the issue or sale of shares of each fund and all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, subject to the rights of creditors, are allocated to such fund, and constitute the underlying assets of such fund. The underlying assets of each fund in the trust shall be charged with the liabilities and expenses attributable to such fund. Any general expenses of the trust shall be allocated between or among any one or more of the funds.
Shareholder Liability. The trust is an entity commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the trust.
The Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for the debts, liabilities, obligations, and expenses of the trust or fund. The Declaration of Trust provides that the trust shall not have any claim against shareholders except for the payment of the purchase price of shares and requires that each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the trust or the Trustees relating to the trust or to a fund shall include a provision limiting the obligations created thereby to the trust or to one or more funds and its or their assets. The Declaration of Trust further provides that shareholders of a fund shall not have a claim on or right to any assets belonging to any other fund.
The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of a fund's property of any shareholder or former shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the fund solely by reason of his or her being or having been a shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason. The Declaration of Trust also provides that a fund shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the fund and satisfy any judgment thereon. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations. Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC believes that, in view of the above, the risk of personal liability to shareholders is remote.
Voting Rights. The fund's capital consists of shares of beneficial interest. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each dollar of net asset value they own. The voting rights of shareholders can be changed only by a shareholder vote. Shares may be voted in the aggregate, by fund, and by class.
The shares have no preemptive or conversion rights. Shares are fully paid and nonassessable, except as set forth under the heading "Shareholder Liability" above.
The trust or a fund or a class may be terminated upon the sale of its assets to, or merger with, another open-end management investment company, series, or class thereof, or upon liquidation and distribution of its assets. The Trustees may reorganize, terminate, merge, or sell all or a portion of the assets of a trust or a fund or a class without prior shareholder approval. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a trust, shareholders of each of its funds are entitled to receive the underlying assets of such fund available for distribution. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a fund or a class, shareholders of that fund or that class are entitled to receive the underlying assets of the fund or class available for distribution.
Custodians.
The Northern Trust Company, 50 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois, is custodian of the assets of the fund.
The custodian is responsible for the safekeeping of the fund's assets and the appointment of any subcustodian banks and clearing agencies.
The Bank of New York Mellon, headquartered in New York, also may serve as special purpose custodian of certain assets in connection with repurchase agreement transactions.
From time to time, subject to approval by a fund's Treasurer, a Fidelity® fund may enter into escrow arrangements with other banks if necessary to participate in certain investment offerings.
FMR, its officers and directors, its affiliated companies, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and Members of the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, conduct transactions with various banks, including banks serving as custodians for certain funds advised by FMR or an affiliate. Transactions that have occurred to date include mortgages and personal and general business loans. In the judgment of the fund's adviser, the terms and conditions of those transactions were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other fund relationships.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, Massachusetts, independent registered public accounting firm, and its affiliates, audit the financial statements for the fund and provide other audit, tax, and related services.
FUND HOLDINGS INFORMATION
The fund views holdings information as sensitive and limits its dissemination. The Board authorized FMR to establish and administer guidelines for the dissemination of fund holdings information, which may be amended at any time without prior notice. FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee (comprising executive officers of FMR) evaluates disclosure policy with the goal of serving the fund's best interests by striking an appropriate balance between providing information about the fund's portfolio and protecting the fund from potentially harmful disclosure. The Board reviews the administration and modification of these guidelines and receives reports from the fund's chief compliance officer periodically.
The fund will provide a full list of holdings monthly on www.fidelity.com 30 days after the month-end (excluding high income security holdings, which generally will be presented collectively monthly and included in a list of full holdings 60 days after month-end).
The fund will provide its top ten holdings (excluding cash and futures) on Fidelity's web site monthly, 15 days after month-end.
Unless otherwise indicated, this information will be available on the web site until updated for the next applicable period.
The fund may also from time to time provide or make available to the Board or third parties upon request specific fund level performance attribution information and statistics. Third parties may include fund shareholders or prospective fund shareholders, members of the press, consultants, and ratings and ranking organizations. Nonexclusive examples of performance attribution information and statistics may include (i) the allocation of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions among various asset classes, sectors, industries, and countries, (ii) the characteristics of the stock and bond components of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions, (iii) the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry, and country and (iv) the volatility characteristics of the fund.
FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee may approve a request for fund level performance attribution and statistics as long as (i) such disclosure does not enable the receiving party to recreate the complete or partial portfolio holdings of any Fidelity® fund prior to such fund's public disclosure of its portfolio holdings and (ii) Fidelity has made a good faith determination that the requested information is not material given the particular facts and circumstances. Fidelity may deny any request for performance attribution information and other statistical information about a fund made by any person, and may do so for any reason or for no reason.
Disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information for a Fidelity® fund's portfolio may only be provided pursuant to the guidelines below.
The Use of Holdings In Connection With Fund Operations. Material non-public holdings information may be provided as part of the activities associated with managing Fidelity® funds to: entities which, by explicit agreement or by virtue of their respective duties to the fund, are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed; other parties if legally required; or persons FMR believes will not misuse the disclosed information. These entities, parties, and persons include, but are not limited to: the fund's trustees; the fund's manager, its sub-advisers, if any, and their affiliates whose access persons are subject to a code of ethics (including portfolio managers of affiliated funds of funds); contractors who are subject to a confidentiality agreement; the fund's auditors; the fund's custodians; proxy voting service providers; financial printers; pricing service vendors; broker-dealers in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities; securities lending agents; counsel to the fund or its Independent Trustees; regulatory authorities; stock exchanges and other listing organizations; parties to litigation; third parties in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding relating to a fund holding; and third parties who have submitted a standing request to a money market fund for daily holdings information. Non-public holdings information may also be provided to an issuer regarding the number or percentage of its shares that are owned by the fund and in connection with redemptions in kind.
Other Uses Of Holdings Information. In addition, the fund may provide material non-public holdings information to (i) third parties that calculate information derived from holdings for use by FMR, a sub-adviser, or their affiliates, (ii) ratings and rankings organizations, and (iii) an investment adviser, trustee, or their agents to whom holdings are disclosed for due diligence purposes or in anticipation of a merger involving the fund. Each individual request is reviewed by the Disclosure Policy Committee which must find, in its sole discretion that, based on the specific facts and circumstances, the disclosure appears unlikely to be harmful to the fund. Entities receiving this information must have in place control mechanisms to reasonably ensure or otherwise agree that, (a) the holdings information will be kept confidential, (b) no employee shall use the information to effect trading or for their personal benefit, and (c) the nature and type of information that they, in turn, may disclose to third parties is limited. FMR relies primarily on the existence of non-disclosure agreements and/or control mechanisms when determining that disclosure is not likely to be harmful to the fund.
At this time, the entities receiving information described in the preceding paragraph are: Factset Research Systems Inc. (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (full holdings weekly (generally as of the previous Friday), generally 5 business days thereafter); MSCI Inc. and certain affiliates (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); and Bloomberg, L.P. (full holdings daily, on the next business day).
FMR, its affiliates, or the fund will not enter into any arrangements with third parties from which they derive consideration for the disclosure of material non-public holdings information. If, in the future, such an arrangement is desired, prior Board approval would be sought and any such arrangements would be disclosed in the fund's SAI.
There can be no assurance that the fund's policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of fund portfolio holdings will prevent the misuse of such information by individuals and firms that receive such information.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The fund's financial statements and financial highlights for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, and report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the fund's annual report and are incorporated herein by reference.
Total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table may differ from the ratios of expenses to average net assets in the financial highlights because total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table include any acquired fund fees and expenses, whereas the ratios of expenses in the financial highlights do not, except to the extent any acquired fund fees and expenses relate to an entity, such as a wholly-owned subsidiary, with which a fund's financial statements are consolidated. Acquired funds include other investment companies (such as Central funds or other underlying funds) in which the fund has invested, if and to the extent it is permitted to do so.
Total annual operating expenses in the prospectus fee table and the financial highlights do not include any expenses associated with investments in certain structured or synthetic products that may rely on the exception from the definition of "investment company" provided by section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.
APPENDIX
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
Fund
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Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
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FESIX
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Fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
September 29, 2023
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. Portions of the fund's annual report are incorporated herein. The annual report(s) are supplied with this SAI.
To obtain a free additional copy of a prospectus or SAI, dated September 29, 2023, or an annual report, please call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455 or visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com.
For more information on any Fidelity® fund, including charges and expenses, call Fidelity at the number indicated above for a free prospectus. Read it carefully before investing or sending money.
245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
SV8-PTB-0923
1.9867770.108
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND LIMITATIONS
The following policies and limitations supplement those set forth in the prospectus. Unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the fund's acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the fund's investment policies and limitations.
The fund's fundamental investment policies and limitations cannot be changed without approval by a "majority of the outstanding voting securities" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act)) of the fund. However, except for the fundamental investment limitations listed below, the investment policies and limitations described in this Statement of Additional Information (SAI) are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
The following are the fund's fundamental investment limitations set forth in their entirety.
Diversification
The fund may not with respect to 75% of the fund's total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, (a) more than 5% of the fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (b) the fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.
Senior Securities
The fund may not issue senior securities, except in connection with the insurance program established by the fund pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission or as otherwise permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Borrowing
The fund may not borrow money, except that the fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes (not for leveraging or investment) in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1/3% limitation.
Underwriting
The fund may not underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in the disposition of restricted securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies.
Concentration
The fund may not purchase any security if, as a result, more than 25% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of companies having their principal business activities in the same industry, except that the fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in the real estate industry (this limitation does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the United States Government or its agencies or instrumentalities).
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) looks through to the U.S. Government securities.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in Fidelity® Money Market Central Fund and/or any non-money market Central fund, FMR looks through to the holdings of the Central fund.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, FMR may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and security and assign an industry or sector classification consistent with those characteristics in the event that the third-party classification provider used by FMR does not assign a classification.
Real Estate
The fund may not purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).
Commodities
The fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).
Loans
The fund may not lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, but this limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.
The following investment limitations are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
Short Sales
The fund does not currently intend to sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in futures contracts and options are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.
Margin Purchases
The fund does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that the fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.
Borrowing
The fund may borrow money only (a) from a bank or from a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) by engaging in reverse repurchase agreements with any party (reverse repurchase agreements are treated as borrowings for purposes of the fundamental borrowing investment limitation).
Illiquid Securities
The fund does not currently intend to purchase any security if, as a result, more than 10% of its net assets would be invested in securities that are deemed to be illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business at approximately the prices at which they are valued.
For purposes of the fund's illiquid securities limitation discussed above, if through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, the fund were in a position where more than 10% of its net assets were invested in illiquid securities, it would consider appropriate steps to protect liquidity.
Loans
The fund does not currently intend to lend assets other than securities to other parties, except by (a) lending money (up to 15% of the fund's net assets) to a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) assuming any unfunded commitments in connection with the acquisition of loans, loan participations, or other forms of debt instruments. (This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities, to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.)
In addition to the fund's fundamental and non-fundamental investment limitations discussed above:
In order to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the fund currently intends to comply with certain diversification limits imposed by Subchapter M.
For the fund's policies and limitations on futures and options transactions, see "Investment Policies and Limitations - Futures, Options, and Swaps."
The following pages contain more detailed information about types of instruments in which the fund may invest, techniques the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may employ in pursuit of the fund's investment objective, and a summary of related risks. The fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may not buy all of these instruments or use all of these techniques unless it believes that doing so will help the fund achieve its goal. However, the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) is not required to buy any particular instrument or use any particular technique even if to do so might benefit the fund.
On the following pages in this section titled "Investment Policies and Limitations," and except as otherwise indicated, references to "an adviser" or "the adviser" may relate to the fund's adviser or a sub-adviser, as applicable.
Affiliated Bank Transactions. A Fidelity® fund may engage in transactions with financial institutions that are, or may be considered to be, "affiliated persons" of the fund under the 1940 Act. These transactions may involve repurchase agreements with custodian banks; short-term obligations of, and repurchase agreements with, the 50 largest U.S. banks (measured by deposits); municipal securities; U.S. Government securities with affiliated financial institutions that are primary dealers in these securities; short-term currency transactions; and short-term borrowings. In accordance with exemptive orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Board of Trustees has established and periodically reviews procedures applicable to transactions involving affiliated financial institutions.
Asset-Backed Securities represent interests in pools of mortgages, loans, receivables, or other assets. Payment of interest and repayment of principal may be largely dependent upon the cash flows generated by the assets backing the securities and, in certain cases, supported by letters of credit, surety bonds, or other credit enhancements. Asset-backed security values may also be affected by other factors including changes in interest rates, the availability of information concerning the pool and its structure, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool, the originator of the loans or receivables, or the entities providing the credit enhancement. In addition, these securities may be subject to prepayment risk.
Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLO) are a type of asset-backed security. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. CLOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses. For CLOs, the cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the "equity" tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since they are partially protected from defaults, senior tranches from a CLO trust typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CLO securities as a class. Normally, CLOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CLOs may be characterized by a fund as illiquid securities, however an active dealer market may exist allowing them to qualify for Rule 144A transactions.
Borrowing. If a fund borrows money, its share price may be subject to greater fluctuation until the borrowing is paid off. If a fund makes additional investments while borrowings are outstanding, this may be considered a form of leverage.
Cash Management. A fund may hold uninvested cash or may invest it in cash equivalents such as money market securities, repurchase agreements, or shares of short-term bond or money market funds, including (for Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients only) shares of Fidelity® Central funds. Generally, these securities offer less potential for gains than other types of securities.
Central Funds are special types of investment vehicles created by Fidelity for use by the Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients. Central funds are used to invest in particular security types or investment disciplines, or for cash management. Central funds incur certain costs related to their investment activity (such as custodial fees and expenses), but generally do not pay additional management fees. The investment results of the portions of a Fidelity® fund's assets invested in the Central funds will be based upon the investment results of those funds.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Notice of Exclusion. The Adviser, on behalf of the Fidelity® fund to which this SAI relates, has filed with the National Futures Association a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and the rules of the CFTC promulgated thereunder, with respect to the fund's operation. Accordingly, neither a fund nor its adviser is subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool or a CPO. As of the date of this SAI, the adviser does not expect to register as a CPO of the fund. However, there is no certainty that a fund or its adviser will be able to rely on an exclusion in the future as the fund's investments change over time. A fund may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional CFTC regulation or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If a fund or its adviser operates subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses.
Common Stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock, although related proceedings can take time to resolve and results can be unpredictable. For purposes of a Fidelity® fund's policies related to investment in common stock Fidelity considers depositary receipts evidencing ownership of common stock to be common stock.
Convertible Securities are bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a fund is called for redemption or conversion, the fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.
Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at prices above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.
Disruption to Financial Markets and Related Government Intervention. Economic downturns can trigger various economic, legal, budgetary, tax, and regulatory reforms across the globe. Instability in the financial markets in the wake of events such as the 2008 economic downturn led the U.S. Government and other governments to take a number of then-unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases, a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, local, foreign, and other governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which a fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Reforms may also change the way in which a fund is regulated and could limit or preclude a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective or engage in certain strategies. Also, while reforms generally are intended to strengthen markets, systems, and public finances, they could affect fund expenses and the value of fund investments in unpredictable ways.
Similarly, widespread disease including pandemics and epidemics, and natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, droughts, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and climate-related phenomena generally, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of a fund's investments. Economies and financial markets throughout the world have become increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or country will adversely affect markets or issuers in other regions or countries, including the United States. Additionally, market disruptions may result in increased market volatility; regulatory trading halts; closure of domestic or foreign exchanges, markets, or governments; or market participants operating pursuant to business continuity plans for indeterminate periods of time. Further, market disruptions can (i) prevent a fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner, (ii) negatively impact a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective, and (iii) may exacerbate the risks discussed elsewhere in a fund's registration statement, including political, social, and economic risks.
The value of a fund's portfolio is also generally subject to the risk of future local, national, or global economic or natural disturbances based on unknown weaknesses in the markets in which a fund invests. In the event of such a disturbance, the issuers of securities held by a fund may experience significant declines in the value of their assets and even cease operations, or may receive government assistance accompanied by increased restrictions on their business operations or other government intervention. In addition, it remains uncertain that the U.S. Government or foreign governments will intervene in response to current or future market disturbances and the effect of any such future intervention cannot be predicted.
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are shares of other investment companies, commodity pools, or other entities that are traded on an exchange. Assets underlying the ETF shares may consist of stocks, bonds, commodities, or other instruments, depending on an ETF's investment objective and strategies. An ETF may seek to replicate the performance of a specific index or may be actively managed.
Typically, shares of an ETF that tracks an index are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark increases. However, in the case of inverse ETFs (also called "short ETFs" or "bear ETFs"), ETF shares are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark decreases. Inverse ETFs seek to deliver the opposite of the performance of the benchmark they track and are often marketed as a way for investors to profit from, or at least hedge their exposure to, downward moving markets. Investments in inverse ETFs are similar to holding short positions in the underlying benchmark.
ETF shares are redeemable only in large blocks of shares often called "creation units" by persons other than a fund, and are redeemed principally in-kind at each day's next calculated net asset value per share (NAV). ETFs typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a fund. A fund's purchase of ETFs results in the layering of expenses, such that the fund would indirectly bear a proportionate share of any ETF's operating expenses. Further, while traditional investment companies are continuously offered at NAV, ETFs are traded in the secondary market (e.g., on a stock exchange) on an intra-day basis at prices that may be above or below the value of their underlying portfolios.
Some of the risks of investing in an ETF that tracks an index are similar to those of investing in an indexed mutual fund, including tracking error risk (the risk of errors in matching the ETF's underlying assets to the index or other benchmark); and the risk that because an ETF that tracks an index is not actively managed, it cannot sell stocks or other assets as long as they are represented in the index or other benchmark. Other ETF risks include the risk that ETFs may trade in the secondary market at a discount from their NAV and the risk that the ETFs may not be liquid. ETFs also may be leveraged. Leveraged ETFs seek to deliver multiples of the performance of the index or other benchmark they track and use derivatives in an effort to amplify the returns (or decline, in the case of inverse ETFs) of the underlying index or benchmark. While leveraged ETFs may offer the potential for greater return, the potential for loss and the speed at which losses can be realized also are greater. Most leveraged and inverse ETFs "reset" daily, meaning they are designed to achieve their stated objectives on a daily basis. Leveraged and inverse ETFs can deviate substantially from the performance of their underlying benchmark over longer periods of time, particularly in volatile periods.
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) are a type of senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt security issued by financial institutions that combines aspects of both bonds and ETFs. An ETN's returns are based on the performance of a market index or other reference asset minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN's maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the market index or other reference asset to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs typically do not make periodic interest payments and principal typically is not protected.
ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable index. The market value of an ETN is determined by supply and demand, the current performance of the index or other reference asset, and the credit rating of the ETN issuer. The market value of ETN shares may differ from their intraday indicative value. The value of an ETN may also change due to a change in the issuer's credit rating. As a result, there may be times when an ETN's share trades at a premium or discount to its NAV. Some ETNs that use leverage in an effort to amplify the returns of an underlying index or other reference asset can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs may offer the potential for greater return, but the potential for loss and speed at which losses can be realized also are greater.
Exposure to Foreign and Emerging Markets. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
Foreign investments involve risks relating to local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments, and may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors. Such actions may include expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. From time to time, a fund's adviser and/or its affiliates may determine that, as a result of regulatory requirements that may apply to the adviser and/or its affiliates due to investments in a particular country, investments in the securities of issuers domiciled or listed on trading markets in that country above certain thresholds (which may apply at the account level or in the aggregate across all accounts managed by the adviser and its affiliates) may be impractical or undesirable. In such instances, the adviser may limit or exclude investment in a particular issuer, and investment flexibility may be restricted. Additionally, governmental issuers of foreign debt securities may be unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due and may require that the conditions for payment be renegotiated. There is no assurance that a fund's adviser will be able to anticipate these potential events or counter their effects. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.
It is anticipated that in most cases the best available market for foreign securities will be on an exchange or in over-the-counter (OTC) markets located outside of the United States. Foreign stock markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States, and securities of some foreign issuers may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign security trading, settlement and custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment) are often less developed than those in U.S. markets, and may result in increased investment or valuation risk or substantial delays in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign subcustodian. In addition, the costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.
Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets. Foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis. In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States. OTC markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated. Regulatory enforcement may be influenced by economic or political concerns, and investors may have difficulty enforcing their legal rights in foreign countries.
Some foreign securities impose restrictions on transfer within the United States or to U.S. persons. Although securities subject to such transfer restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. These risks include foreign exchange risk as well as the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country.
The risks of foreign investing may be magnified for investments in emerging markets. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
Foreign Currency Transactions. A fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies). Although foreign exchange dealers generally do not charge a fee for such conversions, they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the counterparty desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Forward contracts are customized transactions that require a specific amount of a currency to be delivered at a specific exchange rate on a specific date or range of dates in the future. Forward contracts are generally traded in an interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the contemplated currency exchange.
The following discussion summarizes the principal currency management strategies involving forward contracts that could be used by a fund. A fund may also use swap agreements, indexed securities, and options and futures contracts relating to foreign currencies for the same purposes. Forward contracts not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through payments in U.S. dollars rather than through delivery of the underlying currency. All of these instruments and transactions are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default.
A "settlement hedge" or "transaction hedge" is designed to protect a fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date a security denominated in a foreign currency is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying security transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars "locks in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. Forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency may also be used to protect a fund in anticipation of future purchases or sales of securities denominated in foreign currency, even if the specific investments have not yet been selected.
A fund may also use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in a foreign currency. For example, if a fund owned securities denominated in pounds sterling, it could enter into a forward contract to sell pounds sterling in return for U.S. dollars to hedge against possible declines in the pound's value. Such a hedge, sometimes referred to as a "position hedge," would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in security values caused by other factors. A fund could also attempt to hedge the position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the pound sterling. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as a "proxy hedge," could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency, but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.
A fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a "cross-hedge," will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, much as if a fund had sold a security denominated in one currency and purchased an equivalent security denominated in another. A fund may cross-hedge its U.S. dollar exposure in order to achieve a representative weighted mix of the major currencies in its benchmark index and/or to cover an underweight country or region exposure in its portfolio. Cross-hedges protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency, but will cause a fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases.
Successful use of currency management strategies will depend on an adviser's skill in analyzing currency values. Currency management strategies may substantially change a fund's investment exposure to changes in currency exchange rates and could result in losses to a fund if currencies do not perform as an adviser anticipates. For example, if a currency's value rose at a time when a fund had hedged its position by selling that currency in exchange for dollars, the fund would not participate in the currency's appreciation. If a fund hedges currency exposure through proxy hedges, the fund could realize currency losses from both the hedge and the security position if the two currencies do not move in tandem. Similarly, if a fund increases its exposure to a foreign currency and that currency's value declines, the fund will realize a loss. Foreign currency transactions involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted and that a fund's hedging strategies will be ineffective. Moreover, it is impossible to precisely forecast the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a foreign currency forward contract. Accordingly, a fund may be required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expenses of such transaction), if an adviser's predictions regarding the movement of foreign currency or securities markets prove inaccurate.
A fund may be required to limit its hedging transactions in foreign currency forwards, futures, and options in order to maintain its classification as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code (Code). Hedging transactions could result in the application of the mark-to-market provisions of the Code, which may cause an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid by a fund are classified as capital gains or ordinary income. There is no assurance that an adviser's use of currency management strategies will be advantageous to a fund or that it will employ currency management strategies at appropriate times.
Options and Futures Relating to Foreign Currencies. Currency futures contracts are similar to forward currency exchange contracts, except that they are traded on exchanges (and have margin requirements) and are standardized as to contract size and delivery date. Most currency futures contracts call for payment or delivery in U.S. dollars. The underlying instrument of a currency option may be a foreign currency, which generally is purchased or delivered in exchange for U.S. dollars, or may be a futures contract. The purchaser of a currency call obtains the right to purchase the underlying currency, and the purchaser of a currency put obtains the right to sell the underlying currency.
The uses and risks of currency options and futures are similar to options and futures relating to securities or indexes, as discussed below. A fund may purchase and sell currency futures and may purchase and write currency options to increase or decrease its exposure to different foreign currencies. Currency options may also be purchased or written in conjunction with each other or with currency futures or forward contracts. Currency futures and options values can be expected to correlate with exchange rates, but may not reflect other factors that affect the value of a fund's investments. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a Yen-denominated security from a decline in the Yen, but will not protect a fund against a price decline resulting from deterioration in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the value of a fund's foreign-denominated investments changes in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of currency options and futures to the value of the fund's investments exactly over time.
Currency options traded on U.S. or other exchanges may be subject to position limits which may limit the ability of the fund to reduce foreign currency risk using such options.
Funds of Funds and Other Large Shareholders. Certain Fidelity® funds and accounts (including funds of funds) invest in other funds ("underlying funds") and, as a result, may at times have substantial investments in one or more underlying funds.
An underlying fund may experience large redemptions or investments due to transactions in its shares by funds of funds, other large shareholders, or similarly managed accounts. While it is impossible to predict the overall effect of these transactions over time, there could be an adverse impact on an underlying fund's performance. In the event of such redemptions or investments, an underlying fund could be required to sell securities or to invest cash at a time when it may not otherwise desire to do so. Such transactions may increase an underlying fund's brokerage and/or other transaction costs and affect the liquidity of a fund's portfolio. In addition, when funds of funds or other investors own a substantial portion of an underlying fund's shares, a large redemption by such an investor could cause actual expenses to increase, or could result in the underlying fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the underlying fund's expense ratio. Redemptions of underlying fund shares could also accelerate the realization of taxable capital gains in the fund if sales of securities result in capital gains. The impact of these transactions is likely to be greater when a fund of funds or other significant investor purchases, redeems, or owns a substantial portion of the underlying fund's shares.
When possible, Fidelity will consider how to minimize these potential adverse effects, and may take such actions as it deems appropriate to address potential adverse effects, including redemption of shares in-kind rather than in cash or carrying out the transactions over a period of time, although there can be no assurance that such actions will be successful. A high volume of redemption requests can impact an underlying fund the same way as the transactions of a single shareholder with substantial investments. As an additional safeguard, Fidelity® fund of funds may manage the placement of their redemption requests in a manner designed to minimize the impact of such requests on the day-to-day operations of the underlying funds in which they invest. This may involve, for example, redeeming its shares of an underlying fund gradually over time or through use of a transition account.
Fund's Rights as an Investor. Fidelity® funds do not intend to direct or administer the day-to-day operations of any company. A fund may, however, exercise its rights as a shareholder or lender and may communicate its views on important matters of policy to a company's management, board of directors, and shareholders, and holders of a company's other securities when such matters could have a significant effect on the value of the fund's investment in the company. The activities in which a fund may engage, either individually or in conjunction with others, may include, among others, supporting or opposing proposed changes in a company's corporate structure or business activities; seeking changes in a company's directors or management; seeking changes in a company's direction or policies; seeking the sale or reorganization of the company or a portion of its assets; supporting or opposing third-party takeover efforts; supporting the filing of a bankruptcy petition; or foreclosing on collateral securing a security. This area of corporate activity is increasingly prone to litigation and it is possible that a fund could be involved in lawsuits related to such activities. Such activities will be monitored with a view to mitigating, to the extent possible, the risk of litigation against a fund and the risk of actual liability if a fund is involved in litigation. No guarantee can be made, however, that litigation against a fund will not be undertaken or liabilities incurred. A fund's proxy voting guidelines are included in its SAI.
Futures, Options, and Swaps. The success of any strategy involving futures, options, and swaps depends on an adviser's analysis of many economic and mathematical factors and a fund's return may be higher if it never invested in such instruments. Additionally, some of the contracts discussed below are new instruments without a trading history and there can be no assurance that a market for the instruments will continue to exist. Government legislation or regulation could affect the use of such instruments and could limit a fund's ability to pursue its investment strategies. If a fund invests a significant portion of its assets in derivatives, its investment exposure could far exceed the value of its portfolio securities and its investment performance could be primarily dependent upon securities it does not own.
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund will not: (a) sell futures contracts, purchase put options, or write call options if, as a result, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be hedged with futures and options under normal conditions; (b) purchase futures contracts or write put options if, as a result, the fund's total obligations upon settlement or exercise of purchased futures contracts and written put options would exceed 25% of its total assets under normal conditions; or (c) purchase call options if, as a result, the current value of option premiums for call options purchased by the fund would exceed 5% of the fund's total assets. These limitations do not apply to options attached to or acquired or traded together with their underlying securities, and do not apply to structured notes.
The policies and limitations regarding the fund's investments in futures contracts, options, and swaps may be changed as regulatory agencies permit.
The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which a fund may enter into futures, options on futures, and forward contracts.
Futures Contracts. In purchasing a futures contract, the buyer agrees to purchase a specified underlying instrument at a specified future date. In selling a futures contract, the seller agrees to sell a specified underlying instrument at a specified date. Futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts and the price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when the buyer and seller enter into the contract. Some currently available futures contracts are based on specific securities or baskets of securities, some are based on commodities or commodities indexes (for funds that seek commodities exposure), and some are based on indexes of securities prices (including foreign indexes for funds that seek foreign exposure). Futures on indexes and futures not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through cash payments rather than through delivery of the underlying instrument. Futures can be held until their delivery dates, or can be closed out by offsetting purchases or sales of futures contracts before then if a liquid market is available. A fund may realize a gain or loss by closing out its futures contracts.
The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of its underlying instrument. Therefore, purchasing futures contracts will tend to increase a fund's exposure to positive and negative price fluctuations in the underlying instrument, much as if it had purchased the underlying instrument directly. When a fund sells a futures contract, by contrast, the value of its futures position will tend to move in a direction contrary to the market for the underlying instrument. Selling futures contracts, therefore, will tend to offset both positive and negative market price changes, much as if the underlying instrument had been sold.
The purchaser or seller of a futures contract or an option for a futures contract is not required to deliver or pay for the underlying instrument or the final cash settlement price, as applicable, unless the contract is held until the delivery date. However, both the purchaser and seller are required to deposit "initial margin" with a futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant, when the contract is entered into. If the value of either party's position declines, that party will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to settle the change in value on a daily basis. This process of "marking to market" will be reflected in the daily calculation of open positions computed in a fund's NAV. The party that has a gain is entitled to receive all or a portion of this amount. Initial and variation margin payments do not constitute purchasing securities on margin for purposes of a fund's investment limitations. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a fund, but is instead a settlement between a fund and the futures commission merchant of the amount one would owe the other if the fund's contract expired. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a futures commission merchant that holds margin on behalf of a fund, the fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the futures commission merchant's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the fund.
Although futures exchanges generally operate similarly in the United States and abroad, foreign futures exchanges may follow trading, settlement, and margin procedures that are different from those for U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts traded outside the United States may not involve a clearing mechanism or related guarantees and may involve greater risk of loss than U.S.-traded contracts, including potentially greater risk of losses due to insolvency of a futures broker, exchange member, or other party that may owe initial or variation margin to a fund. Because initial and variation margin payments may be measured in foreign currency, a futures contract traded outside the United States may also involve the risk of foreign currency fluctuation.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for futures contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may work to prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.
If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or other market conditions, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value. These risks may be heightened for commodity futures contracts, which have historically been subject to greater price volatility than exists for instruments such as stocks and bonds.
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded futures contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in futures contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the futures position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell futures contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's futures positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments. In addition, the price of a commodity futures contract can reflect the storage costs associated with the purchase of the physical commodity.
Futures contracts on U.S. Government securities historically have reacted to an increase or decrease in interest rates in a manner similar to the manner in which the underlying U.S. Government securities reacted. To the extent, however, that a fund enters into such futures contracts, the value of these futures contracts will not vary in direct proportion to the value of the fund's holdings of U.S. Government securities. Thus, the anticipated spread between the price of the futures contract and the hedged security may be distorted due to differences in the nature of the markets. The spread also may be distorted by differences in initial and variation margin requirements, the liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.
Options. By purchasing a put option, the purchaser obtains the right (but not the obligation) to sell the option's underlying instrument at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, the purchaser pays the current market price for the option (known as the option premium). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific assets or securities, baskets of assets or securities, indexes of securities or commodities prices, and futures contracts (including commodity futures contracts). Options may be traded on an exchange or OTC. The purchaser may terminate its position in a put option by allowing it to expire or by exercising the option. If the option is allowed to expire, the purchaser will lose the entire premium. If the option is exercised, the purchaser completes the sale of the underlying instrument at the strike price. Depending on the terms of the contract, upon exercise, an option may require physical delivery of the underlying instrument or may be settled through cash payments. A purchaser may also terminate a put option position by closing it out in the secondary market at its current price, if a liquid secondary market exists.
The buyer of a typical put option can expect to realize a gain if the underlying instrument's price falls substantially. However, if the underlying instrument's price does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer can expect to suffer a loss (limited to the amount of the premium, plus related transaction costs).
The features of call options are essentially the same as those of put options, except that the purchaser of a call option obtains the right (but not the obligation) to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. A call buyer typically attempts to participate in potential price increases of the underlying instrument with risk limited to the cost of the option if the underlying instrument's price falls. At the same time, the buyer can expect to suffer a loss if the underlying instrument's price does not rise sufficiently to offset the cost of the option.
The writer of a put or call option takes the opposite side of the transaction from the option's purchaser. In return for receipt of the premium, the writer assumes the obligation to pay or receive the strike price for the option's underlying instrument if the other party to the option chooses to exercise it. The writer may seek to terminate a position in a put option before exercise by closing out the option in the secondary market at its current price. If the secondary market is not liquid for a put option, however, the writer must continue to be prepared to pay the strike price while the option is outstanding, regardless of price changes. When writing an option on a futures contract, a fund will be required to make margin payments to a futures commission merchant as described above for futures contracts.
If the underlying instrument's price rises, a put writer would generally expect to profit, although its gain would be limited to the amount of the premium it received. If the underlying instrument's price remains the same over time, it is likely that the writer will also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a lower price. If the underlying instrument's price falls, the put writer would expect to suffer a loss. This loss should be less than the loss from purchasing the underlying instrument directly, however, because the premium received for writing the option should mitigate the effects of the decline.
Writing a call option obligates the writer to sell or deliver the option's underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, upon exercise of the option. The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that writing calls generally is a profitable strategy if prices remain the same or fall. Through receipt of the option premium, a call writer should mitigate the effects of a price increase. At the same time, because a call writer must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, even if its current value is greater, a call writer gives up some ability to participate in price increases and, if a call writer does not hold the underlying instrument, a call writer's loss is theoretically unlimited.
Where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price to close out the put or call option on the secondary market may move more or less than the price of the related security.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular options contract at any particular time. Options may have relatively low trading volume and liquidity if their strike prices are not close to the underlying instrument's current price. In addition, exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for exchange-traded options contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or otherwise, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value.
Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size, and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the purchaser or writer greater flexibility to tailor an option to its needs, OTC options generally are less liquid and involve greater credit risk than exchange-traded options, which are backed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
Combined positions involve purchasing and writing options in combination with each other, or in combination with futures or forward contracts, to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, purchasing a put option and writing a call option on the same underlying instrument would construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract. Another possible combined position would involve writing a call option at one strike price and buying a call option at a lower price, to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
A fund may also buy and sell options on swaps (swaptions), which are generally options on interest rate swaps. An option on a swap gives a party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to extend, shorten, cancel or modify an existing contract at a specific date in the future in exchange for a premium. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes (sells) an option on a swap than it will incur when it purchases an option on a swap. When a fund purchases an option on a swap, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a fund writes an option on a swap, upon exercise of the option the fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. A fund that writes an option on a swap receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the preset rate on the underlying interest rate swap. Whether a fund's use of options on swaps will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Options on swaps may involve risks similar to those discussed below in "Swap Agreements."
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded options contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in options contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the options position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Options prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Options prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell options contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's options positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments.
Swap Agreements. Under a typical equity swap agreement, a counterparty such as a bank or broker-dealer agrees to pay a fund a return equal to the dividend payments and increase in value, if any, of an index or group of stocks, or of a stock, and the fund agrees in return to pay a fixed or floating rate of interest, plus any declines in value of the index. Swap agreements can also have features providing for maximum or minimum exposure to a designated index. In order to hedge its exposure effectively, a fund would generally have to own other assets returning approximately the same amount as the interest rate payable by the fund under the swap agreement.
Swap agreements allow a fund to acquire or reduce credit exposure to a particular issuer, asset, or basket of assets. The most significant factor in the performance of swap agreements is the change in value of the specific index, security, or currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from a fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a fund, the fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. If the creditworthiness of a fund's swap counterparty declines, the risk that the counterparty may not perform could increase, potentially resulting in a loss to the fund and impairing the fund's correlation with its applicable index. Although there can be no assurance that a fund will be able to do so, a fund may be able to reduce or eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or another more creditworthy party.
A fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. A fund would generally be required to provide margin or collateral for the benefit of that counterparty. If a counterparty to a swap transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited temporarily or permanently in exercising its right to the return of related fund assets designated as margin or collateral in an action against the counterparty.
Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to a fund's interest. A fund bears the risk that an adviser will not accurately forecast market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other economic factors in establishing swap positions for a fund. If an adviser attempts to use a swap as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, a fund may be exposed to the risk that the swap will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment, which could cause substantial losses for a fund. While hedging strategies involving swap instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other fund investments. Swaps are complex and often valued subjectively.
Hybrid and Preferred Securities. A hybrid security may be a debt security, warrant, convertible security, certificate of deposit or other evidence of indebtedness on which the value of the interest on or principal of which is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument or financial strength of a reference entity (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, index, or business entity such as a financial institution). Another example is contingent convertible securities, which are fixed income securities that, under certain circumstances, either convert into common stock of the issuer or undergo a principal write-down by a predetermined percentage if the issuer's capital ratio falls below a predetermined trigger level. The liquidation value of such a security may be reduced upon a regulatory action and without the need for a bankruptcy proceeding. Preferred securities may take the form of preferred stock and represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds generally take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.
The risks of investing in hybrid and preferred securities reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid or preferred security may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt or equity security. The risks of a particular hybrid or preferred security will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the value of any applicable reference instrument. Such risks may depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid or preferred security. Hybrid and preferred securities are potentially more volatile and carry greater market and liquidity risks than traditional debt or equity securities. Also, the price of the hybrid or preferred security and any applicable reference instrument may not move in the same direction or at the same time. In addition, because hybrid and preferred securities may be traded over-the-counter or in bilateral transactions with the issuer of the security, hybrid and preferred securities may be subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the security and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates. In addition, uncertainty regarding the tax and regulatory treatment of hybrid and preferred securities may reduce demand for such securities and tax and regulatory considerations may limit the extent of a fund's investments in certain hybrid and preferred securities.
Illiquid Investments means any investment that cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Difficulty in selling or disposing of illiquid investments may result in a loss or may be costly to a fund. Illiquid securities may include (1) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days without demand/redemption features, (2) OTC options and certain other derivatives, (3) private placements, (4) securities traded on markets and exchanges with structural constraints, and (5) loan participations.
Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, a Fidelity® fund's adviser classifies the liquidity of a fund's investments and monitors the extent of a fund's illiquid investments.
Various market, trading and investment-specific factors may be considered in determining the liquidity of a fund's investments including, but not limited to (1) the existence of an active trading market, (2) the nature of the security and the market in which it trades, (3) the number, diversity, and quality of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace, (4) the frequency, volume, and volatility of trade and price quotations, (5) bid-ask spreads, (6) dates of issuance and maturity, (7) demand, put or tender features, and (8) restrictions on trading or transferring the investment.
Fidelity classifies certain investments as illiquid based upon these criteria. Fidelity also monitors for certain market, trading and investment-specific events that may cause Fidelity to re-evaluate an investment's liquidity status and may lead to an investment being classified as illiquid. In addition, Fidelity uses a third-party to assist with the liquidity classifications of the fund's investments, which includes calculating the time to sell and settle a specified size position in a particular investment without the sale significantly changing the market value of the investment.
Increasing Government Debt. The total public debt of the United States and other countries around the globe as a percent of gross domestic product has, at times, grown rapidly. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented.
A high national debt level may increase market pressures to meet government funding needs, which may drive debt cost higher and cause a country to sell additional debt, thereby increasing refinancing risk. A high national debt also raises concerns that a government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. In the worst case, unsustainable debt levels can decline the valuation of currencies, and can prevent a government from implementing effective counter-cyclical fiscal policy in economic downturns.
Rating services have, in the past, lowered their long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States. The market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government may be adversely affected by rating services' decision to downgrade the long-term sovereign credit rating of the United States.
Indexed Securities are instruments whose prices are indexed to the prices of other securities, securities indexes, or other financial indicators. Indexed securities typically, but not always, are debt securities or deposits whose values at maturity or coupon rates are determined by reference to a specific instrument, statistic, or measure.
Indexed securities also include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and other fixed-income securities whose values at maturity or coupon interest rates are determined by reference to the returns of particular stock indexes. Indexed securities can be affected by stock prices as well as changes in interest rates and the creditworthiness of their issuers and may not track the indexes as accurately as direct investments in the indexes.
Mortgage-indexed securities, for example, could be structured to replicate the performance of mortgage securities and the characteristics of direct ownership.
Insolvency of Issuers, Counterparties, and Intermediaries. Issuers of fund portfolio securities or counterparties to fund transactions that become insolvent or declare bankruptcy can pose special investment risks. In each circumstance, risk of loss, valuation uncertainty, increased illiquidity, and other unpredictable occurrences may negatively impact an investment. Each of these risks may be amplified in foreign markets, where security trading, settlement, and custodial practices can be less developed than those in the U.S. markets, and bankruptcy laws differ from those of the U.S.
As a general matter, if the issuer of a fund portfolio security is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock have priority over the claims of common stock owners. These events can negatively impact the value of the issuer's securities and the results of related proceedings can be unpredictable.
If a counterparty to a fund transaction, such as a swap transaction, a short sale, a borrowing, or other complex transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited in its ability to exercise rights to obtain the return of related fund assets or in exercising other rights against the counterparty. Uncertainty may also arise upon the insolvency of a securities or commodities intermediary such as a broker-dealer or futures commission merchant with which a fund has pending transactions. In addition, insolvency and liquidation proceedings take time to resolve, which can limit or preclude a fund's ability to terminate a transaction or obtain related assets or collateral in a timely fashion. If an intermediary becomes insolvent, while securities positions and other holdings may be protected by U.S. or foreign laws, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether these protections are available to specific trades based on the circumstances. Receiving the benefit of these protections can also take time to resolve, which may result in illiquid positions.
Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program. Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, a Fidelity® fund may lend money to, and borrow money from, other funds advised by FMR or its affiliates. A Fidelity® fund will borrow through the program only when the costs are equal to or lower than the costs of bank loans. A Fidelity® fund will lend through the program only when the returns are higher than those available from an investment in repurchase agreements. Interfund loans and borrowings normally extend overnight, but can have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. A Fidelity® fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.
Investment-Grade Debt Securities. Investment-grade debt securities include all types of debt instruments that are of medium and high-quality. Investment-grade debt securities include repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities as well as repurchase agreements collateralized by equity securities, non-investment-grade debt, and all other instruments in which a fund can perfect a security interest, provided the repurchase agreement counterparty has an investment-grade rating. Some investment-grade debt securities may possess speculative characteristics and may be more sensitive to economic changes and to changes in the financial conditions of issuers. An investment-grade rating means the security or issuer is rated investment-grade by a credit rating agency registered as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) with the SEC (for example, Moody's Investors Service, Inc.), or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by a fund's adviser. For purposes of determining the maximum maturity of an investment-grade debt security, an adviser may take into account normal settlement periods.
Loans and Other Direct Debt Instruments. Direct debt instruments are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to lenders or lending syndicates (loans and loan participations), to suppliers of goods or services (trade claims or other receivables), or to other parties. Direct debt instruments involve a risk of loss in case of default or insolvency of the borrower and may offer less legal protection to the purchaser in the event of fraud or misrepresentation, or there may be a requirement that a fund supply additional cash to a borrower on demand. A fund may acquire loans by buying an assignment of all or a portion of the loan from a lender or by purchasing a loan participation from a lender or other purchaser of a participation.
Lenders and purchasers of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. If scheduled interest or principal payments are not made, the value of the instrument may be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured provide more protections than an unsecured loan in the event of failure to make scheduled interest or principal payments. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the borrower's obligation, or that the collateral could be liquidated. Indebtedness of borrowers whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks and may be highly speculative. Different types of assets may be used as collateral for a fund's loans and there can be no assurance that a fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the fund's loans. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy or restructuring may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. In any restructuring or bankruptcy proceedings relating to a borrower funded by a fund, a fund may be required to accept collateral with less value than the amount of the loan made by the fund to the borrower. Direct indebtedness of foreign countries also involves a risk that the governmental entities responsible for the repayment of the debt may be unable, or unwilling, to pay interest and repay principal when due.
Loans and other types of direct indebtedness (which a fund may originate, acquire or otherwise gain exposure to) may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Some indebtedness may be difficult to dispose of readily at what the Adviser believes to be a fair price. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining a fund's net asset value than if that value were based on readily available market quotations, and could result in significant variations in a fund's daily share price. Some loan interests are traded among certain financial institutions and accordingly may be deemed liquid. As the market for different types of indebtedness develops, the liquidity of these instruments is expected to improve.
Direct lending and investments in loans through direct assignment of a financial institution's interests with respect to a loan may involve additional risks. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, the lender/purchaser could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In the event of a default by the borrower, a fund may have difficulty disposing of the assets used as collateral for a loan. In addition, a purchaser could be held liable as a co-lender. Direct debt instruments may also involve a risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other intermediary.
A loan is often administered by a bank or other financial institution that acts as agent for all holders. The agent administers the terms of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, the purchaser has direct recourse against the borrower, the purchaser may have to rely on the agent to apply appropriate credit remedies against a borrower. If assets held by the agent for the benefit of a purchaser were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent's general creditors, the purchaser might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on the loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal or interest. Direct loans are typically not administered by an underwriter or agent bank. The terms of direct loans are negotiated with borrowers in private transactions. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market.
A fund may seek to dispose of loans in certain cases, to the extent possible, through selling participations in the loan. In that case, a fund would remain subject to certain obligations, which may result in expenses for a fund and certain additional risks.
Direct indebtedness may include letters of credit, revolving credit facilities, or other standby financing commitments that obligate lenders/purchasers, including a fund, to make additional cash payments on demand. These commitments may have the effect of requiring a lender/purchaser to increase its investment in a borrower at a time when it would not otherwise have done so, even if the borrower's condition makes it unlikely that the amount will ever be repaid.
In the process of originating, buying, selling and holding loans, a fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to the interest payments received and may include facility, closing or upfront fees, commitment fees and commissions. A fund may receive or pay a facility, closing or upfront fee when it buys or sells a loan. A fund may receive a commitment fee throughout the life of the loan or as long as the fund remains invested in the loan (in addition to interest payments) for any unused portion of a committed line of credit. Other fees received by the fund may include prepayment fees, covenant waiver fees, ticking fees and/or modification fees. Legal fees related to the originating, buying, selling and holding loans may also be borne by the fund (including legal fees to assess conformity of a loan investment with 1940 Act provisions).
When engaging in direct lending, if permitted by its investment policies, a fund's performance may depend, in part, on the ability of the fund to originate loans on advantageous terms. A fund may compete with other lenders in originating and purchasing loans. Increased competition for, or a diminished available supply of, qualifying loans could result in lower yields on and/or less advantageous terms for such loans, which could reduce fund performance.
For a Fidelity® fund that limits the amount of total assets that it will invest in any one issuer or in issuers within the same industry, the fund generally will treat the borrower as the "issuer" of indebtedness held by the fund. In the case of loan participations where a bank or other lending institution serves as financial intermediary between a fund and the borrower, if the participation does not shift to the fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the borrower, SEC interpretations require a fund, in appropriate circumstances, to treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the borrower as "issuers" for these purposes. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict a fund's ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or a group of intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the underlying borrowers represent many different companies and industries.
A fund may choose, at its expense or in conjunction with others, to pursue litigation or otherwise to exercise its rights as a security holder to seek to protect the interests of security holders if it determines this to be in the best interest of the fund's shareholders.
If permitted by its investment policies, a fund may also obtain exposure to the lending activities described above indirectly through its investments in underlying Fidelity® funds or other vehicles that may engage in such activities directly.
Lower-Quality Debt Securities. Lower-quality debt securities include all types of debt instruments that have poor protection with respect to the payment of interest and repayment of principal, or may be in default. These securities are often considered to be speculative and involve greater risk of loss or price changes due to changes in the issuer's capacity to pay. The market prices of lower-quality debt securities may fluctuate more than those of higher-quality debt securities and may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty, which may follow periods of rising interest rates.
The market for lower-quality debt securities may be thinner and less active than that for higher-quality debt securities, which can adversely affect the prices at which the former are sold. Adverse publicity and changing investor perceptions may affect the liquidity of lower-quality debt securities and the ability of outside pricing services to value lower-quality debt securities.
A fund may choose, at its expense or in conjunction with others, to pursue litigation or otherwise to exercise its rights as a security holder to seek to protect the interests of security holders if it determines this to be in the best interest of the fund's shareholders.
Mortgage Securities are issued by government and non-government entities such as banks, mortgage lenders, or other institutions. A mortgage security is an obligation of the issuer backed by a mortgage or pool of mortgages or a direct interest in an underlying pool of mortgages. Some mortgage securities, such as collateralized mortgage obligations (or "CMOs"), make payments of both principal and interest at a range of specified intervals; others make semi-annual interest payments at a predetermined rate and repay principal at maturity (like a typical bond). Mortgage securities are based on different types of mortgages, including those on commercial real estate or residential properties. Stripped mortgage securities are created when the interest and principal components of a mortgage security are separated and sold as individual securities. In the case of a stripped mortgage security, the holder of the "principal-only" security (PO) receives the principal payments made by the underlying mortgage, while the holder of the "interest-only" security (IO) receives interest payments from the same underlying mortgage.
Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs are pass-through securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, respectively. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which guarantee payment of interest and repayment of principal on Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs, respectively, are federally chartered corporations supervised by the U.S. Government that act as governmental instrumentalities under authority granted by Congress. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations. Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
The value of mortgage securities may change due to shifts in the market's perception of issuers and changes in interest rates. In addition, regulatory or tax changes may adversely affect the mortgage securities market as a whole. Non-government mortgage securities may offer higher yields than those issued by government entities, but also may be subject to greater price changes than government issues. Mortgage securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the risk that early principal payments made on the underlying mortgages, usually in response to a reduction in interest rates, will result in the return of principal to the investor, causing it to be invested subsequently at a lower current interest rate. Alternatively, in a rising interest rate environment, mortgage security values may be adversely affected when prepayments on underlying mortgages do not occur as anticipated, resulting in the extension of the security's effective maturity and the related increase in interest rate sensitivity of a longer-term instrument. The prices of stripped mortgage securities tend to be more volatile in response to changes in interest rates than those of non-stripped mortgage securities.
A fund may seek to earn additional income by using a trading strategy (commonly known as "mortgage dollar rolls" or "reverse mortgage dollar rolls") that involves selling (or buying) mortgage securities, realizing a gain or loss, and simultaneously agreeing to purchase (or sell) mortgage securities on a later date at a set price. During the period between the sale and repurchase in a mortgage dollar roll transaction, a fund will not be entitled to receive interest and principal payments on the securities sold but will invest the proceeds of the sale in other securities that are permissible investments for the fund. During the period between the purchase and subsequent sale in a reverse mortgage dollar roll transaction, a fund is entitled to interest and principal payments on the securities purchased. Losses may arise due to changes in the value of the securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the terms of the agreement. If the counterparty files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, a fund's right to repurchase or sell securities may be limited. This trading strategy may increase interest rate exposure and result in an increased portfolio turnover rate which increases costs and may increase taxable gains.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Equity REITs own real estate properties, while mortgage REITs make construction, development, and long-term mortgage loans. Their value may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property of the trusts, the creditworthiness of the issuer, property taxes, interest rates, and tax and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment. Both types of trusts are dependent upon management skill, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status of income under the Internal Revenue Code and failing to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act.
Repurchase Agreements involve an agreement to purchase a security and to sell that security back to the original seller at an agreed-upon price. The resale price reflects the purchase price plus an agreed-upon incremental amount which is unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. As protection against the risk that the original seller will not fulfill its obligation, the securities are held in a separate account at a bank, marked-to-market daily, and maintained at a value at least equal to the sale price plus the accrued incremental amount. The value of the security purchased may be more or less than the price at which the counterparty has agreed to purchase the security. In addition, delays or losses could result if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes insolvent. A fund may be limited in its ability to exercise its right to liquidate assets related to a repurchase agreement with an insolvent counterparty. A Fidelity® fund may engage in repurchase agreement transactions with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser.
Restricted Securities (including Private Placements) are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling securities may result in a loss or be costly to a fund. Restricted securities, including private placements of private and public companies, generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (1933 Act), or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of a registered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the holder might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a fund sells a security to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at an agreed-upon price and time. A Fidelity® fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser. Such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of a fund's assets and, if applicable, a fund's yield, and may be viewed as a form of leverage. Under SEC requirements, a fund needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with its reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions.
SEC Rule 18f-4. In October 2020, the SEC adopted a final rule related to the use of derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and certain other transactions by registered investment companies (the "rule"). Subject to certain exceptions, the rule requires the funds to trade derivatives and certain other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations subject to a value-at-risk (VaR) leverage limit and to certain derivatives risk management program, reporting and board oversight requirements. Generally, these requirements apply to any fund engaging in derivatives transactions unless a fund satisfies a "limited derivatives users" exception, which requires the fund to limit its gross notional derivatives exposure (with certain exceptions) to 10% of its net assets and to adopt derivatives risk management procedures. Under the rule, when a fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. The SEC also provided guidance in connection with the final rule regarding the use of securities lending collateral that may limit securities lending activities. In addition, under the rule, a fund may invest in a security on a when-issued or forward-settling basis, or with a non-standard settlement cycle, and the transaction will be deemed not to involve a senior security (as defined under Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act), provided that (i) the fund intends to physically settle the transaction and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date (the "Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision"). A fund may otherwise engage in when-issued, forward-settling and non-standard settlement cycle securities transactions that do not meet the conditions of the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision so long as the fund treats any such transaction as a derivatives transaction for purposes of compliance with the rule. Furthermore, under the rule, a fund will be permitted to enter into an unfunded commitment agreement, and such unfunded commitment agreement will not be subject to the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act, if the fund reasonably believes, at the time it enters into such agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all such agreements as they come due. These requirements may limit the ability of the funds to use derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, and the other relevant transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements also may increase the cost of the fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.
Securities Lending. A Fidelity® fund may lend securities to parties such as broker-dealers or other institutions, including an affiliate, National Financial Services LLC (NFS). Fidelity® funds for which Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) serves as sub-adviser will not lend securities to Geode or its affiliates. Securities lending allows a fund to retain ownership of the securities loaned and, at the same time, earn additional income. The borrower provides the fund with collateral in an amount at least equal to the value of the securities loaned. The fund seeks to maintain the ability to obtain the right to vote or consent on proxy proposals involving material events affecting securities loaned. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased. For a Fidelity® fund, loans will be made only to parties deemed by the fund's adviser to be in good standing and when, in the adviser's judgment, the income earned would justify the risks.
The Fidelity® funds have retained agents, including NFS, an affiliate of the funds, to act as securities lending agent. If NFS acts as securities lending agent for a fund, it is subject to the overall supervision of the fund's adviser, and NFS will administer the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the fund's Trustees.
Cash received as collateral through loan transactions may be invested in other eligible securities, including shares of a money market fund. Investing this cash subjects that investment, as well as the securities loaned, to market appreciation or depreciation.
Securities of Other Investment Companies, including shares of closed-end investment companies (which include business development companies (BDCs)), unit investment trusts, and open-end investment companies such as mutual funds and ETFs, represent interests in professionally managed portfolios that may invest in any type of instrument. Investing in other investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments, but may involve additional expenses at the underlying investment company-level, such as portfolio management fees and operating expenses. Fees and expenses incurred indirectly by a fund as a result of its investment in shares of one or more other investment companies generally are referred to as "acquired fund fees and expenses" and may appear as a separate line item in a fund's prospectus fee table. For certain investment companies, such as BDCs, these expenses may be significant. Certain types of investment companies, such as closed-end investment companies, issue a fixed number of shares that trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their NAV. Others are continuously offered at NAV, but may also be traded in the secondary market. Similarly, ETFs trade on a securities exchange and may trade at a premium or a discount to their NAV.
The securities of closed-end funds may be leveraged. As a result, a fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of closed-end funds that use leverage may expose a fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the fund's long-term returns on such securities will be diminished.
A fund's ability to invest in securities of other investment companies may be limited by federal securities laws. To the extent a fund acquires securities issued by unaffiliated investment companies, the Adviser's access to information regarding such underlying fund's portfolio may be limited and subject to such fund's policies regarding disclosure of fund holdings.
A fund that seeks to track the performance of a particular index could invest in investment companies that seek to track the performance of indexes other than the index that the fund seeks to track.
Short Sales "Against the Box" are short sales of securities that a fund owns or has the right to obtain (equivalent in kind or amount to the securities sold short). If a fund enters into a short sale against the box, it will be required to set aside securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short (or securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and will be required to hold such securities while the short sale is outstanding. A fund will incur transaction costs, including interest expenses, in connection with opening, maintaining, and closing short sales against the box.
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs). A fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of SPACs or similar special purpose entities that pool money to seek potential acquisition opportunities. SPACs are collective investment structures formed to raise money in an initial public offering for the purpose of merging with or acquiring one or more operating companies (the "de-SPAC Transaction"). Until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets in US government securities, money market securities and cash. In connection with a de-SPAC Transaction, the SPAC may complete a PIPE (private investment in public equity) offering with certain investors. A fund may enter into a contingent commitment with a SPAC to purchase PIPE shares if and when the SPAC completes its de-SPAC Transaction.
Because SPACs do not have an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the SPAC's management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. An investment in a SPAC is subject to a variety of risks, including that (i) an attractive acquisition or merger target may not be identified at all and the SPAC will be required to return any remaining monies to shareholders; (ii) an acquisition or merger once effected may prove unsuccessful and an investment in the SPAC may lose value; (iii) the values of investments in SPACs may be highly volatile and may depreciate significantly over time; (iv) no or only a thinly traded market for shares of or interests in a SPAC may develop, leaving a fund unable to sell its interest in a SPAC or to sell its interest only at a price below what the fund believes is the SPAC interest's intrinsic value; (v) any proposed merger or acquisition may be unable to obtain the requisite approval, if any, of shareholders; (vi) an investment in a SPAC may be diluted by additional later offerings of interests in the SPAC or by other investors exercising existing rights to purchase shares of the SPAC; (vii) the warrants or other rights with respect to the SPAC held by a fund may expire worthless or may be repurchased or retired by the SPAC at an unfavorable price; (viii) a fund may be delayed in receiving any redemption or liquidation proceeds from a SPAC to which it is entitled; and (ix) a significant portion of the monies raised by the SPAC for the purpose of identifying and effecting an acquisition or merger may be expended during the search for a target transaction.
Purchased PIPE shares will be restricted from trading until the registration statement for the shares is declared effective. Upon registration, the shares can be freely sold, but only pursuant to an effective registration statement or other exemption from registration. The securities issued by a SPAC, which are typically traded either in the over-the-counter market or on an exchange, may be considered illiquid, more difficult to value, and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.
Structured Securities (also called "structured notes") are derivative debt securities, the interest rate on or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. The value of the interest rate on and/or the principal of structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, or index) or the relative change in two or more reference instruments. A structured security may be positively, negatively, or both positively and negatively indexed; that is, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases. Similarly, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument decreases. Further, the change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured security may be calculated as a multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument(s); therefore, the value of such structured security may be very volatile. Structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities. In addition, because structured securities generally are traded over-the-counter, structured securities are subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the structured security, and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates.
Transfer Agent Bank Accounts. Proceeds from shareholder purchases of a Fidelity® fund may pass through a series of demand deposit bank accounts before being held at the fund's custodian. Redemption proceeds may pass from the custodian to the shareholder through a similar series of bank accounts.
If a bank account is registered to the transfer agent or an affiliate, who acts as an agent for the fund when opening, closing, and conducting business in the bank account, the transfer agent or an affiliate may invest overnight balances in the account in repurchase agreements. Any balances that are not invested in repurchase agreements remain in the bank account overnight. Any risks associated with such an account are investment risks of the fund. The fund faces the risk of loss of these balances if the bank becomes insolvent.
Warrants. Warrants are instruments which entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss.
Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.
Zero Coupon Bonds do not make interest payments; instead, they are sold at a discount from their face value and are redeemed at face value when they mature. Because zero coupon bonds do not pay current income, their prices can be more volatile than other types of fixed-income securities when interest rates change. In calculating a fund's dividend, a portion of the difference between a zero coupon bond's purchase price and its face value is considered income.
In addition to the investment policies and limitations discussed above, a fund is subject to the additional operational risk discussed below.
Considerations Regarding Cybersecurity. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, a fund's service providers are susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events and may arise from external or internal sources. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information; corrupting data, equipment or systems; or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber incidents affecting a fund's manager, any sub-adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with a fund's ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of fund shareholders to transact business, destruction to equipment and systems, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cyber incidents affecting issuers of securities in which a fund invests, counterparties with which a fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for fund shareholders) and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future.
While a fund's service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect a fund or its shareholders. A fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities are placed on behalf of the fund by Geode pursuant to authority contained in the management contract and the sub-advisory agreement.
Geode may be responsible for the placement of portfolio securities transactions for other investment companies and investment accounts for which it has or its affiliates have investment discretion.
The fund will not incur any commissions or sales charges when it invests in shares of mutual funds (including any underlying Central funds), but it may incur such costs when it invests directly in other types of securities.
Purchases and sales of equity securities on a securities exchange or OTC are effected through brokers who receive compensation for their services. Generally, compensation relating to securities traded on foreign exchanges will be higher than compensation relating to securities traded on U.S. exchanges and may not be subject to negotiation. Compensation may also be paid in connection with principal transactions (in both OTC securities and securities listed on an exchange) and agency OTC transactions executed with an electronic communications network (ECN) or an alternative trading system. Equity securities may be purchased from underwriters at prices that include underwriting fees.
Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally made with an issuer or a primary market-maker acting as principal. Although there is no stated brokerage commission paid by the fund for any fixed-income security, the price paid by the fund to an underwriter includes the disclosed underwriting fee and prices in secondary trades usually include an undisclosed dealer commission or markup reflecting the spread between the bid and ask prices of the fixed-income security. New issues of equity and fixed-income securities may also be purchased in underwritten fixed price offerings.
The Trustees of the fund periodically review Geode's performance of its responsibilities in connection with the placement of portfolio securities transactions on behalf of the fund. The Trustees also review the compensation paid by the fund over representative periods of time to determine if it was reasonable in relation to the benefits to the fund.
Geode.
The Selection of Brokers
In selecting brokers or dealers (including affiliates of FMR) to execute the fund's portfolio transactions, Geode considers factors deemed relevant in the context of a particular trade and in regard to Geode's overall responsibilities with respect to the fund and other investment accounts, including any instructions from the fund's portfolio manager, which may emphasize, for example, speed of execution over other factors. The factors considered will influence whether it is appropriate to execute an order using ECNs, electronic channels including algorithmic trading, or by actively working an order. Other factors deemed relevant may include, but are not limited to: price; the size and type of the transaction; the reasonableness of compensation to be paid, including spreads and commission rates; the speed and certainty of trade executions; the nature and characteristics of the markets for the security to be purchased or sold, including the degree of specialization of the broker in such markets or securities; the availability of liquidity in the security, including the liquidity and depth afforded by a market center or market-maker; the reliability of a market center or broker; the degree of anonymity that a particular broker or market can provide; the potential for avoiding market impact; the execution services rendered on a continuing basis; the execution efficiency, settlement capability, and financial condition of the firm; arrangements for payment of fund expenses, if applicable; and the provision of additional brokerage and research products and services, if applicable. In seeking best qualitative execution, Geode may select a broker using a trading method for which the broker may charge a higher commission than its lowest available commission rate. Geode also may select a broker that charges more than the lowest commission rate available from another broker. For futures transactions, the selection of a futures commission merchant is generally based on the overall quality of execution and other services provided by the futures commission merchant.
The Acquisition of Brokerage and Research Products and Services
Brokers (who are not affiliates of FMR) that execute transactions for the fund may receive higher compensation from the fund than other brokers might have charged the fund, in recognition of the value of the brokerage or research products and services they provide to Geode.
Research Products and Services. These products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law: economic, industry, company, municipal, sovereign (U.S. and non-U.S.), legal, or political research reports; market color; company meeting facilitation; compilation of securities prices, earnings, dividends and similar data; quotation services, data, information and other services; analytical computer software and services; and investment recommendations. In addition to receiving brokerage and research products and services via written reports and computer-delivered services, such reports may also be provided by telephone and in person meetings with securities analysts, corporate and industry spokespersons, economists, academicians and government representatives and others with relevant professional expertise. Geode may request that a broker provide a specific proprietary or third-party product or service. Some of these products and services supplement Geode's own research activities in providing investment advice to the fund.
Execution Services. In addition, products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law, those that assist in the execution, clearing, and settlement of securities transactions, as well as other incidental functions (including, but not limited to, communication services related to trade execution, order routing and algorithmic trading, post-trade matching, exchange of messages among brokers or dealers, custodians and institutions, and the use of electronic confirmation and affirmation of institutional trades).
Mixed-Use Products and Services. Geode may use commission dollars to obtain certain products or services that are not used exclusively in Geode's investment decision-making process (mixed-use products or services). In those circumstances, Geode will make a good faith judgment to evaluate the various benefits and uses to which they intend to put the mixed-use product or service, and will pay for that portion of the mixed-use product or service that does not qualify as brokerage and research products and services with their own resources (referred to as "hard dollars").
Benefit to Geode. Geode's expenses would likely be increased if it attempted to generate these additional products and services through its own efforts, or if it paid for these products or services itself. Certain of the brokerage and research products and services Geode receives are furnished by brokers on their own initiative, either in connection with a particular transaction or as part of their overall services. Some of these products or services may not have an explicit cost associated with such product or service.
Geode's Decision-Making Process. Before causing the fund to pay a particular level of compensation, Geode will make a good faith determination that the compensation is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research products and services provided to Geode, viewed in terms of the particular transaction for the fund or Geode's overall responsibilities to the fund or other investment companies and investment accounts. While Geode may take into account the brokerage and/or research products and services provided by a broker in determining whether compensation paid is reasonable, neither Geode nor the fund incurs an obligation to any broker, dealer, or third party to pay for any product or service (or portion thereof) by generating a specific amount of compensation or otherwise. Typically, these products and services assist Geode in terms of its overall investment responsibilities to the fund and other investment companies and investment accounts; however, each product or service received may not benefit the fund. Certain funds or investment accounts may use brokerage commissions to acquire brokerage and research products and services that may also benefit other funds or accounts managed by Geode.
Affiliated Transactions
Geode may place trades with certain brokers, including NFS, through its Fidelity Capital Markets (FCM) division, and Luminex Trading & Analytics LLC (Luminex), with whom FMR is under common control, provided it determines that these affiliates' trade execution abilities and costs are comparable to those of non-affiliated, qualified brokerage firms.
The Trustees of the fund have approved procedures whereby a fund is permitted to purchase securities that are offered in underwritings in which an affiliate of the adviser or certain other affiliates participate. In addition, for underwritings where such an affiliate participates as a principal underwriter, certain restrictions may apply that could, among other things, limit the amount of securities that the fund could purchase in the underwritings.
Trade Allocation
Although the Trustees and officers of the fund are substantially the same as those of certain other Fidelity® funds, investment decisions for the fund are made independently from those of other Fidelity® funds or investment accounts (including proprietary accounts).The same security is often held in the portfolio of more than one of these funds or investment accounts. Simultaneous transactions are inevitable when several funds and investment accounts are managed by the same investment adviser, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objective of more than one fund or investment account.
When two or more funds or investment accounts are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security or instrument, the prices and amounts are allocated in accordance with procedures believed to be appropriate and equitable to each fund or investment account. In some cases this could have a detrimental effect on the price or value of the security or instrument as far as the fund is concerned. In other cases, however, the ability of the fund to participate in volume transactions will produce better executions and prices for the fund.
Orders for funds and investment accounts are not typically combined or "blocked". However, Geode may, when feasible and when consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all funds and investment accounts and best execution, block orders of various funds and investment accounts for order entry and execution.
Geode has established allocation policies for its various funds and investment accounts to ensure allocations are appropriate given its clients' differing investment objectives and other considerations. When the supply/demand is insufficient to satisfy all outstanding trade orders, generally the amount executed is distributed among participating funds and investment accounts based on account asset size (for purchases and short sales), and security position size (for sales and covers), or otherwise according to the allocation policies. These policies also apply to initial public and secondary offerings. Generally, allocations are determined by traders, independent of portfolio managers, in accordance with these policies. Allocations are determined and documented on trade date.
Geode's trade allocation policies identify circumstances under which it is appropriate to deviate from the general allocation criteria and describe the alternative procedures. For example, if a standard allocation would result in a fund or investment account receiving a very small allocation (e.g., because of its small asset size), the fund or investment account may receive an increased allocation to achieve a more meaningful allocation, or it may receive no allocation. Generally, any exceptions to Geode's policies (i.e., special allocations) must be approved by senior investment or trading personnel, reviewed by the compliance department, and documented.
Commissions Paid
A fund may pay compensation including both commissions and spreads in connection with the placement of portfolio transactions. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a fund may change from year to year because of, among other things, changing asset levels, shareholder activity, and/or portfolio turnover.
For Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund, the following table shows the fund's portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal period(s) ended July 31, 2023 and 2022. Variations in turnover rate may be due to a fluctuating volume of shareholder purchase and redemption orders and/or market conditions.
Turnover Rates
|
2023
|
2022
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
8%
|
13%
|
The following table shows the total amount of brokerage commissions paid by the following fund(s), comprising commissions paid on securities and/or futures transactions, as applicable, for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. The total amount of brokerage commissions paid is stated as a dollar amount and a percentage of the fund's average net assets.
Fund
|
Fiscal Year
Ended
|
Dollar
Amount
|
Percentage
of
Average
Net Assets
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
23,534
|
0.02%
|
2022
|
$
|
10,697
|
0.00%
|
|
2021
|
$
|
29,890
|
0.00%
|
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund paid no brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
During the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2023, Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund did not allocate brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
VALUATION
The NAV is the value of a single share. NAV is computed by adding the value of a fund's investments, cash, and other assets, subtracting its liabilities, and dividing the result by the number of shares outstanding.
The Board of Trustees has designated the fund's investment adviser as the valuation designee responsible for the fair valuation function and performing fair value determinations as needed. The adviser has established a Fair Value Committee (the Committee) to carry out the day-to-day fair valuation responsibilities and has adopted policies and procedures to govern the fair valuation process and the activities of the Committee.
Shares of open-end investment companies (including any underlying Central funds) held by a fund are valued at their respective NAVs. If an underlying fund's NAV is unavailable, shares of that underlying fund will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies.
Generally, other portfolio securities and assets held by a fund, as well as portfolio securities and assets held by an underlying Central fund, are valued as follows:
Most equity securities are valued at the official closing price or the last reported sale price or, if no sale has occurred, at the last quoted bid price on the primary market or exchange on which they are traded.
Debt securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available may be valued at market values in the principal market in which they normally are traded, as furnished by recognized dealers in such securities or assets. Or, debt securities and convertible securities may be valued on the basis of information furnished by a pricing service that uses a valuation matrix which incorporates both dealer-supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques.
Short-term securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less for which market quotations and information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates current value.
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price. Options are valued at their market quotations, if available. Swaps are valued daily using quotations received from independent pricing services or recognized dealers.
Prices described above are obtained from pricing services that have been approved by the Committee. A number of pricing services are available and a fund may use more than one of these services. A fund may also discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time. A fund's adviser through the Committee engages in oversight activities with respect to the fund's pricing services, which includes, among other things, testing the prices provided by pricing services prior to calculation of a fund's NAV, conducting periodic due diligence meetings, and periodically reviewing the methodologies and inputs used by these services.
Foreign securities and instruments are valued in their local currency following the methodologies described above. Foreign securities, instruments and currencies are translated to U.S. dollars, based on foreign currency exchange rate quotations supplied by a pricing service as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which uses a proprietary model to determine the exchange rate. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at an interpolated rate based on days to maturity between the closest preceding and subsequent settlement period reported by the third party pricing service.
Other portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the opinion of the Committee, are deemed unreliable will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the opinion of the Committee, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. In fair valuing a security, the Committee may consider factors including, but not limited to, price movements in futures contracts and ADRs, market and trading trends, the bid/ask quotes of brokers, and off-exchange institutional trading. The frequency that portfolio securities or assets are fair valued cannot be predicted and may be significant.
In determining the fair value of a private placement security for which market quotations are not available, the Committee generally applies one or more valuation methods including the market approach, income approach and cost approach. The market approach considers factors including the price of recent investments in the same or a similar security or financial metrics of comparable securities. The income approach considers factors including expected future cash flows, security specific risks and corresponding discount rates. The cost approach considers factors including the value of the security's underlying assets and liabilities.
The fund's adviser reports to the Board information regarding the fair valuation process and related material matters.
BUYING AND SELLING INFORMATION
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
Investors participating in a discretionary investment program are charged an annual advisory fee based on a percentage of the average market value of assets in their account. The stated fee is then reduced by a credit reflecting the amount of fees, if any, received by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC or its affiliates from mutual funds for investment management or certain other services.
The fund may make redemption payments in whole or in part in readily marketable securities or other property pursuant to procedures approved by the Trustees if Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC determines it is in the best interests of the fund. Such securities or other property will be valued for this purpose as they are valued in computing the NAV of a fund or class, as applicable. Shareholders that receive securities or other property will realize, upon receipt, a gain or loss for tax purposes, and will incur additional costs and be exposed to market risk prior to and upon the sale of such securities or other property.
The fund, in its discretion, may determine to issue its shares in kind in exchange for securities held by the purchaser having a value, determined in accordance with the fund's policies for valuation of portfolio securities, equal to the purchase price of the fund shares issued. The fund will accept for in-kind purchases only securities or other instruments that are appropriate under its investment objective and policies. In addition, the fund generally will not accept securities of any issuer unless they are liquid, have a readily ascertainable market value, and are not subject to restrictions on resale. All dividends, distributions, and subscription or other rights associated with the securities become the property of the fund, along with the securities. Shares purchased in exchange for securities in kind generally cannot be redeemed for fifteen days following the exchange to allow time for the transfer to settle.
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends. A portion of the fund's income may qualify for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders. A portion of the fund's dividends, when distributed to individual shareholders, may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met). Distributions by the fund to tax-advantaged retirement plan accounts are not taxable currently (but you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Capital Gain Distributions. Unless your shares of the fund are held in a tax-advantaged retirement plan, the fund's long-term capital gain distributions are federally taxable to shareholders generally as capital gains.
The following table shows the fund's aggregate capital loss carryforward as of July 31, 2023, which is available to offset future capital gains. A fund's ability to utilize its capital loss carryforwards in a given year or in total may be limited.
Fund
|
Capital Loss
Carryforward (CLC)
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
$
|
12,168,511
|
Returns of Capital. If the fund's distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in the fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold in taxable accounts.
Foreign Tax Credit or Deduction. Foreign governments may impose withholding taxes on dividends and interest earned by the fund with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Foreign governments may also impose taxes on other payments or gains with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Because the fund does not currently anticipate that securities of foreign issuers or underlying regulated investment companies will constitute more than 50% of its total assets at the end of its fiscal year, or fiscal quarter, respectively, shareholders should not expect to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction on their federal income tax returns with respect to foreign taxes withheld.
Tax Status of the Fund. The fund intends to qualify each year as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code so that it will not be liable for federal tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, and avoid being subject to federal income or excise taxes at the fund level, the fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains within each calendar year as well as on a fiscal year basis (if the fiscal year is other than the calendar year), and intends to comply with other tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies.
Individuals (and certain other non-corporate entities) are generally eligible for a 20% deduction with respect to taxable ordinary REIT dividends through 2025. IRS regulations allow a regulated investment company to pass through to its shareholders such taxable ordinary REIT dividends. Accordingly, individual (and certain other non-corporate) shareholders of a regulated investment company that have received taxable ordinary REIT dividends may be able to take advantage of this 20% deduction with respect to any such amounts passed through.
Other Tax Information. The information above is only a summary of some of the tax consequences generally affecting the fund and its shareholders, and no attempt has been made to discuss individual tax consequences. It is up to you or your tax preparer to determine whether the sale of shares of the fund resulted in a capital gain or loss or other tax consequence to you. In addition to federal income taxes, shareholders may be subject to state and local taxes on fund distributions, and shares may be subject to state and local personal property taxes. Investors should consult their tax advisers to determine whether the fund is suitable to their particular tax situation.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
The Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the trust and fund, as applicable, are listed below. The Board of Trustees governs the fund and is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The Trustees are experienced executives who meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the fund's activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the fund, oversee management of the risks associated with such activities and contractual arrangements, and review the fund's performance. Except for Jonathan Chiel, each of the Trustees oversees 313 funds. Mr. Chiel oversees 191 funds.
The Trustees hold office without limit in time except that (a) any Trustee may resign; (b) any Trustee may be removed by written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the number of Trustees prior to such removal; (c) any Trustee who requests to be retired or who has become incapacitated by illness or injury may be retired by written instrument signed by a majority of the other Trustees; and (d) any Trustee may be removed at any special meeting of shareholders by a two-thirds vote of the outstanding voting securities of the trust. Each Trustee who is not an interested person (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the trust and the fund is referred to herein as an Independent Trustee. Each Independent Trustee shall retire not later than the last day of the calendar year in which his or her 75th birthday occurs. The Independent Trustees may waive this mandatory retirement age policy with respect to individual Trustees. Officers and Advisory Board Members hold office without limit in time, except that any officer or Advisory Board Member may resign or may be removed by a vote of a majority of the Trustees at any regular meeting or any special meeting of the Trustees. Except as indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the past five years.
Experience, Skills, Attributes, and Qualifications of the Trustees. The Governance and Nominating Committee has adopted a statement of policy that describes the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that are necessary and desirable for potential Independent Trustee candidates (Statement of Policy). The Board believes that each Trustee satisfied at the time he or she was initially elected or appointed a Trustee, and continues to satisfy, the standards contemplated by the Statement of Policy. The Governance and Nominating Committee also engages professional search firms to help identify potential Independent Trustee candidates who have the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills consistent with the Statement of Policy. From time to time, additional criteria based on the composition and skills of the current Independent Trustees, as well as experience or skills that may be appropriate in light of future changes to board composition, business conditions, and regulatory or other developments, have also been considered by the professional search firms and the Governance and Nominating Committee. In addition, the Board takes into account the Trustees' commitment and participation in Board and committee meetings, as well as their leadership of standing and ad hoc committees throughout their tenure.
In determining that a particular Trustee was and continues to be qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board has considered a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, was controlling. The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have balanced and diverse experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills, which allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the fund and protecting the interests of shareholders. Information about the specific experience, skills, attributes, and qualifications of each Trustee, which in each case led to the Board's conclusion that the Trustee should serve (or continue to serve) as a trustee of the fund, is provided below.
Board Structure and Oversight Function. Abigail P. Johnson is an interested person and currently serves as Chairman. The Trustees have determined that an interested Chairman is appropriate and benefits shareholders because an interested Chairman has a personal and professional stake in the quality and continuity of services provided to the fund. Independent Trustees exercise their informed business judgment to appoint an individual of their choosing to serve as Chairman, regardless of whether the Trustee happens to be independent or a member of management. The Independent Trustees have determined that they can act independently and effectively without having an Independent Trustee serve as Chairman and that a key structural component for assuring that they are in a position to do so is for the Independent Trustees to constitute a substantial majority for the Board. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet in executive session. Michael E. Kenneally serves as Chairman of the Independent Trustees and as such (i) acts as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management with respect to matters important to the Independent Trustees and (ii) with management prepares agendas for Board meetings.
Fidelity® funds are overseen by different Boards of Trustees. The fund's Board oversees Fidelity's investment-grade bond, money market, asset allocation and certain equity funds, and other Boards oversee Fidelity's alternative investment, high income and other equity funds. The asset allocation funds may invest in Fidelity® funds that are overseen by such other Boards. The use of separate Boards, each with its own committee structure, allows the Trustees of each group of Fidelity® funds to focus on the unique issues of the funds they oversee, including common research, investment, and operational issues. On occasion, the separate Boards establish joint committees to address issues of overlapping consequences for the Fidelity® funds overseen by each Board.
The Trustees operate using a system of committees to facilitate the timely and efficient consideration of all matters of importance to the Trustees, the fund, and fund shareholders and to facilitate compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and oversight of the fund's activities and associated risks. The Board, acting through its committees, has charged FMR and its affiliates with (i) identifying events or circumstances the occurrence of which could have demonstrably adverse effects on the fund's business and/or reputation; (ii) implementing processes and controls to lessen the possibility that such events or circumstances occur or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur; and (iii) creating and maintaining a system designed to evaluate continuously business and market conditions in order to facilitate the identification and implementation processes described in (i) and (ii) above. Because the day-to-day operations and activities of the fund are carried out by or through FMR, its affiliates, and other service providers, the fund's exposure to risks is mitigated but not eliminated by the processes overseen by the Trustees. While each of the Board's committees has responsibility for overseeing different aspects of the fund's activities, oversight is exercised primarily through the Operations and Audit Committees. In addition, an ad hoc Board committee of Independent Trustees has worked with FMR to enhance the Board's oversight of investment and financial risks, legal and regulatory risks, technology risks, and operational risks, including the development of additional risk reporting to the Board. Appropriate personnel, including but not limited to the fund's Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), FMR's internal auditor, the independent accountants, the fund's Treasurer and portfolio management personnel, make periodic reports to the Board's committees, as appropriate, including an annual review of Fidelity's risk management program for the Fidelity® funds. The responsibilities of each standing committee, including their oversight responsibilities, are described further under "Standing Committees of the Trustees."
Interested Trustees*:
Correspondence intended for a Trustee who is an interested person may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Jonathan Chiel (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Chiel also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Chiel is Executive Vice President and General Counsel for FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2012-present). Previously, Mr. Chiel served as general counsel (2004-2012) and senior vice president and deputy general counsel (2000-2004) for John Hancock Financial Services; a partner with Choate, Hall & Stewart (1996-2000) (law firm); and an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney's Office of the District of Massachusetts (1986-95), including Chief of the Criminal Division (1993-1995). Mr. Chiel is a director on the boards of the Boston Bar Foundation and the Maimonides School.
Abigail P. Johnson (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Ms. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Ms. Johnson serves as Chairman (2016-present), Chief Executive Officer (2014-present), and Director (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company), President of Fidelity Financial Services (2012-present) and President of Personal, Workplace and Institutional Services (2005-present). Ms. Johnson is Chairman and Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (investment adviser firm, 2011-present). Previously, Ms. Johnson served as Chairman and Director of FMR Co., Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2011-2019), Vice Chairman (2007-2016) and President (2013-2016) of FMR LLC, President and a Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company (2001-2005), a Trustee of other investment companies advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company, Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. (investment adviser firm), and FMR Co., Inc. (2001-2005), Senior Vice President of the Fidelity® funds (2001-2005), and managed a number of Fidelity® funds. Ms. Abigail P. Johnson and Mr. Arthur E. Johnson are not related.
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe (1959)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Ms. McAuliffe also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and as Trustee of Fidelity Charitable (2020-present). Previously, Ms. McAuliffe served as Co-Head of Fixed Income of Fidelity Investments Limited (now known as FIL Limited (FIL)) (diversified financial services company), Director of Research for FIL's credit and quantitative teams in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo and Director of Research for taxable and municipal bonds at Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. Ms. McAuliffe previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016). Ms. McAuliffe was previously a lawyer at Ropes & Gray LLP and an international banker at Chemical Bank NA (now JPMorgan Chase & Co.). Ms. McAuliffe also currently serves as director or trustee of several not-for-profit entities.
* Determined to be an "Interested Trustee" by virtue of, among other things, his or her affiliation with the trust or various entities under common control with FMR.
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Independent Trustees:
Correspondence intended for an Independent Trustee may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Elizabeth S. Acton (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Trustee
Ms. Acton also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Acton served as Executive Vice President, Finance (2011-2012), Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (2002-2011) and Treasurer (2004-2005) of Comerica Incorporated (financial services). Prior to joining Comerica, Ms. Acton held a variety of positions at Ford Motor Company (1983-2002), including Vice President and Treasurer (2000-2002) and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ford Motor Credit Company (1998-2000). Ms. Acton currently serves as a member of the Board and Audit and Finance Committees of Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (homebuilding, 2012-present). Ms. Acton previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2013-2016).
Ann E. Dunwoody (1953)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Trustee
General Dunwoody also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. General Dunwoody (United States Army, Retired) was the first woman in U.S. military history to achieve the rank of four-star general and prior to her retirement in 2012 held a variety of positions within the U.S. Army, including Commanding General, U.S. Army Material Command (2008-2012). General Dunwoody currently serves as a member of the Board, Chair of Nomination Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee of Kforce Inc. (professional staffing services, 2016-present) and a member of the Board of Automattic Inc. (software engineering, 2018-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as President of First to Four LLC (leadership and mentoring services, 2012-2022), a member of the Advisory Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of L3 Technologies, Inc. (communication, electronic, sensor and aerospace systems, 2013-2019) and a member of the Board and Audit and Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committees of Republic Services, Inc. (waste collection, disposal and recycling, 2013-2016). General Dunwoody also serves on several boards for non-profit organizations, including as a member of the Board, Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee of the Noble Reach Foundation (formerly Logistics Management Institute) (consulting non-profit, 2012-present) and a member of the Board of ThanksUSA (military family education non-profit, 2014-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as a member of the Board of Florida Institute of Technology (2015-2022) and a member of the Council of Trustees for the Association of the United States Army (advocacy non-profit, 2013-2021). General Dunwoody previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2018).
John Engler (1948)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2014
Trustee
Mr. Engler also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Engler served as Governor of Michigan (1991-2003), President of the Business Roundtable (2011-2017) and interim President of Michigan State University (2018-2019). Previously, Mr. Engler served as a member of the Board of Stride, Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.) (technology-based education company, 2012-2022), a member of the Board of Universal Forest Products (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2003-2019) and Trustee of The Munder Funds (2003-2014). Mr. Engler previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2014-2016).
Robert F. Gartland (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Trustee
Mr. Gartland also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Gartland held a variety of positions at Morgan Stanley (financial services, 1979-2007), including Managing Director (1987-2007) and Chase Manhattan Bank (1975-1978). Mr. Gartland previously served as Chairman and an investor in Gartland & Mellina Group Corp. (consulting, 2009-2019), as a member of the Board of National Securities Clearing Corporation (1993-1996) and as Chairman of TradeWeb (2003-2004).
Arthur E. Johnson (1947)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2008
Trustee
Mr. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Johnson served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategic Development of Lockheed Martin Corporation (defense contractor, 1999-2009). Mr. Johnson currently serves as a member of the Board of Booz Allen Hamilton (management consulting, 2011-present). Mr. Johnson previously served as a member of the Board of Eaton Corporation plc (diversified power management, 2009-2019) and a member of the Board of AGL Resources, Inc. (holding company, 2002-2016). Mr. Johnson previously served as Chairman (2018-2021) and Vice Chairman (2015-2018) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Mr. Arthur E. Johnson is not related to Ms. Abigail P. Johnson.
Michael E. Kenneally (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Independent Trustees
Mr. Kenneally also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and was Vice Chairman (2018-2021) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Prior to retirement in 2005, he was Chairman and Global Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management, the worldwide fund management and institutional investment business of Credit Suisse Group. Previously, Mr. Kenneally was an Executive Vice President and the Chief Investment Officer for Bank of America. In this role, he was responsible for the investment management, strategy and products delivered to the bank's institutional, high-net-worth and retail clients. Earlier, Mr. Kenneally directed the organization's equity and quantitative research groups. He began his career as a research analyst and then spent more than a dozen years as a portfolio manager for endowments, pension plans and mutual funds. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1991.
Mark A. Murray (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Murray also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Murray served as Co-Chief Executive Officer (2013-2016), President (2006-2013) and Vice Chairman (2013-2020) of Meijer, Inc. Mr. Murray serves as a member of the Board (2009-present) and Public Policy and Responsibility Committee (2009-present) and Chair of the Nuclear Review Committee (2019-present) of DTE Energy Company (diversified energy company). Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Board of Spectrum Health (not-for-profit health system, 2015-2019) and as a member of the Board and Audit Committee and Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Universal Forest Products, Inc. (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2004-2016). Mr. Murray also serves as a member of the Board of many community and professional organizations. Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016).
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Advisory Board Members and Officers:
Correspondence intended for a Member of the Advisory Board (if any) may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235. Correspondence intended for an officer may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Officers appear below in alphabetical order.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupation
Laura M. Bishop (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2022
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Bishop also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Bishop held a variety of positions at United Services Automobile Association (2001-2020), including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2014-2020) and Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer (2012-2014). Ms. Bishop currently serves as a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation and Personnel Committee (2021-present) of the Board of Directors of Korn Ferry (global organizational consulting).
Robert W. Helm (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Member of the Advisory Board
Mr. Helm also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Helm was formerly Deputy Chairman (2003-2020), partner (1991-2020) and an associate (1984-1991) of Dechert LLP (formerly Dechert Price & Rhoads). Mr. Helm currently serves on boards and committees of several not-for-profit organizations, including as a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs, a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Baltimore and a member of the Life Guard Society of Mt. Vernon.
Carol J. Zierhoffer (1960)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Zierhoffer also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Zierhoffer held a variety of positions at Bechtel Corporation (engineering company, 2013-2019), including Principal Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2013-2016) and Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2016-2019). Ms. Zierhoffer currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2020-present) and as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit and Finance Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (aviation operating services, 2021-present). Previously, Ms. Zierhoffer served as a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee and as the founding Chair of the Information Technology Committee of MedAssets, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2013-2016).
Heather Bonner (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Bonner also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Bonner serves as Senior Vice President (2022-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Ms. Bonner serves as Assistant Treasurer of Fidelity CRET Trustee LLC (2022-present). Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms. Bonner served as Managing Director at AQR Capital Management (2013-2022) and was the Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of the AQR Funds (2013-2022).
Craig S. Brown (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2019
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Brown also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Brown serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2013-present). Previously, Mr. Brown served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2022).
John J. Burke III (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Burke also serves as Chief Financial Officer of other funds. Mr. Burke serves as Head of Investment Operations for Fidelity Fund and Investment Operations (2018-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1998-present). Previously Mr. Burke served as head of Asset Management Investment Operations (2012-2018).
Margaret Carey (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer (CLO)
Ms. Carey also serves as an officer of other funds and as CLO of certain other Fidelity entities. She is a Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2019-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments.
David J. Carter (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2020
Assistant Secretary
Mr. Carter also serves as Assistant Secretary of other funds. Mr. Carter serves as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel (2022-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present).
Jonathan Davis (1968)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Davis also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Davis serves as Vice President Assistant Treasurer and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Mr. Davis serves as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity entities.
Laura M. Del Prato (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
President and Treasurer
Ms. Del Prato also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Del Prato serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2017-present). Previously, Ms. Del Prato served as President and Treasurer of The North Carolina Capital Management Trust: Cash Portfolio and Term Portfolio (2018-2020). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Del Prato served as a Managing Director and Treasurer of the JPMorgan Mutual Funds (2014-2017). Prior to JPMorgan, Ms. Del Prato served as a partner at Cohen Fund Audit Services (accounting firm, 2012-2013) and KPMG LLP (accounting firm, 2004-2012).
Robin Foley (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Vice President
Ms. Foley also serves as Vice President of other funds. Ms. Foley serves as Head of Fidelity's Fixed Income division (2023-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Ms. Foley served as Chief Investment Officer of Bonds (2017-2023).
Christopher M. Gouveia (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Gouveia also serves as Chief Compliance Officer of other funds. Mr. Gouveia serves as Senior Vice President of Asset Management Compliance for Fidelity Investments and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Mr. Gouveia served as Chief Compliance Officer of the North Carolina Capital Management Trust (2016-2019).
Colm A. Hogan (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Hogan also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Hogan serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present). Previously, Mr. Hogan served as Deputy Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2020) and Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2018).
Chris Maher (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Maher also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Maher serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2008-present). Previously, Mr. Maher served as Assistant Treasurer of certain funds (2013-2020); Vice President of Asset Management Compliance (2013), Vice President of the Program Management Group of FMR (investment adviser firm, 2010-2013), and Vice President of Valuation Oversight (2008-2010).
Brett Segaloff (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Officer
Mr. Segaloff also serves as an AML Officer of other funds and other related entities. He is Director, Anti-Money Laundering (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1996-present).
Stacie M. Smith (1974)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Smith also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Smith serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2009-present), and has served in other fund officer roles. Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Smith served as Senior Audit Manager of Ernst & Young LLP (accounting firm, 1996-2009). Previously, Ms. Smith served as Assistant Treasurer (2013-2019) and Deputy Treasurer (2013-2016) of certain Fidelity® funds.
Jim Wegmann (1979)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Deputy Treasurer
Mr. Wegmann also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Wegmann serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2011-present). Previously, Mr. Wegmann served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2021).
Standing Committees of the Trustees. The Board of Trustees has established various committees to support the Independent Trustees in acting independently in pursuing the best interests of the funds and their shareholders. Currently, the Board of Trustees has four standing committees. The members of each committee are Independent Trustees.
The Operations Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Kenneally currently serving as Chair. The committee normally meets at least six times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair, and serves as a forum for consideration of issues of importance to, or calling for particular determinations by, the Independent Trustees. The committee considers matters involving potential conflicts of interest between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, including matters involving potential claims of one or more funds (e.g., for reimbursements of expenses or losses) against FMR, and reviews proposed contracts and the proposed continuation of contracts between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, and annually reviews and makes recommendations regarding contracts with third parties unaffiliated with FMR, including insurance coverage and custody agreements. The committee has oversight of compliance issues not specifically within the scope of any other committee. These matters include, but are not limited to, significant non-conformance with contract requirements and other significant regulatory matters and recommending to the Board of Trustees the designation of a person to serve as the funds' CCO. The committee (i) serves as a primary point of contact (generally after the Independent Trustee who serves as a liaison for the CCO) for the CCO with regard to Board-related functions; (ii) oversees the annual performance review of the CCO; (iii) makes recommendations concerning the CCO's compensation; and (iv) makes recommendations as needed in respect of the removal of the CCO.
The Audit Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Ms. Acton currently serving as Chair. At least one committee member will be an "audit committee financial expert" as defined by the SEC. The committee normally meets four times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair or a majority of committee members. The committee meets separately, at least annually, with the funds' Treasurer, with the funds' Chief Financial Officer, with personnel responsible for the internal audit function of FMR LLC, with the funds' outside auditors, and with the funds' CCO. The committee has direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the work of the outside auditors employed by the funds. The committee assists the Trustees in overseeing and monitoring: (i) the systems of internal accounting and financial controls of the funds and the funds' service providers (to the extent such controls impact the funds' financial statements); (ii) the funds' auditors and the annual audits of the funds' financial statements; (iii) the financial reporting processes of the funds; (iv) whistleblower reports; and (v) the accounting policies and disclosures of the funds. The committee considers and acts upon (i) the provision by any outside auditor of any non-audit services for any fund, and (ii) the provision by any outside auditor of certain non-audit services to fund service providers and their affiliates to the extent that such approval (in the case of this clause (ii)) is required under applicable regulations of the SEC. It is responsible for approving all audit engagement fees and terms for the funds and for resolving disagreements between a fund and any outside auditor regarding any fund's financial reporting. Auditors of the funds report directly to the committee. The committee will obtain assurance of independence and objectivity from the outside auditors, including a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the auditor and the funds and any service providers consistent with the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. It oversees and receives reports on the funds' service providers' internal controls and reviews the adequacy and effectiveness of the service providers' accounting and financial controls, including: (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the funds' ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; (ii) any change in the fund's internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the fund's internal control over financial reporting; and (iii) any fraud, whether material or not, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the funds' or service providers internal controls over financial reporting. The committee will also review any correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies or published reports that raise material issues regarding the funds' financial statements or accounting policies. These matters may also be reviewed by the Operations Committee. The committee reviews at least annually a report from each outside auditor describing any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control, peer review, or Public Company Accounting Oversight Board examination of the auditing firm and any material issues raised by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities of the auditing firm and in each case any steps taken to deal with such issues. The committee will oversee and receive reports on the funds' financial reporting process from the funds' Treasurer and outside auditors and will oversee the resolution of any disagreements concerning financial reporting among applicable parties. The committee will discuss with FMR, the funds' Treasurer, outside auditors and, if appropriate, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC their qualitative judgments about the appropriateness and acceptability of accounting principles and financial disclosure practices used or proposed for adoption by the funds. The committee will review with FMR, the funds' outside auditor, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC and legal counsel, as appropriate, matters related to the audits of the funds' financial statements. The committee will discuss regularly and oversee the review of the internal controls of the funds and their service providers with respect to accounting, financial matters and risk management programs related to the funds. The committee will review periodically the funds' major internal controls exposures and the steps that have been taken to monitor and control such exposures.
The Fair Valuation Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Murray currently serving as Chair. The Committee normally meets quarterly, or more frequently as called by the Chair. The Fair Valuation Committee oversees the valuation of securities held by the funds, including the fair valuation of securities by the funds' valuation designee. The Committee receives and reviews related reports and information consistent with its oversight obligations.
The Governance and Nominating Committee is composed of Messrs. Kenneally (Chair) and Gartland (Vice Chair), and Ms. Acton. The committee meets as called by the Chair. With respect to fund governance and board administration matters, the committee periodically reviews procedures of the Board of Trustees and its committees (including committee charters) and periodically reviews compensation of Independent Trustees. The committee monitors corporate governance matters and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees on the frequency and structure of the Board of Trustee meetings and on any other aspect of Board procedures. It acts as the administrative committee under the retirement plan for Independent Trustees who retired prior to December 30, 1996 and under the fee deferral plan for Independent Trustees. It monitors the performance of legal counsel employed by both the funds and the Independent Trustees. The committee will engage and oversee any counsel utilized by the Independent Trustees as may be necessary or appropriate under applicable regulations or otherwise. The committee also approves Board administrative matters applicable to Independent Trustees, such as expense reimbursement policies and compensation for attendance at meetings, conferences and other events. The committee oversees compliance with the provisions of the code of ethics and any supplemental policies regarding personal securities transactions applicable to the Independent Trustees. The committee reviews the functioning of each Board committee and makes recommendations for any changes, including the creation or elimination of standing or ad hoc Board committees. The committee monitors regulatory and other developments to determine whether to recommend modifications to the committee's responsibilities or other Trustee policies and procedures in light of rule changes, reports concerning "recommended practices" in corporate governance and other developments in mutual fund governance. The committee meets with Independent Trustees at least once a year to discuss matters relating to fund governance. The committee recommends that the Board establish such special or ad hoc Board committees as may be desirable or necessary from time to time in order to address ethical, legal, or other matters that may arise. The committee also oversees the annual self-evaluation of the Board of Trustees and establishes procedures to allow it to exercise this oversight function. In conducting this oversight, the committee shall address all matters that it considers relevant to the performance of the Board of Trustees and shall report the results of its evaluation to the Board of Trustees, including any recommended amendments to the principles of governance, and any recommended changes to the funds' or the Board of Trustees' policies, procedures, and structures. The committee reviews periodically the size and composition of the Board of Trustees as a whole and recommends, if necessary, measures to be taken so that the Board of Trustees reflects the appropriate balance of knowledge, experience, skills, expertise, and diversity required for the Board as a whole and contains at least the minimum number of Independent Trustees required by law. The committee makes nominations for the election or appointment of Independent Trustees and non-management Members of any Advisory Board, and for membership on committees. The committee has the authority to retain and terminate any third-party advisers, including authority to approve fees and other retention terms. Such advisers may include search firms to identify Independent Trustee candidates and board compensation consultants. The committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the committee's scope of responsibilities, and may retain, at the funds' expense, such independent counsel or other advisers as it deems necessary. The committee will consider nominees to the Board of Trustees recommended by shareholders based upon the criteria applied to candidates presented to the committee by a search firm or other source. Recommendations, along with appropriate background material concerning the candidate that demonstrates his or her ability to serve as an Independent Trustee of the funds, should be submitted to the Chair of the committee at the address maintained for communications with Independent Trustees. If the committee retains a search firm, the Chair will generally forward all such submissions to the search firm for evaluation. With respect to the criteria for selecting Independent Trustees, it is expected that all candidates will possess the following minimum qualifications: (i) unquestioned personal integrity; (ii) not an interested person of the funds within the meaning of the 1940 Act; (iii) does not have a material relationship (e.g., commercial, banking, consulting, legal, or accounting) with the adviser, any sub-adviser or their affiliates that could create an appearance of lack of independence in respect of the funds; (iv) has the disposition to act independently in respect of FMR and its affiliates and others in order to protect the interests of the funds and all shareholders; (v) ability to attend regularly scheduled Board meetings during the year; (vi) demonstrates sound business judgment gained through broad experience in significant positions where the candidate has dealt with management, technical, financial, or regulatory issues; (vii) sufficient financial or accounting knowledge to add value in the complex financial environment of the funds; (viii) experience on corporate or other institutional oversight bodies having similar responsibilities, but which board memberships or other relationships could not result in business or regulatory conflicts with the funds; and (ix) capacity for the hard work and attention to detail that is required to be an effective Independent Trustee in light of the funds' complex regulatory, operational, and marketing setting. The Governance and Nominating Committee may determine that a candidate who does not have the type of previous experience or knowledge referred to above should nevertheless be considered as a nominee if the Governance and Nominating Committee finds that the candidate has additional qualifications such that his or her qualifications, taken as a whole, demonstrate the same level of fitness to serve as an Independent Trustee.
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, each committee held the number of meetings shown in the table below:
COMMITTEE
|
NUMBER OF MEETINGS HELD
|
Operations Committee
|
8
|
Audit Committee
|
4
|
Fair Valuation Committee
|
3
|
Governance and Nominating Committee
|
11
|
The following table sets forth information describing the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the fund and in all funds in the aggregate within the same fund family overseen by the Trustee for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022.
Interested Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Jonathan Chiel
|
Abigail P Johnson
|
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
Independent Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
Mark A Murray
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
The following table sets forth information describing the compensation of each Trustee and Member of the Advisory Board (if any) for his or her services for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, or calendar year ended December 31, 2022, as applicable.
Compensation Table(A)
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Laura M Bishop(B)
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
$
|
43
|
$
|
29
|
$
|
38
|
$
|
37
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
563,000
|
$
|
184,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
496,000
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Robert W Helm
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
$
|
42
|
$
|
38
|
$
|
37
|
$
|
45
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
565,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
492,500
|
$
|
612,500
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Mark A Murray
|
Carol J Zierhoffer(D)
|
||||||
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
$
|
37
|
$
|
9
|
||||
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
497,500
|
$
|
0
|
(A) Jonathan Chiel, Abigail P. Johnson, and Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe are interested persons and are compensated by Fidelity.
|
(B) Ms. Bishop serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective September 1, 2022.
|
(C) Reflects compensation received for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022 for 295 funds of 31 trusts (including Fidelity Central Investment Portfolios II LLC). Compensation figures include cash and may include amounts elected to be deferred. Certain individuals elected voluntarily to defer a portion of their compensation as follows: Elizabeth S. Acton, $120,000; Laura M. Bishop, $73,674; Ann E. Dunwoody, $274,597; John Engler, $274,597; Robert F. Gartland, $180,000; Robert W. Helm, $274,597; and Mark A. Murray, $274,597.
|
(D) Ms. Zierhoffer serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective March 1, 2023.
|
As of July 31, 2023, the Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the fund owned, in the aggregate, less than 1% of each class's total outstanding shares, with respect to the fund.
As of July 31, 2023, the following owned of record and/or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares:
Fund or Class Name
|
Owner Name
|
City
|
State
|
Ownership %
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
STRATEGIC ADVISERS® SMALL-MID CAP FUND
|
BOSTON
|
MA
|
99.37%
|
As of July 31, 2023, the following owned of record and/or beneficially 25% or more of the outstanding shares:
Fund Name
|
Owner Name
|
City
|
State
|
Ownership %
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
STRATEGIC ADVISERS® SMALL-MID CAP FUND
|
BOSTON
|
MA
|
99.37%
|
A shareholder owning of record or beneficially more than 25% of a fund's outstanding shares may be considered a controlling person. That shareholder's vote could have a more significant effect on matters presented at a shareholders' meeting than votes of other shareholders.
CONTROL OF INVESTMENT ADVISERS
FMR LLC, as successor by merger to FMR Corp., is the ultimate parent company of FMR. The voting common shares of FMR LLC are divided into two series. Series B is held predominantly by members of the Johnson family, including Abigail P. Johnson, directly or through trusts, and is entitled to 49% of the vote on any matter acted upon by the voting common shares. Series A is held predominantly by non-Johnson family member employees of FMR LLC and its affiliates and is entitled to 51% of the vote on any such matter. The Johnson family group and all other Series B shareholders have entered into a shareholders' voting agreement under which all Series B shares will be voted in accordance with the majority vote of Series B shares. Under the 1940 Act, control of a company is presumed where one individual or group of individuals owns more than 25% of the voting securities of that company. Therefore, through their ownership of voting common shares and the execution of the shareholders' voting agreement, members of the Johnson family may be deemed, under the 1940 Act, to form a controlling group with respect to FMR LLC.
At present, the primary business activities of FMR LLC and its subsidiaries are: (i) the provision of investment advisory, management, shareholder, investment information and assistance and certain fiduciary services for individual and institutional investors; (ii) the provision of securities brokerage services; (iii) the management and development of real estate; and (iv) the investment in and operation of a number of emerging businesses.
Geode, a registered investment adviser, is a subsidiary of Geode Capital Holdings LLC. Geode was founded in January 2001 to develop and manage quantitative investment strategies and to provide advisory and sub-advisory services.
FMR, Geode Capital Management, LLC, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and the fund have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that set forth employees' fiduciary responsibilities regarding the fund, establish procedures for personal investing, and restrict certain transactions. Employees subject to the codes of ethics, including Fidelity and Geode investment personnel, may invest in securities for their own investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the fund.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACT
The fund has entered into a management contract with FMR, pursuant to which FMR furnishes investment advisory and other services.
Management and Sub-Advisory Services. FMR provides the fund with all necessary office facilities and personnel for servicing the fund's investments, compensates all officers of the fund and all Trustees who are interested persons of the trust or of FMR, and compensates all personnel of the fund or FMR performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities.
In addition, FMR or its affiliates, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, provide the management and administrative services necessary for the operation of the fund. These services include providing facilities for maintaining the fund's organization; supervising relations with custodians, transfer and pricing agents, accountants, underwriters and other persons dealing with the fund; preparing all general shareholder communications and conducting shareholder relations; maintaining the fund's records and the registration of the fund's shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws; developing management and shareholder services for the fund; and furnishing reports, evaluations and analyses on a variety of subjects to the Trustees.
Geode serves as sub-adviser of the fund. Under its management contract with the fund, FMR acts as investment adviser. Under the sub-advisory agreement, and subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, Geode directs the investments of the fund in accordance with its investment objective, policies, and limitations.
Management-Related Expenses. In addition to the management fee payable to FMR and the fees payable to the transfer agent and pricing and bookkeeping agent, and the costs associated with securities lending, as applicable, the fund pays all of its expenses that are not assumed by those parties. The fund pays for the typesetting, printing, and mailing of its proxy materials to shareholders, legal expenses, and the fees of the custodian, auditor, and Independent Trustees. The fund's management contract further provides that the fund will pay for typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, notices, and reports to shareholders. Other expenses paid by the fund include interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable, the fund's proportionate share of insurance premiums and Investment Company Institute dues, and the costs of registering shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws. The fund is also liable for such non-recurring expenses as may arise, including costs of any litigation to which the fund may be a party, and any obligation it may have to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect to litigation.
Management Fee.
For the services of FMR under the management contract, the fund pays FMR a monthly management fee at the annual rate of 0.07% of the fund's average net assets throughout the month.
The following table shows the amount of management fees paid by the fund for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 to its current manager and prior affiliated manager(s), if any.
Fund(s)
|
Fiscal
Years
Ended
|
Management
Fees
Paid to
Investment Adviser
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
77,909
|
2022
|
$
|
458,792
|
|
2021
|
$
|
478,847
|
FMR may, from time to time, voluntarily reimburse all or a portion of a fund's or, in the case of a multiple class fund, a class's operating expenses. FMR retains the ability to be repaid for these expense reimbursements in the amount that expenses fall below the limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Expense reimbursements will increase returns, and repayment of the reimbursement will decrease returns.
Sub-Adviser - Geode. The fund and FMR have entered into sub-advisory agreement(s) with Geode. Pursuant to the sub-advisory agreement(s), FMR has granted Geode investment management authority as well as the authority to buy and sell securities.
Under the terms of the sub-advisory agreement(s), for providing investment management services to the fund, FMR, and not the fund, pays Geode fees at an annual rate of 0.0340% of the average daily net assets of the fund.
In addition, effective January 1, 2024, Geode has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its sub-advisory fee.
The following table shows the amount of sub-advisory fees paid by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, on behalf of the fund, to Geode for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
Fund
|
Fiscal Years
Ended
|
Sub-Advisory Fees
Paid by FMR
to Geode
|
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund
|
2023(A)
|
$
|
38,240
|
2022
|
$
|
229,426
|
|
2021(B)
|
$
|
241,127
|
(A) On October 1, 2022, FMR reduced the sub-advisory fee rate paid to Geode from 0.0350% to 0.0340%.
|
(B) On October 1, 2020, FMR reduced the sub-advisory fee rate paid to Geode from 0.0370% to 0.0350%.
|
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund is managed by Geode, a sub-adviser to the fund. Louis Bottari is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Peter Matthew is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Payal Gupta is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Robert Regan is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Navid Sohrabi is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. As of July 31, 2023, portfolio manager compensation generally consists of a fixed base salary, a bonus that is based on both objective and subjective criteria, and, in certain cases, participation in a profit-based compensation plan. A portion of each portfolio manager's compensation may be deferred based on criteria established by Geode.
Each portfolio manager's base salary is determined annually by level of responsibility and tenure at Geode. The primary component for determining each portfolio manager's bonus is the pre-tax investment performance of the portfolio manager's fund(s) and account(s) relative to a custom peer group, if applicable, and relative to a benchmark index assigned to each fund or account. Performance is measured over multiple measurement periods that eventually encompass periods of up to five years. A portion of each portfolio manager's bonus is linked to Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund's relative pre-tax investment performance measured against the MSCI U.S. IMI Real Estate 25-25 Index. A subjective component of each portfolio manager's bonus is based on the portfolio manager's overall contribution to the management of Geode, including recruiting, monitoring, and mentoring within the investment management teams, as well as time spent assisting in firm promotion. Each portfolio manager may also be compensated under a profit-based compensation plan, which is primarily based on the profits of Geode.
A portfolio manager's compensation plan can give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A manager's base pay tends to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management and a portion of the bonus relates to firm promotion efforts, which together indirectly link compensation to sales. Managing and providing research to multiple accounts (including proprietary accounts) can give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as a portfolio manager must allocate time and investment ideas across multiple accounts. Securities selected for accounts other than the fund may outperform the securities selected for the fund.
In addition to managing the fund's investment portfolio, each portfolio manager also manages other investment portfolios and accounts on behalf of Geode or its affiliates.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Louis Bottari as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund ($83 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Bottari was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Payal Gupta as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund ($83 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund beneficially owned by Ms. Gupta was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Peter Matthew as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund ($83 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Matthew was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Bob Regan as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund ($83 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Regan was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Navid Sohrabi as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund ($83 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Sohrabi was none.
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
Geode Proxy Voting Policies
As an investment adviser, Geode holds voting authority for securities in many of the client accounts that it manages. Geode takes seriously its responsibility to monitor events affecting securities in those client accounts and to exercise its voting authority with respect to those securities in the best interests of its clients (as well as shareholders of mutual funds for which it serves as adviser or sub-adviser). The purposes of these proxy voting policies are to (1) establish a framework for Geode's analysis and decision-making with respect to proxy voting and (2) set forth operational procedures for Geode's exercise of proxy voting authority.
Overview
Geode anticipates that, based on its current business model, it will manage the vast majority of assets under its management using passive investment management techniques, such as indexing. Geode also manages funds and separate accounts using active investment management techniques, primarily employing quantitative investment strategies.
Geode will engage established commercial proxy advisory firms for comprehensive analysis, research and voting recommendations, particularly for matters that may be controversial or require additional analysis under these Policies.
Geode may determine to follow or reject any recommendation based on the research and analysis provided by proxy advisory firms or on any independent research and analysis obtained or generated by Geode. However, Geode has retained a third-party proxy voting service (the "Agent") to affect votes based on the customized policies established by Geode and maintain records of all of Geode's proxy votes. In limited instances where the Policies do not address the specific matter, the Agent will refer the ballot back to Geode. For ballots related to proxy contests, mergers, acquisitions and other organizational transactions, Geode may determine it is appropriate to conduct a company specific evaluation. In cases of proxies not voted by the Agent, the ultimate voting decision and responsibility rests with Geode Proxy. Geode's Operations Committee oversees the exercise of voting authority under these proxy voting policies.
Due to its focused business model and the number of investments that Geode will make for its clients (particularly pursuant to its indexing strategy), Geode does not anticipate that actual or potential conflicts of interest are likely to occur in the ordinary course of its business. However, Geode believes it is essential to avoid having conflicts of interest affect its objective of voting in the best interests of its clients. Therefore, in the event that members of the Operations Committee, the Agent or any other person involved in the analysis or voting of proxies has knowledge of, or has reason to believe there may exist, any potential relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode (or any affiliate of Geode) or their respective directors, officers, employees or agents, such person shall notify the other members of the Operations Committee. Geode will analyze and address such potential conflict of interest, consulting with outside counsel, as appropriate. In the case of an actual conflict of interest, on the advice of counsel, Geode expects that the independent directors of Geode will consider the matter and may (1) determine that there is no conflict of interest (or that reasonable measures have been taken to remedy or avoid any conflict of interest) that would prevent Geode from voting the applicable proxy, (2) abstain, (3) cause authority to be delegated to the Agent or a similar special fiduciary to vote the applicable proxy or (4) recommend other methodology for mitigating the conflict of interest, if deemed appropriate (e.g., echo voting).
Geode has established the specific proxy voting policies that are summarized below to maximize the value of investments in its clients' accounts, which it believes will be furthered through (1) accountability of a company's management and directors to its shareholders, (2) alignment of the interests of management with those of shareholders (including through compensation, benefit and equity ownership programs), and (3) increased disclosure of a company's business and operations. Geode reserves the right to override any of its proxy voting policies with respect to a particular shareholder vote when such an override is, in Geode's best judgment, consistent with the overall principle of voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of Geode's clients.
Policies
All proxy votes shall be considered and made in a manner consistent with the best interests of Geode's clients (as well as shareholders of mutual fund clients) without regard to any other relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode or its affiliates. As a general matter, (1) proxies will be voted FOR incumbent members of a board of directors and FOR routine management proposals, except as otherwise addressed under these policies; (2) shareholder and non-routine management proposals addressed by these policies will be voted as provided in these policies; and (3) shareholder and non-routine management proposals not addressed by these policies will be evaluated by Geode ESG Stewardship based on fundamental analysis and/or research and recommendations provided by the Agent and other third-party proxy advisory firms.
When voting the securities of non-US issuers, Geode will evaluate proposals in accordance with these policies but will also take local market standards and best practices into consideration. Geode may also limit or modify its voting at certain non-US meetings (e.g., if shares are required to be blocked or reregistered in connection with voting).
Geode's specific policies are as follows:
I. Election of Directors
Geode will generally vote FOR incumbent members of a board of directors except:
• Attendance. The incumbent board member failed to attend at least 75% of meetings in the previous year and does not provide a reasonable explanation.
• Independent Directors. Nominee is not independent and full board comprises less than a majority of independents. Nominee is not independent and sits on the audit, compensation or nominating committee.
• Director Responsiveness. The board failed to act on shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year. The board failed to act on takeover offers where Geode and a majority of shareholders tendered their shares. At the previous board election, directors opposed by Geode received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast, and the company failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote.
• Golden Parachutes. Incumbent members of the compensation committee adopted or renewed an excessive golden parachute within the past year.
• Gender Diversity. If there are no women on the Board unless the Board has made a firm commitment to return to a gender-diverse status when there was a woman on the Board at the preceding annual meeting.
• Overboarding. The Director is a CEO and sits on the Board of more than two public companies besides his or her own; or a non-CEO Director who sits on more than five public company boards.
• Unequal Voting Rights. If the Company maintains a common stock structure with unequal voting rights. Exceptions to the policy may include, but aren't limited to: Newly-public companies with a reasonable sunset provision, where the unequal voting rights are considered de minimis; or the company provides sufficient safeguards for minority shareholders.
• In Other Circumstances when a member of the board has acted in a manner inconsistent with the interests of shareholders of a company whose securities are held in client accounts.
II. Majority Election. Unless a company has a policy achieving a similar result, Geode will generally vote in favor of a proposal calling for directors to be elected by a majority of votes cast in a board election provided that the plurality vote applies when there are more nominees than board seats.
III. Say on Pay (non-binding).
• Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. Geode will generally vote AGAINST advisory vote when: (1) there is a significant misalignment between executive pay and company performance; (2) the company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or (3) the board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders.
• Frequency Vote. Geode will generally vote FOR having an advisory vote on executive compensation every year.
• Advisory Vote on Golden Parachute. Geode will vote AGAINST excessive change-in-control severance payments.
IV. Vote AGAINST Anti-Takeover Proposals, including:
• Addition of Special Interest Directors to the board.
• Authorization of "Blank Check" Preferred Stock. Geode will vote FOR proposals to require shareholder approval for the distribution of preferred stock except for acquisitions and raising capital in the ordinary course of business.
• Classification of Boards, Geode will vote FOR proposals to de-classify boards.
• Fair Price Amendments, other than those that consider only a two-year price history and are not accompanied by other anti-takeover measures.
• Golden Parachutes, that Geode deems to be excessive in the event of change-in-control.
• Poison Pills. Adoption or extension of a Poison Pill without shareholder approval will result in our voting AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors, provided the matter will be considered if (a) the board has adopted a Poison Pill with a sunset provision; (b) the Pill is linked to a business strategy that will result in greater value for the shareholders; (c) the term is less than three years; (d) the Pill includes a qualifying offer clause; Or (e) shareholder approval is required to reinstate the expired Pill. Geode will vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring or recommending that shareholders be given an opportunity to vote on the adoption of poison pills.
• Reduction or Limitation of Shareholder Rights (e.g., action by written consent, ability to call meetings, or remove directors).
• Reincorporation in another state (when accompanied by Anti-Takeover Provisions, including increased statutory anti-takeover provisions). Geode will vote FOR reincorporation in another state when not accompanied by such anti-takeover provisions.
• Requirements that the Board Consider Non-Financial Effects of merger and acquisition proposals.
• Requirements regarding Size, Selection and Removal of the Board that are likely to have an anti-takeover effect (although changes with legitimate business purposes will be evaluated).
• Supermajority Voting Requirements (i.e., typically 2/3 or greater) for boards and shareholders. Geode will vote FOR proposals to eliminate supermajority voting requirements.
• Transfer of Authority from Shareholders to Directors.
V. Vote FOR proposed amendments to a company's certificate of incorporation or by-laws that enable the company to Opt Out of the Control Shares Acquisition Statutes.
VI. Vote AGAINST the introduction of new classes of Stock with Differential Voting Rights.
VII. Vote AGAINST introduction and FOR elimination of Cumulative Voting Rights, except in certain instances where it is determined not to enhance shareholders' interests.
VIII. Vote FOR elimination of Preemptive Rights.
IX. Vote FOR Anti-Greenmail proposals so long as they are not part of anti-takeover provisions (in which case the vote will be AGAINST).
X. Vote FOR charter and by-law amendments expanding the Indemnification of Directors to the maximum extent permitted under Delaware law (regardless of the state of incorporation) and vote AGAINST charter and by-law amendments completely Eliminating Directors' Liability for Breaches of Care.
XI. Vote FOR proposals to adopt Confidential Voting and Independent Vote Tabulation practices.
XII. Vote FOR Open-Market Stock Repurchase Programs, unless there is clear evidence of past abuse of the authority; the plan contains no safeguards against selective buybacks, or the authority can be used as an anti-takeover mechanism.
XIII. Vote FOR management proposals to implement a Reverse Stock Split when the number of authorized shares will be proportionately reduced or the Reverse Stock Split is necessary to avoid de-listing.
XIV. Vote FOR management proposals to Reduce the Par Value of common stock unless the proposal may facilitate an anti-takeover device or other negative corporate governance action.
XV. Vote FOR the Issuance of Large Blocks of Stock if such proposals have a legitimate business purpose and do not result in dilution of greater than 20%. However, a company's specific circumstances and market practices may be considered in determining whether the proposal is consistent with shareholders' interests.
XVI. Vote AGAINST Excessive Increases in Common Stock. Vote AGAINST increases in authorized common stock that would result in authorized capital in excess of three times the company's shares outstanding and reserved for legitimate purposes. For non-U.S. securities with conditional capital requests, vote AGAINST issuances of shares with preemptive rights in excess of 100% of the company's current shares outstanding. Special requests will be evaluated, taking company-specific circumstances into account.
XVII. Vote AGAINST the adoption of or amendment to authorize additional shares under a Stock Option Plan if:
• The stock option plan includes evergreen provisions, which provides for an automatic allotment of equity compensation every year.
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan (including by virtue of any "evergreen" or replenishment provision), plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
• The offering price of options is less than 100% of fair market value on the date of grant, except that the offering price may be as low as 85% of fair market value if the discount is expressly granted in lieu of salary or cash bonus, except that a modest number of shares (limited to 5% for a large capitalization company and 10% for a small and micro capitalization companies) may be available for grant to employees and directors under the plan if the grant is made by a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors (the "De Minimis Exception").
• The plan is administered by (1) a compensation committee not comprised entirely of independent directors or (2) a board of directors not comprised of a majority of independent directors, provided that a plan is acceptable if it satisfies the De Minimis Exception.
• The plan's terms allow repricing of underwater options, or the board/committee has repriced options outstanding under the plan in the past two years without shareholder approval, unless by the express terms of the plan or a board resolution such repricing is rarely used (and then only to maintain option value due to extreme circumstances beyond management's control) and is within the limits of the De Minimis Exception.
• Liberal Definition of Change in Control: the plan provides that the vesting of equity awards may accelerate even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XVIII. Vote AGAINST the election of incumbent members of the compensation committee or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if, within the last year and without shareholder approval, the company's board of directors or compensation committee has repriced outstanding options.
XIX. Evaluate proposals to Reprice Outstanding Stock Options, taking into account such factors as: (1) whether the repricing proposal excludes senior management and directors; (2) whether the options proposed to be repriced exceeded the dilution thresholds described in these current proxy voting policies when initially granted; (3) whether the repricing proposal is value neutral to shareholders based upon an acceptable options pricing model; (4) the company's relative performance compared to other companies within the relevant industry or industries; (5) economic and other conditions affecting the relevant industry or industries in which the company competes; and (6) other facts or circumstances relevant to determining whether a repricing proposal is consistent with the interests of shareholders.
XX. Vote AGAINST adoption of or amendments to authorize additional shares for Restricted Stock Awards ("RSA") if:
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan, plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
XXI. Vote AGAINST Omnibus Stock Plans if one or more component violates any of the criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, unless such component is de minimis. In the case of an omnibus stock plan, the dilution limits applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies will be measured against the total number of shares under all components of such plan.
XXII. Vote AGAINST Employee Stock Purchase Plans if the plan violates any of the relevant criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, except that (1) the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to or greater than 85% of the stock's fair market value if the plan constitutes a reasonable effort to encourage broad based participation in the company's equity, and (2) in the case of non-U.S. company stock purchase plans, the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to the prevailing "best practices," as articulated by the Agent, provided that the minimum stock purchase price must be at least 75% of the stock's fair market value.
XXIII. Vote AGAINST Stock Awards (other than stock options and RSAs) unless it is determined they are identified as being granted to officers/directors in lieu of salary or cash bonus, subject to number of shares being reasonable.
XXIV. Vote AGAINST equity vesting acceleration programs or amendments to authorize additional shares under such programs if the program provides for the acceleration of vesting of equity awards even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XXV. Vote FOR Employee Stock Ownership Plans ("ESOPs") of non-leveraged ESOPs, and in the case of leveraged ESOPs, giving consideration to the company's state of incorporation, existence of supermajority vote rules in the charter, number of shares authorized for the ESOP, and number of shares held by insiders. Geode may also examine where the ESOP shares are purchased and the dilution effect of the purchase. Geode will vote AGAINST a leveraged ESOP if all outstanding loans are due immediately upon a change in control.
XXVI. Vote AGAINST management or shareholder proposals on other Compensation Plans or Practices if such plans or practices are Inconsistent with the Interests of Shareholders. In addition, Geode may vote AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if Geode believes a board has approved executive compensation arrangements inconsistent with the interests of shareholders.
XXVII. Environmental and Social Proposals. Evaluate each proposal related to environmental and social issues (including political contributions). Generally, Geode expects to vote with management's recommendation on shareholder proposals concerning environmental or social issues, as Geode believes management and the board are ordinarily in the best position to address these matters. Geode may support certain shareholder environmental and social proposals that request additional disclosures from companies which may provide material information to the investment management process, or where Geode otherwise believes support will help maximize shareholder value. Geode may take action against the re-election of board members if there are serious concerns over ESG practices or the board failed to act on related shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year.
XXVIII. Geode will generally vote FOR proposals seeking to establish or amend proxy access which allow a shareholder (or shareholder group) holding at least 3% of the voting power of the company's outstanding shares continuously for a minimum of 3 years the ability to nominate no more than 25% of the board of directors. Geode will generally vote AGAINST proposals that do not meet the aforementioned criteria.
XXIX. Shares of Investment Companies.
• For institutional accounts, Geode will generally vote in favor of proposals recommended by the underlying funds' Board of Trustees, unless voting is not permitted under applicable laws and regulations.
• For retail managed accounts, Geode will employ echo voting when voting shares. To avoid certain potential conflicts of interest, if an investment company has a shareholder meeting, Geode would vote their shares in the investment company in the same proportion as the votes of the other shareholders of the investment company.
|
To view a fund's proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, if applicable, visit www.fidelity.com/proxyvotingresults or visit the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.
|
DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
The fund has entered into a distribution agreement with Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), an affiliate of FMR. The principal business address of FDC is 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917. FDC is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
The fund's distribution agreement calls for FDC to use all reasonable efforts, consistent with its other business, to secure purchasers for shares of the fund, which are continuously offered.
Promotional and administrative expenses in connection with the offer and sale of shares are paid by FMR.
The Trustees have approved a Distribution and Service Plan with respect to shares of the fund (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the Rule).
The Rule provides in substance that a fund may not engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity that is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund except pursuant to a plan approved on behalf of the fund under the Rule.
The Plan, as approved by the Trustees, allows shares of the fund and/or FMR to incur certain expenses that might be considered to constitute indirect payment by the fund of distribution expenses.
The Plan adopted for the fund or class, as applicable, is described in the prospectus.
Under the Plan, if the payment of management fees by the fund to FMR is deemed to be indirect financing by the fund of the distribution of its shares, such payment is authorized by the Plan.
The Plan specifically recognizes that FMR may use its management fee revenue, as well as its past profits or its other resources, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. In addition, the Plan provides that FMR, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services.
Currently, the Board of Trustees has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Prior to approving the Plan, the Trustees carefully considered all pertinent factors relating to the implementation of the Plan, and determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the fund or class, as applicable, and its shareholders.
In particular, the Trustees noted that the Plan does not authorize payments by shares of the fund other than those made to FMR under its management contract with the fund.
To the extent that the Plan gives FMR and FDC greater flexibility in connection with the distribution of shares, additional sales of shares or stabilization of cash flows may result.
Furthermore, certain shareholder support services may be provided more effectively under the Plan by local entities with whom shareholders have other relationships.
TRANSFER AND SERVICE AGENT AGREEMENTS
The fund has entered into a transfer agent agreement with Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company LLC (FIIOC), an affiliate of FMR, which is located at 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Under the terms of the agreement, FIIOC (or an agent, including an affiliate) performs transfer agency services.
For providing transfer agency services, FIIOC receives no fees from the fund.
FIIOC may collect fees charged in connection with providing certain types of services such as exchanges, closing out fund balances, maintaining fund positions with low balances, checkwriting, wire transactions, and providing historical account research, as applicable.
FIIOC bears the expense of typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, and all other reports, notices, and statements to existing shareholders, with the exception of proxy statements.
Fund shares may be owned by intermediaries for the benefit of their customers. In those instances, a fund may not maintain an account for shareholders, and some or all of the recordkeeping services for these accounts may be performed by third parties. FIIOC or an affiliate may make payments to intermediaries (including affiliates of FIIOC) for recordkeeping and other services.
Retirement plans may also hold fund shares in the name of the plan or its trustee, rather than the plan participant. In situations where FIIOC or an affiliate does not provide recordkeeping services, plan recordkeepers, who may have affiliated financial intermediaries who sell shares of the fund, may, upon direction, be paid for providing recordkeeping services to plan participants. Payments may also be made, upon direction, for other plan expenses. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
In certain situations where FIIOC or an affiliate provides recordkeeping services to a retirement plan, payments may be made to pay for plan expenses. The amount of such payments may be based on investments in particular Fidelity® funds, or may be fixed for a given period of time. Upon direction, payments may be made to plan sponsors, or at the direction of plan sponsors, third parties, for expenses incurred in connection with the plan. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
The fund has entered into a service agent agreement with Fidelity Service Company, Inc. (FSC), an affiliate of FMR (or an agent, including an affiliate). Under the terms of the agreement, FSC calculates the NAV and dividends for shares, maintains the fund's portfolio and general accounting records, and administers the fund's securities lending program.
For providing pricing and bookkeeping services, FSC receives no fee from the fund.
FMR bears the cost of transfer agency services and pricing and bookkeeping services.
SECURITIES LENDING
During the fiscal year, the securities lending agent, or the investment adviser (where the fund does not use a securities lending agent) monitors loan opportunities for the fund, negotiates the terms of the loans with borrowers, monitors the value of securities on loan and the value of the corresponding collateral, communicates with borrowers and the fund's custodian regarding marking to market the collateral, selects securities to be loaned and allocates those loan opportunities among lenders, and arranges for the return of the loaned securities upon the termination of the loan. Income and fees from securities lending activities for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, are shown in the following table:
A fund does not pay cash collateral management fees, separate indemnification fees, or other fees not reflected above.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
Trust Organization.
Fidelity® SAI Real Estate Index Fund is a fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust, an open-end management investment company created under an initial declaration of trust dated September 5, 1984.
The Trustees are permitted to create additional funds in the trust and to create additional classes of a fund.
The assets of the trust received for the issue or sale of shares of each fund and all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, subject to the rights of creditors, are allocated to such fund, and constitute the underlying assets of such fund. The underlying assets of each fund in the trust shall be charged with the liabilities and expenses attributable to such fund. Any general expenses of the trust shall be allocated between or among any one or more of the funds.
Shareholder Liability. The trust is an entity commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the trust.
The Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for the debts, liabilities, obligations, and expenses of the trust or fund. The Declaration of Trust provides that the trust shall not have any claim against shareholders except for the payment of the purchase price of shares and requires that each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the trust or the Trustees relating to the trust or to a fund shall include a provision limiting the obligations created thereby to the trust or to one or more funds and its or their assets. The Declaration of Trust further provides that shareholders of a fund shall not have a claim on or right to any assets belonging to any other fund.
The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of a fund's property of any shareholder or former shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the fund solely by reason of his or her being or having been a shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason. The Declaration of Trust also provides that a fund shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the fund and satisfy any judgment thereon. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations. Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC believes that, in view of the above, the risk of personal liability to shareholders is remote.
Voting Rights. The fund's capital consists of shares of beneficial interest. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each dollar of net asset value they own. The voting rights of shareholders can be changed only by a shareholder vote. Shares may be voted in the aggregate, by fund, and by class.
The shares have no preemptive or conversion rights. Shares are fully paid and nonassessable, except as set forth under the heading "Shareholder Liability" above.
The trust or a fund or a class may be terminated upon the sale of its assets to, or merger with, another open-end management investment company, series, or class thereof, or upon liquidation and distribution of its assets. The Trustees may reorganize, terminate, merge, or sell all or a portion of the assets of a trust or a fund or a class without prior shareholder approval. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a trust, shareholders of each of its funds are entitled to receive the underlying assets of such fund available for distribution. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a fund or a class, shareholders of that fund or that class are entitled to receive the underlying assets of the fund or class available for distribution.
Custodians.
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is custodian of the assets of the fund.
The custodian is responsible for the safekeeping of the fund's assets and the appointment of any subcustodian banks and clearing agencies.
The Bank of New York Mellon, headquartered in New York, also may serve as special purpose custodian of certain assets in connection with repurchase agreement transactions.
From time to time, subject to approval by a fund's Treasurer, a Fidelity® fund may enter into escrow arrangements with other banks if necessary to participate in certain investment offerings.
FMR, its officers and directors, its affiliated companies, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and Members of the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, conduct transactions with various banks, including banks serving as custodians for certain funds advised by FMR or an affiliate. Transactions that have occurred to date include mortgages and personal and general business loans. In the judgment of the fund's adviser, the terms and conditions of those transactions were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other fund relationships.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, Massachusetts, independent registered public accounting firm, and its affiliates, audit the financial statements for the fund and provide other audit, tax, and related services.
FUND HOLDINGS INFORMATION
The fund views holdings information as sensitive and limits its dissemination. The Board authorized FMR to establish and administer guidelines for the dissemination of fund holdings information, which may be amended at any time without prior notice. FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee (comprising executive officers of FMR) evaluates disclosure policy with the goal of serving the fund's best interests by striking an appropriate balance between providing information about the fund's portfolio and protecting the fund from potentially harmful disclosure. The Board reviews the administration and modification of these guidelines and receives reports from the fund's chief compliance officer periodically.
The fund will provide a full list of holdings monthly on www.fidelity.com 30 days after the month-end (excluding high income security holdings, which generally will be presented collectively monthly and included in a list of full holdings 60 days after month-end).
The fund will provide its top ten holdings (excluding cash and futures) on Fidelity's web site monthly, 15 days after month-end.
Unless otherwise indicated, this information will be available on the web site until updated for the next applicable period.
The fund may also from time to time provide or make available to the Board or third parties upon request specific fund level performance attribution information and statistics. Third parties may include fund shareholders or prospective fund shareholders, members of the press, consultants, and ratings and ranking organizations. Nonexclusive examples of performance attribution information and statistics may include (i) the allocation of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions among various asset classes, sectors, industries, and countries, (ii) the characteristics of the stock and bond components of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions, (iii) the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry, and country and (iv) the volatility characteristics of the fund.
FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee may approve a request for fund level performance attribution and statistics as long as (i) such disclosure does not enable the receiving party to recreate the complete or partial portfolio holdings of any Fidelity® fund prior to such fund's public disclosure of its portfolio holdings and (ii) Fidelity has made a good faith determination that the requested information is not material given the particular facts and circumstances. Fidelity may deny any request for performance attribution information and other statistical information about a fund made by any person, and may do so for any reason or for no reason.
Disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information for a Fidelity® fund's portfolio may only be provided pursuant to the guidelines below.
The Use of Holdings In Connection With Fund Operations. Material non-public holdings information may be provided as part of the activities associated with managing Fidelity® funds to: entities which, by explicit agreement or by virtue of their respective duties to the fund, are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed; other parties if legally required; or persons FMR believes will not misuse the disclosed information. These entities, parties, and persons include, but are not limited to: the fund's trustees; the fund's manager, its sub-advisers, if any, and their affiliates whose access persons are subject to a code of ethics (including portfolio managers of affiliated funds of funds); contractors who are subject to a confidentiality agreement; the fund's auditors; the fund's custodians; proxy voting service providers; financial printers; pricing service vendors; broker-dealers in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities; securities lending agents; counsel to the fund or its Independent Trustees; regulatory authorities; stock exchanges and other listing organizations; parties to litigation; third parties in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding relating to a fund holding; and third parties who have submitted a standing request to a money market fund for daily holdings information. Non-public holdings information may also be provided to an issuer regarding the number or percentage of its shares that are owned by the fund and in connection with redemptions in kind.
Other Uses Of Holdings Information. In addition, the fund may provide material non-public holdings information to (i) third parties that calculate information derived from holdings for use by FMR, a sub-adviser, or their affiliates, (ii) ratings and rankings organizations, and (iii) an investment adviser, trustee, or their agents to whom holdings are disclosed for due diligence purposes or in anticipation of a merger involving the fund. Each individual request is reviewed by the Disclosure Policy Committee which must find, in its sole discretion that, based on the specific facts and circumstances, the disclosure appears unlikely to be harmful to the fund. Entities receiving this information must have in place control mechanisms to reasonably ensure or otherwise agree that, (a) the holdings information will be kept confidential, (b) no employee shall use the information to effect trading or for their personal benefit, and (c) the nature and type of information that they, in turn, may disclose to third parties is limited. FMR relies primarily on the existence of non-disclosure agreements and/or control mechanisms when determining that disclosure is not likely to be harmful to the fund.
At this time, the entities receiving information described in the preceding paragraph are: Factset Research Systems Inc. (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (full holdings weekly (generally as of the previous Friday), generally 5 business days thereafter); MSCI Inc. and certain affiliates (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); and Bloomberg, L.P. (full holdings daily, on the next business day).
FMR, its affiliates, or the fund will not enter into any arrangements with third parties from which they derive consideration for the disclosure of material non-public holdings information. If, in the future, such an arrangement is desired, prior Board approval would be sought and any such arrangements would be disclosed in the fund's SAI.
There can be no assurance that the fund's policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of fund portfolio holdings will prevent the misuse of such information by individuals and firms that receive such information.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The fund's financial statements and financial highlights for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, and report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the fund's annual report and are incorporated herein by reference.
Total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table may differ from the ratios of expenses to average net assets in the financial highlights because total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table include any acquired fund fees and expenses, whereas the ratios of expenses in the financial highlights do not, except to the extent any acquired fund fees and expenses relate to an entity, such as a wholly-owned subsidiary, with which a fund's financial statements are consolidated. Acquired funds include other investment companies (such as Central funds or other underlying funds) in which the fund has invested, if and to the extent it is permitted to do so.
Total annual operating expenses in the prospectus fee table and the financial highlights do not include any expenses associated with investments in certain structured or synthetic products that may rely on the exception from the definition of "investment company" provided by section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.
APPENDIX
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
Fund
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Ticker
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Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
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FLCPX
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Fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
September 29, 2023
Offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser, or its affiliates, including Strategic Advisers LLC (Strategic Advisers) - not available for sale to the general public. Fidelity® SAI is a product name of Fidelity® funds dedicated to certain programs affiliated with Strategic Advisers.
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. Portions of the fund's annual report are incorporated herein. The annual report(s) are supplied with this SAI.
To obtain a free additional copy of a prospectus or SAI, dated September 29, 2023, or an annual report, please call Fidelity at 1-800-544-3455 or visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com.
For more information on any Fidelity® fund, including charges and expenses, call Fidelity at the number indicated above for a free prospectus. Read it carefully before investing or sending money.
245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
SV9-PTB-0923
1.9867775.108
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND LIMITATIONS
The following policies and limitations supplement those set forth in the prospectus. Unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the fund's acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the fund's investment policies and limitations.
The fund's fundamental investment policies and limitations cannot be changed without approval by a "majority of the outstanding voting securities" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act)) of the fund. However, except for the fundamental investment limitations listed below, the investment policies and limitations described in this Statement of Additional Information (SAI) are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
The following are the fund's fundamental investment limitations set forth in their entirety.
Diversification
The fund may not with respect to 75% of the fund's total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, (a) more than 5% of the fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (b) the fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.
Senior Securities
The fund may not issue senior securities, except in connection with the insurance program established by the fund pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission or as otherwise permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Borrowing
The fund may not borrow money, except that the fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes (not for leveraging or investment) in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1/3% limitation.
Underwriting
The fund may not underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in the disposition of restricted securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies.
Concentration
The fund may not purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) looks through to the U.S. Government securities.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in Fidelity® Money Market Central Fund and/or any non-money market Central fund, FMR looks through to the holdings of the Central fund.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, FMR may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and security and assign an industry or sector classification consistent with those characteristics in the event that the third-party classification provider used by FMR does not assign a classification.
Real Estate
The fund may not purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).
Commodities
The fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).
Loans
The fund may not lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, but this limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.
The following investment limitations are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
Short Sales
The fund does not currently intend to sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in futures contracts and options are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.
Margin Purchases
The fund does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that the fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.
Borrowing
The fund may borrow money only (a) from a bank or from a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) by engaging in reverse repurchase agreements with any party (reverse repurchase agreements are treated as borrowings for purposes of the fundamental borrowing investment limitation).
Illiquid Securities
The fund does not currently intend to purchase any security if, as a result, more than 10% of its net assets would be invested in securities that are deemed to be illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business at approximately the prices at which they are valued.
For purposes of the fund's illiquid securities limitation discussed above, if through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, the fund were in a position where more than 10% of its net assets were invested in illiquid securities, it would consider appropriate steps to protect liquidity.
Loans
The fund does not currently intend to lend assets other than securities to other parties, except by (a) lending money (up to 15% of the fund's net assets) to a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) assuming any unfunded commitments in connection with the acquisition of loans, loan participations, or other forms of debt instruments. (This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities, to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.)
In addition to the fund's fundamental and non-fundamental investment limitations discussed above:
In order to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the fund currently intends to comply with certain diversification limits imposed by Subchapter M.
For the fund's policies and limitations on futures and options transactions, see "Investment Policies and Limitations - Futures, Options, and Swaps."
The following pages contain more detailed information about types of instruments in which the fund may invest, techniques the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may employ in pursuit of the fund's investment objective, and a summary of related risks. The fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may not buy all of these instruments or use all of these techniques unless it believes that doing so will help the fund achieve its goal. However, the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) is not required to buy any particular instrument or use any particular technique even if to do so might benefit the fund.
On the following pages in this section titled "Investment Policies and Limitations," and except as otherwise indicated, references to "an adviser" or "the adviser" may relate to the fund's adviser or a sub-adviser, as applicable.
Affiliated Bank Transactions. A Fidelity® fund may engage in transactions with financial institutions that are, or may be considered to be, "affiliated persons" of the fund under the 1940 Act. These transactions may involve repurchase agreements with custodian banks; short-term obligations of, and repurchase agreements with, the 50 largest U.S. banks (measured by deposits); municipal securities; U.S. Government securities with affiliated financial institutions that are primary dealers in these securities; short-term currency transactions; and short-term borrowings. In accordance with exemptive orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Board of Trustees has established and periodically reviews procedures applicable to transactions involving affiliated financial institutions.
Borrowing. If a fund borrows money, its share price may be subject to greater fluctuation until the borrowing is paid off. If a fund makes additional investments while borrowings are outstanding, this may be considered a form of leverage.
Cash Management. A fund may hold uninvested cash or may invest it in cash equivalents such as money market securities, repurchase agreements, or shares of short-term bond or money market funds, including (for Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients only) shares of Fidelity® Central funds. Generally, these securities offer less potential for gains than other types of securities.
Central Funds are special types of investment vehicles created by Fidelity for use by the Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients. Central funds are used to invest in particular security types or investment disciplines, or for cash management. Central funds incur certain costs related to their investment activity (such as custodial fees and expenses), but generally do not pay additional management fees. The investment results of the portions of a Fidelity® fund's assets invested in the Central funds will be based upon the investment results of those funds.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Notice of Exclusion. The Adviser, on behalf of the Fidelity® fund to which this SAI relates, has filed with the National Futures Association a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and the rules of the CFTC promulgated thereunder, with respect to the fund's operation. Accordingly, neither a fund nor its adviser is subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool or a CPO. As of the date of this SAI, the adviser does not expect to register as a CPO of the fund. However, there is no certainty that a fund or its adviser will be able to rely on an exclusion in the future as the fund's investments change over time. A fund may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional CFTC regulation or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If a fund or its adviser operates subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses.
Common Stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock, although related proceedings can take time to resolve and results can be unpredictable. For purposes of a Fidelity® fund's policies related to investment in common stock Fidelity considers depositary receipts evidencing ownership of common stock to be common stock.
Convertible Securities are bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a fund is called for redemption or conversion, the fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.
Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at prices above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.
Debt Securities are used by issuers to borrow money. The issuer usually pays a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest, and must repay the amount borrowed, usually at the maturity of the security. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay interest but are sold at a deep discount from their face values. Debt securities include corporate bonds, government securities, repurchase agreements, and mortgage and other asset-backed securities.
Disruption to Financial Markets and Related Government Intervention. Economic downturns can trigger various economic, legal, budgetary, tax, and regulatory reforms across the globe. Instability in the financial markets in the wake of events such as the 2008 economic downturn led the U.S. Government and other governments to take a number of then-unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases, a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, local, foreign, and other governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which a fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Reforms may also change the way in which a fund is regulated and could limit or preclude a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective or engage in certain strategies. Also, while reforms generally are intended to strengthen markets, systems, and public finances, they could affect fund expenses and the value of fund investments in unpredictable ways.
Similarly, widespread disease including pandemics and epidemics, and natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, droughts, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and climate-related phenomena generally, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of a fund's investments. Economies and financial markets throughout the world have become increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or country will adversely affect markets or issuers in other regions or countries, including the United States. Additionally, market disruptions may result in increased market volatility; regulatory trading halts; closure of domestic or foreign exchanges, markets, or governments; or market participants operating pursuant to business continuity plans for indeterminate periods of time. Further, market disruptions can (i) prevent a fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner, (ii) negatively impact a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective, and (iii) may exacerbate the risks discussed elsewhere in a fund's registration statement, including political, social, and economic risks.
The value of a fund's portfolio is also generally subject to the risk of future local, national, or global economic or natural disturbances based on unknown weaknesses in the markets in which a fund invests. In the event of such a disturbance, the issuers of securities held by a fund may experience significant declines in the value of their assets and even cease operations, or may receive government assistance accompanied by increased restrictions on their business operations or other government intervention. In addition, it remains uncertain that the U.S. Government or foreign governments will intervene in response to current or future market disturbances and the effect of any such future intervention cannot be predicted.
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are shares of other investment companies, commodity pools, or other entities that are traded on an exchange. Assets underlying the ETF shares may consist of stocks, bonds, commodities, or other instruments, depending on an ETF's investment objective and strategies. An ETF may seek to replicate the performance of a specific index or may be actively managed.
Typically, shares of an ETF that tracks an index are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark increases. However, in the case of inverse ETFs (also called "short ETFs" or "bear ETFs"), ETF shares are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark decreases. Inverse ETFs seek to deliver the opposite of the performance of the benchmark they track and are often marketed as a way for investors to profit from, or at least hedge their exposure to, downward moving markets. Investments in inverse ETFs are similar to holding short positions in the underlying benchmark.
ETF shares are redeemable only in large blocks of shares often called "creation units" by persons other than a fund, and are redeemed principally in-kind at each day's next calculated net asset value per share (NAV). ETFs typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a fund. A fund's purchase of ETFs results in the layering of expenses, such that the fund would indirectly bear a proportionate share of any ETF's operating expenses. Further, while traditional investment companies are continuously offered at NAV, ETFs are traded in the secondary market (e.g., on a stock exchange) on an intra-day basis at prices that may be above or below the value of their underlying portfolios.
Some of the risks of investing in an ETF that tracks an index are similar to those of investing in an indexed mutual fund, including tracking error risk (the risk of errors in matching the ETF's underlying assets to the index or other benchmark); and the risk that because an ETF that tracks an index is not actively managed, it cannot sell stocks or other assets as long as they are represented in the index or other benchmark. Other ETF risks include the risk that ETFs may trade in the secondary market at a discount from their NAV and the risk that the ETFs may not be liquid. ETFs also may be leveraged. Leveraged ETFs seek to deliver multiples of the performance of the index or other benchmark they track and use derivatives in an effort to amplify the returns (or decline, in the case of inverse ETFs) of the underlying index or benchmark. While leveraged ETFs may offer the potential for greater return, the potential for loss and the speed at which losses can be realized also are greater. Most leveraged and inverse ETFs "reset" daily, meaning they are designed to achieve their stated objectives on a daily basis. Leveraged and inverse ETFs can deviate substantially from the performance of their underlying benchmark over longer periods of time, particularly in volatile periods.
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) are a type of senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt security issued by financial institutions that combines aspects of both bonds and ETFs. An ETN's returns are based on the performance of a market index or other reference asset minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN's maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the market index or other reference asset to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs typically do not make periodic interest payments and principal typically is not protected.
ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable index. The market value of an ETN is determined by supply and demand, the current performance of the index or other reference asset, and the credit rating of the ETN issuer. The market value of ETN shares may differ from their intraday indicative value. The value of an ETN may also change due to a change in the issuer's credit rating. As a result, there may be times when an ETN's share trades at a premium or discount to its NAV. Some ETNs that use leverage in an effort to amplify the returns of an underlying index or other reference asset can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs may offer the potential for greater return, but the potential for loss and speed at which losses can be realized also are greater.
Exposure to Foreign and Emerging Markets. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
Foreign investments involve risks relating to local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments, and may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors. Such actions may include expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. From time to time, a fund's adviser and/or its affiliates may determine that, as a result of regulatory requirements that may apply to the adviser and/or its affiliates due to investments in a particular country, investments in the securities of issuers domiciled or listed on trading markets in that country above certain thresholds (which may apply at the account level or in the aggregate across all accounts managed by the adviser and its affiliates) may be impractical or undesirable. In such instances, the adviser may limit or exclude investment in a particular issuer, and investment flexibility may be restricted. Additionally, governmental issuers of foreign debt securities may be unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due and may require that the conditions for payment be renegotiated. There is no assurance that a fund's adviser will be able to anticipate these potential events or counter their effects. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.
It is anticipated that in most cases the best available market for foreign securities will be on an exchange or in over-the-counter (OTC) markets located outside of the United States. Foreign stock markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States, and securities of some foreign issuers may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign security trading, settlement and custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment) are often less developed than those in U.S. markets, and may result in increased investment or valuation risk or substantial delays in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign subcustodian. In addition, the costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.
Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets. Foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis. In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States. OTC markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated. Regulatory enforcement may be influenced by economic or political concerns, and investors may have difficulty enforcing their legal rights in foreign countries.
Some foreign securities impose restrictions on transfer within the United States or to U.S. persons. Although securities subject to such transfer restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. These risks include foreign exchange risk as well as the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country.
The risks of foreign investing may be magnified for investments in emerging markets. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
Foreign Currency Transactions. A fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies). Although foreign exchange dealers generally do not charge a fee for such conversions, they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the counterparty desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Forward contracts are customized transactions that require a specific amount of a currency to be delivered at a specific exchange rate on a specific date or range of dates in the future. Forward contracts are generally traded in an interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the contemplated currency exchange.
The following discussion summarizes the principal currency management strategies involving forward contracts that could be used by a fund. A fund may also use swap agreements, indexed securities, and options and futures contracts relating to foreign currencies for the same purposes. Forward contracts not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through payments in U.S. dollars rather than through delivery of the underlying currency. All of these instruments and transactions are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default.
A "settlement hedge" or "transaction hedge" is designed to protect a fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date a security denominated in a foreign currency is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying security transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars "locks in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. Forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency may also be used to protect a fund in anticipation of future purchases or sales of securities denominated in foreign currency, even if the specific investments have not yet been selected.
A fund may also use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in a foreign currency. For example, if a fund owned securities denominated in pounds sterling, it could enter into a forward contract to sell pounds sterling in return for U.S. dollars to hedge against possible declines in the pound's value. Such a hedge, sometimes referred to as a "position hedge," would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in security values caused by other factors. A fund could also attempt to hedge the position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the pound sterling. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as a "proxy hedge," could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency, but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.
A fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a "cross-hedge," will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, much as if a fund had sold a security denominated in one currency and purchased an equivalent security denominated in another. A fund may cross-hedge its U.S. dollar exposure in order to achieve a representative weighted mix of the major currencies in its benchmark index and/or to cover an underweight country or region exposure in its portfolio. Cross-hedges protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency, but will cause a fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases.
Successful use of currency management strategies will depend on an adviser's skill in analyzing currency values. Currency management strategies may substantially change a fund's investment exposure to changes in currency exchange rates and could result in losses to a fund if currencies do not perform as an adviser anticipates. For example, if a currency's value rose at a time when a fund had hedged its position by selling that currency in exchange for dollars, the fund would not participate in the currency's appreciation. If a fund hedges currency exposure through proxy hedges, the fund could realize currency losses from both the hedge and the security position if the two currencies do not move in tandem. Similarly, if a fund increases its exposure to a foreign currency and that currency's value declines, the fund will realize a loss. Foreign currency transactions involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted and that a fund's hedging strategies will be ineffective. Moreover, it is impossible to precisely forecast the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a foreign currency forward contract. Accordingly, a fund may be required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expenses of such transaction), if an adviser's predictions regarding the movement of foreign currency or securities markets prove inaccurate.
A fund may be required to limit its hedging transactions in foreign currency forwards, futures, and options in order to maintain its classification as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code (Code). Hedging transactions could result in the application of the mark-to-market provisions of the Code, which may cause an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid by a fund are classified as capital gains or ordinary income. There is no assurance that an adviser's use of currency management strategies will be advantageous to a fund or that it will employ currency management strategies at appropriate times.
Funds of Funds and Other Large Shareholders. Certain Fidelity® funds and accounts (including funds of funds) invest in other funds ("underlying funds") and, as a result, may at times have substantial investments in one or more underlying funds.
An underlying fund may experience large redemptions or investments due to transactions in its shares by funds of funds, other large shareholders, or similarly managed accounts. While it is impossible to predict the overall effect of these transactions over time, there could be an adverse impact on an underlying fund's performance. In the event of such redemptions or investments, an underlying fund could be required to sell securities or to invest cash at a time when it may not otherwise desire to do so. Such transactions may increase an underlying fund's brokerage and/or other transaction costs and affect the liquidity of a fund's portfolio. In addition, when funds of funds or other investors own a substantial portion of an underlying fund's shares, a large redemption by such an investor could cause actual expenses to increase, or could result in the underlying fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the underlying fund's expense ratio. Redemptions of underlying fund shares could also accelerate the realization of taxable capital gains in the fund if sales of securities result in capital gains. The impact of these transactions is likely to be greater when a fund of funds or other significant investor purchases, redeems, or owns a substantial portion of the underlying fund's shares.
When possible, Fidelity will consider how to minimize these potential adverse effects, and may take such actions as it deems appropriate to address potential adverse effects, including redemption of shares in-kind rather than in cash or carrying out the transactions over a period of time, although there can be no assurance that such actions will be successful. A high volume of redemption requests can impact an underlying fund the same way as the transactions of a single shareholder with substantial investments. As an additional safeguard, Fidelity® fund of funds may manage the placement of their redemption requests in a manner designed to minimize the impact of such requests on the day-to-day operations of the underlying funds in which they invest. This may involve, for example, redeeming its shares of an underlying fund gradually over time or through use of a transition account.
Fund's Rights as an Investor. Fidelity® funds do not intend to direct or administer the day-to-day operations of any company. A fund may, however, exercise its rights as a shareholder or lender and may communicate its views on important matters of policy to a company's management, board of directors, and shareholders, and holders of a company's other securities when such matters could have a significant effect on the value of the fund's investment in the company. The activities in which a fund may engage, either individually or in conjunction with others, may include, among others, supporting or opposing proposed changes in a company's corporate structure or business activities; seeking changes in a company's directors or management; seeking changes in a company's direction or policies; seeking the sale or reorganization of the company or a portion of its assets; supporting or opposing third-party takeover efforts; supporting the filing of a bankruptcy petition; or foreclosing on collateral securing a security. This area of corporate activity is increasingly prone to litigation and it is possible that a fund could be involved in lawsuits related to such activities. Such activities will be monitored with a view to mitigating, to the extent possible, the risk of litigation against a fund and the risk of actual liability if a fund is involved in litigation. No guarantee can be made, however, that litigation against a fund will not be undertaken or liabilities incurred. A fund's proxy voting guidelines are included in its SAI.
Futures, Options, and Swaps. The success of any strategy involving futures, options, and swaps depends on an adviser's analysis of many economic and mathematical factors and a fund's return may be higher if it never invested in such instruments. Additionally, some of the contracts discussed below are new instruments without a trading history and there can be no assurance that a market for the instruments will continue to exist. Government legislation or regulation could affect the use of such instruments and could limit a fund's ability to pursue its investment strategies. If a fund invests a significant portion of its assets in derivatives, its investment exposure could far exceed the value of its portfolio securities and its investment performance could be primarily dependent upon securities it does not own.
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund will not: (a) sell futures contracts, purchase put options, or write call options if, as a result, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be hedged with futures and options under normal conditions; (b) purchase futures contracts or write put options if, as a result, the fund's total obligations upon settlement or exercise of purchased futures contracts and written put options would exceed 25% of its total assets under normal conditions; or (c) purchase call options if, as a result, the current value of option premiums for call options purchased by the fund would exceed 5% of the fund's total assets. These limitations do not apply to options attached to or acquired or traded together with their underlying securities, and do not apply to structured notes.
The policies and limitations regarding the fund's investments in futures contracts, options, and swaps may be changed as regulatory agencies permit.
The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which a fund may enter into futures, options on futures, and forward contracts.
Futures Contracts. In purchasing a futures contract, the buyer agrees to purchase a specified underlying instrument at a specified future date. In selling a futures contract, the seller agrees to sell a specified underlying instrument at a specified date. Futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts and the price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when the buyer and seller enter into the contract. Some currently available futures contracts are based on specific securities or baskets of securities, some are based on commodities or commodities indexes (for funds that seek commodities exposure), and some are based on indexes of securities prices (including foreign indexes for funds that seek foreign exposure). Futures on indexes and futures not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through cash payments rather than through delivery of the underlying instrument. Futures can be held until their delivery dates, or can be closed out by offsetting purchases or sales of futures contracts before then if a liquid market is available. A fund may realize a gain or loss by closing out its futures contracts.
The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of its underlying instrument. Therefore, purchasing futures contracts will tend to increase a fund's exposure to positive and negative price fluctuations in the underlying instrument, much as if it had purchased the underlying instrument directly. When a fund sells a futures contract, by contrast, the value of its futures position will tend to move in a direction contrary to the market for the underlying instrument. Selling futures contracts, therefore, will tend to offset both positive and negative market price changes, much as if the underlying instrument had been sold.
The purchaser or seller of a futures contract or an option for a futures contract is not required to deliver or pay for the underlying instrument or the final cash settlement price, as applicable, unless the contract is held until the delivery date. However, both the purchaser and seller are required to deposit "initial margin" with a futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant, when the contract is entered into. If the value of either party's position declines, that party will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to settle the change in value on a daily basis. This process of "marking to market" will be reflected in the daily calculation of open positions computed in a fund's NAV. The party that has a gain is entitled to receive all or a portion of this amount. Initial and variation margin payments do not constitute purchasing securities on margin for purposes of a fund's investment limitations. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a fund, but is instead a settlement between a fund and the futures commission merchant of the amount one would owe the other if the fund's contract expired. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a futures commission merchant that holds margin on behalf of a fund, the fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the futures commission merchant's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the fund.
Although futures exchanges generally operate similarly in the United States and abroad, foreign futures exchanges may follow trading, settlement, and margin procedures that are different from those for U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts traded outside the United States may not involve a clearing mechanism or related guarantees and may involve greater risk of loss than U.S.-traded contracts, including potentially greater risk of losses due to insolvency of a futures broker, exchange member, or other party that may owe initial or variation margin to a fund. Because initial and variation margin payments may be measured in foreign currency, a futures contract traded outside the United States may also involve the risk of foreign currency fluctuation.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for futures contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may work to prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.
If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or other market conditions, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value. These risks may be heightened for commodity futures contracts, which have historically been subject to greater price volatility than exists for instruments such as stocks and bonds.
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded futures contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in futures contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the futures position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell futures contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's futures positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments. In addition, the price of a commodity futures contract can reflect the storage costs associated with the purchase of the physical commodity.
Futures contracts on U.S. Government securities historically have reacted to an increase or decrease in interest rates in a manner similar to the manner in which the underlying U.S. Government securities reacted. To the extent, however, that a fund enters into such futures contracts, the value of these futures contracts will not vary in direct proportion to the value of the fund's holdings of U.S. Government securities. Thus, the anticipated spread between the price of the futures contract and the hedged security may be distorted due to differences in the nature of the markets. The spread also may be distorted by differences in initial and variation margin requirements, the liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.
Options. By purchasing a put option, the purchaser obtains the right (but not the obligation) to sell the option's underlying instrument at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, the purchaser pays the current market price for the option (known as the option premium). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific assets or securities, baskets of assets or securities, indexes of securities or commodities prices, and futures contracts (including commodity futures contracts). Options may be traded on an exchange or OTC. The purchaser may terminate its position in a put option by allowing it to expire or by exercising the option. If the option is allowed to expire, the purchaser will lose the entire premium. If the option is exercised, the purchaser completes the sale of the underlying instrument at the strike price. Depending on the terms of the contract, upon exercise, an option may require physical delivery of the underlying instrument or may be settled through cash payments. A purchaser may also terminate a put option position by closing it out in the secondary market at its current price, if a liquid secondary market exists.
The buyer of a typical put option can expect to realize a gain if the underlying instrument's price falls substantially. However, if the underlying instrument's price does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer can expect to suffer a loss (limited to the amount of the premium, plus related transaction costs).
The features of call options are essentially the same as those of put options, except that the purchaser of a call option obtains the right (but not the obligation) to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. A call buyer typically attempts to participate in potential price increases of the underlying instrument with risk limited to the cost of the option if the underlying instrument's price falls. At the same time, the buyer can expect to suffer a loss if the underlying instrument's price does not rise sufficiently to offset the cost of the option.
The writer of a put or call option takes the opposite side of the transaction from the option's purchaser. In return for receipt of the premium, the writer assumes the obligation to pay or receive the strike price for the option's underlying instrument if the other party to the option chooses to exercise it. The writer may seek to terminate a position in a put option before exercise by closing out the option in the secondary market at its current price. If the secondary market is not liquid for a put option, however, the writer must continue to be prepared to pay the strike price while the option is outstanding, regardless of price changes. When writing an option on a futures contract, a fund will be required to make margin payments to a futures commission merchant as described above for futures contracts.
If the underlying instrument's price rises, a put writer would generally expect to profit, although its gain would be limited to the amount of the premium it received. If the underlying instrument's price remains the same over time, it is likely that the writer will also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a lower price. If the underlying instrument's price falls, the put writer would expect to suffer a loss. This loss should be less than the loss from purchasing the underlying instrument directly, however, because the premium received for writing the option should mitigate the effects of the decline.
Writing a call option obligates the writer to sell or deliver the option's underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, upon exercise of the option. The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that writing calls generally is a profitable strategy if prices remain the same or fall. Through receipt of the option premium, a call writer should mitigate the effects of a price increase. At the same time, because a call writer must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, even if its current value is greater, a call writer gives up some ability to participate in price increases and, if a call writer does not hold the underlying instrument, a call writer's loss is theoretically unlimited.
Where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price to close out the put or call option on the secondary market may move more or less than the price of the related security.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular options contract at any particular time. Options may have relatively low trading volume and liquidity if their strike prices are not close to the underlying instrument's current price. In addition, exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for exchange-traded options contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or otherwise, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value.
Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size, and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the purchaser or writer greater flexibility to tailor an option to its needs, OTC options generally are less liquid and involve greater credit risk than exchange-traded options, which are backed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
Combined positions involve purchasing and writing options in combination with each other, or in combination with futures or forward contracts, to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, purchasing a put option and writing a call option on the same underlying instrument would construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract. Another possible combined position would involve writing a call option at one strike price and buying a call option at a lower price, to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
A fund may also buy and sell options on swaps (swaptions), which are generally options on interest rate swaps. An option on a swap gives a party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to extend, shorten, cancel or modify an existing contract at a specific date in the future in exchange for a premium. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes (sells) an option on a swap than it will incur when it purchases an option on a swap. When a fund purchases an option on a swap, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a fund writes an option on a swap, upon exercise of the option the fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. A fund that writes an option on a swap receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the preset rate on the underlying interest rate swap. Whether a fund's use of options on swaps will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Options on swaps may involve risks similar to those discussed below in "Swap Agreements."
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded options contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in options contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the options position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Options prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Options prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell options contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's options positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments.
Swap Agreements. Under a typical equity swap agreement, a counterparty such as a bank or broker-dealer agrees to pay a fund a return equal to the dividend payments and increase in value, if any, of an index or group of stocks, or of a stock, and the fund agrees in return to pay a fixed or floating rate of interest, plus any declines in value of the index. Swap agreements can also have features providing for maximum or minimum exposure to a designated index. In order to hedge its exposure effectively, a fund would generally have to own other assets returning approximately the same amount as the interest rate payable by the fund under the swap agreement.
Swap agreements allow a fund to acquire or reduce credit exposure to a particular issuer, asset, or basket of assets. The most significant factor in the performance of swap agreements is the change in value of the specific index, security, or currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from a fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a fund, the fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. If the creditworthiness of a fund's swap counterparty declines, the risk that the counterparty may not perform could increase, potentially resulting in a loss to the fund and impairing the fund's correlation with its applicable index. Although there can be no assurance that a fund will be able to do so, a fund may be able to reduce or eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or another more creditworthy party.
A fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. A fund would generally be required to provide margin or collateral for the benefit of that counterparty. If a counterparty to a swap transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited temporarily or permanently in exercising its right to the return of related fund assets designated as margin or collateral in an action against the counterparty.
Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to a fund's interest. A fund bears the risk that an adviser will not accurately forecast market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other economic factors in establishing swap positions for a fund. If an adviser attempts to use a swap as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, a fund may be exposed to the risk that the swap will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment, which could cause substantial losses for a fund. While hedging strategies involving swap instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other fund investments. Swaps are complex and often valued subjectively.
Hybrid and Preferred Securities. A hybrid security may be a debt security, warrant, convertible security, certificate of deposit or other evidence of indebtedness on which the value of the interest on or principal of which is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument or financial strength of a reference entity (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, index, or business entity such as a financial institution). Another example is contingent convertible securities, which are fixed income securities that, under certain circumstances, either convert into common stock of the issuer or undergo a principal write-down by a predetermined percentage if the issuer's capital ratio falls below a predetermined trigger level. The liquidation value of such a security may be reduced upon a regulatory action and without the need for a bankruptcy proceeding. Preferred securities may take the form of preferred stock and represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds generally take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.
The risks of investing in hybrid and preferred securities reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid or preferred security may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt or equity security. The risks of a particular hybrid or preferred security will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the value of any applicable reference instrument. Such risks may depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid or preferred security. Hybrid and preferred securities are potentially more volatile and carry greater market and liquidity risks than traditional debt or equity securities. Also, the price of the hybrid or preferred security and any applicable reference instrument may not move in the same direction or at the same time. In addition, because hybrid and preferred securities may be traded over-the-counter or in bilateral transactions with the issuer of the security, hybrid and preferred securities may be subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the security and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates. In addition, uncertainty regarding the tax and regulatory treatment of hybrid and preferred securities may reduce demand for such securities and tax and regulatory considerations may limit the extent of a fund's investments in certain hybrid and preferred securities.
Illiquid Investments means any investment that cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Difficulty in selling or disposing of illiquid investments may result in a loss or may be costly to a fund. Illiquid securities may include (1) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days without demand/redemption features, (2) OTC options and certain other derivatives, (3) private placements, (4) securities traded on markets and exchanges with structural constraints, and (5) loan participations.
Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, a Fidelity® fund's adviser classifies the liquidity of a fund's investments and monitors the extent of a fund's illiquid investments.
Various market, trading and investment-specific factors may be considered in determining the liquidity of a fund's investments including, but not limited to (1) the existence of an active trading market, (2) the nature of the security and the market in which it trades, (3) the number, diversity, and quality of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace, (4) the frequency, volume, and volatility of trade and price quotations, (5) bid-ask spreads, (6) dates of issuance and maturity, (7) demand, put or tender features, and (8) restrictions on trading or transferring the investment.
Fidelity classifies certain investments as illiquid based upon these criteria. Fidelity also monitors for certain market, trading and investment-specific events that may cause Fidelity to re-evaluate an investment's liquidity status and may lead to an investment being classified as illiquid. In addition, Fidelity uses a third-party to assist with the liquidity classifications of the fund's investments, which includes calculating the time to sell and settle a specified size position in a particular investment without the sale significantly changing the market value of the investment.
Increasing Government Debt. The total public debt of the United States and other countries around the globe as a percent of gross domestic product has, at times, grown rapidly. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented.
A high national debt level may increase market pressures to meet government funding needs, which may drive debt cost higher and cause a country to sell additional debt, thereby increasing refinancing risk. A high national debt also raises concerns that a government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. In the worst case, unsustainable debt levels can decline the valuation of currencies, and can prevent a government from implementing effective counter-cyclical fiscal policy in economic downturns.
Rating services have, in the past, lowered their long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States. The market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government may be adversely affected by rating services' decision to downgrade the long-term sovereign credit rating of the United States.
Indexed Securities are instruments whose prices are indexed to the prices of other securities, securities indexes, or other financial indicators. Indexed securities typically, but not always, are debt securities or deposits whose values at maturity or coupon rates are determined by reference to a specific instrument, statistic, or measure.
Indexed securities also include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and other fixed-income securities whose values at maturity or coupon interest rates are determined by reference to the returns of particular stock indexes. Indexed securities can be affected by stock prices as well as changes in interest rates and the creditworthiness of their issuers and may not track the indexes as accurately as direct investments in the indexes.
Insolvency of Issuers, Counterparties, and Intermediaries. Issuers of fund portfolio securities or counterparties to fund transactions that become insolvent or declare bankruptcy can pose special investment risks. In each circumstance, risk of loss, valuation uncertainty, increased illiquidity, and other unpredictable occurrences may negatively impact an investment. Each of these risks may be amplified in foreign markets, where security trading, settlement, and custodial practices can be less developed than those in the U.S. markets, and bankruptcy laws differ from those of the U.S.
As a general matter, if the issuer of a fund portfolio security is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock have priority over the claims of common stock owners. These events can negatively impact the value of the issuer's securities and the results of related proceedings can be unpredictable.
If a counterparty to a fund transaction, such as a swap transaction, a short sale, a borrowing, or other complex transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited in its ability to exercise rights to obtain the return of related fund assets or in exercising other rights against the counterparty. Uncertainty may also arise upon the insolvency of a securities or commodities intermediary such as a broker-dealer or futures commission merchant with which a fund has pending transactions. In addition, insolvency and liquidation proceedings take time to resolve, which can limit or preclude a fund's ability to terminate a transaction or obtain related assets or collateral in a timely fashion. If an intermediary becomes insolvent, while securities positions and other holdings may be protected by U.S. or foreign laws, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether these protections are available to specific trades based on the circumstances. Receiving the benefit of these protections can also take time to resolve, which may result in illiquid positions.
Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program. Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, a Fidelity® fund may lend money to, and borrow money from, other funds advised by FMR or its affiliates. A Fidelity® fund will borrow through the program only when the costs are equal to or lower than the costs of bank loans. A Fidelity® fund will lend through the program only when the returns are higher than those available from an investment in repurchase agreements. Interfund loans and borrowings normally extend overnight, but can have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. A Fidelity® fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.
Investment-Grade Debt Securities. Investment-grade debt securities include all types of debt instruments that are of medium and high-quality. Investment-grade debt securities include repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities as well as repurchase agreements collateralized by equity securities, non-investment-grade debt, and all other instruments in which a fund can perfect a security interest, provided the repurchase agreement counterparty has an investment-grade rating. Some investment-grade debt securities may possess speculative characteristics and may be more sensitive to economic changes and to changes in the financial conditions of issuers. An investment-grade rating means the security or issuer is rated investment-grade by a credit rating agency registered as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) with the SEC (for example, Moody's Investors Service, Inc.), or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by a fund's adviser. For purposes of determining the maximum maturity of an investment-grade debt security, an adviser may take into account normal settlement periods.
Loans and Other Direct Debt Instruments. Direct debt instruments are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to lenders or lending syndicates (loans and loan participations), to suppliers of goods or services (trade claims or other receivables), or to other parties. Direct debt instruments involve a risk of loss in case of default or insolvency of the borrower and may offer less legal protection to the purchaser in the event of fraud or misrepresentation, or there may be a requirement that a fund supply additional cash to a borrower on demand. A fund may acquire loans by buying an assignment of all or a portion of the loan from a lender or by purchasing a loan participation from a lender or other purchaser of a participation.
Lenders and purchasers of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. If scheduled interest or principal payments are not made, the value of the instrument may be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured provide more protections than an unsecured loan in the event of failure to make scheduled interest or principal payments. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the borrower's obligation, or that the collateral could be liquidated. Indebtedness of borrowers whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks and may be highly speculative. Different types of assets may be used as collateral for a fund's loans and there can be no assurance that a fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the fund's loans. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy or restructuring may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. In any restructuring or bankruptcy proceedings relating to a borrower funded by a fund, a fund may be required to accept collateral with less value than the amount of the loan made by the fund to the borrower. Direct indebtedness of foreign countries also involves a risk that the governmental entities responsible for the repayment of the debt may be unable, or unwilling, to pay interest and repay principal when due.
Loans and other types of direct indebtedness (which a fund may originate, acquire or otherwise gain exposure to) may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Some indebtedness may be difficult to dispose of readily at what the Adviser believes to be a fair price. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining a fund's net asset value than if that value were based on readily available market quotations, and could result in significant variations in a fund's daily share price. Some loan interests are traded among certain financial institutions and accordingly may be deemed liquid. As the market for different types of indebtedness develops, the liquidity of these instruments is expected to improve.
Direct lending and investments in loans through direct assignment of a financial institution's interests with respect to a loan may involve additional risks. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, the lender/purchaser could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In the event of a default by the borrower, a fund may have difficulty disposing of the assets used as collateral for a loan. In addition, a purchaser could be held liable as a co-lender. Direct debt instruments may also involve a risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other intermediary.
A loan is often administered by a bank or other financial institution that acts as agent for all holders. The agent administers the terms of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, the purchaser has direct recourse against the borrower, the purchaser may have to rely on the agent to apply appropriate credit remedies against a borrower. If assets held by the agent for the benefit of a purchaser were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent's general creditors, the purchaser might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on the loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal or interest. Direct loans are typically not administered by an underwriter or agent bank. The terms of direct loans are negotiated with borrowers in private transactions. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market.
A fund may seek to dispose of loans in certain cases, to the extent possible, through selling participations in the loan. In that case, a fund would remain subject to certain obligations, which may result in expenses for a fund and certain additional risks.
Direct indebtedness may include letters of credit, revolving credit facilities, or other standby financing commitments that obligate lenders/purchasers, including a fund, to make additional cash payments on demand. These commitments may have the effect of requiring a lender/purchaser to increase its investment in a borrower at a time when it would not otherwise have done so, even if the borrower's condition makes it unlikely that the amount will ever be repaid.
In the process of originating, buying, selling and holding loans, a fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to the interest payments received and may include facility, closing or upfront fees, commitment fees and commissions. A fund may receive or pay a facility, closing or upfront fee when it buys or sells a loan. A fund may receive a commitment fee throughout the life of the loan or as long as the fund remains invested in the loan (in addition to interest payments) for any unused portion of a committed line of credit. Other fees received by the fund may include prepayment fees, covenant waiver fees, ticking fees and/or modification fees. Legal fees related to the originating, buying, selling and holding loans may also be borne by the fund (including legal fees to assess conformity of a loan investment with 1940 Act provisions).
When engaging in direct lending, if permitted by its investment policies, a fund's performance may depend, in part, on the ability of the fund to originate loans on advantageous terms. A fund may compete with other lenders in originating and purchasing loans. Increased competition for, or a diminished available supply of, qualifying loans could result in lower yields on and/or less advantageous terms for such loans, which could reduce fund performance.
For a Fidelity® fund that limits the amount of total assets that it will invest in any one issuer or in issuers within the same industry, the fund generally will treat the borrower as the "issuer" of indebtedness held by the fund. In the case of loan participations where a bank or other lending institution serves as financial intermediary between a fund and the borrower, if the participation does not shift to the fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the borrower, SEC interpretations require a fund, in appropriate circumstances, to treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the borrower as "issuers" for these purposes. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict a fund's ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or a group of intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the underlying borrowers represent many different companies and industries.
A fund may choose, at its expense or in conjunction with others, to pursue litigation or otherwise to exercise its rights as a security holder to seek to protect the interests of security holders if it determines this to be in the best interest of the fund's shareholders.
If permitted by its investment policies, a fund may also obtain exposure to the lending activities described above indirectly through its investments in underlying Fidelity® funds or other vehicles that may engage in such activities directly.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Equity REITs own real estate properties, while mortgage REITs make construction, development, and long-term mortgage loans. Their value may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property of the trusts, the creditworthiness of the issuer, property taxes, interest rates, and tax and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment. Both types of trusts are dependent upon management skill, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status of income under the Internal Revenue Code and failing to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act.
Repurchase Agreements involve an agreement to purchase a security and to sell that security back to the original seller at an agreed-upon price. The resale price reflects the purchase price plus an agreed-upon incremental amount which is unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. As protection against the risk that the original seller will not fulfill its obligation, the securities are held in a separate account at a bank, marked-to-market daily, and maintained at a value at least equal to the sale price plus the accrued incremental amount. The value of the security purchased may be more or less than the price at which the counterparty has agreed to purchase the security. In addition, delays or losses could result if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes insolvent. A fund may be limited in its ability to exercise its right to liquidate assets related to a repurchase agreement with an insolvent counterparty. A Fidelity® fund may engage in repurchase agreement transactions with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser.
Restricted Securities (including Private Placements) are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling securities may result in a loss or be costly to a fund. Restricted securities, including private placements of private and public companies, generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (1933 Act), or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of a registered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the holder might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a fund sells a security to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at an agreed-upon price and time. A Fidelity® fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser. Such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of a fund's assets and, if applicable, a fund's yield, and may be viewed as a form of leverage. Under SEC requirements, a fund needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with its reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions.
SEC Rule 18f-4. In October 2020, the SEC adopted a final rule related to the use of derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and certain other transactions by registered investment companies (the "rule"). Subject to certain exceptions, the rule requires the funds to trade derivatives and certain other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations subject to a value-at-risk (VaR) leverage limit and to certain derivatives risk management program, reporting and board oversight requirements. Generally, these requirements apply to any fund engaging in derivatives transactions unless a fund satisfies a "limited derivatives users" exception, which requires the fund to limit its gross notional derivatives exposure (with certain exceptions) to 10% of its net assets and to adopt derivatives risk management procedures. Under the rule, when a fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. The SEC also provided guidance in connection with the final rule regarding the use of securities lending collateral that may limit securities lending activities. In addition, under the rule, a fund may invest in a security on a when-issued or forward-settling basis, or with a non-standard settlement cycle, and the transaction will be deemed not to involve a senior security (as defined under Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act), provided that (i) the fund intends to physically settle the transaction and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date (the "Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision"). A fund may otherwise engage in when-issued, forward-settling and non-standard settlement cycle securities transactions that do not meet the conditions of the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision so long as the fund treats any such transaction as a derivatives transaction for purposes of compliance with the rule. Furthermore, under the rule, a fund will be permitted to enter into an unfunded commitment agreement, and such unfunded commitment agreement will not be subject to the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act, if the fund reasonably believes, at the time it enters into such agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all such agreements as they come due. These requirements may limit the ability of the funds to use derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, and the other relevant transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements also may increase the cost of the fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.
Securities Lending. A Fidelity® fund may lend securities to parties such as broker-dealers or other institutions, including an affiliate, National Financial Services LLC (NFS). Fidelity® funds for which Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) serves as sub-adviser will not lend securities to Geode or its affiliates. Securities lending allows a fund to retain ownership of the securities loaned and, at the same time, earn additional income. The borrower provides the fund with collateral in an amount at least equal to the value of the securities loaned. The fund seeks to maintain the ability to obtain the right to vote or consent on proxy proposals involving material events affecting securities loaned. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased. For a Fidelity® fund, loans will be made only to parties deemed by the fund's adviser to be in good standing and when, in the adviser's judgment, the income earned would justify the risks.
The Fidelity® funds have retained agents, including NFS, an affiliate of the funds, to act as securities lending agent. If NFS acts as securities lending agent for a fund, it is subject to the overall supervision of the fund's adviser, and NFS will administer the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the fund's Trustees.
Cash received as collateral through loan transactions may be invested in other eligible securities, including shares of a money market fund. Investing this cash subjects that investment, as well as the securities loaned, to market appreciation or depreciation.
Securities of Other Investment Companies, including shares of closed-end investment companies (which include business development companies (BDCs)), unit investment trusts, and open-end investment companies such as mutual funds and ETFs, represent interests in professionally managed portfolios that may invest in any type of instrument. Investing in other investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments, but may involve additional expenses at the underlying investment company-level, such as portfolio management fees and operating expenses. Fees and expenses incurred indirectly by a fund as a result of its investment in shares of one or more other investment companies generally are referred to as "acquired fund fees and expenses" and may appear as a separate line item in a fund's prospectus fee table. For certain investment companies, such as BDCs, these expenses may be significant. Certain types of investment companies, such as closed-end investment companies, issue a fixed number of shares that trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their NAV. Others are continuously offered at NAV, but may also be traded in the secondary market. Similarly, ETFs trade on a securities exchange and may trade at a premium or a discount to their NAV.
The securities of closed-end funds may be leveraged. As a result, a fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of closed-end funds that use leverage may expose a fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the fund's long-term returns on such securities will be diminished.
A fund's ability to invest in securities of other investment companies may be limited by federal securities laws. To the extent a fund acquires securities issued by unaffiliated investment companies, the Adviser's access to information regarding such underlying fund's portfolio may be limited and subject to such fund's policies regarding disclosure of fund holdings.
A fund that seeks to track the performance of a particular index could invest in investment companies that seek to track the performance of indexes other than the index that the fund seeks to track.
Short Sales "Against the Box" are short sales of securities that a fund owns or has the right to obtain (equivalent in kind or amount to the securities sold short). If a fund enters into a short sale against the box, it will be required to set aside securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short (or securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and will be required to hold such securities while the short sale is outstanding. A fund will incur transaction costs, including interest expenses, in connection with opening, maintaining, and closing short sales against the box.
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs). A fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of SPACs or similar special purpose entities that pool money to seek potential acquisition opportunities. SPACs are collective investment structures formed to raise money in an initial public offering for the purpose of merging with or acquiring one or more operating companies (the "de-SPAC Transaction"). Until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets in US government securities, money market securities and cash. In connection with a de-SPAC Transaction, the SPAC may complete a PIPE (private investment in public equity) offering with certain investors. A fund may enter into a contingent commitment with a SPAC to purchase PIPE shares if and when the SPAC completes its de-SPAC Transaction.
Because SPACs do not have an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the SPAC's management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. An investment in a SPAC is subject to a variety of risks, including that (i) an attractive acquisition or merger target may not be identified at all and the SPAC will be required to return any remaining monies to shareholders; (ii) an acquisition or merger once effected may prove unsuccessful and an investment in the SPAC may lose value; (iii) the values of investments in SPACs may be highly volatile and may depreciate significantly over time; (iv) no or only a thinly traded market for shares of or interests in a SPAC may develop, leaving a fund unable to sell its interest in a SPAC or to sell its interest only at a price below what the fund believes is the SPAC interest's intrinsic value; (v) any proposed merger or acquisition may be unable to obtain the requisite approval, if any, of shareholders; (vi) an investment in a SPAC may be diluted by additional later offerings of interests in the SPAC or by other investors exercising existing rights to purchase shares of the SPAC; (vii) the warrants or other rights with respect to the SPAC held by a fund may expire worthless or may be repurchased or retired by the SPAC at an unfavorable price; (viii) a fund may be delayed in receiving any redemption or liquidation proceeds from a SPAC to which it is entitled; and (ix) a significant portion of the monies raised by the SPAC for the purpose of identifying and effecting an acquisition or merger may be expended during the search for a target transaction.
Purchased PIPE shares will be restricted from trading until the registration statement for the shares is declared effective. Upon registration, the shares can be freely sold, but only pursuant to an effective registration statement or other exemption from registration. The securities issued by a SPAC, which are typically traded either in the over-the-counter market or on an exchange, may be considered illiquid, more difficult to value, and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.
Structured Securities (also called "structured notes") are derivative debt securities, the interest rate on or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. The value of the interest rate on and/or the principal of structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, or index) or the relative change in two or more reference instruments. A structured security may be positively, negatively, or both positively and negatively indexed; that is, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases. Similarly, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument decreases. Further, the change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured security may be calculated as a multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument(s); therefore, the value of such structured security may be very volatile. Structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities. In addition, because structured securities generally are traded over-the-counter, structured securities are subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the structured security, and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates.
Transfer Agent Bank Accounts. Proceeds from shareholder purchases of a Fidelity® fund may pass through a series of demand deposit bank accounts before being held at the fund's custodian. Redemption proceeds may pass from the custodian to the shareholder through a similar series of bank accounts.
If a bank account is registered to the transfer agent or an affiliate, who acts as an agent for the fund when opening, closing, and conducting business in the bank account, the transfer agent or an affiliate may invest overnight balances in the account in repurchase agreements. Any balances that are not invested in repurchase agreements remain in the bank account overnight. Any risks associated with such an account are investment risks of the fund. The fund faces the risk of loss of these balances if the bank becomes insolvent.
Warrants. Warrants are instruments which entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss.
Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.
Zero Coupon Bonds do not make interest payments; instead, they are sold at a discount from their face value and are redeemed at face value when they mature. Because zero coupon bonds do not pay current income, their prices can be more volatile than other types of fixed-income securities when interest rates change. In calculating a fund's dividend, a portion of the difference between a zero coupon bond's purchase price and its face value is considered income.
In addition to the investment policies and limitations discussed above, a fund is subject to the additional operational risk discussed below.
Considerations Regarding Cybersecurity. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, a fund's service providers are susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events and may arise from external or internal sources. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information; corrupting data, equipment or systems; or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber incidents affecting a fund's manager, any sub-adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with a fund's ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of fund shareholders to transact business, destruction to equipment and systems, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cyber incidents affecting issuers of securities in which a fund invests, counterparties with which a fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for fund shareholders) and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future.
While a fund's service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect a fund or its shareholders. A fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities are placed on behalf of the fund by Geode pursuant to authority contained in the management contract and the sub-advisory agreement.
Geode may be responsible for the placement of portfolio securities transactions for other investment companies and investment accounts for which it has or its affiliates have investment discretion.
The fund will not incur any commissions or sales charges when it invests in shares of mutual funds (including any underlying Central funds), but it may incur such costs when it invests directly in other types of securities.
Purchases and sales of equity securities on a securities exchange or OTC are effected through brokers who receive compensation for their services. Generally, compensation relating to securities traded on foreign exchanges will be higher than compensation relating to securities traded on U.S. exchanges and may not be subject to negotiation. Compensation may also be paid in connection with principal transactions (in both OTC securities and securities listed on an exchange) and agency OTC transactions executed with an electronic communications network (ECN) or an alternative trading system. Equity securities may be purchased from underwriters at prices that include underwriting fees.
Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally made with an issuer or a primary market-maker acting as principal. Although there is no stated brokerage commission paid by the fund for any fixed-income security, the price paid by the fund to an underwriter includes the disclosed underwriting fee and prices in secondary trades usually include an undisclosed dealer commission or markup reflecting the spread between the bid and ask prices of the fixed-income security. New issues of equity and fixed-income securities may also be purchased in underwritten fixed price offerings.
The Trustees of the fund periodically review Geode's performance of its responsibilities in connection with the placement of portfolio securities transactions on behalf of the fund. The Trustees also review the compensation paid by the fund over representative periods of time to determine if it was reasonable in relation to the benefits to the fund.
Geode.
The Selection of Brokers
In selecting brokers or dealers (including affiliates of FMR) to execute the fund's portfolio transactions, Geode considers factors deemed relevant in the context of a particular trade and in regard to Geode's overall responsibilities with respect to the fund and other investment accounts, including any instructions from the fund's portfolio manager, which may emphasize, for example, speed of execution over other factors. The factors considered will influence whether it is appropriate to execute an order using ECNs, electronic channels including algorithmic trading, or by actively working an order. Other factors deemed relevant may include, but are not limited to: price; the size and type of the transaction; the reasonableness of compensation to be paid, including spreads and commission rates; the speed and certainty of trade executions; the nature and characteristics of the markets for the security to be purchased or sold, including the degree of specialization of the broker in such markets or securities; the availability of liquidity in the security, including the liquidity and depth afforded by a market center or market-maker; the reliability of a market center or broker; the degree of anonymity that a particular broker or market can provide; the potential for avoiding market impact; the execution services rendered on a continuing basis; the execution efficiency, settlement capability, and financial condition of the firm; arrangements for payment of fund expenses, if applicable; and the provision of additional brokerage and research products and services, if applicable. In seeking best qualitative execution, Geode may select a broker using a trading method for which the broker may charge a higher commission than its lowest available commission rate. Geode also may select a broker that charges more than the lowest commission rate available from another broker. For futures transactions, the selection of a futures commission merchant is generally based on the overall quality of execution and other services provided by the futures commission merchant.
The Acquisition of Brokerage and Research Products and Services
Brokers (who are not affiliates of FMR) that execute transactions for the fund may receive higher compensation from the fund than other brokers might have charged the fund, in recognition of the value of the brokerage or research products and services they provide to Geode.
Research Products and Services. These products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law: economic, industry, company, municipal, sovereign (U.S. and non-U.S.), legal, or political research reports; market color; company meeting facilitation; compilation of securities prices, earnings, dividends and similar data; quotation services, data, information and other services; analytical computer software and services; and investment recommendations. In addition to receiving brokerage and research products and services via written reports and computer-delivered services, such reports may also be provided by telephone and in person meetings with securities analysts, corporate and industry spokespersons, economists, academicians and government representatives and others with relevant professional expertise. Geode may request that a broker provide a specific proprietary or third-party product or service. Some of these products and services supplement Geode's own research activities in providing investment advice to the fund.
Execution Services. In addition, products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law, those that assist in the execution, clearing, and settlement of securities transactions, as well as other incidental functions (including, but not limited to, communication services related to trade execution, order routing and algorithmic trading, post-trade matching, exchange of messages among brokers or dealers, custodians and institutions, and the use of electronic confirmation and affirmation of institutional trades).
Mixed-Use Products and Services. Geode may use commission dollars to obtain certain products or services that are not used exclusively in Geode's investment decision-making process (mixed-use products or services). In those circumstances, Geode will make a good faith judgment to evaluate the various benefits and uses to which they intend to put the mixed-use product or service, and will pay for that portion of the mixed-use product or service that does not qualify as brokerage and research products and services with their own resources (referred to as "hard dollars").
Benefit to Geode. Geode's expenses would likely be increased if it attempted to generate these additional products and services through its own efforts, or if it paid for these products or services itself. Certain of the brokerage and research products and services Geode receives are furnished by brokers on their own initiative, either in connection with a particular transaction or as part of their overall services. Some of these products or services may not have an explicit cost associated with such product or service.
Geode's Decision-Making Process. Before causing the fund to pay a particular level of compensation, Geode will make a good faith determination that the compensation is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research products and services provided to Geode, viewed in terms of the particular transaction for the fund or Geode's overall responsibilities to the fund or other investment companies and investment accounts. While Geode may take into account the brokerage and/or research products and services provided by a broker in determining whether compensation paid is reasonable, neither Geode nor the fund incurs an obligation to any broker, dealer, or third party to pay for any product or service (or portion thereof) by generating a specific amount of compensation or otherwise. Typically, these products and services assist Geode in terms of its overall investment responsibilities to the fund and other investment companies and investment accounts; however, each product or service received may not benefit the fund. Certain funds or investment accounts may use brokerage commissions to acquire brokerage and research products and services that may also benefit other funds or accounts managed by Geode.
Affiliated Transactions
Geode may place trades with certain brokers, including NFS, through its Fidelity Capital Markets (FCM) division, and Luminex Trading & Analytics LLC (Luminex), with whom FMR is under common control, provided it determines that these affiliates' trade execution abilities and costs are comparable to those of non-affiliated, qualified brokerage firms.
The Trustees of the fund have approved procedures whereby a fund is permitted to purchase securities that are offered in underwritings in which an affiliate of the adviser or certain other affiliates participate. In addition, for underwritings where such an affiliate participates as a principal underwriter, certain restrictions may apply that could, among other things, limit the amount of securities that the fund could purchase in the underwritings.
Trade Allocation
Although the Trustees and officers of the fund are substantially the same as those of certain other Fidelity® funds, investment decisions for the fund are made independently from those of other Fidelity® funds or investment accounts (including proprietary accounts).The same security is often held in the portfolio of more than one of these funds or investment accounts. Simultaneous transactions are inevitable when several funds and investment accounts are managed by the same investment adviser, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objective of more than one fund or investment account.
When two or more funds or investment accounts are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security or instrument, the prices and amounts are allocated in accordance with procedures believed to be appropriate and equitable to each fund or investment account. In some cases this could have a detrimental effect on the price or value of the security or instrument as far as the fund is concerned. In other cases, however, the ability of the fund to participate in volume transactions will produce better executions and prices for the fund.
Orders for funds and investment accounts are not typically combined or "blocked". However, Geode may, when feasible and when consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all funds and investment accounts and best execution, block orders of various funds and investment accounts for order entry and execution.
Geode has established allocation policies for its various funds and investment accounts to ensure allocations are appropriate given its clients' differing investment objectives and other considerations. When the supply/demand is insufficient to satisfy all outstanding trade orders, generally the amount executed is distributed among participating funds and investment accounts based on account asset size (for purchases and short sales), and security position size (for sales and covers), or otherwise according to the allocation policies. These policies also apply to initial public and secondary offerings. Generally, allocations are determined by traders, independent of portfolio managers, in accordance with these policies. Allocations are determined and documented on trade date.
Geode's trade allocation policies identify circumstances under which it is appropriate to deviate from the general allocation criteria and describe the alternative procedures. For example, if a standard allocation would result in a fund or investment account receiving a very small allocation (e.g., because of its small asset size), the fund or investment account may receive an increased allocation to achieve a more meaningful allocation, or it may receive no allocation. Generally, any exceptions to Geode's policies (i.e., special allocations) must be approved by senior investment or trading personnel, reviewed by the compliance department, and documented.
Commissions Paid
A fund may pay compensation including both commissions and spreads in connection with the placement of portfolio transactions. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a fund may change from year to year because of, among other things, changing asset levels, shareholder activity, and/or portfolio turnover.
For Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund, the following table shows the fund's portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal period(s) ended July 31, 2023 and 2022. Variations in turnover rate may be due to a fluctuating volume of shareholder purchase and redemption orders and/or market conditions.
Turnover Rates
|
2023
|
2022
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
75%
|
75%
|
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, the following fund(s) held securities issued by one or more of its regular brokers or dealers or a parent company of its regular brokers or dealers. The following table shows the aggregate value of the securities of the regular broker or dealer or parent company held by the fund as of the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023.
|
Fund
|
Regular Broker or Dealer
|
Aggregate Value of
Securities Held
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
|
$
|
31,330,083
|
Morgan Stanley
|
$
|
31,588,108
|
|
Bank of America Corp.
|
$
|
58,761,792
|
|
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
|
$
|
122,259,144
|
|
Citigroup, Inc.
|
$
|
24,571,590
|
The following table shows the total amount of brokerage commissions paid by the following fund(s), comprising commissions paid on securities and/or futures transactions, as applicable, for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. The total amount of brokerage commissions paid is stated as a dollar amount and a percentage of the fund's average net assets.
Fund
|
Fiscal Year
Ended
|
Dollar
Amount
|
Percentage
of
Average
Net Assets
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
458,689
|
0.00%
|
2022
|
$
|
329,305
|
0.00%
|
|
2021
|
$
|
566,832
|
0.00%
|
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund paid no brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
During the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2023, Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund did not allocate brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
VALUATION
The NAV is the value of a single share. NAV is computed by adding the value of a fund's investments, cash, and other assets, subtracting its liabilities, and dividing the result by the number of shares outstanding.
The Board of Trustees has designated the fund's investment adviser as the valuation designee responsible for the fair valuation function and performing fair value determinations as needed. The adviser has established a Fair Value Committee (the Committee) to carry out the day-to-day fair valuation responsibilities and has adopted policies and procedures to govern the fair valuation process and the activities of the Committee.
Shares of open-end investment companies (including any underlying Central funds) held by a fund are valued at their respective NAVs. If an underlying fund's NAV is unavailable, shares of that underlying fund will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies.
Generally, other portfolio securities and assets held by a fund, as well as portfolio securities and assets held by an underlying Central fund, are valued as follows:
Most equity securities are valued at the official closing price or the last reported sale price or, if no sale has occurred, at the last quoted bid price on the primary market or exchange on which they are traded.
Debt securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available may be valued at market values in the principal market in which they normally are traded, as furnished by recognized dealers in such securities or assets. Or, debt securities and convertible securities may be valued on the basis of information furnished by a pricing service that uses a valuation matrix which incorporates both dealer-supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques.
Short-term securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less for which market quotations and information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates current value.
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price. Options are valued at their market quotations, if available. Swaps are valued daily using quotations received from independent pricing services or recognized dealers.
Prices described above are obtained from pricing services that have been approved by the Committee. A number of pricing services are available and a fund may use more than one of these services. A fund may also discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time. A fund's adviser through the Committee engages in oversight activities with respect to the fund's pricing services, which includes, among other things, testing the prices provided by pricing services prior to calculation of a fund's NAV, conducting periodic due diligence meetings, and periodically reviewing the methodologies and inputs used by these services.
Foreign securities and instruments are valued in their local currency following the methodologies described above. Foreign securities, instruments and currencies are translated to U.S. dollars, based on foreign currency exchange rate quotations supplied by a pricing service as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which uses a proprietary model to determine the exchange rate. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at an interpolated rate based on days to maturity between the closest preceding and subsequent settlement period reported by the third party pricing service.
Other portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the opinion of the Committee, are deemed unreliable will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the opinion of the Committee, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. In fair valuing a security, the Committee may consider factors including, but not limited to, price movements in futures contracts and ADRs, market and trading trends, the bid/ask quotes of brokers, and off-exchange institutional trading. The frequency that portfolio securities or assets are fair valued cannot be predicted and may be significant.
In determining the fair value of a private placement security for which market quotations are not available, the Committee generally applies one or more valuation methods including the market approach, income approach and cost approach. The market approach considers factors including the price of recent investments in the same or a similar security or financial metrics of comparable securities. The income approach considers factors including expected future cash flows, security specific risks and corresponding discount rates. The cost approach considers factors including the value of the security's underlying assets and liabilities.
The fund's adviser reports to the Board information regarding the fair valuation process and related material matters.
BUYING AND SELLING INFORMATION
Shares are offered exclusively to certain clients of the Adviser or its affiliates.
Investors participating in a discretionary investment program are charged an annual advisory fee based on a percentage of the average market value of assets in their account. The stated fee is then reduced by a credit reflecting the amount of fees, if any, received by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC or its affiliates from mutual funds for investment management or certain other services.
The fund may make redemption payments in whole or in part in readily marketable securities or other property pursuant to procedures approved by the Trustees if Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC determines it is in the best interests of the fund. Such securities or other property will be valued for this purpose as they are valued in computing the NAV of a fund or class, as applicable. Shareholders that receive securities or other property will realize, upon receipt, a gain or loss for tax purposes, and will incur additional costs and be exposed to market risk prior to and upon the sale of such securities or other property.
The fund, in its discretion, may determine to issue its shares in kind in exchange for securities held by the purchaser having a value, determined in accordance with the fund's policies for valuation of portfolio securities, equal to the purchase price of the fund shares issued. The fund will accept for in-kind purchases only securities or other instruments that are appropriate under its investment objective and policies. In addition, the fund generally will not accept securities of any issuer unless they are liquid, have a readily ascertainable market value, and are not subject to restrictions on resale. All dividends, distributions, and subscription or other rights associated with the securities become the property of the fund, along with the securities. Shares purchased in exchange for securities in kind generally cannot be redeemed for fifteen days following the exchange to allow time for the transfer to settle.
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends. A portion of the fund's income may qualify for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders. A portion of the fund's dividends, when distributed to individual shareholders, may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met). Distributions by the fund to tax-advantaged retirement plan accounts are not taxable currently (but you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Capital Gain Distributions. Unless your shares of the fund are held in a tax-advantaged retirement plan, the fund's long-term capital gain distributions are federally taxable to shareholders generally as capital gains.
Returns of Capital. If the fund's distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in the fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold in taxable accounts.
Foreign Tax Credit or Deduction. Foreign governments may impose withholding taxes on dividends and interest earned by the fund with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Foreign governments may also impose taxes on other payments or gains with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Because the fund does not currently anticipate that securities of foreign issuers or underlying regulated investment companies will constitute more than 50% of its total assets at the end of its fiscal year, or fiscal quarter, respectively, shareholders should not expect to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction on their federal income tax returns with respect to foreign taxes withheld.
Tax Status of the Fund. The fund intends to qualify each year as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code so that it will not be liable for federal tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, and avoid being subject to federal income or excise taxes at the fund level, the fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains within each calendar year as well as on a fiscal year basis (if the fiscal year is other than the calendar year), and intends to comply with other tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies.
Other Tax Information. The information above is only a summary of some of the tax consequences generally affecting the fund and its shareholders, and no attempt has been made to discuss individual tax consequences. It is up to you or your tax preparer to determine whether the sale of shares of the fund resulted in a capital gain or loss or other tax consequence to you. In addition to federal income taxes, shareholders may be subject to state and local taxes on fund distributions, and shares may be subject to state and local personal property taxes. Investors should consult their tax advisers to determine whether the fund is suitable to their particular tax situation.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
The Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the trust and fund, as applicable, are listed below. The Board of Trustees governs the fund and is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The Trustees are experienced executives who meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the fund's activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the fund, oversee management of the risks associated with such activities and contractual arrangements, and review the fund's performance. Except for Jonathan Chiel, each of the Trustees oversees 313 funds. Mr. Chiel oversees 191 funds.
The Trustees hold office without limit in time except that (a) any Trustee may resign; (b) any Trustee may be removed by written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the number of Trustees prior to such removal; (c) any Trustee who requests to be retired or who has become incapacitated by illness or injury may be retired by written instrument signed by a majority of the other Trustees; and (d) any Trustee may be removed at any special meeting of shareholders by a two-thirds vote of the outstanding voting securities of the trust. Each Trustee who is not an interested person (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the trust and the fund is referred to herein as an Independent Trustee. Each Independent Trustee shall retire not later than the last day of the calendar year in which his or her 75th birthday occurs. The Independent Trustees may waive this mandatory retirement age policy with respect to individual Trustees. Officers and Advisory Board Members hold office without limit in time, except that any officer or Advisory Board Member may resign or may be removed by a vote of a majority of the Trustees at any regular meeting or any special meeting of the Trustees. Except as indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the past five years.
Experience, Skills, Attributes, and Qualifications of the Trustees. The Governance and Nominating Committee has adopted a statement of policy that describes the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that are necessary and desirable for potential Independent Trustee candidates (Statement of Policy). The Board believes that each Trustee satisfied at the time he or she was initially elected or appointed a Trustee, and continues to satisfy, the standards contemplated by the Statement of Policy. The Governance and Nominating Committee also engages professional search firms to help identify potential Independent Trustee candidates who have the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills consistent with the Statement of Policy. From time to time, additional criteria based on the composition and skills of the current Independent Trustees, as well as experience or skills that may be appropriate in light of future changes to board composition, business conditions, and regulatory or other developments, have also been considered by the professional search firms and the Governance and Nominating Committee. In addition, the Board takes into account the Trustees' commitment and participation in Board and committee meetings, as well as their leadership of standing and ad hoc committees throughout their tenure.
In determining that a particular Trustee was and continues to be qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board has considered a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, was controlling. The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have balanced and diverse experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills, which allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the fund and protecting the interests of shareholders. Information about the specific experience, skills, attributes, and qualifications of each Trustee, which in each case led to the Board's conclusion that the Trustee should serve (or continue to serve) as a trustee of the fund, is provided below.
Board Structure and Oversight Function. Abigail P. Johnson is an interested person and currently serves as Chairman. The Trustees have determined that an interested Chairman is appropriate and benefits shareholders because an interested Chairman has a personal and professional stake in the quality and continuity of services provided to the fund. Independent Trustees exercise their informed business judgment to appoint an individual of their choosing to serve as Chairman, regardless of whether the Trustee happens to be independent or a member of management. The Independent Trustees have determined that they can act independently and effectively without having an Independent Trustee serve as Chairman and that a key structural component for assuring that they are in a position to do so is for the Independent Trustees to constitute a substantial majority for the Board. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet in executive session. Michael E. Kenneally serves as Chairman of the Independent Trustees and as such (i) acts as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management with respect to matters important to the Independent Trustees and (ii) with management prepares agendas for Board meetings.
Fidelity® funds are overseen by different Boards of Trustees. The fund's Board oversees Fidelity's investment-grade bond, money market, asset allocation and certain equity funds, and other Boards oversee Fidelity's alternative investment, high income and other equity funds. The asset allocation funds may invest in Fidelity® funds that are overseen by such other Boards. The use of separate Boards, each with its own committee structure, allows the Trustees of each group of Fidelity® funds to focus on the unique issues of the funds they oversee, including common research, investment, and operational issues. On occasion, the separate Boards establish joint committees to address issues of overlapping consequences for the Fidelity® funds overseen by each Board.
The Trustees operate using a system of committees to facilitate the timely and efficient consideration of all matters of importance to the Trustees, the fund, and fund shareholders and to facilitate compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and oversight of the fund's activities and associated risks. The Board, acting through its committees, has charged FMR and its affiliates with (i) identifying events or circumstances the occurrence of which could have demonstrably adverse effects on the fund's business and/or reputation; (ii) implementing processes and controls to lessen the possibility that such events or circumstances occur or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur; and (iii) creating and maintaining a system designed to evaluate continuously business and market conditions in order to facilitate the identification and implementation processes described in (i) and (ii) above. Because the day-to-day operations and activities of the fund are carried out by or through FMR, its affiliates, and other service providers, the fund's exposure to risks is mitigated but not eliminated by the processes overseen by the Trustees. While each of the Board's committees has responsibility for overseeing different aspects of the fund's activities, oversight is exercised primarily through the Operations and Audit Committees. In addition, an ad hoc Board committee of Independent Trustees has worked with FMR to enhance the Board's oversight of investment and financial risks, legal and regulatory risks, technology risks, and operational risks, including the development of additional risk reporting to the Board. Appropriate personnel, including but not limited to the fund's Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), FMR's internal auditor, the independent accountants, the fund's Treasurer and portfolio management personnel, make periodic reports to the Board's committees, as appropriate, including an annual review of Fidelity's risk management program for the Fidelity® funds. The responsibilities of each standing committee, including their oversight responsibilities, are described further under "Standing Committees of the Trustees."
Interested Trustees*:
Correspondence intended for a Trustee who is an interested person may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Jonathan Chiel (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Chiel also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Chiel is Executive Vice President and General Counsel for FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2012-present). Previously, Mr. Chiel served as general counsel (2004-2012) and senior vice president and deputy general counsel (2000-2004) for John Hancock Financial Services; a partner with Choate, Hall & Stewart (1996-2000) (law firm); and an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney's Office of the District of Massachusetts (1986-95), including Chief of the Criminal Division (1993-1995). Mr. Chiel is a director on the boards of the Boston Bar Foundation and the Maimonides School.
Abigail P. Johnson (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Ms. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Ms. Johnson serves as Chairman (2016-present), Chief Executive Officer (2014-present), and Director (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company), President of Fidelity Financial Services (2012-present) and President of Personal, Workplace and Institutional Services (2005-present). Ms. Johnson is Chairman and Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (investment adviser firm, 2011-present). Previously, Ms. Johnson served as Chairman and Director of FMR Co., Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2011-2019), Vice Chairman (2007-2016) and President (2013-2016) of FMR LLC, President and a Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company (2001-2005), a Trustee of other investment companies advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company, Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. (investment adviser firm), and FMR Co., Inc. (2001-2005), Senior Vice President of the Fidelity® funds (2001-2005), and managed a number of Fidelity® funds. Ms. Abigail P. Johnson and Mr. Arthur E. Johnson are not related.
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe (1959)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Ms. McAuliffe also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and as Trustee of Fidelity Charitable (2020-present). Previously, Ms. McAuliffe served as Co-Head of Fixed Income of Fidelity Investments Limited (now known as FIL Limited (FIL)) (diversified financial services company), Director of Research for FIL's credit and quantitative teams in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo and Director of Research for taxable and municipal bonds at Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. Ms. McAuliffe previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016). Ms. McAuliffe was previously a lawyer at Ropes & Gray LLP and an international banker at Chemical Bank NA (now JPMorgan Chase & Co.). Ms. McAuliffe also currently serves as director or trustee of several not-for-profit entities.
* Determined to be an "Interested Trustee" by virtue of, among other things, his or her affiliation with the trust or various entities under common control with FMR.
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Independent Trustees:
Correspondence intended for an Independent Trustee may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Elizabeth S. Acton (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Trustee
Ms. Acton also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Acton served as Executive Vice President, Finance (2011-2012), Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (2002-2011) and Treasurer (2004-2005) of Comerica Incorporated (financial services). Prior to joining Comerica, Ms. Acton held a variety of positions at Ford Motor Company (1983-2002), including Vice President and Treasurer (2000-2002) and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ford Motor Credit Company (1998-2000). Ms. Acton currently serves as a member of the Board and Audit and Finance Committees of Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (homebuilding, 2012-present). Ms. Acton previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2013-2016).
Ann E. Dunwoody (1953)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Trustee
General Dunwoody also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. General Dunwoody (United States Army, Retired) was the first woman in U.S. military history to achieve the rank of four-star general and prior to her retirement in 2012 held a variety of positions within the U.S. Army, including Commanding General, U.S. Army Material Command (2008-2012). General Dunwoody currently serves as a member of the Board, Chair of Nomination Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee of Kforce Inc. (professional staffing services, 2016-present) and a member of the Board of Automattic Inc. (software engineering, 2018-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as President of First to Four LLC (leadership and mentoring services, 2012-2022), a member of the Advisory Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of L3 Technologies, Inc. (communication, electronic, sensor and aerospace systems, 2013-2019) and a member of the Board and Audit and Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committees of Republic Services, Inc. (waste collection, disposal and recycling, 2013-2016). General Dunwoody also serves on several boards for non-profit organizations, including as a member of the Board, Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee of the Noble Reach Foundation (formerly Logistics Management Institute) (consulting non-profit, 2012-present) and a member of the Board of ThanksUSA (military family education non-profit, 2014-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as a member of the Board of Florida Institute of Technology (2015-2022) and a member of the Council of Trustees for the Association of the United States Army (advocacy non-profit, 2013-2021). General Dunwoody previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2018).
John Engler (1948)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2014
Trustee
Mr. Engler also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Engler served as Governor of Michigan (1991-2003), President of the Business Roundtable (2011-2017) and interim President of Michigan State University (2018-2019). Previously, Mr. Engler served as a member of the Board of Stride, Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.) (technology-based education company, 2012-2022), a member of the Board of Universal Forest Products (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2003-2019) and Trustee of The Munder Funds (2003-2014). Mr. Engler previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2014-2016).
Robert F. Gartland (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Trustee
Mr. Gartland also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Gartland held a variety of positions at Morgan Stanley (financial services, 1979-2007), including Managing Director (1987-2007) and Chase Manhattan Bank (1975-1978). Mr. Gartland previously served as Chairman and an investor in Gartland & Mellina Group Corp. (consulting, 2009-2019), as a member of the Board of National Securities Clearing Corporation (1993-1996) and as Chairman of TradeWeb (2003-2004).
Arthur E. Johnson (1947)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2008
Trustee
Mr. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Johnson served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategic Development of Lockheed Martin Corporation (defense contractor, 1999-2009). Mr. Johnson currently serves as a member of the Board of Booz Allen Hamilton (management consulting, 2011-present). Mr. Johnson previously served as a member of the Board of Eaton Corporation plc (diversified power management, 2009-2019) and a member of the Board of AGL Resources, Inc. (holding company, 2002-2016). Mr. Johnson previously served as Chairman (2018-2021) and Vice Chairman (2015-2018) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Mr. Arthur E. Johnson is not related to Ms. Abigail P. Johnson.
Michael E. Kenneally (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Independent Trustees
Mr. Kenneally also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and was Vice Chairman (2018-2021) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Prior to retirement in 2005, he was Chairman and Global Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management, the worldwide fund management and institutional investment business of Credit Suisse Group. Previously, Mr. Kenneally was an Executive Vice President and the Chief Investment Officer for Bank of America. In this role, he was responsible for the investment management, strategy and products delivered to the bank's institutional, high-net-worth and retail clients. Earlier, Mr. Kenneally directed the organization's equity and quantitative research groups. He began his career as a research analyst and then spent more than a dozen years as a portfolio manager for endowments, pension plans and mutual funds. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1991.
Mark A. Murray (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Murray also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Murray served as Co-Chief Executive Officer (2013-2016), President (2006-2013) and Vice Chairman (2013-2020) of Meijer, Inc. Mr. Murray serves as a member of the Board (2009-present) and Public Policy and Responsibility Committee (2009-present) and Chair of the Nuclear Review Committee (2019-present) of DTE Energy Company (diversified energy company). Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Board of Spectrum Health (not-for-profit health system, 2015-2019) and as a member of the Board and Audit Committee and Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Universal Forest Products, Inc. (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2004-2016). Mr. Murray also serves as a member of the Board of many community and professional organizations. Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016).
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Advisory Board Members and Officers:
Correspondence intended for a Member of the Advisory Board (if any) may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235. Correspondence intended for an officer may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Officers appear below in alphabetical order.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupation
Laura M. Bishop (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2022
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Bishop also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Bishop held a variety of positions at United Services Automobile Association (2001-2020), including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2014-2020) and Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer (2012-2014). Ms. Bishop currently serves as a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation and Personnel Committee (2021-present) of the Board of Directors of Korn Ferry (global organizational consulting).
Robert W. Helm (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Member of the Advisory Board
Mr. Helm also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Helm was formerly Deputy Chairman (2003-2020), partner (1991-2020) and an associate (1984-1991) of Dechert LLP (formerly Dechert Price & Rhoads). Mr. Helm currently serves on boards and committees of several not-for-profit organizations, including as a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs, a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Baltimore and a member of the Life Guard Society of Mt. Vernon.
Carol J. Zierhoffer (1960)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Zierhoffer also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Zierhoffer held a variety of positions at Bechtel Corporation (engineering company, 2013-2019), including Principal Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2013-2016) and Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2016-2019). Ms. Zierhoffer currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2020-present) and as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit and Finance Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (aviation operating services, 2021-present). Previously, Ms. Zierhoffer served as a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee and as the founding Chair of the Information Technology Committee of MedAssets, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2013-2016).
Heather Bonner (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Bonner also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Bonner serves as Senior Vice President (2022-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Ms. Bonner serves as Assistant Treasurer of Fidelity CRET Trustee LLC (2022-present). Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms. Bonner served as Managing Director at AQR Capital Management (2013-2022) and was the Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of the AQR Funds (2013-2022).
Craig S. Brown (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2019
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Brown also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Brown serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2013-present). Previously, Mr. Brown served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2022).
John J. Burke III (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Burke also serves as Chief Financial Officer of other funds. Mr. Burke serves as Head of Investment Operations for Fidelity Fund and Investment Operations (2018-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1998-present). Previously Mr. Burke served as head of Asset Management Investment Operations (2012-2018).
Margaret Carey (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer (CLO)
Ms. Carey also serves as an officer of other funds and as CLO of certain other Fidelity entities. She is a Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2019-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments.
David J. Carter (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2020
Assistant Secretary
Mr. Carter also serves as Assistant Secretary of other funds. Mr. Carter serves as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel (2022-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present).
Jonathan Davis (1968)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Davis also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Davis serves as Vice President Assistant Treasurer and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Mr. Davis serves as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity entities.
Laura M. Del Prato (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
President and Treasurer
Ms. Del Prato also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Del Prato serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2017-present). Previously, Ms. Del Prato served as President and Treasurer of The North Carolina Capital Management Trust: Cash Portfolio and Term Portfolio (2018-2020). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Del Prato served as a Managing Director and Treasurer of the JPMorgan Mutual Funds (2014-2017). Prior to JPMorgan, Ms. Del Prato served as a partner at Cohen Fund Audit Services (accounting firm, 2012-2013) and KPMG LLP (accounting firm, 2004-2012).
Robin Foley (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Vice President
Ms. Foley also serves as Vice President of other funds. Ms. Foley serves as Head of Fidelity's Fixed Income division (2023-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Ms. Foley served as Chief Investment Officer of Bonds (2017-2023).
Christopher M. Gouveia (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Gouveia also serves as Chief Compliance Officer of other funds. Mr. Gouveia serves as Senior Vice President of Asset Management Compliance for Fidelity Investments and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Mr. Gouveia served as Chief Compliance Officer of the North Carolina Capital Management Trust (2016-2019).
Colm A. Hogan (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Hogan also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Hogan serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present). Previously, Mr. Hogan served as Deputy Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2020) and Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2018).
Chris Maher (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Maher also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Maher serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2008-present). Previously, Mr. Maher served as Assistant Treasurer of certain funds (2013-2020); Vice President of Asset Management Compliance (2013), Vice President of the Program Management Group of FMR (investment adviser firm, 2010-2013), and Vice President of Valuation Oversight (2008-2010).
Brett Segaloff (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Officer
Mr. Segaloff also serves as an AML Officer of other funds and other related entities. He is Director, Anti-Money Laundering (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1996-present).
Stacie M. Smith (1974)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Smith also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Smith serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2009-present), and has served in other fund officer roles. Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Smith served as Senior Audit Manager of Ernst & Young LLP (accounting firm, 1996-2009). Previously, Ms. Smith served as Assistant Treasurer (2013-2019) and Deputy Treasurer (2013-2016) of certain Fidelity® funds.
Jim Wegmann (1979)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Deputy Treasurer
Mr. Wegmann also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Wegmann serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2011-present). Previously, Mr. Wegmann served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2021).
Standing Committees of the Trustees. The Board of Trustees has established various committees to support the Independent Trustees in acting independently in pursuing the best interests of the funds and their shareholders. Currently, the Board of Trustees has four standing committees. The members of each committee are Independent Trustees.
The Operations Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Kenneally currently serving as Chair. The committee normally meets at least six times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair, and serves as a forum for consideration of issues of importance to, or calling for particular determinations by, the Independent Trustees. The committee considers matters involving potential conflicts of interest between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, including matters involving potential claims of one or more funds (e.g., for reimbursements of expenses or losses) against FMR, and reviews proposed contracts and the proposed continuation of contracts between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, and annually reviews and makes recommendations regarding contracts with third parties unaffiliated with FMR, including insurance coverage and custody agreements. The committee has oversight of compliance issues not specifically within the scope of any other committee. These matters include, but are not limited to, significant non-conformance with contract requirements and other significant regulatory matters and recommending to the Board of Trustees the designation of a person to serve as the funds' CCO. The committee (i) serves as a primary point of contact (generally after the Independent Trustee who serves as a liaison for the CCO) for the CCO with regard to Board-related functions; (ii) oversees the annual performance review of the CCO; (iii) makes recommendations concerning the CCO's compensation; and (iv) makes recommendations as needed in respect of the removal of the CCO.
The Audit Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Ms. Acton currently serving as Chair. At least one committee member will be an "audit committee financial expert" as defined by the SEC. The committee normally meets four times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair or a majority of committee members. The committee meets separately, at least annually, with the funds' Treasurer, with the funds' Chief Financial Officer, with personnel responsible for the internal audit function of FMR LLC, with the funds' outside auditors, and with the funds' CCO. The committee has direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the work of the outside auditors employed by the funds. The committee assists the Trustees in overseeing and monitoring: (i) the systems of internal accounting and financial controls of the funds and the funds' service providers (to the extent such controls impact the funds' financial statements); (ii) the funds' auditors and the annual audits of the funds' financial statements; (iii) the financial reporting processes of the funds; (iv) whistleblower reports; and (v) the accounting policies and disclosures of the funds. The committee considers and acts upon (i) the provision by any outside auditor of any non-audit services for any fund, and (ii) the provision by any outside auditor of certain non-audit services to fund service providers and their affiliates to the extent that such approval (in the case of this clause (ii)) is required under applicable regulations of the SEC. It is responsible for approving all audit engagement fees and terms for the funds and for resolving disagreements between a fund and any outside auditor regarding any fund's financial reporting. Auditors of the funds report directly to the committee. The committee will obtain assurance of independence and objectivity from the outside auditors, including a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the auditor and the funds and any service providers consistent with the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. It oversees and receives reports on the funds' service providers' internal controls and reviews the adequacy and effectiveness of the service providers' accounting and financial controls, including: (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the funds' ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; (ii) any change in the fund's internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the fund's internal control over financial reporting; and (iii) any fraud, whether material or not, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the funds' or service providers internal controls over financial reporting. The committee will also review any correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies or published reports that raise material issues regarding the funds' financial statements or accounting policies. These matters may also be reviewed by the Operations Committee. The committee reviews at least annually a report from each outside auditor describing any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control, peer review, or Public Company Accounting Oversight Board examination of the auditing firm and any material issues raised by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities of the auditing firm and in each case any steps taken to deal with such issues. The committee will oversee and receive reports on the funds' financial reporting process from the funds' Treasurer and outside auditors and will oversee the resolution of any disagreements concerning financial reporting among applicable parties. The committee will discuss with FMR, the funds' Treasurer, outside auditors and, if appropriate, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC their qualitative judgments about the appropriateness and acceptability of accounting principles and financial disclosure practices used or proposed for adoption by the funds. The committee will review with FMR, the funds' outside auditor, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC and legal counsel, as appropriate, matters related to the audits of the funds' financial statements. The committee will discuss regularly and oversee the review of the internal controls of the funds and their service providers with respect to accounting, financial matters and risk management programs related to the funds. The committee will review periodically the funds' major internal controls exposures and the steps that have been taken to monitor and control such exposures.
The Fair Valuation Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Murray currently serving as Chair. The Committee normally meets quarterly, or more frequently as called by the Chair. The Fair Valuation Committee oversees the valuation of securities held by the funds, including the fair valuation of securities by the funds' valuation designee. The Committee receives and reviews related reports and information consistent with its oversight obligations.
The Governance and Nominating Committee is composed of Messrs. Kenneally (Chair) and Gartland (Vice Chair), and Ms. Acton. The committee meets as called by the Chair. With respect to fund governance and board administration matters, the committee periodically reviews procedures of the Board of Trustees and its committees (including committee charters) and periodically reviews compensation of Independent Trustees. The committee monitors corporate governance matters and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees on the frequency and structure of the Board of Trustee meetings and on any other aspect of Board procedures. It acts as the administrative committee under the retirement plan for Independent Trustees who retired prior to December 30, 1996 and under the fee deferral plan for Independent Trustees. It monitors the performance of legal counsel employed by both the funds and the Independent Trustees. The committee will engage and oversee any counsel utilized by the Independent Trustees as may be necessary or appropriate under applicable regulations or otherwise. The committee also approves Board administrative matters applicable to Independent Trustees, such as expense reimbursement policies and compensation for attendance at meetings, conferences and other events. The committee oversees compliance with the provisions of the code of ethics and any supplemental policies regarding personal securities transactions applicable to the Independent Trustees. The committee reviews the functioning of each Board committee and makes recommendations for any changes, including the creation or elimination of standing or ad hoc Board committees. The committee monitors regulatory and other developments to determine whether to recommend modifications to the committee's responsibilities or other Trustee policies and procedures in light of rule changes, reports concerning "recommended practices" in corporate governance and other developments in mutual fund governance. The committee meets with Independent Trustees at least once a year to discuss matters relating to fund governance. The committee recommends that the Board establish such special or ad hoc Board committees as may be desirable or necessary from time to time in order to address ethical, legal, or other matters that may arise. The committee also oversees the annual self-evaluation of the Board of Trustees and establishes procedures to allow it to exercise this oversight function. In conducting this oversight, the committee shall address all matters that it considers relevant to the performance of the Board of Trustees and shall report the results of its evaluation to the Board of Trustees, including any recommended amendments to the principles of governance, and any recommended changes to the funds' or the Board of Trustees' policies, procedures, and structures. The committee reviews periodically the size and composition of the Board of Trustees as a whole and recommends, if necessary, measures to be taken so that the Board of Trustees reflects the appropriate balance of knowledge, experience, skills, expertise, and diversity required for the Board as a whole and contains at least the minimum number of Independent Trustees required by law. The committee makes nominations for the election or appointment of Independent Trustees and non-management Members of any Advisory Board, and for membership on committees. The committee has the authority to retain and terminate any third-party advisers, including authority to approve fees and other retention terms. Such advisers may include search firms to identify Independent Trustee candidates and board compensation consultants. The committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the committee's scope of responsibilities, and may retain, at the funds' expense, such independent counsel or other advisers as it deems necessary. The committee will consider nominees to the Board of Trustees recommended by shareholders based upon the criteria applied to candidates presented to the committee by a search firm or other source. Recommendations, along with appropriate background material concerning the candidate that demonstrates his or her ability to serve as an Independent Trustee of the funds, should be submitted to the Chair of the committee at the address maintained for communications with Independent Trustees. If the committee retains a search firm, the Chair will generally forward all such submissions to the search firm for evaluation. With respect to the criteria for selecting Independent Trustees, it is expected that all candidates will possess the following minimum qualifications: (i) unquestioned personal integrity; (ii) not an interested person of the funds within the meaning of the 1940 Act; (iii) does not have a material relationship (e.g., commercial, banking, consulting, legal, or accounting) with the adviser, any sub-adviser or their affiliates that could create an appearance of lack of independence in respect of the funds; (iv) has the disposition to act independently in respect of FMR and its affiliates and others in order to protect the interests of the funds and all shareholders; (v) ability to attend regularly scheduled Board meetings during the year; (vi) demonstrates sound business judgment gained through broad experience in significant positions where the candidate has dealt with management, technical, financial, or regulatory issues; (vii) sufficient financial or accounting knowledge to add value in the complex financial environment of the funds; (viii) experience on corporate or other institutional oversight bodies having similar responsibilities, but which board memberships or other relationships could not result in business or regulatory conflicts with the funds; and (ix) capacity for the hard work and attention to detail that is required to be an effective Independent Trustee in light of the funds' complex regulatory, operational, and marketing setting. The Governance and Nominating Committee may determine that a candidate who does not have the type of previous experience or knowledge referred to above should nevertheless be considered as a nominee if the Governance and Nominating Committee finds that the candidate has additional qualifications such that his or her qualifications, taken as a whole, demonstrate the same level of fitness to serve as an Independent Trustee.
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, each committee held the number of meetings shown in the table below:
COMMITTEE
|
NUMBER OF MEETINGS HELD
|
Operations Committee
|
8
|
Audit Committee
|
4
|
Fair Valuation Committee
|
3
|
Governance and Nominating Committee
|
11
|
The following table sets forth information describing the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the fund and in all funds in the aggregate within the same fund family overseen by the Trustee for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022.
Interested Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Jonathan Chiel
|
Abigail P Johnson
|
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
Independent Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
Mark A Murray
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
The following table sets forth information describing the compensation of each Trustee and Member of the Advisory Board (if any) for his or her services for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, or calendar year ended December 31, 2022, as applicable.
Compensation Table(A)
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Laura M Bishop(B)
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
$
|
3,263
|
$
|
2,666
|
$
|
2,909
|
$
|
2,894
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
563,000
|
$
|
184,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
496,000
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Robert W Helm
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
$
|
3,252
|
$
|
2,988
|
$
|
2,807
|
$
|
3,513
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
565,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
492,500
|
$
|
612,500
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Mark A Murray
|
Carol J Zierhoffer(D)
|
||||||
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
$
|
2,880
|
$
|
1,144
|
||||
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
497,500
|
$
|
0
|
(A) Jonathan Chiel, Abigail P. Johnson, and Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe are interested persons and are compensated by Fidelity.
|
(B) Ms. Bishop serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective September 1, 2022.
|
(C) Reflects compensation received for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022 for 295 funds of 31 trusts (including Fidelity Central Investment Portfolios II LLC). Compensation figures include cash and may include amounts elected to be deferred. Certain individuals elected voluntarily to defer a portion of their compensation as follows: Elizabeth S. Acton, $120,000; Laura M. Bishop, $73,674; Ann E. Dunwoody, $274,597; John Engler, $274,597; Robert F. Gartland, $180,000; Robert W. Helm, $274,597; and Mark A. Murray, $274,597.
|
(D) Ms. Zierhoffer serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective March 1, 2023.
|
As of July 31, 2023, the Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the fund owned, in the aggregate, less than 1% of each class's total outstanding shares, with respect to the fund.
As of July 31, 2023, the following owned of record and/or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares:
Fund or Class Name
|
Owner Name
|
City
|
State
|
Ownership %
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
STRATEGIC ADVISERS® FIDELITY® U.S. TOTAL STOCK FUND
|
BOSTON
|
MA
|
9.06%
|
CONTROL OF INVESTMENT ADVISERS
FMR LLC, as successor by merger to FMR Corp., is the ultimate parent company of FMR. The voting common shares of FMR LLC are divided into two series. Series B is held predominantly by members of the Johnson family, including Abigail P. Johnson, directly or through trusts, and is entitled to 49% of the vote on any matter acted upon by the voting common shares. Series A is held predominantly by non-Johnson family member employees of FMR LLC and its affiliates and is entitled to 51% of the vote on any such matter. The Johnson family group and all other Series B shareholders have entered into a shareholders' voting agreement under which all Series B shares will be voted in accordance with the majority vote of Series B shares. Under the 1940 Act, control of a company is presumed where one individual or group of individuals owns more than 25% of the voting securities of that company. Therefore, through their ownership of voting common shares and the execution of the shareholders' voting agreement, members of the Johnson family may be deemed, under the 1940 Act, to form a controlling group with respect to FMR LLC.
At present, the primary business activities of FMR LLC and its subsidiaries are: (i) the provision of investment advisory, management, shareholder, investment information and assistance and certain fiduciary services for individual and institutional investors; (ii) the provision of securities brokerage services; (iii) the management and development of real estate; and (iv) the investment in and operation of a number of emerging businesses.
Geode, a registered investment adviser, is a subsidiary of Geode Capital Holdings LLC. Geode was founded in January 2001 to develop and manage quantitative investment strategies and to provide advisory and sub-advisory services.
FMR, Geode Capital Management, LLC, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and the fund have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that set forth employees' fiduciary responsibilities regarding the fund, establish procedures for personal investing, and restrict certain transactions. Employees subject to the codes of ethics, including Fidelity and Geode investment personnel, may invest in securities for their own investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the fund.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACT
The fund has entered into a management contract with FMR, pursuant to which FMR furnishes investment advisory and other services.
Management and Sub-Advisory Services. FMR provides the fund with all necessary office facilities and personnel for servicing the fund's investments, compensates all officers of the fund and all Trustees who are interested persons of the trust or of FMR, and compensates all personnel of the fund or FMR performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities.
In addition, FMR or its affiliates, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, provide the management and administrative services necessary for the operation of the fund. These services include providing facilities for maintaining the fund's organization; supervising relations with custodians, transfer and pricing agents, accountants, underwriters and other persons dealing with the fund; preparing all general shareholder communications and conducting shareholder relations; maintaining the fund's records and the registration of the fund's shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws; developing management and shareholder services for the fund; and furnishing reports, evaluations and analyses on a variety of subjects to the Trustees.
Geode serves as sub-adviser of the fund. Under its management contract with the fund, FMR acts as investment adviser. Under the sub-advisory agreement, and subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, Geode directs the investments of the fund in accordance with its investment objective, policies, and limitations.
Management-Related Expenses. In addition to the management fee payable to FMR and the fees payable to the transfer agent and pricing and bookkeeping agent, and the costs associated with securities lending, as applicable, the fund pays all of its expenses that are not assumed by those parties. The fund pays for the typesetting, printing, and mailing of its proxy materials to shareholders, legal expenses, and the fees of the custodian, auditor, and Independent Trustees. The fund's management contract further provides that the fund will pay for typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, notices, and reports to shareholders. Other expenses paid by the fund include interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable, the fund's proportionate share of insurance premiums and Investment Company Institute dues, and the costs of registering shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws. The fund is also liable for such non-recurring expenses as may arise, including costs of any litigation to which the fund may be a party, and any obligation it may have to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect to litigation.
Management Fee.
For the services of FMR under the management contract, the fund pays FMR a monthly management fee at the annual rate of 0.015% of the fund's average net assets throughout the month.
The following table shows the amount of management fees paid by the fund for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 to its current manager and prior affiliated manager(s), if any.
Fund(s)
|
Fiscal
Years
Ended
|
Management
Fees
Paid to
Investment Adviser
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
1,592,488
|
2022
|
$
|
2,096,241
|
|
2021
|
$
|
2,458,216
|
FMR may, from time to time, voluntarily reimburse all or a portion of a fund's or, in the case of a multiple class fund, a class's operating expenses. FMR retains the ability to be repaid for these expense reimbursements in the amount that expenses fall below the limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Expense reimbursements will increase returns, and repayment of the reimbursement will decrease returns.
Sub-Adviser - Geode. The fund and FMR have entered into sub-advisory agreement(s) with Geode. Pursuant to the sub-advisory agreement(s), FMR has granted Geode investment management authority as well as the authority to buy and sell securities.
Under the terms of the sub-advisory agreement(s), for providing investment management services to the fund, FMR, and not the fund, pays Geode fees at an annual rate of 0.0060% of the average daily net assets of the fund.
In addition, effective January 1, 2024, Geode has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its sub-advisory fee.
The following table shows the amount of sub-advisory fees paid by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, on behalf of the fund, to Geode for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
Fund
|
Fiscal Years
Ended
|
Sub-Advisory Fees
Paid by FMR
to Geode
|
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund
|
2023(A)
|
$
|
646,068
|
2022(B)
|
$
|
909,027
|
|
2021(C)
|
$
|
1,158,145
|
(A) On October 1, 2022, FMR reduced the sub-advisory fee rate paid to Geode from 0.0065% to 0.0060%.
|
(B) On August 1, 2021, FMR reduced the sub-advisory fee rate paid to Geode from 0.0070% to 0.0065%.
|
(C) On October 1, 2020, FMR reduced the sub-advisory fee rate paid to Geode from 0.0075% to 0.0070%.
|
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund is managed by Geode, a sub-adviser to the fund. Louis Bottari is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Peter Matthew is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Payal Gupta is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Robert Regan is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Navid Sohrabi is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. As of July 31, 2023, portfolio manager compensation generally consists of a fixed base salary, a bonus that is based on both objective and subjective criteria, and, in certain cases, participation in a profit-based compensation plan. A portion of each portfolio manager's compensation may be deferred based on criteria established by Geode.
Each portfolio manager's base salary is determined annually by level of responsibility and tenure at Geode. The primary component for determining each portfolio manager's bonus is the pre-tax investment performance of the portfolio manager's fund(s) and account(s) relative to a custom peer group, if applicable, and relative to a benchmark index assigned to each fund or account. Performance is measured over multiple measurement periods that eventually encompass periods of up to five years. A portion of each portfolio manager's bonus is linked to Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund's relative pre-tax investment performance measured against the S&P 500® Index. A subjective component of each portfolio manager's bonus is based on the portfolio manager's overall contribution to the management of Geode, including recruiting, monitoring, and mentoring within the investment management teams, as well as time spent assisting in firm promotion. Each portfolio manager may also be compensated under a profit-based compensation plan, which is primarily based on the profits of Geode.
A portfolio manager's compensation plan can give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A manager's base pay tends to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management and a portion of the bonus relates to firm promotion efforts, which together indirectly link compensation to sales. Managing and providing research to multiple accounts (including proprietary accounts) can give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as a portfolio manager must allocate time and investment ideas across multiple accounts. Securities selected for accounts other than the fund may outperform the securities selected for the fund.
In addition to managing the fund's investment portfolio, each portfolio manager also manages other investment portfolios and accounts on behalf of Geode or its affiliates.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Louis Bottari as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund ($10,174 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Bottari was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Payal Gupta as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund ($10,174 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund beneficially owned by Ms. Gupta was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Peter Matthew as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund ($10,174 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Matthew was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Bob Regan as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund ($10,174 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Regan was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Navid Sohrabi as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund ($10,174 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Sohrabi was none.
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
Geode Proxy Voting Policies
As an investment adviser, Geode holds voting authority for securities in many of the client accounts that it manages. Geode takes seriously its responsibility to monitor events affecting securities in those client accounts and to exercise its voting authority with respect to those securities in the best interests of its clients (as well as shareholders of mutual funds for which it serves as adviser or sub-adviser). The purposes of these proxy voting policies are to (1) establish a framework for Geode's analysis and decision-making with respect to proxy voting and (2) set forth operational procedures for Geode's exercise of proxy voting authority.
Overview
Geode anticipates that, based on its current business model, it will manage the vast majority of assets under its management using passive investment management techniques, such as indexing. Geode also manages funds and separate accounts using active investment management techniques, primarily employing quantitative investment strategies.
Geode will engage established commercial proxy advisory firms for comprehensive analysis, research and voting recommendations, particularly for matters that may be controversial or require additional analysis under these Policies.
Geode may determine to follow or reject any recommendation based on the research and analysis provided by proxy advisory firms or on any independent research and analysis obtained or generated by Geode. However, Geode has retained a third-party proxy voting service (the "Agent") to affect votes based on the customized policies established by Geode and maintain records of all of Geode's proxy votes. In limited instances where the Policies do not address the specific matter, the Agent will refer the ballot back to Geode. For ballots related to proxy contests, mergers, acquisitions and other organizational transactions, Geode may determine it is appropriate to conduct a company specific evaluation. In cases of proxies not voted by the Agent, the ultimate voting decision and responsibility rests with Geode Proxy. Geode's Operations Committee oversees the exercise of voting authority under these proxy voting policies.
Due to its focused business model and the number of investments that Geode will make for its clients (particularly pursuant to its indexing strategy), Geode does not anticipate that actual or potential conflicts of interest are likely to occur in the ordinary course of its business. However, Geode believes it is essential to avoid having conflicts of interest affect its objective of voting in the best interests of its clients. Therefore, in the event that members of the Operations Committee, the Agent or any other person involved in the analysis or voting of proxies has knowledge of, or has reason to believe there may exist, any potential relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode (or any affiliate of Geode) or their respective directors, officers, employees or agents, such person shall notify the other members of the Operations Committee. Geode will analyze and address such potential conflict of interest, consulting with outside counsel, as appropriate. In the case of an actual conflict of interest, on the advice of counsel, Geode expects that the independent directors of Geode will consider the matter and may (1) determine that there is no conflict of interest (or that reasonable measures have been taken to remedy or avoid any conflict of interest) that would prevent Geode from voting the applicable proxy, (2) abstain, (3) cause authority to be delegated to the Agent or a similar special fiduciary to vote the applicable proxy or (4) recommend other methodology for mitigating the conflict of interest, if deemed appropriate (e.g., echo voting).
Geode has established the specific proxy voting policies that are summarized below to maximize the value of investments in its clients' accounts, which it believes will be furthered through (1) accountability of a company's management and directors to its shareholders, (2) alignment of the interests of management with those of shareholders (including through compensation, benefit and equity ownership programs), and (3) increased disclosure of a company's business and operations. Geode reserves the right to override any of its proxy voting policies with respect to a particular shareholder vote when such an override is, in Geode's best judgment, consistent with the overall principle of voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of Geode's clients.
Policies
All proxy votes shall be considered and made in a manner consistent with the best interests of Geode's clients (as well as shareholders of mutual fund clients) without regard to any other relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode or its affiliates. As a general matter, (1) proxies will be voted FOR incumbent members of a board of directors and FOR routine management proposals, except as otherwise addressed under these policies; (2) shareholder and non-routine management proposals addressed by these policies will be voted as provided in these policies; and (3) shareholder and non-routine management proposals not addressed by these policies will be evaluated by Geode ESG Stewardship based on fundamental analysis and/or research and recommendations provided by the Agent and other third-party proxy advisory firms.
When voting the securities of non-US issuers, Geode will evaluate proposals in accordance with these policies but will also take local market standards and best practices into consideration. Geode may also limit or modify its voting at certain non-US meetings (e.g., if shares are required to be blocked or reregistered in connection with voting).
Geode's specific policies are as follows:
I. Election of Directors
Geode will generally vote FOR incumbent members of a board of directors except:
• Attendance. The incumbent board member failed to attend at least 75% of meetings in the previous year and does not provide a reasonable explanation.
• Independent Directors. Nominee is not independent and full board comprises less than a majority of independents. Nominee is not independent and sits on the audit, compensation or nominating committee.
• Director Responsiveness. The board failed to act on shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year. The board failed to act on takeover offers where Geode and a majority of shareholders tendered their shares. At the previous board election, directors opposed by Geode received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast, and the company failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote.
• Golden Parachutes. Incumbent members of the compensation committee adopted or renewed an excessive golden parachute within the past year.
• Gender Diversity. If there are no women on the Board unless the Board has made a firm commitment to return to a gender-diverse status when there was a woman on the Board at the preceding annual meeting.
• Overboarding. The Director is a CEO and sits on the Board of more than two public companies besides his or her own; or a non-CEO Director who sits on more than five public company boards.
• Unequal Voting Rights. If the Company maintains a common stock structure with unequal voting rights. Exceptions to the policy may include, but aren't limited to: Newly-public companies with a reasonable sunset provision, where the unequal voting rights are considered de minimis; or the company provides sufficient safeguards for minority shareholders.
• In Other Circumstances when a member of the board has acted in a manner inconsistent with the interests of shareholders of a company whose securities are held in client accounts.
II. Majority Election. Unless a company has a policy achieving a similar result, Geode will generally vote in favor of a proposal calling for directors to be elected by a majority of votes cast in a board election provided that the plurality vote applies when there are more nominees than board seats.
III. Say on Pay (non-binding).
• Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. Geode will generally vote AGAINST advisory vote when: (1) there is a significant misalignment between executive pay and company performance; (2) the company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or (3) the board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders.
• Frequency Vote. Geode will generally vote FOR having an advisory vote on executive compensation every year.
• Advisory Vote on Golden Parachute. Geode will vote AGAINST excessive change-in-control severance payments.
IV. Vote AGAINST Anti-Takeover Proposals, including:
• Addition of Special Interest Directors to the board.
• Authorization of "Blank Check" Preferred Stock. Geode will vote FOR proposals to require shareholder approval for the distribution of preferred stock except for acquisitions and raising capital in the ordinary course of business.
• Classification of Boards, Geode will vote FOR proposals to de-classify boards.
• Fair Price Amendments, other than those that consider only a two-year price history and are not accompanied by other anti-takeover measures.
• Golden Parachutes, that Geode deems to be excessive in the event of change-in-control.
• Poison Pills. Adoption or extension of a Poison Pill without shareholder approval will result in our voting AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors, provided the matter will be considered if (a) the board has adopted a Poison Pill with a sunset provision; (b) the Pill is linked to a business strategy that will result in greater value for the shareholders; (c) the term is less than three years; (d) the Pill includes a qualifying offer clause; Or (e) shareholder approval is required to reinstate the expired Pill. Geode will vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring or recommending that shareholders be given an opportunity to vote on the adoption of poison pills.
• Reduction or Limitation of Shareholder Rights (e.g., action by written consent, ability to call meetings, or remove directors).
• Reincorporation in another state (when accompanied by Anti-Takeover Provisions, including increased statutory anti-takeover provisions). Geode will vote FOR reincorporation in another state when not accompanied by such anti-takeover provisions.
• Requirements that the Board Consider Non-Financial Effects of merger and acquisition proposals.
• Requirements regarding Size, Selection and Removal of the Board that are likely to have an anti-takeover effect (although changes with legitimate business purposes will be evaluated).
• Supermajority Voting Requirements (i.e., typically 2/3 or greater) for boards and shareholders. Geode will vote FOR proposals to eliminate supermajority voting requirements.
• Transfer of Authority from Shareholders to Directors.
V. Vote FOR proposed amendments to a company's certificate of incorporation or by-laws that enable the company to Opt Out of the Control Shares Acquisition Statutes.
VI. Vote AGAINST the introduction of new classes of Stock with Differential Voting Rights.
VII. Vote AGAINST introduction and FOR elimination of Cumulative Voting Rights, except in certain instances where it is determined not to enhance shareholders' interests.
VIII. Vote FOR elimination of Preemptive Rights.
IX. Vote FOR Anti-Greenmail proposals so long as they are not part of anti-takeover provisions (in which case the vote will be AGAINST).
X. Vote FOR charter and by-law amendments expanding the Indemnification of Directors to the maximum extent permitted under Delaware law (regardless of the state of incorporation) and vote AGAINST charter and by-law amendments completely Eliminating Directors' Liability for Breaches of Care.
XI. Vote FOR proposals to adopt Confidential Voting and Independent Vote Tabulation practices.
XII. Vote FOR Open-Market Stock Repurchase Programs, unless there is clear evidence of past abuse of the authority; the plan contains no safeguards against selective buybacks, or the authority can be used as an anti-takeover mechanism.
XIII. Vote FOR management proposals to implement a Reverse Stock Split when the number of authorized shares will be proportionately reduced or the Reverse Stock Split is necessary to avoid de-listing.
XIV. Vote FOR management proposals to Reduce the Par Value of common stock unless the proposal may facilitate an anti-takeover device or other negative corporate governance action.
XV. Vote FOR the Issuance of Large Blocks of Stock if such proposals have a legitimate business purpose and do not result in dilution of greater than 20%. However, a company's specific circumstances and market practices may be considered in determining whether the proposal is consistent with shareholders' interests.
XVI. Vote AGAINST Excessive Increases in Common Stock. Vote AGAINST increases in authorized common stock that would result in authorized capital in excess of three times the company's shares outstanding and reserved for legitimate purposes. For non-U.S. securities with conditional capital requests, vote AGAINST issuances of shares with preemptive rights in excess of 100% of the company's current shares outstanding. Special requests will be evaluated, taking company-specific circumstances into account.
XVII. Vote AGAINST the adoption of or amendment to authorize additional shares under a Stock Option Plan if:
• The stock option plan includes evergreen provisions, which provides for an automatic allotment of equity compensation every year.
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan (including by virtue of any "evergreen" or replenishment provision), plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
• The offering price of options is less than 100% of fair market value on the date of grant, except that the offering price may be as low as 85% of fair market value if the discount is expressly granted in lieu of salary or cash bonus, except that a modest number of shares (limited to 5% for a large capitalization company and 10% for a small and micro capitalization companies) may be available for grant to employees and directors under the plan if the grant is made by a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors (the "De Minimis Exception").
• The plan is administered by (1) a compensation committee not comprised entirely of independent directors or (2) a board of directors not comprised of a majority of independent directors, provided that a plan is acceptable if it satisfies the De Minimis Exception.
• The plan's terms allow repricing of underwater options, or the board/committee has repriced options outstanding under the plan in the past two years without shareholder approval, unless by the express terms of the plan or a board resolution such repricing is rarely used (and then only to maintain option value due to extreme circumstances beyond management's control) and is within the limits of the De Minimis Exception.
• Liberal Definition of Change in Control: the plan provides that the vesting of equity awards may accelerate even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XVIII. Vote AGAINST the election of incumbent members of the compensation committee or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if, within the last year and without shareholder approval, the company's board of directors or compensation committee has repriced outstanding options.
XIX. Evaluate proposals to Reprice Outstanding Stock Options, taking into account such factors as: (1) whether the repricing proposal excludes senior management and directors; (2) whether the options proposed to be repriced exceeded the dilution thresholds described in these current proxy voting policies when initially granted; (3) whether the repricing proposal is value neutral to shareholders based upon an acceptable options pricing model; (4) the company's relative performance compared to other companies within the relevant industry or industries; (5) economic and other conditions affecting the relevant industry or industries in which the company competes; and (6) other facts or circumstances relevant to determining whether a repricing proposal is consistent with the interests of shareholders.
XX. Vote AGAINST adoption of or amendments to authorize additional shares for Restricted Stock Awards ("RSA") if:
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan, plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
XXI. Vote AGAINST Omnibus Stock Plans if one or more component violates any of the criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, unless such component is de minimis. In the case of an omnibus stock plan, the dilution limits applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies will be measured against the total number of shares under all components of such plan.
XXII. Vote AGAINST Employee Stock Purchase Plans if the plan violates any of the relevant criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, except that (1) the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to or greater than 85% of the stock's fair market value if the plan constitutes a reasonable effort to encourage broad based participation in the company's equity, and (2) in the case of non-U.S. company stock purchase plans, the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to the prevailing "best practices," as articulated by the Agent, provided that the minimum stock purchase price must be at least 75% of the stock's fair market value.
XXIII. Vote AGAINST Stock Awards (other than stock options and RSAs) unless it is determined they are identified as being granted to officers/directors in lieu of salary or cash bonus, subject to number of shares being reasonable.
XXIV. Vote AGAINST equity vesting acceleration programs or amendments to authorize additional shares under such programs if the program provides for the acceleration of vesting of equity awards even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XXV. Vote FOR Employee Stock Ownership Plans ("ESOPs") of non-leveraged ESOPs, and in the case of leveraged ESOPs, giving consideration to the company's state of incorporation, existence of supermajority vote rules in the charter, number of shares authorized for the ESOP, and number of shares held by insiders. Geode may also examine where the ESOP shares are purchased and the dilution effect of the purchase. Geode will vote AGAINST a leveraged ESOP if all outstanding loans are due immediately upon a change in control.
XXVI. Vote AGAINST management or shareholder proposals on other Compensation Plans or Practices if such plans or practices are Inconsistent with the Interests of Shareholders. In addition, Geode may vote AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if Geode believes a board has approved executive compensation arrangements inconsistent with the interests of shareholders.
XXVII. Environmental and Social Proposals. Evaluate each proposal related to environmental and social issues (including political contributions). Generally, Geode expects to vote with management's recommendation on shareholder proposals concerning environmental or social issues, as Geode believes management and the board are ordinarily in the best position to address these matters. Geode may support certain shareholder environmental and social proposals that request additional disclosures from companies which may provide material information to the investment management process, or where Geode otherwise believes support will help maximize shareholder value. Geode may take action against the re-election of board members if there are serious concerns over ESG practices or the board failed to act on related shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year.
XXVIII. Geode will generally vote FOR proposals seeking to establish or amend proxy access which allow a shareholder (or shareholder group) holding at least 3% of the voting power of the company's outstanding shares continuously for a minimum of 3 years the ability to nominate no more than 25% of the board of directors. Geode will generally vote AGAINST proposals that do not meet the aforementioned criteria.
XXIX. Shares of Investment Companies.
• For institutional accounts, Geode will generally vote in favor of proposals recommended by the underlying funds' Board of Trustees, unless voting is not permitted under applicable laws and regulations.
• For retail managed accounts, Geode will employ echo voting when voting shares. To avoid certain potential conflicts of interest, if an investment company has a shareholder meeting, Geode would vote their shares in the investment company in the same proportion as the votes of the other shareholders of the investment company.
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To view a fund's proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, if applicable, visit www.fidelity.com/proxyvotingresults or visit the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.
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DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
The fund has entered into a distribution agreement with Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), an affiliate of FMR. The principal business address of FDC is 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917. FDC is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
The fund's distribution agreement calls for FDC to use all reasonable efforts, consistent with its other business, to secure purchasers for shares of the fund, which are continuously offered.
Promotional and administrative expenses in connection with the offer and sale of shares are paid by FMR.
The Trustees have approved a Distribution and Service Plan with respect to shares of the fund (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the Rule).
The Rule provides in substance that a fund may not engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity that is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund except pursuant to a plan approved on behalf of the fund under the Rule.
The Plan, as approved by the Trustees, allows shares of the fund and/or FMR to incur certain expenses that might be considered to constitute indirect payment by the fund of distribution expenses.
The Plan adopted for the fund or class, as applicable, is described in the prospectus.
Under the Plan, if the payment of management fees by the fund to FMR is deemed to be indirect financing by the fund of the distribution of its shares, such payment is authorized by the Plan.
The Plan specifically recognizes that FMR may use its management fee revenue, as well as its past profits or its other resources, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. In addition, the Plan provides that FMR, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services.
Currently, the Board of Trustees has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Prior to approving the Plan, the Trustees carefully considered all pertinent factors relating to the implementation of the Plan, and determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the fund or class, as applicable, and its shareholders.
In particular, the Trustees noted that the Plan does not authorize payments by shares of the fund other than those made to FMR under its management contract with the fund.
To the extent that the Plan gives FMR and FDC greater flexibility in connection with the distribution of shares, additional sales of shares or stabilization of cash flows may result.
Furthermore, certain shareholder support services may be provided more effectively under the Plan by local entities with whom shareholders have other relationships.
TRANSFER AND SERVICE AGENT AGREEMENTS
The fund has entered into a transfer agent agreement with Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company LLC (FIIOC), an affiliate of FMR, which is located at 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Under the terms of the agreement, FIIOC (or an agent, including an affiliate) performs transfer agency services.
For providing transfer agency services, FIIOC receives no fees from the fund.
FIIOC may collect fees charged in connection with providing certain types of services such as exchanges, closing out fund balances, maintaining fund positions with low balances, checkwriting, wire transactions, and providing historical account research, as applicable.
FIIOC bears the expense of typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, and all other reports, notices, and statements to existing shareholders, with the exception of proxy statements.
Fund shares may be owned by intermediaries for the benefit of their customers. In those instances, a fund may not maintain an account for shareholders, and some or all of the recordkeeping services for these accounts may be performed by third parties. FIIOC or an affiliate may make payments to intermediaries (including affiliates of FIIOC) for recordkeeping and other services.
Retirement plans may also hold fund shares in the name of the plan or its trustee, rather than the plan participant. In situations where FIIOC or an affiliate does not provide recordkeeping services, plan recordkeepers, who may have affiliated financial intermediaries who sell shares of the fund, may, upon direction, be paid for providing recordkeeping services to plan participants. Payments may also be made, upon direction, for other plan expenses. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
In certain situations where FIIOC or an affiliate provides recordkeeping services to a retirement plan, payments may be made to pay for plan expenses. The amount of such payments may be based on investments in particular Fidelity® funds, or may be fixed for a given period of time. Upon direction, payments may be made to plan sponsors, or at the direction of plan sponsors, third parties, for expenses incurred in connection with the plan. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
The fund has entered into a service agent agreement with Fidelity Service Company, Inc. (FSC), an affiliate of FMR (or an agent, including an affiliate). Under the terms of the agreement, FSC calculates the NAV and dividends for shares, maintains the fund's portfolio and general accounting records, and administers the fund's securities lending program.
For providing pricing and bookkeeping services, FSC receives no fee from the fund.
FMR bears the cost of transfer agency services and pricing and bookkeeping services.
SECURITIES LENDING
During the fiscal year, the securities lending agent, or the investment adviser (where the fund does not use a securities lending agent) monitors loan opportunities for the fund, negotiates the terms of the loans with borrowers, monitors the value of securities on loan and the value of the corresponding collateral, communicates with borrowers and the fund's custodian regarding marking to market the collateral, selects securities to be loaned and allocates those loan opportunities among lenders, and arranges for the return of the loaned securities upon the termination of the loan. Income and fees from securities lending activities for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, are shown in the following table:
A fund does not pay cash collateral management fees, separate indemnification fees, or other fees not reflected above.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
Trust Organization.
Fidelity® SAI U.S. Large Cap Index Fund is a fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust, an open-end management investment company created under an initial declaration of trust dated September 5, 1984.
The Trustees are permitted to create additional funds in the trust and to create additional classes of a fund.
The assets of the trust received for the issue or sale of shares of each fund and all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, subject to the rights of creditors, are allocated to such fund, and constitute the underlying assets of such fund. The underlying assets of each fund in the trust shall be charged with the liabilities and expenses attributable to such fund. Any general expenses of the trust shall be allocated between or among any one or more of the funds.
Shareholder Liability. The trust is an entity commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the trust.
The Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for the debts, liabilities, obligations, and expenses of the trust or fund. The Declaration of Trust provides that the trust shall not have any claim against shareholders except for the payment of the purchase price of shares and requires that each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the trust or the Trustees relating to the trust or to a fund shall include a provision limiting the obligations created thereby to the trust or to one or more funds and its or their assets. The Declaration of Trust further provides that shareholders of a fund shall not have a claim on or right to any assets belonging to any other fund.
The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of a fund's property of any shareholder or former shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the fund solely by reason of his or her being or having been a shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason. The Declaration of Trust also provides that a fund shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the fund and satisfy any judgment thereon. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations. Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC believes that, in view of the above, the risk of personal liability to shareholders is remote.
Voting Rights. The fund's capital consists of shares of beneficial interest. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each dollar of net asset value they own. The voting rights of shareholders can be changed only by a shareholder vote. Shares may be voted in the aggregate, by fund, and by class.
The shares have no preemptive or conversion rights. Shares are fully paid and nonassessable, except as set forth under the heading "Shareholder Liability" above.
The trust or a fund or a class may be terminated upon the sale of its assets to, or merger with, another open-end management investment company, series, or class thereof, or upon liquidation and distribution of its assets. The Trustees may reorganize, terminate, merge, or sell all or a portion of the assets of a trust or a fund or a class without prior shareholder approval. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a trust, shareholders of each of its funds are entitled to receive the underlying assets of such fund available for distribution. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a fund or a class, shareholders of that fund or that class are entitled to receive the underlying assets of the fund or class available for distribution.
Custodians.
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is custodian of the assets of the fund.
The custodian is responsible for the safekeeping of the fund's assets and the appointment of any subcustodian banks and clearing agencies.
The Bank of New York Mellon, headquartered in New York, also may serve as special purpose custodian of certain assets in connection with repurchase agreement transactions.
From time to time, subject to approval by a fund's Treasurer, a Fidelity® fund may enter into escrow arrangements with other banks if necessary to participate in certain investment offerings.
FMR, its officers and directors, its affiliated companies, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and Members of the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, conduct transactions with various banks, including banks serving as custodians for certain funds advised by FMR or an affiliate. Transactions that have occurred to date include mortgages and personal and general business loans. In the judgment of the fund's adviser, the terms and conditions of those transactions were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other fund relationships.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, Massachusetts, independent registered public accounting firm, and its affiliates, audit the financial statements for the fund and provide other audit, tax, and related services.
FUND HOLDINGS INFORMATION
The fund views holdings information as sensitive and limits its dissemination. The Board authorized FMR to establish and administer guidelines for the dissemination of fund holdings information, which may be amended at any time without prior notice. FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee (comprising executive officers of FMR) evaluates disclosure policy with the goal of serving the fund's best interests by striking an appropriate balance between providing information about the fund's portfolio and protecting the fund from potentially harmful disclosure. The Board reviews the administration and modification of these guidelines and receives reports from the fund's chief compliance officer periodically.
The fund will provide a full list of holdings monthly on www.fidelity.com 30 days after the month-end (excluding high income security holdings, which generally will be presented collectively monthly and included in a list of full holdings 60 days after month-end).
The fund will provide its top ten holdings (excluding cash and futures) on Fidelity's web site monthly, 15 days after month-end.
Unless otherwise indicated, this information will be available on the web site until updated for the next applicable period.
The fund may also from time to time provide or make available to the Board or third parties upon request specific fund level performance attribution information and statistics. Third parties may include fund shareholders or prospective fund shareholders, members of the press, consultants, and ratings and ranking organizations. Nonexclusive examples of performance attribution information and statistics may include (i) the allocation of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions among various asset classes, sectors, industries, and countries, (ii) the characteristics of the stock and bond components of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions, (iii) the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry, and country and (iv) the volatility characteristics of the fund.
FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee may approve a request for fund level performance attribution and statistics as long as (i) such disclosure does not enable the receiving party to recreate the complete or partial portfolio holdings of any Fidelity® fund prior to such fund's public disclosure of its portfolio holdings and (ii) Fidelity has made a good faith determination that the requested information is not material given the particular facts and circumstances. Fidelity may deny any request for performance attribution information and other statistical information about a fund made by any person, and may do so for any reason or for no reason.
Disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information for a Fidelity® fund's portfolio may only be provided pursuant to the guidelines below.
The Use of Holdings In Connection With Fund Operations. Material non-public holdings information may be provided as part of the activities associated with managing Fidelity® funds to: entities which, by explicit agreement or by virtue of their respective duties to the fund, are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed; other parties if legally required; or persons FMR believes will not misuse the disclosed information. These entities, parties, and persons include, but are not limited to: the fund's trustees; the fund's manager, its sub-advisers, if any, and their affiliates whose access persons are subject to a code of ethics (including portfolio managers of affiliated funds of funds); contractors who are subject to a confidentiality agreement; the fund's auditors; the fund's custodians; proxy voting service providers; financial printers; pricing service vendors; broker-dealers in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities; securities lending agents; counsel to the fund or its Independent Trustees; regulatory authorities; stock exchanges and other listing organizations; parties to litigation; third parties in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding relating to a fund holding; and third parties who have submitted a standing request to a money market fund for daily holdings information. Non-public holdings information may also be provided to an issuer regarding the number or percentage of its shares that are owned by the fund and in connection with redemptions in kind.
Other Uses Of Holdings Information. In addition, the fund may provide material non-public holdings information to (i) third parties that calculate information derived from holdings for use by FMR, a sub-adviser, or their affiliates, (ii) ratings and rankings organizations, and (iii) an investment adviser, trustee, or their agents to whom holdings are disclosed for due diligence purposes or in anticipation of a merger involving the fund. Each individual request is reviewed by the Disclosure Policy Committee which must find, in its sole discretion that, based on the specific facts and circumstances, the disclosure appears unlikely to be harmful to the fund. Entities receiving this information must have in place control mechanisms to reasonably ensure or otherwise agree that, (a) the holdings information will be kept confidential, (b) no employee shall use the information to effect trading or for their personal benefit, and (c) the nature and type of information that they, in turn, may disclose to third parties is limited. FMR relies primarily on the existence of non-disclosure agreements and/or control mechanisms when determining that disclosure is not likely to be harmful to the fund.
At this time, the entities receiving information described in the preceding paragraph are: Factset Research Systems Inc. (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (full holdings weekly (generally as of the previous Friday), generally 5 business days thereafter); MSCI Inc. and certain affiliates (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); and Bloomberg, L.P. (full holdings daily, on the next business day).
FMR, its affiliates, or the fund will not enter into any arrangements with third parties from which they derive consideration for the disclosure of material non-public holdings information. If, in the future, such an arrangement is desired, prior Board approval would be sought and any such arrangements would be disclosed in the fund's SAI.
There can be no assurance that the fund's policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of fund portfolio holdings will prevent the misuse of such information by individuals and firms that receive such information.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The fund's financial statements and financial highlights for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, and report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the fund's annual report and are incorporated herein by reference.
Total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table may differ from the ratios of expenses to average net assets in the financial highlights because total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table include any acquired fund fees and expenses, whereas the ratios of expenses in the financial highlights do not, except to the extent any acquired fund fees and expenses relate to an entity, such as a wholly-owned subsidiary, with which a fund's financial statements are consolidated. Acquired funds include other investment companies (such as Central funds or other underlying funds) in which the fund has invested, if and to the extent it is permitted to do so.
Total annual operating expenses in the prospectus fee table and the financial highlights do not include any expenses associated with investments in certain structured or synthetic products that may rely on the exception from the definition of "investment company" provided by section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.
APPENDIX
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
Fund
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Ticker
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Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
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FSRNX
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Fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
September 29, 2023
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. Portions of the fund's annual report are incorporated herein. The annual report(s) are supplied with this SAI.
To obtain a free additional copy of a prospectus or SAI, dated September 29, 2023, or an annual report, please call Fidelity at 1-800-544-8544 or visit Fidelity's web site at www.fidelity.com.
For more information on any Fidelity® fund, including charges and expenses, call Fidelity at the number indicated above for a free prospectus. Read it carefully before investing or sending money.
245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
URX-I-PTB-0923
1.929340.113
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND LIMITATIONS
The following policies and limitations supplement those set forth in the prospectus. Unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the fund's acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the fund's investment policies and limitations.
The fund's fundamental investment policies and limitations cannot be changed without approval by a "majority of the outstanding voting securities" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act)) of the fund. However, except for the fundamental investment limitations listed below, the investment policies and limitations described in this Statement of Additional Information (SAI) are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
The following are the fund's fundamental investment limitations set forth in their entirety.
Diversification
The fund may not with respect to 75% of the fund's total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, (a) more than 5% of the fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (b) the fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.
Senior Securities
The fund may not issue senior securities, except in connection with the insurance program established by the fund pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission or as otherwise permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Borrowing
The fund may not borrow money, except that the fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes (not for leveraging or investment) in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1/3% limitation.
Underwriting
The fund may not underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in the disposition of restricted securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies.
Concentration
The fund may not purchase any security if, as a result, more than 25% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of companies having their principal business activities in the same industry, except that the fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in the real estate industry (this limitation does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the United States Government or its agencies or instrumentalities).
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) looks through to the U.S. Government securities.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, with respect to any investment in Fidelity® Money Market Central Fund and/or any non-money market Central fund, FMR looks through to the holdings of the Central fund.
For purposes of the fund's concentration limitation discussed above, FMR may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and security and assign an industry or sector classification consistent with those characteristics in the event that the third-party classification provider used by FMR does not assign a classification.
Real Estate
The fund may not purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).
Commodities
The fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).
Loans
The fund may not lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, but this limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.
The following investment limitations are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
Short Sales
The fund does not currently intend to sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in futures contracts and options are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.
Margin Purchases
The fund does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that the fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.
Borrowing
The fund may borrow money only (a) from a bank or from a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) by engaging in reverse repurchase agreements with any party (reverse repurchase agreements are treated as borrowings for purposes of the fundamental borrowing investment limitation).
Illiquid Securities
The fund does not currently intend to purchase any security if, as a result, more than 10% of its net assets would be invested in securities that are deemed to be illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business at approximately the prices at which they are valued.
For purposes of the fund's illiquid securities limitation discussed above, if through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, the fund were in a position where more than 10% of its net assets were invested in illiquid securities, it would consider appropriate steps to protect liquidity.
Loans
The fund does not currently intend to lend assets other than securities to other parties, except by (a) lending money (up to 15% of the fund's net assets) to a registered investment company or portfolio for which FMR or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or (b) assuming any unfunded commitments in connection with the acquisition of loans, loan participations, or other forms of debt instruments. (This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities, to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments.)
In addition to the fund's fundamental and non-fundamental investment limitations discussed above:
In order to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the fund currently intends to comply with certain diversification limits imposed by Subchapter M.
For the fund's policies and limitations on futures and options transactions, see "Investment Policies and Limitations - Futures, Options, and Swaps."
The following pages contain more detailed information about types of instruments in which the fund may invest, techniques the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may employ in pursuit of the fund's investment objective, and a summary of related risks. The fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) may not buy all of these instruments or use all of these techniques unless it believes that doing so will help the fund achieve its goal. However, the fund's adviser (or a sub-adviser) is not required to buy any particular instrument or use any particular technique even if to do so might benefit the fund.
On the following pages in this section titled "Investment Policies and Limitations," and except as otherwise indicated, references to "an adviser" or "the adviser" may relate to the fund's adviser or a sub-adviser, as applicable.
Affiliated Bank Transactions. A Fidelity® fund may engage in transactions with financial institutions that are, or may be considered to be, "affiliated persons" of the fund under the 1940 Act. These transactions may involve repurchase agreements with custodian banks; short-term obligations of, and repurchase agreements with, the 50 largest U.S. banks (measured by deposits); municipal securities; U.S. Government securities with affiliated financial institutions that are primary dealers in these securities; short-term currency transactions; and short-term borrowings. In accordance with exemptive orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Board of Trustees has established and periodically reviews procedures applicable to transactions involving affiliated financial institutions.
Asset-Backed Securities represent interests in pools of mortgages, loans, receivables, or other assets. Payment of interest and repayment of principal may be largely dependent upon the cash flows generated by the assets backing the securities and, in certain cases, supported by letters of credit, surety bonds, or other credit enhancements. Asset-backed security values may also be affected by other factors including changes in interest rates, the availability of information concerning the pool and its structure, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool, the originator of the loans or receivables, or the entities providing the credit enhancement. In addition, these securities may be subject to prepayment risk.
Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLO) are a type of asset-backed security. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. CLOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses. For CLOs, the cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the "equity" tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since they are partially protected from defaults, senior tranches from a CLO trust typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CLO securities as a class. Normally, CLOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CLOs may be characterized by a fund as illiquid securities, however an active dealer market may exist allowing them to qualify for Rule 144A transactions.
Borrowing. If a fund borrows money, its share price may be subject to greater fluctuation until the borrowing is paid off. If a fund makes additional investments while borrowings are outstanding, this may be considered a form of leverage.
Cash Management. A fund may hold uninvested cash or may invest it in cash equivalents such as money market securities, repurchase agreements, or shares of short-term bond or money market funds, including (for Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients only) shares of Fidelity® Central funds. Generally, these securities offer less potential for gains than other types of securities.
Central Funds are special types of investment vehicles created by Fidelity for use by the Fidelity® funds and other advisory clients. Central funds are used to invest in particular security types or investment disciplines, or for cash management. Central funds incur certain costs related to their investment activity (such as custodial fees and expenses), but generally do not pay additional management fees. The investment results of the portions of a Fidelity® fund's assets invested in the Central funds will be based upon the investment results of those funds.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Notice of Exclusion. The Adviser, on behalf of the Fidelity® fund to which this SAI relates, has filed with the National Futures Association a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and the rules of the CFTC promulgated thereunder, with respect to the fund's operation. Accordingly, neither a fund nor its adviser is subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool or a CPO. As of the date of this SAI, the adviser does not expect to register as a CPO of the fund. However, there is no certainty that a fund or its adviser will be able to rely on an exclusion in the future as the fund's investments change over time. A fund may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional CFTC regulation or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If a fund or its adviser operates subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses.
Common Stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock, although related proceedings can take time to resolve and results can be unpredictable. For purposes of a Fidelity® fund's policies related to investment in common stock Fidelity considers depositary receipts evidencing ownership of common stock to be common stock.
Convertible Securities are bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a fund is called for redemption or conversion, the fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.
Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at prices above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.
Disruption to Financial Markets and Related Government Intervention. Economic downturns can trigger various economic, legal, budgetary, tax, and regulatory reforms across the globe. Instability in the financial markets in the wake of events such as the 2008 economic downturn led the U.S. Government and other governments to take a number of then-unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases, a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, local, foreign, and other governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which a fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Reforms may also change the way in which a fund is regulated and could limit or preclude a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective or engage in certain strategies. Also, while reforms generally are intended to strengthen markets, systems, and public finances, they could affect fund expenses and the value of fund investments in unpredictable ways.
Similarly, widespread disease including pandemics and epidemics, and natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, droughts, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and climate-related phenomena generally, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of a fund's investments. Economies and financial markets throughout the world have become increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or country will adversely affect markets or issuers in other regions or countries, including the United States. Additionally, market disruptions may result in increased market volatility; regulatory trading halts; closure of domestic or foreign exchanges, markets, or governments; or market participants operating pursuant to business continuity plans for indeterminate periods of time. Further, market disruptions can (i) prevent a fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner, (ii) negatively impact a fund's ability to achieve its investment objective, and (iii) may exacerbate the risks discussed elsewhere in a fund's registration statement, including political, social, and economic risks.
The value of a fund's portfolio is also generally subject to the risk of future local, national, or global economic or natural disturbances based on unknown weaknesses in the markets in which a fund invests. In the event of such a disturbance, the issuers of securities held by a fund may experience significant declines in the value of their assets and even cease operations, or may receive government assistance accompanied by increased restrictions on their business operations or other government intervention. In addition, it remains uncertain that the U.S. Government or foreign governments will intervene in response to current or future market disturbances and the effect of any such future intervention cannot be predicted.
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are shares of other investment companies, commodity pools, or other entities that are traded on an exchange. Assets underlying the ETF shares may consist of stocks, bonds, commodities, or other instruments, depending on an ETF's investment objective and strategies. An ETF may seek to replicate the performance of a specific index or may be actively managed.
Typically, shares of an ETF that tracks an index are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark increases. However, in the case of inverse ETFs (also called "short ETFs" or "bear ETFs"), ETF shares are expected to increase in value as the value of the underlying benchmark decreases. Inverse ETFs seek to deliver the opposite of the performance of the benchmark they track and are often marketed as a way for investors to profit from, or at least hedge their exposure to, downward moving markets. Investments in inverse ETFs are similar to holding short positions in the underlying benchmark.
ETF shares are redeemable only in large blocks of shares often called "creation units" by persons other than a fund, and are redeemed principally in-kind at each day's next calculated net asset value per share (NAV). ETFs typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a fund. A fund's purchase of ETFs results in the layering of expenses, such that the fund would indirectly bear a proportionate share of any ETF's operating expenses. Further, while traditional investment companies are continuously offered at NAV, ETFs are traded in the secondary market (e.g., on a stock exchange) on an intra-day basis at prices that may be above or below the value of their underlying portfolios.
Some of the risks of investing in an ETF that tracks an index are similar to those of investing in an indexed mutual fund, including tracking error risk (the risk of errors in matching the ETF's underlying assets to the index or other benchmark); and the risk that because an ETF that tracks an index is not actively managed, it cannot sell stocks or other assets as long as they are represented in the index or other benchmark. Other ETF risks include the risk that ETFs may trade in the secondary market at a discount from their NAV and the risk that the ETFs may not be liquid. ETFs also may be leveraged. Leveraged ETFs seek to deliver multiples of the performance of the index or other benchmark they track and use derivatives in an effort to amplify the returns (or decline, in the case of inverse ETFs) of the underlying index or benchmark. While leveraged ETFs may offer the potential for greater return, the potential for loss and the speed at which losses can be realized also are greater. Most leveraged and inverse ETFs "reset" daily, meaning they are designed to achieve their stated objectives on a daily basis. Leveraged and inverse ETFs can deviate substantially from the performance of their underlying benchmark over longer periods of time, particularly in volatile periods.
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) are a type of senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt security issued by financial institutions that combines aspects of both bonds and ETFs. An ETN's returns are based on the performance of a market index or other reference asset minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN's maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the market index or other reference asset to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs typically do not make periodic interest payments and principal typically is not protected.
ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable index. The market value of an ETN is determined by supply and demand, the current performance of the index or other reference asset, and the credit rating of the ETN issuer. The market value of ETN shares may differ from their intraday indicative value. The value of an ETN may also change due to a change in the issuer's credit rating. As a result, there may be times when an ETN's share trades at a premium or discount to its NAV. Some ETNs that use leverage in an effort to amplify the returns of an underlying index or other reference asset can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs may offer the potential for greater return, but the potential for loss and speed at which losses can be realized also are greater.
Exposure to Foreign and Emerging Markets. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
Foreign investments involve risks relating to local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments, and may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors. Such actions may include expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. From time to time, a fund's adviser and/or its affiliates may determine that, as a result of regulatory requirements that may apply to the adviser and/or its affiliates due to investments in a particular country, investments in the securities of issuers domiciled or listed on trading markets in that country above certain thresholds (which may apply at the account level or in the aggregate across all accounts managed by the adviser and its affiliates) may be impractical or undesirable. In such instances, the adviser may limit or exclude investment in a particular issuer, and investment flexibility may be restricted. There is no assurance that a fund's adviser will be able to anticipate these potential events or counter their effects. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.
It is anticipated that in most cases the best available market for foreign securities will be on an exchange or in over-the-counter (OTC) markets located outside of the United States. Foreign stock markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States, and securities of some foreign issuers may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign security trading, settlement and custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment) are often less developed than those in U.S. markets, and may result in increased investment or valuation risk or substantial delays in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign subcustodian. In addition, the costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.
Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets. Foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis. In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States. OTC markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated. Regulatory enforcement may be influenced by economic or political concerns, and investors may have difficulty enforcing their legal rights in foreign countries.
Some foreign securities impose restrictions on transfer within the United States or to U.S. persons. Although securities subject to such transfer restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. These risks include foreign exchange risk as well as the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country.
The risks of foreign investing may be magnified for investments in emerging markets. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
Foreign Currency Transactions. A fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies). Although foreign exchange dealers generally do not charge a fee for such conversions, they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the counterparty desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Forward contracts are customized transactions that require a specific amount of a currency to be delivered at a specific exchange rate on a specific date or range of dates in the future. Forward contracts are generally traded in an interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the contemplated currency exchange.
The following discussion summarizes the principal currency management strategies involving forward contracts that could be used by a fund. A fund may also use swap agreements, indexed securities, and options and futures contracts relating to foreign currencies for the same purposes. Forward contracts not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through payments in U.S. dollars rather than through delivery of the underlying currency. All of these instruments and transactions are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default.
A "settlement hedge" or "transaction hedge" is designed to protect a fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date a security denominated in a foreign currency is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying security transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars "locks in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. Forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency may also be used to protect a fund in anticipation of future purchases or sales of securities denominated in foreign currency, even if the specific investments have not yet been selected.
A fund may also use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in a foreign currency. For example, if a fund owned securities denominated in pounds sterling, it could enter into a forward contract to sell pounds sterling in return for U.S. dollars to hedge against possible declines in the pound's value. Such a hedge, sometimes referred to as a "position hedge," would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in security values caused by other factors. A fund could also attempt to hedge the position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the pound sterling. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as a "proxy hedge," could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency, but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.
A fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a "cross-hedge," will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, much as if a fund had sold a security denominated in one currency and purchased an equivalent security denominated in another. A fund may cross-hedge its U.S. dollar exposure in order to achieve a representative weighted mix of the major currencies in its benchmark index and/or to cover an underweight country or region exposure in its portfolio. Cross-hedges protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency, but will cause a fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases.
Successful use of currency management strategies will depend on an adviser's skill in analyzing currency values. Currency management strategies may substantially change a fund's investment exposure to changes in currency exchange rates and could result in losses to a fund if currencies do not perform as an adviser anticipates. For example, if a currency's value rose at a time when a fund had hedged its position by selling that currency in exchange for dollars, the fund would not participate in the currency's appreciation. If a fund hedges currency exposure through proxy hedges, the fund could realize currency losses from both the hedge and the security position if the two currencies do not move in tandem. Similarly, if a fund increases its exposure to a foreign currency and that currency's value declines, the fund will realize a loss. Foreign currency transactions involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted and that a fund's hedging strategies will be ineffective. Moreover, it is impossible to precisely forecast the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a foreign currency forward contract. Accordingly, a fund may be required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expenses of such transaction), if an adviser's predictions regarding the movement of foreign currency or securities markets prove inaccurate.
A fund may be required to limit its hedging transactions in foreign currency forwards, futures, and options in order to maintain its classification as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code (Code). Hedging transactions could result in the application of the mark-to-market provisions of the Code, which may cause an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid by a fund are classified as capital gains or ordinary income. There is no assurance that an adviser's use of currency management strategies will be advantageous to a fund or that it will employ currency management strategies at appropriate times.
Options and Futures Relating to Foreign Currencies. Currency futures contracts are similar to forward currency exchange contracts, except that they are traded on exchanges (and have margin requirements) and are standardized as to contract size and delivery date. Most currency futures contracts call for payment or delivery in U.S. dollars. The underlying instrument of a currency option may be a foreign currency, which generally is purchased or delivered in exchange for U.S. dollars, or may be a futures contract. The purchaser of a currency call obtains the right to purchase the underlying currency, and the purchaser of a currency put obtains the right to sell the underlying currency.
The uses and risks of currency options and futures are similar to options and futures relating to securities or indexes, as discussed below. A fund may purchase and sell currency futures and may purchase and write currency options to increase or decrease its exposure to different foreign currencies. Currency options may also be purchased or written in conjunction with each other or with currency futures or forward contracts. Currency futures and options values can be expected to correlate with exchange rates, but may not reflect other factors that affect the value of a fund's investments. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a Yen-denominated security from a decline in the Yen, but will not protect a fund against a price decline resulting from deterioration in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the value of a fund's foreign-denominated investments changes in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of currency options and futures to the value of the fund's investments exactly over time.
Currency options traded on U.S. or other exchanges may be subject to position limits which may limit the ability of the fund to reduce foreign currency risk using such options.
Funds of Funds and Other Large Shareholders. Certain Fidelity® funds and accounts (including funds of funds) invest in other funds ("underlying funds") and, as a result, may at times have substantial investments in one or more underlying funds.
An underlying fund may experience large redemptions or investments due to transactions in its shares by funds of funds, other large shareholders, or similarly managed accounts. While it is impossible to predict the overall effect of these transactions over time, there could be an adverse impact on an underlying fund's performance. In the event of such redemptions or investments, an underlying fund could be required to sell securities or to invest cash at a time when it may not otherwise desire to do so. Such transactions may increase an underlying fund's brokerage and/or other transaction costs and affect the liquidity of a fund's portfolio. In addition, when funds of funds or other investors own a substantial portion of an underlying fund's shares, a large redemption by such an investor could cause actual expenses to increase, or could result in the underlying fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the underlying fund's expense ratio. Redemptions of underlying fund shares could also accelerate the realization of taxable capital gains in the fund if sales of securities result in capital gains. The impact of these transactions is likely to be greater when a fund of funds or other significant investor purchases, redeems, or owns a substantial portion of the underlying fund's shares.
When possible, Fidelity will consider how to minimize these potential adverse effects, and may take such actions as it deems appropriate to address potential adverse effects, including redemption of shares in-kind rather than in cash or carrying out the transactions over a period of time, although there can be no assurance that such actions will be successful. A high volume of redemption requests can impact an underlying fund the same way as the transactions of a single shareholder with substantial investments. As an additional safeguard, Fidelity® fund of funds may manage the placement of their redemption requests in a manner designed to minimize the impact of such requests on the day-to-day operations of the underlying funds in which they invest. This may involve, for example, redeeming its shares of an underlying fund gradually over time or through use of a transition account.
Fund's Rights as an Investor. Fidelity® funds do not intend to direct or administer the day-to-day operations of any company. A fund may, however, exercise its rights as a shareholder or lender and may communicate its views on important matters of policy to a company's management, board of directors, and shareholders, and holders of a company's other securities when such matters could have a significant effect on the value of the fund's investment in the company. The activities in which a fund may engage, either individually or in conjunction with others, may include, among others, supporting or opposing proposed changes in a company's corporate structure or business activities; seeking changes in a company's directors or management; seeking changes in a company's direction or policies; seeking the sale or reorganization of the company or a portion of its assets; supporting or opposing third-party takeover efforts; supporting the filing of a bankruptcy petition; or foreclosing on collateral securing a security. This area of corporate activity is increasingly prone to litigation and it is possible that a fund could be involved in lawsuits related to such activities. Such activities will be monitored with a view to mitigating, to the extent possible, the risk of litigation against a fund and the risk of actual liability if a fund is involved in litigation. No guarantee can be made, however, that litigation against a fund will not be undertaken or liabilities incurred. A fund's proxy voting guidelines are included in its SAI.
Futures, Options, and Swaps. The success of any strategy involving futures, options, and swaps depends on an adviser's analysis of many economic and mathematical factors and a fund's return may be higher if it never invested in such instruments. Additionally, some of the contracts discussed below are new instruments without a trading history and there can be no assurance that a market for the instruments will continue to exist. Government legislation or regulation could affect the use of such instruments and could limit a fund's ability to pursue its investment strategies. If a fund invests a significant portion of its assets in derivatives, its investment exposure could far exceed the value of its portfolio securities and its investment performance could be primarily dependent upon securities it does not own.
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund will not: (a) sell futures contracts, purchase put options, or write call options if, as a result, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be hedged with futures and options under normal conditions; (b) purchase futures contracts or write put options if, as a result, the fund's total obligations upon settlement or exercise of purchased futures contracts and written put options would exceed 25% of its total assets under normal conditions; or (c) purchase call options if, as a result, the current value of option premiums for call options purchased by the fund would exceed 5% of the fund's total assets. These limitations do not apply to options attached to or acquired or traded together with their underlying securities, and do not apply to structured notes.
The policies and limitations regarding the fund's investments in futures contracts, options, and swaps may be changed as regulatory agencies permit.
The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which a fund may enter into futures, options on futures, and forward contracts.
Futures Contracts. In purchasing a futures contract, the buyer agrees to purchase a specified underlying instrument at a specified future date. In selling a futures contract, the seller agrees to sell a specified underlying instrument at a specified date. Futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts and the price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when the buyer and seller enter into the contract. Some currently available futures contracts are based on specific securities or baskets of securities, some are based on commodities or commodities indexes (for funds that seek commodities exposure), and some are based on indexes of securities prices (including foreign indexes for funds that seek foreign exposure). Futures on indexes and futures not calling for physical delivery of the underlying instrument will be settled through cash payments rather than through delivery of the underlying instrument. Futures can be held until their delivery dates, or can be closed out by offsetting purchases or sales of futures contracts before then if a liquid market is available. A fund may realize a gain or loss by closing out its futures contracts.
The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of its underlying instrument. Therefore, purchasing futures contracts will tend to increase a fund's exposure to positive and negative price fluctuations in the underlying instrument, much as if it had purchased the underlying instrument directly. When a fund sells a futures contract, by contrast, the value of its futures position will tend to move in a direction contrary to the market for the underlying instrument. Selling futures contracts, therefore, will tend to offset both positive and negative market price changes, much as if the underlying instrument had been sold.
The purchaser or seller of a futures contract or an option for a futures contract is not required to deliver or pay for the underlying instrument or the final cash settlement price, as applicable, unless the contract is held until the delivery date. However, both the purchaser and seller are required to deposit "initial margin" with a futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant, when the contract is entered into. If the value of either party's position declines, that party will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to settle the change in value on a daily basis. This process of "marking to market" will be reflected in the daily calculation of open positions computed in a fund's NAV. The party that has a gain is entitled to receive all or a portion of this amount. Initial and variation margin payments do not constitute purchasing securities on margin for purposes of a fund's investment limitations. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a fund, but is instead a settlement between a fund and the futures commission merchant of the amount one would owe the other if the fund's contract expired. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a futures commission merchant that holds margin on behalf of a fund, the fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the futures commission merchant's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the fund.
Although futures exchanges generally operate similarly in the United States and abroad, foreign futures exchanges may follow trading, settlement, and margin procedures that are different from those for U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts traded outside the United States may not involve a clearing mechanism or related guarantees and may involve greater risk of loss than U.S.-traded contracts, including potentially greater risk of losses due to insolvency of a futures broker, exchange member, or other party that may owe initial or variation margin to a fund. Because initial and variation margin payments may be measured in foreign currency, a futures contract traded outside the United States may also involve the risk of foreign currency fluctuation.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for futures contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may work to prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.
If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or other market conditions, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value. These risks may be heightened for commodity futures contracts, which have historically been subject to greater price volatility than exists for instruments such as stocks and bonds.
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded futures contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in futures contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the futures position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell futures contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's futures positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments. In addition, the price of a commodity futures contract can reflect the storage costs associated with the purchase of the physical commodity.
Futures contracts on U.S. Government securities historically have reacted to an increase or decrease in interest rates in a manner similar to the manner in which the underlying U.S. Government securities reacted. To the extent, however, that a fund enters into such futures contracts, the value of these futures contracts will not vary in direct proportion to the value of the fund's holdings of U.S. Government securities. Thus, the anticipated spread between the price of the futures contract and the hedged security may be distorted due to differences in the nature of the markets. The spread also may be distorted by differences in initial and variation margin requirements, the liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.
Options. By purchasing a put option, the purchaser obtains the right (but not the obligation) to sell the option's underlying instrument at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, the purchaser pays the current market price for the option (known as the option premium). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific assets or securities, baskets of assets or securities, indexes of securities or commodities prices, and futures contracts (including commodity futures contracts). Options may be traded on an exchange or OTC. The purchaser may terminate its position in a put option by allowing it to expire or by exercising the option. If the option is allowed to expire, the purchaser will lose the entire premium. If the option is exercised, the purchaser completes the sale of the underlying instrument at the strike price. Depending on the terms of the contract, upon exercise, an option may require physical delivery of the underlying instrument or may be settled through cash payments. A purchaser may also terminate a put option position by closing it out in the secondary market at its current price, if a liquid secondary market exists.
The buyer of a typical put option can expect to realize a gain if the underlying instrument's price falls substantially. However, if the underlying instrument's price does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer can expect to suffer a loss (limited to the amount of the premium, plus related transaction costs).
The features of call options are essentially the same as those of put options, except that the purchaser of a call option obtains the right (but not the obligation) to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. A call buyer typically attempts to participate in potential price increases of the underlying instrument with risk limited to the cost of the option if the underlying instrument's price falls. At the same time, the buyer can expect to suffer a loss if the underlying instrument's price does not rise sufficiently to offset the cost of the option.
The writer of a put or call option takes the opposite side of the transaction from the option's purchaser. In return for receipt of the premium, the writer assumes the obligation to pay or receive the strike price for the option's underlying instrument if the other party to the option chooses to exercise it. The writer may seek to terminate a position in a put option before exercise by closing out the option in the secondary market at its current price. If the secondary market is not liquid for a put option, however, the writer must continue to be prepared to pay the strike price while the option is outstanding, regardless of price changes. When writing an option on a futures contract, a fund will be required to make margin payments to a futures commission merchant as described above for futures contracts.
If the underlying instrument's price rises, a put writer would generally expect to profit, although its gain would be limited to the amount of the premium it received. If the underlying instrument's price remains the same over time, it is likely that the writer will also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a lower price. If the underlying instrument's price falls, the put writer would expect to suffer a loss. This loss should be less than the loss from purchasing the underlying instrument directly, however, because the premium received for writing the option should mitigate the effects of the decline.
Writing a call option obligates the writer to sell or deliver the option's underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, upon exercise of the option. The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that writing calls generally is a profitable strategy if prices remain the same or fall. Through receipt of the option premium, a call writer should mitigate the effects of a price increase. At the same time, because a call writer must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument or make a net cash settlement payment, as applicable, in return for the strike price, even if its current value is greater, a call writer gives up some ability to participate in price increases and, if a call writer does not hold the underlying instrument, a call writer's loss is theoretically unlimited.
Where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price to close out the put or call option on the secondary market may move more or less than the price of the related security.
There is no assurance a liquid market will exist for any particular options contract at any particular time. Options may have relatively low trading volume and liquidity if their strike prices are not close to the underlying instrument's current price. In addition, exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for exchange-traded options contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or otherwise, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value.
Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size, and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the purchaser or writer greater flexibility to tailor an option to its needs, OTC options generally are less liquid and involve greater credit risk than exchange-traded options, which are backed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
Combined positions involve purchasing and writing options in combination with each other, or in combination with futures or forward contracts, to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, purchasing a put option and writing a call option on the same underlying instrument would construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract. Another possible combined position would involve writing a call option at one strike price and buying a call option at a lower price, to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
A fund may also buy and sell options on swaps (swaptions), which are generally options on interest rate swaps. An option on a swap gives a party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to extend, shorten, cancel or modify an existing contract at a specific date in the future in exchange for a premium. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes (sells) an option on a swap than it will incur when it purchases an option on a swap. When a fund purchases an option on a swap, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a fund writes an option on a swap, upon exercise of the option the fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. A fund that writes an option on a swap receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the preset rate on the underlying interest rate swap. Whether a fund's use of options on swaps will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Options on swaps may involve risks similar to those discussed below in "Swap Agreements."
Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded options contracts, it is likely that the standardized contracts available will not match a fund's current or anticipated investments exactly. A fund may invest in options contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which the fund typically invests, which involves a risk that the options position will not track the performance of the fund's other investments.
Options prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match a fund's investments well. Options prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A fund may purchase or sell options contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a fund's options positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments.
Swap Agreements. Under a typical equity swap agreement, a counterparty such as a bank or broker-dealer agrees to pay a fund a return equal to the dividend payments and increase in value, if any, of an index or group of stocks, or of a stock, and the fund agrees in return to pay a fixed or floating rate of interest, plus any declines in value of the index. Swap agreements can also have features providing for maximum or minimum exposure to a designated index. In order to hedge its exposure effectively, a fund would generally have to own other assets returning approximately the same amount as the interest rate payable by the fund under the swap agreement.
Swap agreements allow a fund to acquire or reduce credit exposure to a particular issuer, asset, or basket of assets. The most significant factor in the performance of swap agreements is the change in value of the specific index, security, or currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from a fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a fund, the fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. If the creditworthiness of a fund's swap counterparty declines, the risk that the counterparty may not perform could increase, potentially resulting in a loss to the fund and impairing the fund's correlation with its applicable index. Although there can be no assurance that a fund will be able to do so, a fund may be able to reduce or eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or another more creditworthy party.
A fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. A fund would generally be required to provide margin or collateral for the benefit of that counterparty. If a counterparty to a swap transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited temporarily or permanently in exercising its right to the return of related fund assets designated as margin or collateral in an action against the counterparty.
Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to a fund's interest. A fund bears the risk that an adviser will not accurately forecast market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other economic factors in establishing swap positions for a fund. If an adviser attempts to use a swap as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, a fund may be exposed to the risk that the swap will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment, which could cause substantial losses for a fund. While hedging strategies involving swap instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other fund investments. Swaps are complex and often valued subjectively.
Hybrid and Preferred Securities. A hybrid security may be a debt security, warrant, convertible security, certificate of deposit or other evidence of indebtedness on which the value of the interest on or principal of which is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument or financial strength of a reference entity (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, index, or business entity such as a financial institution). Another example is contingent convertible securities, which are fixed income securities that, under certain circumstances, either convert into common stock of the issuer or undergo a principal write-down by a predetermined percentage if the issuer's capital ratio falls below a predetermined trigger level. The liquidation value of such a security may be reduced upon a regulatory action and without the need for a bankruptcy proceeding. Preferred securities may take the form of preferred stock and represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds generally take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.
The risks of investing in hybrid and preferred securities reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid or preferred security may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt or equity security. The risks of a particular hybrid or preferred security will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the value of any applicable reference instrument. Such risks may depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid or preferred security. Hybrid and preferred securities are potentially more volatile and carry greater market and liquidity risks than traditional debt or equity securities. Also, the price of the hybrid or preferred security and any applicable reference instrument may not move in the same direction or at the same time. In addition, because hybrid and preferred securities may be traded over-the-counter or in bilateral transactions with the issuer of the security, hybrid and preferred securities may be subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the security and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates. In addition, uncertainty regarding the tax and regulatory treatment of hybrid and preferred securities may reduce demand for such securities and tax and regulatory considerations may limit the extent of a fund's investments in certain hybrid and preferred securities.
Illiquid Investments means any investment that cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Difficulty in selling or disposing of illiquid investments may result in a loss or may be costly to a fund. Illiquid securities may include (1) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days without demand/redemption features, (2) OTC options and certain other derivatives, (3) private placements, (4) securities traded on markets and exchanges with structural constraints, and (5) loan participations.
Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, a Fidelity® fund's adviser classifies the liquidity of a fund's investments and monitors the extent of a fund's illiquid investments.
Various market, trading and investment-specific factors may be considered in determining the liquidity of a fund's investments including, but not limited to (1) the existence of an active trading market, (2) the nature of the security and the market in which it trades, (3) the number, diversity, and quality of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace, (4) the frequency, volume, and volatility of trade and price quotations, (5) bid-ask spreads, (6) dates of issuance and maturity, (7) demand, put or tender features, and (8) restrictions on trading or transferring the investment.
Fidelity classifies certain investments as illiquid based upon these criteria. Fidelity also monitors for certain market, trading and investment-specific events that may cause Fidelity to re-evaluate an investment's liquidity status and may lead to an investment being classified as illiquid. In addition, Fidelity uses a third-party to assist with the liquidity classifications of the fund's investments, which includes calculating the time to sell and settle a specified size position in a particular investment without the sale significantly changing the market value of the investment.
Increasing Government Debt. The total public debt of the United States and other countries around the globe as a percent of gross domestic product has, at times, grown rapidly. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented.
A high national debt level may increase market pressures to meet government funding needs, which may drive debt cost higher and cause a country to sell additional debt, thereby increasing refinancing risk. A high national debt also raises concerns that a government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. In the worst case, unsustainable debt levels can decline the valuation of currencies, and can prevent a government from implementing effective counter-cyclical fiscal policy in economic downturns.
Rating services have, in the past, lowered their long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States. The market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government may be adversely affected by rating services' decision to downgrade the long-term sovereign credit rating of the United States.
Indexed Securities are instruments whose prices are indexed to the prices of other securities, securities indexes, or other financial indicators. Indexed securities typically, but not always, are debt securities or deposits whose values at maturity or coupon rates are determined by reference to a specific instrument, statistic, or measure.
Indexed securities also include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and other fixed-income securities whose values at maturity or coupon interest rates are determined by reference to the returns of particular stock indexes. Indexed securities can be affected by stock prices as well as changes in interest rates and the creditworthiness of their issuers and may not track the indexes as accurately as direct investments in the indexes.
Mortgage-indexed securities, for example, could be structured to replicate the performance of mortgage securities and the characteristics of direct ownership.
Insolvency of Issuers, Counterparties, and Intermediaries. Issuers of fund portfolio securities or counterparties to fund transactions that become insolvent or declare bankruptcy can pose special investment risks. In each circumstance, risk of loss, valuation uncertainty, increased illiquidity, and other unpredictable occurrences may negatively impact an investment. Each of these risks may be amplified in foreign markets, where security trading, settlement, and custodial practices can be less developed than those in the U.S. markets, and bankruptcy laws differ from those of the U.S.
As a general matter, if the issuer of a fund portfolio security is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock have priority over the claims of common stock owners. These events can negatively impact the value of the issuer's securities and the results of related proceedings can be unpredictable.
If a counterparty to a fund transaction, such as a swap transaction, a short sale, a borrowing, or other complex transaction becomes insolvent, the fund may be limited in its ability to exercise rights to obtain the return of related fund assets or in exercising other rights against the counterparty. Uncertainty may also arise upon the insolvency of a securities or commodities intermediary such as a broker-dealer or futures commission merchant with which a fund has pending transactions. In addition, insolvency and liquidation proceedings take time to resolve, which can limit or preclude a fund's ability to terminate a transaction or obtain related assets or collateral in a timely fashion. If an intermediary becomes insolvent, while securities positions and other holdings may be protected by U.S. or foreign laws, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether these protections are available to specific trades based on the circumstances. Receiving the benefit of these protections can also take time to resolve, which may result in illiquid positions.
Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program. Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, a Fidelity® fund may lend money to, and borrow money from, other funds advised by FMR or its affiliates. A Fidelity® fund will borrow through the program only when the costs are equal to or lower than the costs of bank loans. A Fidelity® fund will lend through the program only when the returns are higher than those available from an investment in repurchase agreements. Interfund loans and borrowings normally extend overnight, but can have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. A Fidelity® fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.
Investment-Grade Debt Securities. Investment-grade debt securities include all types of debt instruments that are of medium and high-quality. Investment-grade debt securities include repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities as well as repurchase agreements collateralized by equity securities, non-investment-grade debt, and all other instruments in which a fund can perfect a security interest, provided the repurchase agreement counterparty has an investment-grade rating. Some investment-grade debt securities may possess speculative characteristics and may be more sensitive to economic changes and to changes in the financial conditions of issuers. An investment-grade rating means the security or issuer is rated investment-grade by a credit rating agency registered as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) with the SEC (for example, Moody's Investors Service, Inc.), or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by a fund's adviser. For purposes of determining the maximum maturity of an investment-grade debt security, an adviser may take into account normal settlement periods.
Loans and Other Direct Debt Instruments. Direct debt instruments are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to lenders or lending syndicates (loans and loan participations), to suppliers of goods or services (trade claims or other receivables), or to other parties. Direct debt instruments involve a risk of loss in case of default or insolvency of the borrower and may offer less legal protection to the purchaser in the event of fraud or misrepresentation, or there may be a requirement that a fund supply additional cash to a borrower on demand. A fund may acquire loans by buying an assignment of all or a portion of the loan from a lender or by purchasing a loan participation from a lender or other purchaser of a participation.
Lenders and purchasers of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. If scheduled interest or principal payments are not made, the value of the instrument may be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured provide more protections than an unsecured loan in the event of failure to make scheduled interest or principal payments. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the borrower's obligation, or that the collateral could be liquidated. Indebtedness of borrowers whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks and may be highly speculative. Different types of assets may be used as collateral for a fund's loans and there can be no assurance that a fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the fund's loans. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy or restructuring may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. In any restructuring or bankruptcy proceedings relating to a borrower funded by a fund, a fund may be required to accept collateral with less value than the amount of the loan made by the fund to the borrower. Direct indebtedness of foreign countries also involves a risk that the governmental entities responsible for the repayment of the debt may be unable, or unwilling, to pay interest and repay principal when due.
Loans and other types of direct indebtedness (which a fund may originate, acquire or otherwise gain exposure to) may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Some indebtedness may be difficult to dispose of readily at what the Adviser believes to be a fair price. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining a fund's net asset value than if that value were based on readily available market quotations, and could result in significant variations in a fund's daily share price. Some loan interests are traded among certain financial institutions and accordingly may be deemed liquid. As the market for different types of indebtedness develops, the liquidity of these instruments is expected to improve.
Direct lending and investments in loans through direct assignment of a financial institution's interests with respect to a loan may involve additional risks. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, the lender/purchaser could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In the event of a default by the borrower, a fund may have difficulty disposing of the assets used as collateral for a loan. In addition, a purchaser could be held liable as a co-lender. Direct debt instruments may also involve a risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other intermediary.
A loan is often administered by a bank or other financial institution that acts as agent for all holders. The agent administers the terms of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, the purchaser has direct recourse against the borrower, the purchaser may have to rely on the agent to apply appropriate credit remedies against a borrower. If assets held by the agent for the benefit of a purchaser were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent's general creditors, the purchaser might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on the loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal or interest. Direct loans are typically not administered by an underwriter or agent bank. The terms of direct loans are negotiated with borrowers in private transactions. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market.
A fund may seek to dispose of loans in certain cases, to the extent possible, through selling participations in the loan. In that case, a fund would remain subject to certain obligations, which may result in expenses for a fund and certain additional risks.
Direct indebtedness may include letters of credit, revolving credit facilities, or other standby financing commitments that obligate lenders/purchasers, including a fund, to make additional cash payments on demand. These commitments may have the effect of requiring a lender/purchaser to increase its investment in a borrower at a time when it would not otherwise have done so, even if the borrower's condition makes it unlikely that the amount will ever be repaid.
In the process of originating, buying, selling and holding loans, a fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to the interest payments received and may include facility, closing or upfront fees, commitment fees and commissions. A fund may receive or pay a facility, closing or upfront fee when it buys or sells a loan. A fund may receive a commitment fee throughout the life of the loan or as long as the fund remains invested in the loan (in addition to interest payments) for any unused portion of a committed line of credit. Other fees received by the fund may include prepayment fees, covenant waiver fees, ticking fees and/or modification fees. Legal fees related to the originating, buying, selling and holding loans may also be borne by the fund (including legal fees to assess conformity of a loan investment with 1940 Act provisions).
When engaging in direct lending, if permitted by its investment policies, a fund's performance may depend, in part, on the ability of the fund to originate loans on advantageous terms. A fund may compete with other lenders in originating and purchasing loans. Increased competition for, or a diminished available supply of, qualifying loans could result in lower yields on and/or less advantageous terms for such loans, which could reduce fund performance.
For a Fidelity® fund that limits the amount of total assets that it will invest in any one issuer or in issuers within the same industry, the fund generally will treat the borrower as the "issuer" of indebtedness held by the fund. In the case of loan participations where a bank or other lending institution serves as financial intermediary between a fund and the borrower, if the participation does not shift to the fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the borrower, SEC interpretations require a fund, in appropriate circumstances, to treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the borrower as "issuers" for these purposes. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict a fund's ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or a group of intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the underlying borrowers represent many different companies and industries.
A fund may choose, at its expense or in conjunction with others, to pursue litigation or otherwise to exercise its rights as a security holder to seek to protect the interests of security holders if it determines this to be in the best interest of the fund's shareholders.
If permitted by its investment policies, a fund may also obtain exposure to the lending activities described above indirectly through its investments in underlying Fidelity® funds or other vehicles that may engage in such activities directly.
Lower-Quality Debt Securities. Lower-quality debt securities include all types of debt instruments that have poor protection with respect to the payment of interest and repayment of principal, or may be in default. These securities are often considered to be speculative and involve greater risk of loss or price changes due to changes in the issuer's capacity to pay. The market prices of lower-quality debt securities may fluctuate more than those of higher-quality debt securities and may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty, which may follow periods of rising interest rates.
The market for lower-quality debt securities may be thinner and less active than that for higher-quality debt securities, which can adversely affect the prices at which the former are sold. Adverse publicity and changing investor perceptions may affect the liquidity of lower-quality debt securities and the ability of outside pricing services to value lower-quality debt securities.
A fund may choose, at its expense or in conjunction with others, to pursue litigation or otherwise to exercise its rights as a security holder to seek to protect the interests of security holders if it determines this to be in the best interest of the fund's shareholders.
Mortgage Securities are issued by government and non-government entities such as banks, mortgage lenders, or other institutions. A mortgage security is an obligation of the issuer backed by a mortgage or pool of mortgages or a direct interest in an underlying pool of mortgages. Some mortgage securities, such as collateralized mortgage obligations (or "CMOs"), make payments of both principal and interest at a range of specified intervals; others make semi-annual interest payments at a predetermined rate and repay principal at maturity (like a typical bond). Mortgage securities are based on different types of mortgages, including those on commercial real estate or residential properties. Stripped mortgage securities are created when the interest and principal components of a mortgage security are separated and sold as individual securities. In the case of a stripped mortgage security, the holder of the "principal-only" security (PO) receives the principal payments made by the underlying mortgage, while the holder of the "interest-only" security (IO) receives interest payments from the same underlying mortgage.
Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs are pass-through securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, respectively. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which guarantee payment of interest and repayment of principal on Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs, respectively, are federally chartered corporations supervised by the U.S. Government that act as governmental instrumentalities under authority granted by Congress. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations. Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
The value of mortgage securities may change due to shifts in the market's perception of issuers and changes in interest rates. In addition, regulatory or tax changes may adversely affect the mortgage securities market as a whole. Non-government mortgage securities may offer higher yields than those issued by government entities, but also may be subject to greater price changes than government issues. Mortgage securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the risk that early principal payments made on the underlying mortgages, usually in response to a reduction in interest rates, will result in the return of principal to the investor, causing it to be invested subsequently at a lower current interest rate. Alternatively, in a rising interest rate environment, mortgage security values may be adversely affected when prepayments on underlying mortgages do not occur as anticipated, resulting in the extension of the security's effective maturity and the related increase in interest rate sensitivity of a longer-term instrument. The prices of stripped mortgage securities tend to be more volatile in response to changes in interest rates than those of non-stripped mortgage securities.
A fund may seek to earn additional income by using a trading strategy (commonly known as "mortgage dollar rolls" or "reverse mortgage dollar rolls") that involves selling (or buying) mortgage securities, realizing a gain or loss, and simultaneously agreeing to purchase (or sell) mortgage securities on a later date at a set price. During the period between the sale and repurchase in a mortgage dollar roll transaction, a fund will not be entitled to receive interest and principal payments on the securities sold but will invest the proceeds of the sale in other securities that are permissible investments for the fund. During the period between the purchase and subsequent sale in a reverse mortgage dollar roll transaction, a fund is entitled to interest and principal payments on the securities purchased. Losses may arise due to changes in the value of the securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the terms of the agreement. If the counterparty files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, a fund's right to repurchase or sell securities may be limited. This trading strategy may increase interest rate exposure and result in an increased portfolio turnover rate which increases costs and may increase taxable gains.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Equity REITs own real estate properties, while mortgage REITs make construction, development, and long-term mortgage loans. Their value may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property of the trusts, the creditworthiness of the issuer, property taxes, interest rates, and tax and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment. Both types of trusts are dependent upon management skill, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status of income under the Internal Revenue Code and failing to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act.
Repurchase Agreements involve an agreement to purchase a security and to sell that security back to the original seller at an agreed-upon price. The resale price reflects the purchase price plus an agreed-upon incremental amount which is unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. As protection against the risk that the original seller will not fulfill its obligation, the securities are held in a separate account at a bank, marked-to-market daily, and maintained at a value at least equal to the sale price plus the accrued incremental amount. The value of the security purchased may be more or less than the price at which the counterparty has agreed to purchase the security. In addition, delays or losses could result if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes insolvent. A fund may be limited in its ability to exercise its right to liquidate assets related to a repurchase agreement with an insolvent counterparty. A Fidelity® fund may engage in repurchase agreement transactions with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser.
Restricted Securities (including Private Placements) are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling securities may result in a loss or be costly to a fund. Restricted securities, including private placements of private and public companies, generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (1933 Act), or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of a registered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the holder might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a fund sells a security to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at an agreed-upon price and time. A Fidelity® fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the fund's adviser. Such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of a fund's assets and, if applicable, a fund's yield, and may be viewed as a form of leverage. Under SEC requirements, a fund needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with its reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions.
SEC Rule 18f-4. In October 2020, the SEC adopted a final rule related to the use of derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and certain other transactions by registered investment companies (the "rule"). Subject to certain exceptions, the rule requires the funds to trade derivatives and certain other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations subject to a value-at-risk (VaR) leverage limit and to certain derivatives risk management program, reporting and board oversight requirements. Generally, these requirements apply to any fund engaging in derivatives transactions unless a fund satisfies a "limited derivatives users" exception, which requires the fund to limit its gross notional derivatives exposure (with certain exceptions) to 10% of its net assets and to adopt derivatives risk management procedures. Under the rule, when a fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. The SEC also provided guidance in connection with the final rule regarding the use of securities lending collateral that may limit securities lending activities. In addition, under the rule, a fund may invest in a security on a when-issued or forward-settling basis, or with a non-standard settlement cycle, and the transaction will be deemed not to involve a senior security (as defined under Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act), provided that (i) the fund intends to physically settle the transaction and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date (the "Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision"). A fund may otherwise engage in when-issued, forward-settling and non-standard settlement cycle securities transactions that do not meet the conditions of the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision so long as the fund treats any such transaction as a derivatives transaction for purposes of compliance with the rule. Furthermore, under the rule, a fund will be permitted to enter into an unfunded commitment agreement, and such unfunded commitment agreement will not be subject to the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act, if the fund reasonably believes, at the time it enters into such agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all such agreements as they come due. These requirements may limit the ability of the funds to use derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, and the other relevant transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements also may increase the cost of the fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.
Securities Lending. A Fidelity® fund may lend securities to parties such as broker-dealers or other institutions, including an affiliate, National Financial Services LLC (NFS). Fidelity® funds for which Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) serves as sub-adviser will not lend securities to Geode or its affiliates. Securities lending allows a fund to retain ownership of the securities loaned and, at the same time, earn additional income. The borrower provides the fund with collateral in an amount at least equal to the value of the securities loaned. The fund seeks to maintain the ability to obtain the right to vote or consent on proxy proposals involving material events affecting securities loaned. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased. For a Fidelity® fund, loans will be made only to parties deemed by the fund's adviser to be in good standing and when, in the adviser's judgment, the income earned would justify the risks.
The Fidelity® funds have retained agents, including NFS, an affiliate of the funds, to act as securities lending agent. If NFS acts as securities lending agent for a fund, it is subject to the overall supervision of the fund's adviser, and NFS will administer the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the fund's Trustees.
Cash received as collateral through loan transactions may be invested in other eligible securities, including shares of a money market fund. Investing this cash subjects that investment, as well as the securities loaned, to market appreciation or depreciation.
Securities of Other Investment Companies, including shares of closed-end investment companies (which include business development companies (BDCs)), unit investment trusts, and open-end investment companies such as mutual funds and ETFs, represent interests in professionally managed portfolios that may invest in any type of instrument. Investing in other investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments, but may involve additional expenses at the underlying investment company-level, such as portfolio management fees and operating expenses. Fees and expenses incurred indirectly by a fund as a result of its investment in shares of one or more other investment companies generally are referred to as "acquired fund fees and expenses" and may appear as a separate line item in a fund's prospectus fee table. For certain investment companies, such as BDCs, these expenses may be significant. Certain types of investment companies, such as closed-end investment companies, issue a fixed number of shares that trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their NAV. Others are continuously offered at NAV, but may also be traded in the secondary market. Similarly, ETFs trade on a securities exchange and may trade at a premium or a discount to their NAV.
The securities of closed-end funds may be leveraged. As a result, a fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of closed-end funds that use leverage may expose a fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the fund's long-term returns on such securities will be diminished.
A fund's ability to invest in securities of other investment companies may be limited by federal securities laws. To the extent a fund acquires securities issued by unaffiliated investment companies, the Adviser's access to information regarding such underlying fund's portfolio may be limited and subject to such fund's policies regarding disclosure of fund holdings.
A fund that seeks to track the performance of a particular index could invest in investment companies that seek to track the performance of indexes other than the index that the fund seeks to track.
Short Sales "Against the Box" are short sales of securities that a fund owns or has the right to obtain (equivalent in kind or amount to the securities sold short). If a fund enters into a short sale against the box, it will be required to set aside securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short (or securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and will be required to hold such securities while the short sale is outstanding. A fund will incur transaction costs, including interest expenses, in connection with opening, maintaining, and closing short sales against the box.
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs). A fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of SPACs or similar special purpose entities that pool money to seek potential acquisition opportunities. SPACs are collective investment structures formed to raise money in an initial public offering for the purpose of merging with or acquiring one or more operating companies (the "de-SPAC Transaction"). Until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets in US government securities, money market securities and cash. In connection with a de-SPAC Transaction, the SPAC may complete a PIPE (private investment in public equity) offering with certain investors. A fund may enter into a contingent commitment with a SPAC to purchase PIPE shares if and when the SPAC completes its de-SPAC Transaction.
Because SPACs do not have an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the SPAC's management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. An investment in a SPAC is subject to a variety of risks, including that (i) an attractive acquisition or merger target may not be identified at all and the SPAC will be required to return any remaining monies to shareholders; (ii) an acquisition or merger once effected may prove unsuccessful and an investment in the SPAC may lose value; (iii) the values of investments in SPACs may be highly volatile and may depreciate significantly over time; (iv) no or only a thinly traded market for shares of or interests in a SPAC may develop, leaving a fund unable to sell its interest in a SPAC or to sell its interest only at a price below what the fund believes is the SPAC interest's intrinsic value; (v) any proposed merger or acquisition may be unable to obtain the requisite approval, if any, of shareholders; (vi) an investment in a SPAC may be diluted by additional later offerings of interests in the SPAC or by other investors exercising existing rights to purchase shares of the SPAC; (vii) the warrants or other rights with respect to the SPAC held by a fund may expire worthless or may be repurchased or retired by the SPAC at an unfavorable price; (viii) a fund may be delayed in receiving any redemption or liquidation proceeds from a SPAC to which it is entitled; and (ix) a significant portion of the monies raised by the SPAC for the purpose of identifying and effecting an acquisition or merger may be expended during the search for a target transaction.
Purchased PIPE shares will be restricted from trading until the registration statement for the shares is declared effective. Upon registration, the shares can be freely sold, but only pursuant to an effective registration statement or other exemption from registration. The securities issued by a SPAC, which are typically traded either in the over-the-counter market or on an exchange, may be considered illiquid, more difficult to value, and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.
Structured Securities (also called "structured notes") are derivative debt securities, the interest rate on or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. The value of the interest rate on and/or the principal of structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, commodity, or index) or the relative change in two or more reference instruments. A structured security may be positively, negatively, or both positively and negatively indexed; that is, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases. Similarly, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument decreases. Further, the change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured security may be calculated as a multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument(s); therefore, the value of such structured security may be very volatile. Structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities. In addition, because structured securities generally are traded over-the-counter, structured securities are subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the structured security, and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates.
Transfer Agent Bank Accounts. Proceeds from shareholder purchases of a Fidelity® fund may pass through a series of demand deposit bank accounts before being held at the fund's custodian. Redemption proceeds may pass from the custodian to the shareholder through a similar series of bank accounts.
If a bank account is registered to the transfer agent or an affiliate, who acts as an agent for the fund when opening, closing, and conducting business in the bank account, the transfer agent or an affiliate may invest overnight balances in the account in repurchase agreements. Any balances that are not invested in repurchase agreements remain in the bank account overnight. Any risks associated with such an account are investment risks of the fund. The fund faces the risk of loss of these balances if the bank becomes insolvent.
Warrants. Warrants are instruments which entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss.
Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.
Zero Coupon Bonds do not make interest payments; instead, they are sold at a discount from their face value and are redeemed at face value when they mature. Because zero coupon bonds do not pay current income, their prices can be more volatile than other types of fixed-income securities when interest rates change. In calculating a fund's dividend, a portion of the difference between a zero coupon bond's purchase price and its face value is considered income.
In addition to the investment policies and limitations discussed above, a fund is subject to the additional operational risk discussed below.
Considerations Regarding Cybersecurity. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, a fund's service providers are susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events and may arise from external or internal sources. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information; corrupting data, equipment or systems; or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber incidents affecting a fund's manager, any sub-adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with a fund's ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of fund shareholders to transact business, destruction to equipment and systems, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cyber incidents affecting issuers of securities in which a fund invests, counterparties with which a fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for fund shareholders) and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future.
While a fund's service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect a fund or its shareholders. A fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities are placed on behalf of the fund by Geode pursuant to authority contained in the management contract and the sub-advisory agreement.
Geode may be responsible for the placement of portfolio securities transactions for other investment companies and investment accounts for which it has or its affiliates have investment discretion.
The fund will not incur any commissions or sales charges when it invests in shares of mutual funds (including any underlying Central funds), but it may incur such costs when it invests directly in other types of securities.
Purchases and sales of equity securities on a securities exchange or OTC are effected through brokers who receive compensation for their services. Generally, compensation relating to securities traded on foreign exchanges will be higher than compensation relating to securities traded on U.S. exchanges and may not be subject to negotiation. Compensation may also be paid in connection with principal transactions (in both OTC securities and securities listed on an exchange) and agency OTC transactions executed with an electronic communications network (ECN) or an alternative trading system. Equity securities may be purchased from underwriters at prices that include underwriting fees.
Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally made with an issuer or a primary market-maker acting as principal. Although there is no stated brokerage commission paid by the fund for any fixed-income security, the price paid by the fund to an underwriter includes the disclosed underwriting fee and prices in secondary trades usually include an undisclosed dealer commission or markup reflecting the spread between the bid and ask prices of the fixed-income security. New issues of equity and fixed-income securities may also be purchased in underwritten fixed price offerings.
The Trustees of the fund periodically review Geode's performance of its responsibilities in connection with the placement of portfolio securities transactions on behalf of the fund. The Trustees also review the compensation paid by the fund over representative periods of time to determine if it was reasonable in relation to the benefits to the fund.
Geode.
The Selection of Brokers
In selecting brokers or dealers (including affiliates of FMR) to execute the fund's portfolio transactions, Geode considers factors deemed relevant in the context of a particular trade and in regard to Geode's overall responsibilities with respect to the fund and other investment accounts, including any instructions from the fund's portfolio manager, which may emphasize, for example, speed of execution over other factors. The factors considered will influence whether it is appropriate to execute an order using ECNs, electronic channels including algorithmic trading, or by actively working an order. Other factors deemed relevant may include, but are not limited to: price; the size and type of the transaction; the reasonableness of compensation to be paid, including spreads and commission rates; the speed and certainty of trade executions; the nature and characteristics of the markets for the security to be purchased or sold, including the degree of specialization of the broker in such markets or securities; the availability of liquidity in the security, including the liquidity and depth afforded by a market center or market-maker; the reliability of a market center or broker; the degree of anonymity that a particular broker or market can provide; the potential for avoiding market impact; the execution services rendered on a continuing basis; the execution efficiency, settlement capability, and financial condition of the firm; arrangements for payment of fund expenses, if applicable; and the provision of additional brokerage and research products and services, if applicable. In seeking best qualitative execution, Geode may select a broker using a trading method for which the broker may charge a higher commission than its lowest available commission rate. Geode also may select a broker that charges more than the lowest commission rate available from another broker. For futures transactions, the selection of a futures commission merchant is generally based on the overall quality of execution and other services provided by the futures commission merchant.
The Acquisition of Brokerage and Research Products and Services
Brokers (who are not affiliates of FMR) that execute transactions for the fund may receive higher compensation from the fund than other brokers might have charged the fund, in recognition of the value of the brokerage or research products and services they provide to Geode.
Research Products and Services. These products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law: economic, industry, company, municipal, sovereign (U.S. and non-U.S.), legal, or political research reports; market color; company meeting facilitation; compilation of securities prices, earnings, dividends and similar data; quotation services, data, information and other services; analytical computer software and services; and investment recommendations. In addition to receiving brokerage and research products and services via written reports and computer-delivered services, such reports may also be provided by telephone and in person meetings with securities analysts, corporate and industry spokespersons, economists, academicians and government representatives and others with relevant professional expertise. Geode may request that a broker provide a specific proprietary or third-party product or service. Some of these products and services supplement Geode's own research activities in providing investment advice to the fund.
Execution Services. In addition, products and services may include, when permissible under applicable law, those that assist in the execution, clearing, and settlement of securities transactions, as well as other incidental functions (including, but not limited to, communication services related to trade execution, order routing and algorithmic trading, post-trade matching, exchange of messages among brokers or dealers, custodians and institutions, and the use of electronic confirmation and affirmation of institutional trades).
Mixed-Use Products and Services. Geode may use commission dollars to obtain certain products or services that are not used exclusively in Geode's investment decision-making process (mixed-use products or services). In those circumstances, Geode will make a good faith judgment to evaluate the various benefits and uses to which they intend to put the mixed-use product or service, and will pay for that portion of the mixed-use product or service that does not qualify as brokerage and research products and services with their own resources (referred to as "hard dollars").
Benefit to Geode. Geode's expenses would likely be increased if it attempted to generate these additional products and services through its own efforts, or if it paid for these products or services itself. Certain of the brokerage and research products and services Geode receives are furnished by brokers on their own initiative, either in connection with a particular transaction or as part of their overall services. Some of these products or services may not have an explicit cost associated with such product or service.
Geode's Decision-Making Process. Before causing the fund to pay a particular level of compensation, Geode will make a good faith determination that the compensation is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research products and services provided to Geode, viewed in terms of the particular transaction for the fund or Geode's overall responsibilities to the fund or other investment companies and investment accounts. While Geode may take into account the brokerage and/or research products and services provided by a broker in determining whether compensation paid is reasonable, neither Geode nor the fund incurs an obligation to any broker, dealer, or third party to pay for any product or service (or portion thereof) by generating a specific amount of compensation or otherwise. Typically, these products and services assist Geode in terms of its overall investment responsibilities to the fund and other investment companies and investment accounts; however, each product or service received may not benefit the fund. Certain funds or investment accounts may use brokerage commissions to acquire brokerage and research products and services that may also benefit other funds or accounts managed by Geode.
Affiliated Transactions
Geode may place trades with certain brokers, including NFS, through its Fidelity Capital Markets (FCM) division, and Luminex Trading & Analytics LLC (Luminex), with whom FMR is under common control, provided it determines that these affiliates' trade execution abilities and costs are comparable to those of non-affiliated, qualified brokerage firms.
The Trustees of the fund have approved procedures whereby a fund is permitted to purchase securities that are offered in underwritings in which an affiliate of the adviser or certain other affiliates participate. In addition, for underwritings where such an affiliate participates as a principal underwriter, certain restrictions may apply that could, among other things, limit the amount of securities that the fund could purchase in the underwritings.
Trade Allocation
Although the Trustees and officers of the fund are substantially the same as those of certain other Fidelity® funds, investment decisions for the fund are made independently from those of other Fidelity® funds or investment accounts (including proprietary accounts).The same security is often held in the portfolio of more than one of these funds or investment accounts. Simultaneous transactions are inevitable when several funds and investment accounts are managed by the same investment adviser, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objective of more than one fund or investment account.
When two or more funds or investment accounts are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security or instrument, the prices and amounts are allocated in accordance with procedures believed to be appropriate and equitable to each fund or investment account. In some cases this could have a detrimental effect on the price or value of the security or instrument as far as the fund is concerned. In other cases, however, the ability of the fund to participate in volume transactions will produce better executions and prices for the fund.
Orders for funds and investment accounts are not typically combined or "blocked". However, Geode may, when feasible and when consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all funds and investment accounts and best execution, block orders of various funds and investment accounts for order entry and execution.
Geode has established allocation policies for its various funds and investment accounts to ensure allocations are appropriate given its clients' differing investment objectives and other considerations. When the supply/demand is insufficient to satisfy all outstanding trade orders, generally the amount executed is distributed among participating funds and investment accounts based on account asset size (for purchases and short sales), and security position size (for sales and covers), or otherwise according to the allocation policies. These policies also apply to initial public and secondary offerings. Generally, allocations are determined by traders, independent of portfolio managers, in accordance with these policies. Allocations are determined and documented on trade date.
Geode's trade allocation policies identify circumstances under which it is appropriate to deviate from the general allocation criteria and describe the alternative procedures. For example, if a standard allocation would result in a fund or investment account receiving a very small allocation (e.g., because of its small asset size), the fund or investment account may receive an increased allocation to achieve a more meaningful allocation, or it may receive no allocation. Generally, any exceptions to Geode's policies (i.e., special allocations) must be approved by senior investment or trading personnel, reviewed by the compliance department, and documented.
Commissions Paid
A fund may pay compensation including both commissions and spreads in connection with the placement of portfolio transactions. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a fund may change from year to year because of, among other things, changing asset levels, shareholder activity, and/or portfolio turnover.
For Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund, the following table shows the fund's portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal period(s) ended July 31, 2023 and 2022. Variations in turnover rate may be due to a fluctuating volume of shareholder purchase and redemption orders and/or market conditions.
Turnover Rates
|
2023
|
2022
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
13%
|
10%
|
The following table shows the total amount of brokerage commissions paid by the following fund(s), comprising commissions paid on securities and/or futures transactions, as applicable, for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. The total amount of brokerage commissions paid is stated as a dollar amount and a percentage of the fund's average net assets.
Fund
|
Fiscal Year
Ended
|
Dollar
Amount
|
Percentage
of
Average
Net Assets
|
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
19,030
|
0.00%
|
2022
|
$
|
29,458
|
0.00%
|
|
2021
|
$
|
91,444
|
0.00%
|
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund paid no brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
During the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2023, Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund did not allocate brokerage commissions to firms for providing research or brokerage services.
VALUATION
The NAV is the value of a single share. NAV is computed by adding the value of a fund's investments, cash, and other assets, subtracting its liabilities, and dividing the result by the number of shares outstanding.
The Board of Trustees has designated the fund's investment adviser as the valuation designee responsible for the fair valuation function and performing fair value determinations as needed. The adviser has established a Fair Value Committee (the Committee) to carry out the day-to-day fair valuation responsibilities and has adopted policies and procedures to govern the fair valuation process and the activities of the Committee.
Shares of open-end investment companies (including any underlying Central funds) held by a fund are valued at their respective NAVs. If an underlying fund's NAV is unavailable, shares of that underlying fund will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies.
Generally, other portfolio securities and assets held by a fund, as well as portfolio securities and assets held by an underlying Central fund, are valued as follows:
Most equity securities are valued at the official closing price or the last reported sale price or, if no sale has occurred, at the last quoted bid price on the primary market or exchange on which they are traded.
Debt securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available may be valued at market values in the principal market in which they normally are traded, as furnished by recognized dealers in such securities or assets. Or, debt securities and convertible securities may be valued on the basis of information furnished by a pricing service that uses a valuation matrix which incorporates both dealer-supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques.
Short-term securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less for which market quotations and information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates current value.
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price. Options are valued at their market quotations, if available. Swaps are valued daily using quotations received from independent pricing services or recognized dealers.
Prices described above are obtained from pricing services that have been approved by the Committee. A number of pricing services are available and a fund may use more than one of these services. A fund may also discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time. A fund's adviser through the Committee engages in oversight activities with respect to the fund's pricing services, which includes, among other things, testing the prices provided by pricing services prior to calculation of a fund's NAV, conducting periodic due diligence meetings, and periodically reviewing the methodologies and inputs used by these services.
Foreign securities and instruments are valued in their local currency following the methodologies described above. Foreign securities, instruments and currencies are translated to U.S. dollars, based on foreign currency exchange rate quotations supplied by a pricing service as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which uses a proprietary model to determine the exchange rate. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at an interpolated rate based on days to maturity between the closest preceding and subsequent settlement period reported by the third party pricing service.
Other portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing service are not readily available or, in the opinion of the Committee, are deemed unreliable will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. For example, if, in the opinion of the Committee, a security's value has been materially affected by events occurring before a fund's pricing time but after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, that security will be fair valued in good faith by the Committee in accordance with applicable fair value pricing policies. In fair valuing a security, the Committee may consider factors including, but not limited to, price movements in futures contracts and ADRs, market and trading trends, the bid/ask quotes of brokers, and off-exchange institutional trading. The frequency that portfolio securities or assets are fair valued cannot be predicted and may be significant.
In determining the fair value of a private placement security for which market quotations are not available, the Committee generally applies one or more valuation methods including the market approach, income approach and cost approach. The market approach considers factors including the price of recent investments in the same or a similar security or financial metrics of comparable securities. The income approach considers factors including expected future cash flows, security specific risks and corresponding discount rates. The cost approach considers factors including the value of the security's underlying assets and liabilities.
The fund's adviser reports to the Board information regarding the fair valuation process and related material matters.
BUYING, SELLING, AND EXCHANGING INFORMATION
The fund may make redemption payments in whole or in part in readily marketable securities or other property pursuant to procedures approved by the Trustees if Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC determines it is in the best interests of the fund. Such securities or other property will be valued for this purpose as they are valued in computing the NAV of a fund or class, as applicable. Shareholders that receive securities or other property will realize, upon receipt, a gain or loss for tax purposes, and will incur additional costs and be exposed to market risk prior to and upon the sale of such securities or other property.
The fund, in its discretion, may determine to issue its shares in kind in exchange for securities held by the purchaser having a value, determined in accordance with the fund's policies for valuation of portfolio securities, equal to the purchase price of the fund shares issued. The fund will accept for in-kind purchases only securities or other instruments that are appropriate under its investment objective and policies. In addition, the fund generally will not accept securities of any issuer unless they are liquid, have a readily ascertainable market value, and are not subject to restrictions on resale. All dividends, distributions, and subscription or other rights associated with the securities become the property of the fund, along with the securities. Shares purchased in exchange for securities in kind generally cannot be redeemed for fifteen days following the exchange to allow time for the transfer to settle.
The fund may also effect redemptions in-kind in an effort to manage cash positions and/or to offset certain costs that arise from significant redemption activity or from portfolio turnover in connection with the rebalancing of the fund's benchmark index. This practice may benefit the fund and its shareholders by reducing the need for the fund to maintain significant cash reserves and/or to sell securities held in the fund to meet redemption requests or to track its index and, in so doing, avoid or reduce cash drag, transaction costs and capital gain realization that could otherwise arise from reserves maintained or securities sold. There is a risk that this activity could negatively impact the market value of the securities redeemed in-kind and, in turn, the NAV of the fund.
With respect to these redemptions in-kind, shareholders will receive either a pro rata basket or a custom basket of securities valued as they are for purposes of computing a fund's NAV. The custom basket includes only securities that have been disclosed in the fund's most recent public holdings disclosure.
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends. A portion of the fund's income may qualify for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders. A portion of the fund's dividends, when distributed to individual shareholders, may qualify for taxation at long-term capital gains rates (provided certain holding period requirements are met). Distributions by the fund to tax-advantaged retirement plan accounts are not taxable currently (but you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Capital Gain Distributions. Unless your shares of the fund are held in a tax-advantaged retirement plan, the fund's long-term capital gain distributions are federally taxable to shareholders generally as capital gains.
The following table shows the fund's aggregate capital loss carryforward as of July 31, 2023, which is available to offset future capital gains. A fund's ability to utilize its capital loss carryforwards in a given year or in total may be limited.
Fund
|
Capital Loss
Carryforward (CLC)
|
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
$
|
174,040,453
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Returns of Capital. If the fund's distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in the fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold in taxable accounts.
Foreign Tax Credit or Deduction. Foreign governments may impose withholding taxes on dividends and interest earned by the fund with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Foreign governments may also impose taxes on other payments or gains with respect to foreign securities held directly by the fund. Because the fund does not currently anticipate that securities of foreign issuers or underlying regulated investment companies will constitute more than 50% of its total assets at the end of its fiscal year, or fiscal quarter, respectively, shareholders should not expect to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction on their federal income tax returns with respect to foreign taxes withheld.
Tax Status of the Fund. The fund intends to qualify each year as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code so that it will not be liable for federal tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, and avoid being subject to federal income or excise taxes at the fund level, the fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains within each calendar year as well as on a fiscal year basis (if the fiscal year is other than the calendar year), and intends to comply with other tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies.
Individuals (and certain other non-corporate entities) are generally eligible for a 20% deduction with respect to taxable ordinary REIT dividends through 2025. IRS regulations allow a regulated investment company to pass through to its shareholders such taxable ordinary REIT dividends. Accordingly, individual (and certain other non-corporate) shareholders of a regulated investment company that have received taxable ordinary REIT dividends may be able to take advantage of this 20% deduction with respect to any such amounts passed through.
Other Tax Information. The information above is only a summary of some of the tax consequences generally affecting the fund and its shareholders, and no attempt has been made to discuss individual tax consequences. It is up to you or your tax preparer to determine whether the sale of shares of the fund resulted in a capital gain or loss or other tax consequence to you. In addition to federal income taxes, shareholders may be subject to state and local taxes on fund distributions, and shares may be subject to state and local personal property taxes. Investors should consult their tax advisers to determine whether the fund is suitable to their particular tax situation.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
The Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the trust and fund, as applicable, are listed below. The Board of Trustees governs the fund and is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The Trustees are experienced executives who meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the fund's activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the fund, oversee management of the risks associated with such activities and contractual arrangements, and review the fund's performance. Except for Jonathan Chiel, each of the Trustees oversees 313 funds. Mr. Chiel oversees 191 funds.
The Trustees hold office without limit in time except that (a) any Trustee may resign; (b) any Trustee may be removed by written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the number of Trustees prior to such removal; (c) any Trustee who requests to be retired or who has become incapacitated by illness or injury may be retired by written instrument signed by a majority of the other Trustees; and (d) any Trustee may be removed at any special meeting of shareholders by a two-thirds vote of the outstanding voting securities of the trust. Each Trustee who is not an interested person (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the trust and the fund is referred to herein as an Independent Trustee. Each Independent Trustee shall retire not later than the last day of the calendar year in which his or her 75th birthday occurs. The Independent Trustees may waive this mandatory retirement age policy with respect to individual Trustees. Officers and Advisory Board Members hold office without limit in time, except that any officer or Advisory Board Member may resign or may be removed by a vote of a majority of the Trustees at any regular meeting or any special meeting of the Trustees. Except as indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the past five years.
Experience, Skills, Attributes, and Qualifications of the Trustees. The Governance and Nominating Committee has adopted a statement of policy that describes the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that are necessary and desirable for potential Independent Trustee candidates (Statement of Policy). The Board believes that each Trustee satisfied at the time he or she was initially elected or appointed a Trustee, and continues to satisfy, the standards contemplated by the Statement of Policy. The Governance and Nominating Committee also engages professional search firms to help identify potential Independent Trustee candidates who have the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills consistent with the Statement of Policy. From time to time, additional criteria based on the composition and skills of the current Independent Trustees, as well as experience or skills that may be appropriate in light of future changes to board composition, business conditions, and regulatory or other developments, have also been considered by the professional search firms and the Governance and Nominating Committee. In addition, the Board takes into account the Trustees' commitment and participation in Board and committee meetings, as well as their leadership of standing and ad hoc committees throughout their tenure.
In determining that a particular Trustee was and continues to be qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board has considered a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, was controlling. The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have balanced and diverse experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills, which allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the fund and protecting the interests of shareholders. Information about the specific experience, skills, attributes, and qualifications of each Trustee, which in each case led to the Board's conclusion that the Trustee should serve (or continue to serve) as a trustee of the fund, is provided below.
Board Structure and Oversight Function. Abigail P. Johnson is an interested person and currently serves as Chairman. The Trustees have determined that an interested Chairman is appropriate and benefits shareholders because an interested Chairman has a personal and professional stake in the quality and continuity of services provided to the fund. Independent Trustees exercise their informed business judgment to appoint an individual of their choosing to serve as Chairman, regardless of whether the Trustee happens to be independent or a member of management. The Independent Trustees have determined that they can act independently and effectively without having an Independent Trustee serve as Chairman and that a key structural component for assuring that they are in a position to do so is for the Independent Trustees to constitute a substantial majority for the Board. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet in executive session. Michael E. Kenneally serves as Chairman of the Independent Trustees and as such (i) acts as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management with respect to matters important to the Independent Trustees and (ii) with management prepares agendas for Board meetings.
Fidelity® funds are overseen by different Boards of Trustees. The fund's Board oversees Fidelity's investment-grade bond, money market, asset allocation and certain equity funds, and other Boards oversee Fidelity's alternative investment, high income and other equity funds. The asset allocation funds may invest in Fidelity® funds that are overseen by such other Boards. The use of separate Boards, each with its own committee structure, allows the Trustees of each group of Fidelity® funds to focus on the unique issues of the funds they oversee, including common research, investment, and operational issues. On occasion, the separate Boards establish joint committees to address issues of overlapping consequences for the Fidelity® funds overseen by each Board.
The Trustees operate using a system of committees to facilitate the timely and efficient consideration of all matters of importance to the Trustees, the fund, and fund shareholders and to facilitate compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and oversight of the fund's activities and associated risks. The Board, acting through its committees, has charged FMR and its affiliates with (i) identifying events or circumstances the occurrence of which could have demonstrably adverse effects on the fund's business and/or reputation; (ii) implementing processes and controls to lessen the possibility that such events or circumstances occur or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur; and (iii) creating and maintaining a system designed to evaluate continuously business and market conditions in order to facilitate the identification and implementation processes described in (i) and (ii) above. Because the day-to-day operations and activities of the fund are carried out by or through FMR, its affiliates, and other service providers, the fund's exposure to risks is mitigated but not eliminated by the processes overseen by the Trustees. While each of the Board's committees has responsibility for overseeing different aspects of the fund's activities, oversight is exercised primarily through the Operations and Audit Committees. In addition, an ad hoc Board committee of Independent Trustees has worked with FMR to enhance the Board's oversight of investment and financial risks, legal and regulatory risks, technology risks, and operational risks, including the development of additional risk reporting to the Board. Appropriate personnel, including but not limited to the fund's Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), FMR's internal auditor, the independent accountants, the fund's Treasurer and portfolio management personnel, make periodic reports to the Board's committees, as appropriate, including an annual review of Fidelity's risk management program for the Fidelity® funds. The responsibilities of each standing committee, including their oversight responsibilities, are described further under "Standing Committees of the Trustees."
Interested Trustees*:
Correspondence intended for a Trustee who is an interested person may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Jonathan Chiel (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Chiel also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Chiel is Executive Vice President and General Counsel for FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2012-present). Previously, Mr. Chiel served as general counsel (2004-2012) and senior vice president and deputy general counsel (2000-2004) for John Hancock Financial Services; a partner with Choate, Hall & Stewart (1996-2000) (law firm); and an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney's Office of the District of Massachusetts (1986-95), including Chief of the Criminal Division (1993-1995). Mr. Chiel is a director on the boards of the Boston Bar Foundation and the Maimonides School.
Abigail P. Johnson (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Ms. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Ms. Johnson serves as Chairman (2016-present), Chief Executive Officer (2014-present), and Director (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company), President of Fidelity Financial Services (2012-present) and President of Personal, Workplace and Institutional Services (2005-present). Ms. Johnson is Chairman and Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (investment adviser firm, 2011-present). Previously, Ms. Johnson served as Chairman and Director of FMR Co., Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2011-2019), Vice Chairman (2007-2016) and President (2013-2016) of FMR LLC, President and a Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company (2001-2005), a Trustee of other investment companies advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company, Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. (investment adviser firm), and FMR Co., Inc. (2001-2005), Senior Vice President of the Fidelity® funds (2001-2005), and managed a number of Fidelity® funds. Ms. Abigail P. Johnson and Mr. Arthur E. Johnson are not related.
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe (1959)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Ms. McAuliffe also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and as Trustee of Fidelity Charitable (2020-present). Previously, Ms. McAuliffe served as Co-Head of Fixed Income of Fidelity Investments Limited (now known as FIL Limited (FIL)) (diversified financial services company), Director of Research for FIL's credit and quantitative teams in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo and Director of Research for taxable and municipal bonds at Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. Ms. McAuliffe previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016). Ms. McAuliffe was previously a lawyer at Ropes & Gray LLP and an international banker at Chemical Bank NA (now JPMorgan Chase & Co.). Ms. McAuliffe also currently serves as director or trustee of several not-for-profit entities.
* Determined to be an "Interested Trustee" by virtue of, among other things, his or her affiliation with the trust or various entities under common control with FMR.
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Independent Trustees:
Correspondence intended for an Independent Trustee may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupations and Other Relevant Experience+
Elizabeth S. Acton (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Trustee
Ms. Acton also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Acton served as Executive Vice President, Finance (2011-2012), Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (2002-2011) and Treasurer (2004-2005) of Comerica Incorporated (financial services). Prior to joining Comerica, Ms. Acton held a variety of positions at Ford Motor Company (1983-2002), including Vice President and Treasurer (2000-2002) and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ford Motor Credit Company (1998-2000). Ms. Acton currently serves as a member of the Board and Audit and Finance Committees of Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (homebuilding, 2012-present). Ms. Acton previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2013-2016).
Ann E. Dunwoody (1953)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Trustee
General Dunwoody also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. General Dunwoody (United States Army, Retired) was the first woman in U.S. military history to achieve the rank of four-star general and prior to her retirement in 2012 held a variety of positions within the U.S. Army, including Commanding General, U.S. Army Material Command (2008-2012). General Dunwoody currently serves as a member of the Board, Chair of Nomination Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee of Kforce Inc. (professional staffing services, 2016-present) and a member of the Board of Automattic Inc. (software engineering, 2018-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as President of First to Four LLC (leadership and mentoring services, 2012-2022), a member of the Advisory Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of L3 Technologies, Inc. (communication, electronic, sensor and aerospace systems, 2013-2019) and a member of the Board and Audit and Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committees of Republic Services, Inc. (waste collection, disposal and recycling, 2013-2016). General Dunwoody also serves on several boards for non-profit organizations, including as a member of the Board, Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee of the Noble Reach Foundation (formerly Logistics Management Institute) (consulting non-profit, 2012-present) and a member of the Board of ThanksUSA (military family education non-profit, 2014-present). Previously, General Dunwoody served as a member of the Board of Florida Institute of Technology (2015-2022) and a member of the Council of Trustees for the Association of the United States Army (advocacy non-profit, 2013-2021). General Dunwoody previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2018).
John Engler (1948)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2014
Trustee
Mr. Engler also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Engler served as Governor of Michigan (1991-2003), President of the Business Roundtable (2011-2017) and interim President of Michigan State University (2018-2019). Previously, Mr. Engler served as a member of the Board of Stride, Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.) (technology-based education company, 2012-2022), a member of the Board of Universal Forest Products (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2003-2019) and Trustee of The Munder Funds (2003-2014). Mr. Engler previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2014-2016).
Robert F. Gartland (1951)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Trustee
Mr. Gartland also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Gartland held a variety of positions at Morgan Stanley (financial services, 1979-2007), including Managing Director (1987-2007) and Chase Manhattan Bank (1975-1978). Mr. Gartland previously served as Chairman and an investor in Gartland & Mellina Group Corp. (consulting, 2009-2019), as a member of the Board of National Securities Clearing Corporation (1993-1996) and as Chairman of TradeWeb (2003-2004).
Arthur E. Johnson (1947)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2008
Trustee
Mr. Johnson also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Johnson served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategic Development of Lockheed Martin Corporation (defense contractor, 1999-2009). Mr. Johnson currently serves as a member of the Board of Booz Allen Hamilton (management consulting, 2011-present). Mr. Johnson previously served as a member of the Board of Eaton Corporation plc (diversified power management, 2009-2019) and a member of the Board of AGL Resources, Inc. (holding company, 2002-2016). Mr. Johnson previously served as Chairman (2018-2021) and Vice Chairman (2015-2018) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Mr. Arthur E. Johnson is not related to Ms. Abigail P. Johnson.
Michael E. Kenneally (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2009
Trustee
Chairman of the Independent Trustees
Mr. Kenneally also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds and was Vice Chairman (2018-2021) of the Independent Trustees of certain Fidelity® funds. Prior to retirement in 2005, he was Chairman and Global Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management, the worldwide fund management and institutional investment business of Credit Suisse Group. Previously, Mr. Kenneally was an Executive Vice President and the Chief Investment Officer for Bank of America. In this role, he was responsible for the investment management, strategy and products delivered to the bank's institutional, high-net-worth and retail clients. Earlier, Mr. Kenneally directed the organization's equity and quantitative research groups. He began his career as a research analyst and then spent more than a dozen years as a portfolio manager for endowments, pension plans and mutual funds. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1991.
Mark A. Murray (1954)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Trustee
Mr. Murray also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Previously, Mr. Murray served as Co-Chief Executive Officer (2013-2016), President (2006-2013) and Vice Chairman (2013-2020) of Meijer, Inc. Mr. Murray serves as a member of the Board (2009-present) and Public Policy and Responsibility Committee (2009-present) and Chair of the Nuclear Review Committee (2019-present) of DTE Energy Company (diversified energy company). Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Board of Spectrum Health (not-for-profit health system, 2015-2019) and as a member of the Board and Audit Committee and Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Universal Forest Products, Inc. (manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, 2004-2016). Mr. Murray also serves as a member of the Board of many community and professional organizations. Mr. Murray previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of certain Fidelity® funds (2016).
+ The information includes the Trustee's principal occupation during the last five years and other information relating to the experience, attributes, and skills relevant to the Trustee's qualifications to serve as a Trustee, which led to the conclusion that the Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the fund.
Advisory Board Members and Officers:
Correspondence intended for a Member of the Advisory Board (if any) may be sent to Fidelity Investments, P.O. Box 55235, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5235. Correspondence intended for an officer may be sent to Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Officers appear below in alphabetical order.
Name, Year of Birth; Principal Occupation
Laura M. Bishop (1961)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2022
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Bishop also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Bishop held a variety of positions at United Services Automobile Association (2001-2020), including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2014-2020) and Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer (2012-2014). Ms. Bishop currently serves as a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation and Personnel Committee (2021-present) of the Board of Directors of Korn Ferry (global organizational consulting).
Robert W. Helm (1957)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Member of the Advisory Board
Mr. Helm also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other Fidelity® funds. Mr. Helm was formerly Deputy Chairman (2003-2020), partner (1991-2020) and an associate (1984-1991) of Dechert LLP (formerly Dechert Price & Rhoads). Mr. Helm currently serves on boards and committees of several not-for-profit organizations, including as a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs, a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Baltimore and a member of the Life Guard Society of Mt. Vernon.
Carol J. Zierhoffer (1960)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Member of the Advisory Board
Ms. Zierhoffer also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of other funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Zierhoffer held a variety of positions at Bechtel Corporation (engineering company, 2013-2019), including Principal Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2013-2016) and Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2016-2019). Ms. Zierhoffer currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2020-present) and as a member of the Board of Directors, Audit and Finance Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (aviation operating services, 2021-present). Previously, Ms. Zierhoffer served as a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee and as the founding Chair of the Information Technology Committee of MedAssets, Inc. (healthcare technology, 2013-2016).
Heather Bonner (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Bonner also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Bonner serves as Senior Vice President (2022-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Ms. Bonner serves as Assistant Treasurer of Fidelity CRET Trustee LLC (2022-present). Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms. Bonner served as Managing Director at AQR Capital Management (2013-2022) and was the Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of the AQR Funds (2013-2022).
Craig S. Brown (1977)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2019
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Brown also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Brown serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2013-present). Previously, Mr. Brown served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2022).
John J. Burke III (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Burke also serves as Chief Financial Officer of other funds. Mr. Burke serves as Head of Investment Operations for Fidelity Fund and Investment Operations (2018-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1998-present). Previously Mr. Burke served as head of Asset Management Investment Operations (2012-2018).
Margaret Carey (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer (CLO)
Ms. Carey also serves as an officer of other funds and as CLO of certain other Fidelity entities. She is a Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2019-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments.
David J. Carter (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2020
Assistant Secretary
Mr. Carter also serves as Assistant Secretary of other funds. Mr. Carter serves as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel (2022-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present).
Jonathan Davis (1968)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2010
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Davis also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Davis serves as Vice President Assistant Treasurer and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Mr. Davis serves as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity entities.
Laura M. Del Prato (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2018
President and Treasurer
Ms. Del Prato also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Del Prato serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2017-present). Previously, Ms. Del Prato served as President and Treasurer of The North Carolina Capital Management Trust: Cash Portfolio and Term Portfolio (2018-2020). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Del Prato served as a Managing Director and Treasurer of the JPMorgan Mutual Funds (2014-2017). Prior to JPMorgan, Ms. Del Prato served as a partner at Cohen Fund Audit Services (accounting firm, 2012-2013) and KPMG LLP (accounting firm, 2004-2012).
Robin Foley (1964)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Vice President
Ms. Foley also serves as Vice President of other funds. Ms. Foley serves as Head of Fidelity's Fixed Income division (2023-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Ms. Foley served as Chief Investment Officer of Bonds (2017-2023).
Christopher M. Gouveia (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2023
Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Gouveia also serves as Chief Compliance Officer of other funds. Mr. Gouveia serves as Senior Vice President of Asset Management Compliance for Fidelity Investments and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Mr. Gouveia served as Chief Compliance Officer of the North Carolina Capital Management Trust (2016-2019).
Colm A. Hogan (1973)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2016
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Hogan also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Hogan serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present). Previously, Mr. Hogan served as Deputy Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2020) and Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2018).
Chris Maher (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Maher also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Maher serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2008-present). Previously, Mr. Maher served as Assistant Treasurer of certain funds (2013-2020); Vice President of Asset Management Compliance (2013), Vice President of the Program Management Group of FMR (investment adviser firm, 2010-2013), and Vice President of Valuation Oversight (2008-2010).
Brett Segaloff (1972)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Officer
Mr. Segaloff also serves as an AML Officer of other funds and other related entities. He is Director, Anti-Money Laundering (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1996-present).
Stacie M. Smith (1974)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2013
Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Smith also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Smith serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2009-present), and has served in other fund officer roles. Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Smith served as Senior Audit Manager of Ernst & Young LLP (accounting firm, 1996-2009). Previously, Ms. Smith served as Assistant Treasurer (2013-2019) and Deputy Treasurer (2013-2016) of certain Fidelity® funds.
Jim Wegmann (1979)
Year of Election or Appointment: 2021
Deputy Treasurer
Mr. Wegmann also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Wegmann serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2011-present). Previously, Mr. Wegmann served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2021).
Standing Committees of the Trustees. The Board of Trustees has established various committees to support the Independent Trustees in acting independently in pursuing the best interests of the funds and their shareholders. Currently, the Board of Trustees has four standing committees. The members of each committee are Independent Trustees.
The Operations Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Kenneally currently serving as Chair. The committee normally meets at least six times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair, and serves as a forum for consideration of issues of importance to, or calling for particular determinations by, the Independent Trustees. The committee considers matters involving potential conflicts of interest between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, including matters involving potential claims of one or more funds (e.g., for reimbursements of expenses or losses) against FMR, and reviews proposed contracts and the proposed continuation of contracts between the funds and FMR and its affiliates, and annually reviews and makes recommendations regarding contracts with third parties unaffiliated with FMR, including insurance coverage and custody agreements. The committee has oversight of compliance issues not specifically within the scope of any other committee. These matters include, but are not limited to, significant non-conformance with contract requirements and other significant regulatory matters and recommending to the Board of Trustees the designation of a person to serve as the funds' CCO. The committee (i) serves as a primary point of contact (generally after the Independent Trustee who serves as a liaison for the CCO) for the CCO with regard to Board-related functions; (ii) oversees the annual performance review of the CCO; (iii) makes recommendations concerning the CCO's compensation; and (iv) makes recommendations as needed in respect of the removal of the CCO.
The Audit Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Ms. Acton currently serving as Chair. At least one committee member will be an "audit committee financial expert" as defined by the SEC. The committee normally meets four times a year, or more frequently as called by the Chair or a majority of committee members. The committee meets separately, at least annually, with the funds' Treasurer, with the funds' Chief Financial Officer, with personnel responsible for the internal audit function of FMR LLC, with the funds' outside auditors, and with the funds' CCO. The committee has direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the work of the outside auditors employed by the funds. The committee assists the Trustees in overseeing and monitoring: (i) the systems of internal accounting and financial controls of the funds and the funds' service providers (to the extent such controls impact the funds' financial statements); (ii) the funds' auditors and the annual audits of the funds' financial statements; (iii) the financial reporting processes of the funds; (iv) whistleblower reports; and (v) the accounting policies and disclosures of the funds. The committee considers and acts upon (i) the provision by any outside auditor of any non-audit services for any fund, and (ii) the provision by any outside auditor of certain non-audit services to fund service providers and their affiliates to the extent that such approval (in the case of this clause (ii)) is required under applicable regulations of the SEC. It is responsible for approving all audit engagement fees and terms for the funds and for resolving disagreements between a fund and any outside auditor regarding any fund's financial reporting. Auditors of the funds report directly to the committee. The committee will obtain assurance of independence and objectivity from the outside auditors, including a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the auditor and the funds and any service providers consistent with the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. It oversees and receives reports on the funds' service providers' internal controls and reviews the adequacy and effectiveness of the service providers' accounting and financial controls, including: (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the funds' ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; (ii) any change in the fund's internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the fund's internal control over financial reporting; and (iii) any fraud, whether material or not, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the funds' or service providers internal controls over financial reporting. The committee will also review any correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies or published reports that raise material issues regarding the funds' financial statements or accounting policies. These matters may also be reviewed by the Operations Committee. The committee reviews at least annually a report from each outside auditor describing any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control, peer review, or Public Company Accounting Oversight Board examination of the auditing firm and any material issues raised by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities of the auditing firm and in each case any steps taken to deal with such issues. The committee will oversee and receive reports on the funds' financial reporting process from the funds' Treasurer and outside auditors and will oversee the resolution of any disagreements concerning financial reporting among applicable parties. The committee will discuss with FMR, the funds' Treasurer, outside auditors and, if appropriate, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC their qualitative judgments about the appropriateness and acceptability of accounting principles and financial disclosure practices used or proposed for adoption by the funds. The committee will review with FMR, the funds' outside auditor, internal audit personnel of FMR LLC and legal counsel, as appropriate, matters related to the audits of the funds' financial statements. The committee will discuss regularly and oversee the review of the internal controls of the funds and their service providers with respect to accounting, financial matters and risk management programs related to the funds. The committee will review periodically the funds' major internal controls exposures and the steps that have been taken to monitor and control such exposures.
The Fair Valuation Committee is composed of all of the Independent Trustees, with Mr. Murray currently serving as Chair. The Committee normally meets quarterly, or more frequently as called by the Chair. The Fair Valuation Committee oversees the valuation of securities held by the funds, including the fair valuation of securities by the funds' valuation designee. The Committee receives and reviews related reports and information consistent with its oversight obligations.
The Governance and Nominating Committee is composed of Messrs. Kenneally (Chair) and Gartland (Vice Chair), and Ms. Acton. The committee meets as called by the Chair. With respect to fund governance and board administration matters, the committee periodically reviews procedures of the Board of Trustees and its committees (including committee charters) and periodically reviews compensation of Independent Trustees. The committee monitors corporate governance matters and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees on the frequency and structure of the Board of Trustee meetings and on any other aspect of Board procedures. It acts as the administrative committee under the retirement plan for Independent Trustees who retired prior to December 30, 1996 and under the fee deferral plan for Independent Trustees. It monitors the performance of legal counsel employed by both the funds and the Independent Trustees. The committee will engage and oversee any counsel utilized by the Independent Trustees as may be necessary or appropriate under applicable regulations or otherwise. The committee also approves Board administrative matters applicable to Independent Trustees, such as expense reimbursement policies and compensation for attendance at meetings, conferences and other events. The committee oversees compliance with the provisions of the code of ethics and any supplemental policies regarding personal securities transactions applicable to the Independent Trustees. The committee reviews the functioning of each Board committee and makes recommendations for any changes, including the creation or elimination of standing or ad hoc Board committees. The committee monitors regulatory and other developments to determine whether to recommend modifications to the committee's responsibilities or other Trustee policies and procedures in light of rule changes, reports concerning "recommended practices" in corporate governance and other developments in mutual fund governance. The committee meets with Independent Trustees at least once a year to discuss matters relating to fund governance. The committee recommends that the Board establish such special or ad hoc Board committees as may be desirable or necessary from time to time in order to address ethical, legal, or other matters that may arise. The committee also oversees the annual self-evaluation of the Board of Trustees and establishes procedures to allow it to exercise this oversight function. In conducting this oversight, the committee shall address all matters that it considers relevant to the performance of the Board of Trustees and shall report the results of its evaluation to the Board of Trustees, including any recommended amendments to the principles of governance, and any recommended changes to the funds' or the Board of Trustees' policies, procedures, and structures. The committee reviews periodically the size and composition of the Board of Trustees as a whole and recommends, if necessary, measures to be taken so that the Board of Trustees reflects the appropriate balance of knowledge, experience, skills, expertise, and diversity required for the Board as a whole and contains at least the minimum number of Independent Trustees required by law. The committee makes nominations for the election or appointment of Independent Trustees and non-management Members of any Advisory Board, and for membership on committees. The committee has the authority to retain and terminate any third-party advisers, including authority to approve fees and other retention terms. Such advisers may include search firms to identify Independent Trustee candidates and board compensation consultants. The committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the committee's scope of responsibilities, and may retain, at the funds' expense, such independent counsel or other advisers as it deems necessary. The committee will consider nominees to the Board of Trustees recommended by shareholders based upon the criteria applied to candidates presented to the committee by a search firm or other source. Recommendations, along with appropriate background material concerning the candidate that demonstrates his or her ability to serve as an Independent Trustee of the funds, should be submitted to the Chair of the committee at the address maintained for communications with Independent Trustees. If the committee retains a search firm, the Chair will generally forward all such submissions to the search firm for evaluation. With respect to the criteria for selecting Independent Trustees, it is expected that all candidates will possess the following minimum qualifications: (i) unquestioned personal integrity; (ii) not an interested person of the funds within the meaning of the 1940 Act; (iii) does not have a material relationship (e.g., commercial, banking, consulting, legal, or accounting) with the adviser, any sub-adviser or their affiliates that could create an appearance of lack of independence in respect of the funds; (iv) has the disposition to act independently in respect of FMR and its affiliates and others in order to protect the interests of the funds and all shareholders; (v) ability to attend regularly scheduled Board meetings during the year; (vi) demonstrates sound business judgment gained through broad experience in significant positions where the candidate has dealt with management, technical, financial, or regulatory issues; (vii) sufficient financial or accounting knowledge to add value in the complex financial environment of the funds; (viii) experience on corporate or other institutional oversight bodies having similar responsibilities, but which board memberships or other relationships could not result in business or regulatory conflicts with the funds; and (ix) capacity for the hard work and attention to detail that is required to be an effective Independent Trustee in light of the funds' complex regulatory, operational, and marketing setting. The Governance and Nominating Committee may determine that a candidate who does not have the type of previous experience or knowledge referred to above should nevertheless be considered as a nominee if the Governance and Nominating Committee finds that the candidate has additional qualifications such that his or her qualifications, taken as a whole, demonstrate the same level of fitness to serve as an Independent Trustee.
During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, each committee held the number of meetings shown in the table below:
COMMITTEE
|
NUMBER OF MEETINGS HELD
|
Operations Committee
|
8
|
Audit Committee
|
4
|
Fair Valuation Committee
|
3
|
Governance and Nominating Committee
|
11
|
The following table sets forth information describing the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the fund and in all funds in the aggregate within the same fund family overseen by the Trustee for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022.
Interested Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Jonathan Chiel
|
Abigail P Johnson
|
Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe
|
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
Independent Trustees
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
Mark A Murray
|
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
|
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF
FUND SHARES IN ALL FUNDS
OVERSEEN WITHIN FUND FAMILY
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
over $100,000
|
The following table sets forth information describing the compensation of each Trustee and Member of the Advisory Board (if any) for his or her services for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, or calendar year ended December 31, 2022, as applicable.
Compensation Table(A)
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Elizabeth S Acton
|
Laura M Bishop(B)
|
Ann E Dunwoody
|
John Engler
|
||||
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
$
|
753
|
$
|
614
|
$
|
671
|
$
|
667
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
563,000
|
$
|
184,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
496,000
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Robert F Gartland
|
Robert W Helm
|
Arthur E Johnson
|
Michael E Kenneally
|
||||
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
$
|
750
|
$
|
688
|
$
|
648
|
$
|
810
|
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
565,000
|
$
|
502,500
|
$
|
492,500
|
$
|
612,500
|
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
FROM A FUND
|
Mark A Murray
|
Carol J Zierhoffer(D)
|
||||||
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
$
|
664
|
$
|
262
|
||||
TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM THE FUND COMPLEX(C)
|
$
|
497,500
|
$
|
0
|
(A) Jonathan Chiel, Abigail P. Johnson, and Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe are interested persons and are compensated by Fidelity.
|
(B) Ms. Bishop serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective September 1, 2022.
|
(C) Reflects compensation received for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022 for 295 funds of 31 trusts (including Fidelity Central Investment Portfolios II LLC). Compensation figures include cash and may include amounts elected to be deferred. Certain individuals elected voluntarily to defer a portion of their compensation as follows: Elizabeth S. Acton, $120,000; Laura M. Bishop, $73,674; Ann E. Dunwoody, $274,597; John Engler, $274,597; Robert F. Gartland, $180,000; Robert W. Helm, $274,597; and Mark A. Murray, $274,597.
|
(D) Ms. Zierhoffer serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of Fidelity Salem Street Trust effective March 1, 2023.
|
As of July 31, 2023, the Trustees, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and officers of the fund owned, in the aggregate, less than 1% of each class's total outstanding shares, with respect to the fund.
As of July 31, 2023, the following owned of record and/or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares:
Fund or Class Name
|
Owner Name
|
City
|
State
|
Ownership %
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
EMPOWER ANNUITY INSURANCE COMPANY
|
GREENWOOD VILLAGE
|
CO
|
7.94%
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
SEI INVESTMENTS DISTRIBUTION CO
|
OAKS
|
PA
|
7.89%
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER SMITH INC
|
JACKSONVILLE
|
FL
|
5.03%
|
CONTROL OF INVESTMENT ADVISERS
FMR LLC, as successor by merger to FMR Corp., is the ultimate parent company of FMR. The voting common shares of FMR LLC are divided into two series. Series B is held predominantly by members of the Johnson family, including Abigail P. Johnson, directly or through trusts, and is entitled to 49% of the vote on any matter acted upon by the voting common shares. Series A is held predominantly by non-Johnson family member employees of FMR LLC and its affiliates and is entitled to 51% of the vote on any such matter. The Johnson family group and all other Series B shareholders have entered into a shareholders' voting agreement under which all Series B shares will be voted in accordance with the majority vote of Series B shares. Under the 1940 Act, control of a company is presumed where one individual or group of individuals owns more than 25% of the voting securities of that company. Therefore, through their ownership of voting common shares and the execution of the shareholders' voting agreement, members of the Johnson family may be deemed, under the 1940 Act, to form a controlling group with respect to FMR LLC.
At present, the primary business activities of FMR LLC and its subsidiaries are: (i) the provision of investment advisory, management, shareholder, investment information and assistance and certain fiduciary services for individual and institutional investors; (ii) the provision of securities brokerage services; (iii) the management and development of real estate; and (iv) the investment in and operation of a number of emerging businesses.
Geode, a registered investment adviser, is a subsidiary of Geode Capital Holdings LLC. Geode was founded in January 2001 to develop and manage quantitative investment strategies and to provide advisory and sub-advisory services.
FMR, Geode Capital Management, LLC, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), and the fund have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that set forth employees' fiduciary responsibilities regarding the fund, establish procedures for personal investing, and restrict certain transactions. Employees subject to the codes of ethics, including Fidelity and Geode investment personnel, may invest in securities for their own investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the fund.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACT
The fund has entered into a management contract with FMR, pursuant to which FMR furnishes investment advisory and other services.
Management and Sub-Advisory Services. FMR provides the fund with all necessary office facilities and personnel for servicing the fund's investments, compensates all officers of the fund and all Trustees who are interested persons of the trust or of FMR, and compensates all personnel of the fund or FMR performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities.
In addition, FMR or its affiliates, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, provide the management and administrative services necessary for the operation of the fund. These services include providing facilities for maintaining the fund's organization; supervising relations with custodians, transfer and pricing agents, accountants, underwriters and other persons dealing with the fund; preparing all general shareholder communications and conducting shareholder relations; maintaining the fund's records and the registration of the fund's shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws; developing management and shareholder services for the fund; and furnishing reports, evaluations and analyses on a variety of subjects to the Trustees.
Geode serves as sub-adviser of the fund. Under its management contract with the fund, FMR acts as investment adviser. Under the sub-advisory agreement, and subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, Geode directs the investments of the fund in accordance with its investment objective, policies, and limitations.
Management-Related Expenses. Under the terms of the fund's management contract, FMR, either itself or through an affiliate, is responsible for payment of all operating expenses of the fund with limited exceptions. Specific expenses payable by FMR include expenses for typesetting, printing, and mailing proxy materials to shareholders, legal expenses, fees of the custodian, auditor, and interested Trustees, the fund's proportionate share of insurance premiums and Investment Company Institute dues, and the costs of registering shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws. FMR also pays all fees associated with the transfer agency services and pricing and bookkeeping services agreements.
FMR pays all other expenses of the fund with the following exceptions: fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees, interest, taxes, Rule 12b-1 fees (if any), and such non-recurring expenses as may arise, including costs of any litigation to which the fund may be a party, and any obligation it may have to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect to litigation. The fund shall pay its non-operating expenses, including brokerage commissions and fees and expenses associated with the fund's securities lending program, if applicable.
Management Fee.
For the services of FMR under the management contract, the fund pays FMR a monthly management fee at the annual rate of 0.07% of the fund's average net assets throughout the month.
The following table shows the amount of management fees paid by the fund for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 to its current manager and prior affiliated manager(s), if any, and the amount of credits reducing management fees.
Fund(s)
|
Fiscal
Years
Ended
|
Amount of
Credits Reducing
Management
Fees
|
Management
Fees
Paid to
Investment Adviser
|
||
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
2023
|
$
|
4,185
|
$
|
1,720,147
|
2022
|
$
|
209
|
$
|
2,096,588
|
|
2021
|
$
|
0
|
$
|
1,672,695
|
FMR may, from time to time, voluntarily reimburse all or a portion of a fund's or, in the case of a multiple class fund, a class's operating expenses. FMR retains the ability to be repaid for these expense reimbursements in the amount that expenses fall below the limit prior to the end of the fiscal year.
Expense reimbursements will increase returns, and repayment of the reimbursement will decrease returns.
Sub-Adviser - Geode. The fund and FMR have entered into sub-advisory agreement(s) with Geode. Pursuant to the sub-advisory agreement(s), FMR has granted Geode investment management authority as well as the authority to buy and sell securities.
Under the terms of the sub-advisory agreement(s), for providing investment management services to the fund, FMR, and not the fund, pays Geode fees at an annual rate of 0.0340% of the average daily net assets of the fund, subject to a minimum annual payment of $100,000.
In addition, effective January 1, 2024, Geode has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its sub-advisory fee.
The following table shows the amount of sub-advisory fees paid by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, on behalf of the fund, to Geode for the fiscal year(s) ended July 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
Fund
|
Fiscal Years
Ended
|
Sub-Advisory Fees
Paid by FMR
to Geode
|
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund
|
2023(A)
|
$
|
839,690
|
2022
|
$
|
1,048,467
|
|
2021(B)
|
$
|
843,232
|
(A) On October 1, 2022, FMR reduced the sub-advisory fee rate paid to Geode from 0.0350% to 0.0340%.
|
(B) On October 1, 2020, FMR reduced the sub-advisory fee rate paid to Geode from 0.0370% to 0.0350%.
|
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund is managed by Geode, a sub-adviser to the fund. Louis Bottari is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Peter Matthew is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Payal Gupta is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Robert Regan is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. Navid Sohrabi is a Portfolio Manager of the fund and receives compensation for those services. As of July 31, 2023, portfolio manager compensation generally consists of a fixed base salary, a bonus that is based on both objective and subjective criteria, and, in certain cases, participation in a profit-based compensation plan. A portion of each portfolio manager's compensation may be deferred based on criteria established by Geode.
Each portfolio manager's base salary is determined annually by level of responsibility and tenure at Geode. The primary component for determining each portfolio manager's bonus is the pre-tax investment performance of the portfolio manager's fund(s) and account(s) relative to a custom peer group, if applicable, and relative to a benchmark index assigned to each fund or account. Performance is measured over multiple measurement periods that eventually encompass periods of up to five years. A portion of each portfolio manager's bonus is linked to Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund's relative pre-tax investment performance measured against the MSCI U.S. IMI Real Estate 25-25 Index. A subjective component of each portfolio manager's bonus is based on the portfolio manager's overall contribution to the management of Geode, including recruiting, monitoring, and mentoring within the investment management teams, as well as time spent assisting in firm promotion. Each portfolio manager may also be compensated under a profit-based compensation plan, which is primarily based on the profits of Geode.
A portfolio manager's compensation plan can give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A manager's base pay tends to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management and a portion of the bonus relates to firm promotion efforts, which together indirectly link compensation to sales. Managing and providing research to multiple accounts (including proprietary accounts) can give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as a portfolio manager must allocate time and investment ideas across multiple accounts. Securities selected for accounts other than the fund may outperform the securities selected for the fund.
In addition to managing the fund's investment portfolio, each portfolio manager also manages other investment portfolios and accounts on behalf of Geode or its affiliates.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Louis Bottari as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund ($2,491 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Bottari was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Payal Gupta as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund ($2,491 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund beneficially owned by Ms. Gupta was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Peter Matthew as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund ($2,491 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Matthew was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Bob Regan as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
9
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,247
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund ($2,491 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Regan was none.
The following table provides information relating to other accounts managed by Navid Sohrabi as of July 31, 2023:
Registered Investment Companies*
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts
|
|||
Number of Accounts Managed
|
81
|
91
|
8
|
||
Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
||
Assets Managed (in millions)
|
$947,728
|
$116,959
|
$4,028
|
||
Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
* Includes Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund ($2,491 (in millions) assets managed). The amount of assets managed of the fund reflects trades and other assets as of the close of the business day prior to the fund's fiscal year-end.
As of July 31, 2023, the dollar range of shares of Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund beneficially owned by Mr. Sohrabi was none.
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
Geode Proxy Voting Policies
As an investment adviser, Geode holds voting authority for securities in many of the client accounts that it manages. Geode takes seriously its responsibility to monitor events affecting securities in those client accounts and to exercise its voting authority with respect to those securities in the best interests of its clients (as well as shareholders of mutual funds for which it serves as adviser or sub-adviser). The purposes of these proxy voting policies are to (1) establish a framework for Geode's analysis and decision-making with respect to proxy voting and (2) set forth operational procedures for Geode's exercise of proxy voting authority.
Overview
Geode anticipates that, based on its current business model, it will manage the vast majority of assets under its management using passive investment management techniques, such as indexing. Geode also manages funds and separate accounts using active investment management techniques, primarily employing quantitative investment strategies.
Geode will engage established commercial proxy advisory firms for comprehensive analysis, research and voting recommendations, particularly for matters that may be controversial or require additional analysis under these Policies.
Geode may determine to follow or reject any recommendation based on the research and analysis provided by proxy advisory firms or on any independent research and analysis obtained or generated by Geode. However, Geode has retained a third-party proxy voting service (the "Agent") to affect votes based on the customized policies established by Geode and maintain records of all of Geode's proxy votes. In limited instances where the Policies do not address the specific matter, the Agent will refer the ballot back to Geode. For ballots related to proxy contests, mergers, acquisitions and other organizational transactions, Geode may determine it is appropriate to conduct a company specific evaluation. In cases of proxies not voted by the Agent, the ultimate voting decision and responsibility rests with Geode Proxy. Geode's Operations Committee oversees the exercise of voting authority under these proxy voting policies.
Due to its focused business model and the number of investments that Geode will make for its clients (particularly pursuant to its indexing strategy), Geode does not anticipate that actual or potential conflicts of interest are likely to occur in the ordinary course of its business. However, Geode believes it is essential to avoid having conflicts of interest affect its objective of voting in the best interests of its clients. Therefore, in the event that members of the Operations Committee, the Agent or any other person involved in the analysis or voting of proxies has knowledge of, or has reason to believe there may exist, any potential relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode (or any affiliate of Geode) or their respective directors, officers, employees or agents, such person shall notify the other members of the Operations Committee. Geode will analyze and address such potential conflict of interest, consulting with outside counsel, as appropriate. In the case of an actual conflict of interest, on the advice of counsel, Geode expects that the independent directors of Geode will consider the matter and may (1) determine that there is no conflict of interest (or that reasonable measures have been taken to remedy or avoid any conflict of interest) that would prevent Geode from voting the applicable proxy, (2) abstain, (3) cause authority to be delegated to the Agent or a similar special fiduciary to vote the applicable proxy or (4) recommend other methodology for mitigating the conflict of interest, if deemed appropriate (e.g., echo voting).
Geode has established the specific proxy voting policies that are summarized below to maximize the value of investments in its clients' accounts, which it believes will be furthered through (1) accountability of a company's management and directors to its shareholders, (2) alignment of the interests of management with those of shareholders (including through compensation, benefit and equity ownership programs), and (3) increased disclosure of a company's business and operations. Geode reserves the right to override any of its proxy voting policies with respect to a particular shareholder vote when such an override is, in Geode's best judgment, consistent with the overall principle of voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of Geode's clients.
Policies
All proxy votes shall be considered and made in a manner consistent with the best interests of Geode's clients (as well as shareholders of mutual fund clients) without regard to any other relationship, business or otherwise, between the portfolio company subject to the proxy vote and Geode or its affiliates. As a general matter, (1) proxies will be voted FOR incumbent members of a board of directors and FOR routine management proposals, except as otherwise addressed under these policies; (2) shareholder and non-routine management proposals addressed by these policies will be voted as provided in these policies; and (3) shareholder and non-routine management proposals not addressed by these policies will be evaluated by Geode ESG Stewardship based on fundamental analysis and/or research and recommendations provided by the Agent and other third-party proxy advisory firms.
When voting the securities of non-US issuers, Geode will evaluate proposals in accordance with these policies but will also take local market standards and best practices into consideration. Geode may also limit or modify its voting at certain non-US meetings (e.g., if shares are required to be blocked or reregistered in connection with voting).
Geode's specific policies are as follows:
I. Election of Directors
Geode will generally vote FOR incumbent members of a board of directors except:
• Attendance. The incumbent board member failed to attend at least 75% of meetings in the previous year and does not provide a reasonable explanation.
• Independent Directors. Nominee is not independent and full board comprises less than a majority of independents. Nominee is not independent and sits on the audit, compensation or nominating committee.
• Director Responsiveness. The board failed to act on shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year. The board failed to act on takeover offers where Geode and a majority of shareholders tendered their shares. At the previous board election, directors opposed by Geode received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast, and the company failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote.
• Golden Parachutes. Incumbent members of the compensation committee adopted or renewed an excessive golden parachute within the past year.
• Gender Diversity. If there are no women on the Board unless the Board has made a firm commitment to return to a gender-diverse status when there was a woman on the Board at the preceding annual meeting.
• Overboarding. The Director is a CEO and sits on the Board of more than two public companies besides his or her own; or a non-CEO Director who sits on more than five public company boards.
• Unequal Voting Rights. If the Company maintains a common stock structure with unequal voting rights. Exceptions to the policy may include, but aren't limited to: Newly-public companies with a reasonable sunset provision, where the unequal voting rights are considered de minimis; or the company provides sufficient safeguards for minority shareholders.
• In Other Circumstances when a member of the board has acted in a manner inconsistent with the interests of shareholders of a company whose securities are held in client accounts.
II. Majority Election. Unless a company has a policy achieving a similar result, Geode will generally vote in favor of a proposal calling for directors to be elected by a majority of votes cast in a board election provided that the plurality vote applies when there are more nominees than board seats.
III. Say on Pay (non-binding).
• Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. Geode will generally vote AGAINST advisory vote when: (1) there is a significant misalignment between executive pay and company performance; (2) the company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or (3) the board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders.
• Frequency Vote. Geode will generally vote FOR having an advisory vote on executive compensation every year.
• Advisory Vote on Golden Parachute. Geode will vote AGAINST excessive change-in-control severance payments.
IV. Vote AGAINST Anti-Takeover Proposals, including:
• Addition of Special Interest Directors to the board.
• Authorization of "Blank Check" Preferred Stock. Geode will vote FOR proposals to require shareholder approval for the distribution of preferred stock except for acquisitions and raising capital in the ordinary course of business.
• Classification of Boards, Geode will vote FOR proposals to de-classify boards.
• Fair Price Amendments, other than those that consider only a two-year price history and are not accompanied by other anti-takeover measures.
• Golden Parachutes, that Geode deems to be excessive in the event of change-in-control.
• Poison Pills. Adoption or extension of a Poison Pill without shareholder approval will result in our voting AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors, provided the matter will be considered if (a) the board has adopted a Poison Pill with a sunset provision; (b) the Pill is linked to a business strategy that will result in greater value for the shareholders; (c) the term is less than three years; (d) the Pill includes a qualifying offer clause; Or (e) shareholder approval is required to reinstate the expired Pill. Geode will vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring or recommending that shareholders be given an opportunity to vote on the adoption of poison pills.
• Reduction or Limitation of Shareholder Rights (e.g., action by written consent, ability to call meetings, or remove directors).
• Reincorporation in another state (when accompanied by Anti-Takeover Provisions, including increased statutory anti-takeover provisions). Geode will vote FOR reincorporation in another state when not accompanied by such anti-takeover provisions.
• Requirements that the Board Consider Non-Financial Effects of merger and acquisition proposals.
• Requirements regarding Size, Selection and Removal of the Board that are likely to have an anti-takeover effect (although changes with legitimate business purposes will be evaluated).
• Supermajority Voting Requirements (i.e., typically 2/3 or greater) for boards and shareholders. Geode will vote FOR proposals to eliminate supermajority voting requirements.
• Transfer of Authority from Shareholders to Directors.
V. Vote FOR proposed amendments to a company's certificate of incorporation or by-laws that enable the company to Opt Out of the Control Shares Acquisition Statutes.
VI. Vote AGAINST the introduction of new classes of Stock with Differential Voting Rights.
VII. Vote AGAINST introduction and FOR elimination of Cumulative Voting Rights, except in certain instances where it is determined not to enhance shareholders' interests.
VIII. Vote FOR elimination of Preemptive Rights.
IX. Vote FOR Anti-Greenmail proposals so long as they are not part of anti-takeover provisions (in which case the vote will be AGAINST).
X. Vote FOR charter and by-law amendments expanding the Indemnification of Directors to the maximum extent permitted under Delaware law (regardless of the state of incorporation) and vote AGAINST charter and by-law amendments completely Eliminating Directors' Liability for Breaches of Care.
XI. Vote FOR proposals to adopt Confidential Voting and Independent Vote Tabulation practices.
XII. Vote FOR Open-Market Stock Repurchase Programs, unless there is clear evidence of past abuse of the authority; the plan contains no safeguards against selective buybacks, or the authority can be used as an anti-takeover mechanism.
XIII. Vote FOR management proposals to implement a Reverse Stock Split when the number of authorized shares will be proportionately reduced or the Reverse Stock Split is necessary to avoid de-listing.
XIV. Vote FOR management proposals to Reduce the Par Value of common stock unless the proposal may facilitate an anti-takeover device or other negative corporate governance action.
XV. Vote FOR the Issuance of Large Blocks of Stock if such proposals have a legitimate business purpose and do not result in dilution of greater than 20%. However, a company's specific circumstances and market practices may be considered in determining whether the proposal is consistent with shareholders' interests.
XVI. Vote AGAINST Excessive Increases in Common Stock. Vote AGAINST increases in authorized common stock that would result in authorized capital in excess of three times the company's shares outstanding and reserved for legitimate purposes. For non-U.S. securities with conditional capital requests, vote AGAINST issuances of shares with preemptive rights in excess of 100% of the company's current shares outstanding. Special requests will be evaluated, taking company-specific circumstances into account.
XVII. Vote AGAINST the adoption of or amendment to authorize additional shares under a Stock Option Plan if:
• The stock option plan includes evergreen provisions, which provides for an automatic allotment of equity compensation every year.
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan (including by virtue of any "evergreen" or replenishment provision), plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
• The offering price of options is less than 100% of fair market value on the date of grant, except that the offering price may be as low as 85% of fair market value if the discount is expressly granted in lieu of salary or cash bonus, except that a modest number of shares (limited to 5% for a large capitalization company and 10% for a small and micro capitalization companies) may be available for grant to employees and directors under the plan if the grant is made by a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors (the "De Minimis Exception").
• The plan is administered by (1) a compensation committee not comprised entirely of independent directors or (2) a board of directors not comprised of a majority of independent directors, provided that a plan is acceptable if it satisfies the De Minimis Exception.
• The plan's terms allow repricing of underwater options, or the board/committee has repriced options outstanding under the plan in the past two years without shareholder approval, unless by the express terms of the plan or a board resolution such repricing is rarely used (and then only to maintain option value due to extreme circumstances beyond management's control) and is within the limits of the De Minimis Exception.
• Liberal Definition of Change in Control: the plan provides that the vesting of equity awards may accelerate even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XVIII. Vote AGAINST the election of incumbent members of the compensation committee or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if, within the last year and without shareholder approval, the company's board of directors or compensation committee has repriced outstanding options.
XIX. Evaluate proposals to Reprice Outstanding Stock Options, taking into account such factors as: (1) whether the repricing proposal excludes senior management and directors; (2) whether the options proposed to be repriced exceeded the dilution thresholds described in these current proxy voting policies when initially granted; (3) whether the repricing proposal is value neutral to shareholders based upon an acceptable options pricing model; (4) the company's relative performance compared to other companies within the relevant industry or industries; (5) economic and other conditions affecting the relevant industry or industries in which the company competes; and (6) other facts or circumstances relevant to determining whether a repricing proposal is consistent with the interests of shareholders.
XX. Vote AGAINST adoption of or amendments to authorize additional shares for Restricted Stock Awards ("RSA") if:
• The dilution effect of the shares authorized under the plan, plus the shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all other option or restricted stock plans, is greater than 10%. However, dilution may be increased to 15% for small capitalization companies, and 20% for micro capitalization companies, respectively. If the plan fails this test, the dilution effect may be evaluated relative to any unusual factor involving the company.
XXI. Vote AGAINST Omnibus Stock Plans if one or more component violates any of the criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, unless such component is de minimis. In the case of an omnibus stock plan, the dilution limits applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies will be measured against the total number of shares under all components of such plan.
XXII. Vote AGAINST Employee Stock Purchase Plans if the plan violates any of the relevant criteria applicable to Stock Option Plans or RSAs under these proxy voting policies, except that (1) the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to or greater than 85% of the stock's fair market value if the plan constitutes a reasonable effort to encourage broad based participation in the company's equity, and (2) in the case of non-U.S. company stock purchase plans, the minimum stock purchase price may be equal to the prevailing "best practices," as articulated by the Agent, provided that the minimum stock purchase price must be at least 75% of the stock's fair market value.
XXIII. Vote AGAINST Stock Awards (other than stock options and RSAs) unless it is determined they are identified as being granted to officers/directors in lieu of salary or cash bonus, subject to number of shares being reasonable.
XXIV. Vote AGAINST equity vesting acceleration programs or amendments to authorize additional shares under such programs if the program provides for the acceleration of vesting of equity awards even though an actual change in control may not occur.
XXV. Vote FOR Employee Stock Ownership Plans ("ESOPs") of non-leveraged ESOPs, and in the case of leveraged ESOPs, giving consideration to the company's state of incorporation, existence of supermajority vote rules in the charter, number of shares authorized for the ESOP, and number of shares held by insiders. Geode may also examine where the ESOP shares are purchased and the dilution effect of the purchase. Geode will vote AGAINST a leveraged ESOP if all outstanding loans are due immediately upon a change in control.
XXVI. Vote AGAINST management or shareholder proposals on other Compensation Plans or Practices if such plans or practices are Inconsistent with the Interests of Shareholders. In addition, Geode may vote AGAINST the election of incumbents or a management slate in the concurrent or next following vote on the election of directors if Geode believes a board has approved executive compensation arrangements inconsistent with the interests of shareholders.
XXVII. Environmental and Social Proposals. Evaluate each proposal related to environmental and social issues (including political contributions). Generally, Geode expects to vote with management's recommendation on shareholder proposals concerning environmental or social issues, as Geode believes management and the board are ordinarily in the best position to address these matters. Geode may support certain shareholder environmental and social proposals that request additional disclosures from companies which may provide material information to the investment management process, or where Geode otherwise believes support will help maximize shareholder value. Geode may take action against the re-election of board members if there are serious concerns over ESG practices or the board failed to act on related shareholder proposals that received approval by Geode and a majority of the votes cast in the previous year.
XXVIII. Geode will generally vote FOR proposals seeking to establish or amend proxy access which allow a shareholder (or shareholder group) holding at least 3% of the voting power of the company's outstanding shares continuously for a minimum of 3 years the ability to nominate no more than 25% of the board of directors. Geode will generally vote AGAINST proposals that do not meet the aforementioned criteria.
XXIX. Shares of Investment Companies.
• For institutional accounts, Geode will generally vote in favor of proposals recommended by the underlying funds' Board of Trustees, unless voting is not permitted under applicable laws and regulations.
• For retail managed accounts, Geode will employ echo voting when voting shares. To avoid certain potential conflicts of interest, if an investment company has a shareholder meeting, Geode would vote their shares in the investment company in the same proportion as the votes of the other shareholders of the investment company.
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To view a fund's proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, if applicable, visit www.fidelity.com/proxyvotingresults or visit the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.
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DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
The fund has entered into a distribution agreement with Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC), an affiliate of FMR. The principal business address of FDC is 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917. FDC is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
The fund's distribution agreement calls for FDC to use all reasonable efforts, consistent with its other business, to secure purchasers for shares of the fund, which are continuously offered.
Promotional and administrative expenses in connection with the offer and sale of shares are paid by FMR.
The Trustees have approved a Distribution and Service Plan with respect to shares of the fund (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the Rule).
The Rule provides in substance that a fund may not engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity that is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund except pursuant to a plan approved on behalf of the fund under the Rule.
The Plan, as approved by the Trustees, allows shares of the fund and/or FMR to incur certain expenses that might be considered to constitute indirect payment by the fund of distribution expenses.
The Plan adopted for the fund or class, as applicable, is described in the prospectus.
Under the Plan, if the payment of management fees by the fund to FMR is deemed to be indirect financing by the fund of the distribution of its shares, such payment is authorized by the Plan.
The Plan specifically recognizes that FMR may use its management fee revenue, as well as its past profits or its other resources, to pay FDC for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the fund and/or shareholder support services. In addition, the Plan provides that FMR, directly or through FDC, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services.
Currently, the Board of Trustees has authorized such payments for shares of the fund.
Prior to approving the Plan, the Trustees carefully considered all pertinent factors relating to the implementation of the Plan, and determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the fund or class, as applicable, and its shareholders.
In particular, the Trustees noted that the Plan does not authorize payments by shares of the fund other than those made to FMR under its management contract with the fund.
To the extent that the Plan gives FMR and FDC greater flexibility in connection with the distribution of shares, additional sales of shares or stabilization of cash flows may result.
Furthermore, certain shareholder support services may be provided more effectively under the Plan by local entities with whom shareholders have other relationships.
FDC or an affiliate may compensate, or upon direction make payments for certain retirement plan expenses to intermediaries. A number of factors are considered in determining whether to pay these additional amounts. Such factors may include, without limitation, the level or type of services provided by the intermediary, the level or expected level of assets or sales of shares, and other factors. In addition to such payments, FDC or an affiliate may offer other incentives such as sponsorship of educational or client seminars relating to current products and issues, payments or reimbursements for travel and related expenses associated with due diligence trips that an intermediary may undertake in order to explore possible business relationships with affiliates of FDC, and/or payments of costs and expenses associated with attendance at seminars, including travel, lodging, entertainment, and meals. Certain of the payments described above may be significant to an intermediary. As permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority rules and other applicable laws and regulations, FDC or an affiliate may pay or allow other incentives or payments to intermediaries.
The fund's transfer agent or an affiliate may also make payments and reimbursements from its own resources to certain intermediaries (who may be affiliated with the transfer agent) for providing recordkeeping and administrative services to plan participants or for providing other services to retirement plans. Please see "Transfer and Service Agent Agreements" in this SAI for more information.
FDC or an affiliate may also make payments to banks, broker-dealers and other service-providers (who may be affiliated with FDC) for distribution-related activities and/or shareholder services. If you have purchased shares of the fund through an investment professional, please speak with your investment professional to learn more about any payments his or her firm may receive from FMR, FDC, and/or their affiliates, as well as fees and/or commissions the investment professional charges. You should also consult disclosures made by your investment professional at the time of purchase.
Any of the payments described in this section may represent a premium over payments made by other fund families. Investment professionals may have an added incentive to sell or recommend a fund over others offered by competing fund families, or retirement plan sponsors may take these payments into account when deciding whether to include a fund as a plan investment option.
TRANSFER AND SERVICE AGENT AGREEMENTS
The fund has entered into a transfer agent agreement with Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company LLC (FIIOC), an affiliate of FMR, which is located at 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Under the terms of the agreement, FIIOC (or an agent, including an affiliate) performs transfer agency services.
For providing transfer agency services, FIIOC receives no fees from the fund.
FIIOC may collect fees charged in connection with providing certain types of services such as exchanges, closing out fund balances, maintaining fund positions with low balances, checkwriting, wire transactions, and providing historical account research, as applicable.
FIIOC bears the expense of typesetting, printing, and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, and all other reports, notices, and statements to existing shareholders, with the exception of proxy statements.
Fund shares may be owned by intermediaries for the benefit of their customers. In those instances, a fund may not maintain an account for shareholders, and some or all of the recordkeeping services for these accounts may be performed by third parties. FIIOC or an affiliate may make payments to intermediaries (including affiliates of FIIOC) for recordkeeping and other services.
Retirement plans may also hold fund shares in the name of the plan or its trustee, rather than the plan participant. In situations where FIIOC or an affiliate does not provide recordkeeping services, plan recordkeepers, who may have affiliated financial intermediaries who sell shares of the fund, may, upon direction, be paid for providing recordkeeping services to plan participants. Payments may also be made, upon direction, for other plan expenses. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
In certain situations where FIIOC or an affiliate provides recordkeeping services to a retirement plan, payments may be made to pay for plan expenses. The amount of such payments may be based on investments in particular Fidelity® funds, or may be fixed for a given period of time. Upon direction, payments may be made to plan sponsors, or at the direction of plan sponsors, third parties, for expenses incurred in connection with the plan. FIIOC may also pay an affiliate for providing services that otherwise would have been performed by FIIOC.
The fund has entered into a service agent agreement with Fidelity Service Company, Inc. (FSC), an affiliate of FMR (or an agent, including an affiliate). Under the terms of the agreement, FSC calculates the NAV and dividends for shares, maintains the fund's portfolio and general accounting records, and administers the fund's securities lending program.
For providing pricing and bookkeeping services, FSC receives no fee from the fund.
FMR bears the cost of transfer agency services and pricing and bookkeeping services under the terms of its management contract with the fund.
SECURITIES LENDING
During the fiscal year, the securities lending agent, or the investment adviser (where the fund does not use a securities lending agent) monitors loan opportunities for the fund, negotiates the terms of the loans with borrowers, monitors the value of securities on loan and the value of the corresponding collateral, communicates with borrowers and the fund's custodian regarding marking to market the collateral, selects securities to be loaned and allocates those loan opportunities among lenders, and arranges for the return of the loaned securities upon the termination of the loan. Income and fees from securities lending activities for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, are shown in the following table:
A fund does not pay cash collateral management fees, separate indemnification fees, or other fees not reflected above.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
Trust Organization.
Fidelity® Real Estate Index Fund is a fund of Fidelity Salem Street Trust, an open-end management investment company created under an initial declaration of trust dated September 5, 1984.
The Trustees are permitted to create additional funds in the trust and to create additional classes of a fund.
The assets of the trust received for the issue or sale of shares of each fund and all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, subject to the rights of creditors, are allocated to such fund, and constitute the underlying assets of such fund. The underlying assets of each fund in the trust shall be charged with the liabilities and expenses attributable to such fund. Any general expenses of the trust shall be allocated between or among any one or more of the funds.
Shareholder Liability. The trust is an entity commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the trust.
The Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for the debts, liabilities, obligations, and expenses of the trust or fund. The Declaration of Trust provides that the trust shall not have any claim against shareholders except for the payment of the purchase price of shares and requires that each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the trust or the Trustees relating to the trust or to a fund shall include a provision limiting the obligations created thereby to the trust or to one or more funds and its or their assets. The Declaration of Trust further provides that shareholders of a fund shall not have a claim on or right to any assets belonging to any other fund.
The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of a fund's property of any shareholder or former shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the fund solely by reason of his or her being or having been a shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason. The Declaration of Trust also provides that a fund shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the fund and satisfy any judgment thereon. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations. Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC believes that, in view of the above, the risk of personal liability to shareholders is remote.
Voting Rights. The fund's capital consists of shares of beneficial interest. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each dollar of net asset value they own. The voting rights of shareholders can be changed only by a shareholder vote. Shares may be voted in the aggregate, by fund, and by class.
The shares have no preemptive or conversion rights. Shares are fully paid and nonassessable, except as set forth under the heading "Shareholder Liability" above.
The trust or a fund or a class may be terminated upon the sale of its assets to, or merger with, another open-end management investment company, series, or class thereof, or upon liquidation and distribution of its assets. The Trustees may reorganize, terminate, merge, or sell all or a portion of the assets of a trust or a fund or a class without prior shareholder approval. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a trust, shareholders of each of its funds are entitled to receive the underlying assets of such fund available for distribution. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of a fund or a class, shareholders of that fund or that class are entitled to receive the underlying assets of the fund or class available for distribution.
Custodians.
Citibank, N.A., 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, is custodian of the assets of the fund.
The custodian is responsible for the safekeeping of the fund's assets and the appointment of any subcustodian banks and clearing agencies.
The Bank of New York Mellon, headquartered in New York, also may serve as special purpose custodian of certain assets in connection with repurchase agreement transactions.
From time to time, subject to approval by a fund's Treasurer, a Fidelity® fund may enter into escrow arrangements with other banks if necessary to participate in certain investment offerings.
FMR, its officers and directors, its affiliated companies, Members of the Advisory Board (if any), and Members of the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, conduct transactions with various banks, including banks serving as custodians for certain funds advised by FMR or an affiliate. Transactions that have occurred to date include mortgages and personal and general business loans. In the judgment of the fund's adviser, the terms and conditions of those transactions were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other fund relationships.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, Massachusetts, independent registered public accounting firm, and its affiliates, audit the financial statements for the fund and provide other audit, tax, and related services.
FUND HOLDINGS INFORMATION
The fund views holdings information as sensitive and limits its dissemination. The Board authorized FMR to establish and administer guidelines for the dissemination of fund holdings information, which may be amended at any time without prior notice. FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee (comprising executive officers of FMR) evaluates disclosure policy with the goal of serving the fund's best interests by striking an appropriate balance between providing information about the fund's portfolio and protecting the fund from potentially harmful disclosure. The Board reviews the administration and modification of these guidelines and receives reports from the fund's chief compliance officer periodically.
The fund will provide a full list of holdings monthly on www.fidelity.com 30 days after the month-end (excluding high income security holdings, which generally will be presented collectively monthly and included in a list of full holdings 60 days after month-end).
The fund will provide its top ten holdings (excluding cash and futures) on Fidelity's web site monthly, 15 days after month-end.
Unless otherwise indicated, this information will be available on the web site until updated for the next applicable period.
The fund may also from time to time provide or make available to the Board or third parties upon request specific fund level performance attribution information and statistics. Third parties may include fund shareholders or prospective fund shareholders, members of the press, consultants, and ratings and ranking organizations. Nonexclusive examples of performance attribution information and statistics may include (i) the allocation of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions among various asset classes, sectors, industries, and countries, (ii) the characteristics of the stock and bond components of the fund's portfolio holdings and other investment positions, (iii) the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry, and country and (iv) the volatility characteristics of the fund.
FMR's Disclosure Policy Committee may approve a request for fund level performance attribution and statistics as long as (i) such disclosure does not enable the receiving party to recreate the complete or partial portfolio holdings of any Fidelity® fund prior to such fund's public disclosure of its portfolio holdings and (ii) Fidelity has made a good faith determination that the requested information is not material given the particular facts and circumstances. Fidelity may deny any request for performance attribution information and other statistical information about a fund made by any person, and may do so for any reason or for no reason.
Disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information for a Fidelity® fund's portfolio may only be provided pursuant to the guidelines below.
The Use of Holdings In Connection With Fund Operations. Material non-public holdings information may be provided as part of the activities associated with managing Fidelity® funds to: entities which, by explicit agreement or by virtue of their respective duties to the fund, are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed; other parties if legally required; or persons FMR believes will not misuse the disclosed information. These entities, parties, and persons include, but are not limited to: the fund's trustees; the fund's manager, its sub-advisers, if any, and their affiliates whose access persons are subject to a code of ethics (including portfolio managers of affiliated funds of funds); contractors who are subject to a confidentiality agreement; the fund's auditors; the fund's custodians; proxy voting service providers; financial printers; pricing service vendors; broker-dealers in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities; securities lending agents; counsel to the fund or its Independent Trustees; regulatory authorities; stock exchanges and other listing organizations; parties to litigation; third parties in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding relating to a fund holding; and third parties who have submitted a standing request to a money market fund for daily holdings information. Non-public holdings information may also be provided to an issuer regarding the number or percentage of its shares that are owned by the fund and in connection with redemptions in kind.
Other Uses Of Holdings Information. In addition, the fund may provide material non-public holdings information to (i) third parties that calculate information derived from holdings for use by FMR, a sub-adviser, or their affiliates, (ii) ratings and rankings organizations, and (iii) an investment adviser, trustee, or their agents to whom holdings are disclosed for due diligence purposes or in anticipation of a merger involving the fund. Each individual request is reviewed by the Disclosure Policy Committee which must find, in its sole discretion that, based on the specific facts and circumstances, the disclosure appears unlikely to be harmful to the fund. Entities receiving this information must have in place control mechanisms to reasonably ensure or otherwise agree that, (a) the holdings information will be kept confidential, (b) no employee shall use the information to effect trading or for their personal benefit, and (c) the nature and type of information that they, in turn, may disclose to third parties is limited. FMR relies primarily on the existence of non-disclosure agreements and/or control mechanisms when determining that disclosure is not likely to be harmful to the fund.
At this time, the entities receiving information described in the preceding paragraph are: Factset Research Systems Inc. (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (full holdings weekly (generally as of the previous Friday), generally 5 business days thereafter); MSCI Inc. and certain affiliates (full or partial fund holdings daily, on the next business day); and Bloomberg, L.P. (full holdings daily, on the next business day).
FMR, its affiliates, or the fund will not enter into any arrangements with third parties from which they derive consideration for the disclosure of material non-public holdings information. If, in the future, such an arrangement is desired, prior Board approval would be sought and any such arrangements would be disclosed in the fund's SAI.
There can be no assurance that the fund's policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of fund portfolio holdings will prevent the misuse of such information by individuals and firms that receive such information.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The fund's financial statements and financial highlights for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, and report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the fund's annual report and are incorporated herein by reference.
Total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table may differ from the ratios of expenses to average net assets in the financial highlights because total annual operating expenses as shown in the prospectus fee table include any acquired fund fees and expenses, whereas the ratios of expenses in the financial highlights do not, except to the extent any acquired fund fees and expenses relate to an entity, such as a wholly-owned subsidiary, with which a fund's financial statements are consolidated. Acquired funds include other investment companies (such as Central funds or other underlying funds) in which the fund has invested, if and to the extent it is permitted to do so.
Total annual operating expenses in the prospectus fee table and the financial highlights do not include any expenses associated with investments in certain structured or synthetic products that may rely on the exception from the definition of "investment company" provided by section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.
APPENDIX
Fidelity, the Fidelity Investments Logo and all other Fidelity trademarks or service marks used herein are trademarks or service marks of FMR LLC. Any third-party marks that are used herein are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
Fidelity Salem Street Trust
Post-Effective Amendment No. 567
PART C. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28.
Exhibits
(a)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(b)
(c)
Not applicable.
(d)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)
(18)
(19)
(20)
(21)
(22)
(23)
(24)
(25)
(26)
(27)
(28)
(29)
(30)
(31)
(32)
(33)
(34)
(35)
(36)
(37)
(38)
(39)
(40)
(41)
(42)
(43)
(44)
(45)
(46)
(47)
(48)
(49)
(50)
(51)
(52)
(53)
(54)
(55)
(56)
(57)
(58)
(59)
(60)
(61)
(62)
(63)
(64)
(65)
(66)
(67)
(68)
(69)
(70)
(71)
(72)
(73)
(74)
(75)
(76)
(77)
(78)
(79)
(80)
(81)
(82)
(83)
(84)
(85)
(86)
(87)
(88)
(89)
(90)
(91)
(92)
(93)
(94)
(95)
(96)
(97)
(98)
(99)
(100)
(101)
(102)
(103)
(104)
(105)
(106)
(107)
(108)
(109)
(110)
(111)
(112)
(113)
(114)
(115)
(116)
(117)
(118)
(119)
(120)
(121)
(122)
(123)
(124)
Schedule A to the Amended and Restated Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated January 1, 2020, between Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC and Fidelity Management & Research (Hong Kong) Limited, on behalf of Fidelity SAI Conservative Income Municipal Bond Fund is to be filed by subsequent amendment.
(125)
(126)
(127)
(128)
(129)
(130)
(131)
(132)
(133)
Schedule A to the Amended and Restated Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated January 1, 2020, between Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC and Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited, on behalf of Fidelity SAI Conservative Income Municipal Bond Fund is to be filed by subsequent amendment.
(134)
(135)
(136)
(137)
(138)
(139)
(140)
(141)
(142)
Schedule A to the Amended and Restated Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated January 1, 2020, between Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC and FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited, on behalf of Fidelity SAI Conservative Income Municipal Bond Fund is to be filed by subsequent amendment.
(143)
(144)
(145)
(146)
(147)
(148)
(e)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)
(18)
(19)
(20)
(21)
(22)
(23)
(24)
(25)
(26)
(27)
(28)
(29)
(30)
(31)
(32)
(33)
(34)
(35)
(36)
(37)
(38)
(39)
(40)
(41)
(42)
(43)
(44)
(45)
(46)
(47)
(48)
(49)
(50)
(51)
(52)
(53)
(54)
(55)
(56)
(57)
(58)
(59)
(60)
(61)
(62)
(63)
(64)
(65)
(66)
(67)
(68)
(69)
(70)
(71)
(72)
(73)
(74)
(75)
(76)
(77)
(78)
(79)
(80)
(81)
(82)
(83)
(84)
(85)
(86)
(87)
(f)
(g)
(1)
Custodian Agreement, dated January 1, 2007, between The Bank of New York (currently known as The Bank of New York Mellon) and Fidelity Salem Street Trust on behalf of Fidelity Flex U.S. Bond Index Fund, Fidelity Intermediate Bond Fund, Fidelity Intermediate Treasury Bond Index Fund, Fidelity Municipal Bond Index Fund, Fidelity Municipal Core Plus Bond Fund, Fidelity Municipal Income 2025 Fund, Fidelity SAI Conservative Income Municipal Bond Fund, Fidelity SAI International Credit Fund, Fidelity SAI International Index Fund, Fidelity SAI Investment Grade Securitized Fund, Fidelity SAI Low Duration Income Fund, Fidelity SAI Municipal Bond Index Fund, Fidelity SAI Municipal Income Fund, Fidelity SAI Municipal Money Market Fund, Fidelity SAI Short-Term Bond Fund, Fidelity SAI Small-Mid Cap 500 Index Fund, Fidelity SAI Sustainable Conservative Income Municipal Bond Fund, Fidelity SAI Sustainable Core Plus Bond Fund, Fidelity SAI Sustainable Municipal Income Fund, Fidelity SAI Tax-Free Bond Fund, Fidelity SAI U.S. Low Volatility Index Fund, Fidelity SAI U.S. Treasury Bond Index Fund, Fidelity Series Government Money Market Fund, Fidelity Series Investment Grade Bond Fund, Fidelity Series Long-Term Treasury Bond Index Fund, Fidelity Series Short-Term Credit Fund, Fidelity Short-Term Bond Fund, Fidelity Short-Term Bond Index Fund, Fidelity Short-Term Treasury Bond Index Fund, Fidelity Strategic Real Return Fund, Fidelity Sustainable Core Plus Bond Fund, Fidelity Sustainable Intermediate Municipal Income Fund, Fidelity Tax-Free Bond Fund, and Fidelity U.S. Bond Index Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(1) of Fidelity Advisor Series IV’s (File No. 002-83672) Post-Effective Amendment No. 88.
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(h)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(i)
Legal Opinion of Dechert LLP, dated September 21, 2023, is filed herein as Exhibit (i).
(j)
(1)
Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, dated September 21,2023, is filed herein as Exhibit (j)(1).
(2)
Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP, dated September 21, 2023, is filed herein as Exhibit (j)(2).
(k)
Not applicable.
(l)
Not applicable.
(m)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)
(18)
(19)
(20)
(21)
(22)
(23)
(24)
(25)
(26)
(27)
(28)
(29)
(30)
(31)
(32)
(33)
(34)
(35)
(36)
(37)
(38)
(39)
(40)
(41)
(42)
(43)
(44)
(45)
(46)
(47)
(48)
(49)
(50)
(51)
(52)
(53)
(54)
(55)
(56)
(57)
(58)
(59)
(60)
(61)
(62)
(63)
(64)
(65)
(66)
(67)
(68)
(69)
(70)
(71)
(72)
(73)
(74)
(75)
(76)
(77)
(78)
(79)
(80)
(81)
(82)
(83)
(84)
(85)
(86)
(87)
(88)
(89)
(90)
(91)
(92)
(93)
(94)
(95)
(96)
(97)
(98)
(99)
(100)
(101)
(102)
(103)
(104)
(105)
(106)
(107)
(108)
(109)
(110)
(111)
(112)
(113)
(114)
(115)
(116)
(117)
(118)
(119)
(120)
(121)
(122)
(123)
(124)
(125)
(126)
(127)
(128)
(129)
(130)
(131)
(132)
(133)
(134)
(135)
(136)
(137)
(138)
(139)
(140)
(141)
(n)
(1)
(2)
(p)
(1)
(2)
Item 29.
Trusts Controlled by or under Common Control with this Trust
The Board of Trustees of the Trust is the same as the board of other Fidelity funds, each of which has Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, or an affiliate, or Geode Capital Management LLC, as its investment adviser. In addition, the officers of the Trust are substantially identical to those of the other Fidelity funds. Nonetheless, the Trust takes the position that it is not under common control with other Fidelity funds because the power residing in the respective boards and officers arises as the result of an official position with the respective trusts.
Item 30.
Indemnification
Article XI, Section 2 of the Declaration of Trust sets forth the reasonable and fair means for determining whether indemnification shall be provided to any past or present Trustee or officer. It states that the Trust shall indemnify any present or past trustee or officer to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability, and all expenses reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he or she is involved by virtue of his or her service as a trustee or officer and against any amount incurred in settlement thereof. Indemnification will not be provided to a person adjudged by a court or other adjudicatory body to be liable to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of his or her duties (collectively, “disabling conduct”), or not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in the best interest of the Trust. In the event of a settlement, no indemnification may be provided unless there has been a determination, as specified in the Declaration of Trust, that the officer or trustee did not engage in disabling conduct.
Pursuant to Section 11 of the Distribution Agreement, the Trust agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damages, or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising by reason of any person acquiring any shares, based upon the ground that the registration statement, Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, shareholder reports or other information filed or made public by the Trust (as from time to time amended) included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated or necessary in order to make the statements not misleading under the 1933 Act, or any other statute or the common law. However, the Trust does not agree to indemnify the Distributor or hold it harmless to the extent that the statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the Distributor. In no case is the indemnity of the Trust in favor of the Distributor or any person indemnified to be deemed to protect the Distributor or any person against any liability to the Issuer or its security holders to which the Distributor or such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.
Pursuant to the agreement by which Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, LLC (“FIIOC”) is appointed transfer agent, the Registrant agrees to indemnify and hold FIIOC harmless against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses (including reasonable counsel fees and expenses) resulting from:
(1)
any claim, demand, action, or suit brought by any person other than the Registrant, including by a shareholder, which names FIIOC and/or the Registrant as a party and is not based on and does not result from FIIOC’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence or reckless disregard of duties, and arises out of or in connection with FIIOC’s performance under the Transfer Agency Agreement; or
(2)
any claim, demand, action or suit (except to the extent contributed to by FIIOC’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence or reckless disregard of duties) which results from the negligence of the Registrant, or from FIIOC’s acting upon any instruction(s) reasonably believed by it to have been executed or communicated by any person duly authorized by the Registrant, or as a result of FIIOC’s acting in reliance upon advice reasonably believed by FIIOC to have been given by counsel for the Registrant, or as a result of FIIOC’s acting in reliance upon any instrument or stock certificate reasonably believed by it to have been genuine and signed, countersigned or executed by the proper person.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the Registrant, the Registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Item 31.
Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser(s)
(1) FIDELITY MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH COMPANY LLC (FMR)
FMR serves as investment adviser to a number of other investment companies. The directors and officers of the Adviser have held the following positions of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years.
| Abigail P. Johnson | Chairman of the Board of certain Trusts; Chairman of the Board and Director of FMR LLC; Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC. Previously served as Chairman of the Board and Director FMRC. |
| Peter S. Lynch | Vice Chairman and Director of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC and a member of the Advisory Board of funds advised by FMR. Previously served as Vice Chairman and Director of FMRC. |
| Cynthia Lo Bessette | Senior Vice President of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC; Secretary Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (2022); Previously served as Senior Vice President, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer FMRC; Secretary SelectCo, LLC and FIMM; Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC; and Chief Legal Officer of FMR H.K, FMR Japan and FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited. |
| Christopher Rimmer | Treasurer of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, FMR H.K., FMR Japan, and Strategic Advisers LLC; President and Director FMR Capital Inc.; Director of FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited (2021). Previously served as Treasurer of FMRC, FIMM, and SelectCo, LLC; Chief Accounting Officer FMR LLC. |
| Lisa D. Krieser | Assistant Secretary Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC and Fidelity Distributors Company LLC, Secretary FMR Capital, Inc and Strategic Advisers LLC (2022). |
| Bart Grenier | President of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC. |
| Margaret Serravalli | Chief Financial Officer of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR). |
| Michael Shulman | Assistant Treasurer Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC) (2022), Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (2022), FIMM (2022), Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (2023), FMR LLC (2023), FMR Capital, Inc. (2023), and Strategic Advisers LLC (2023); Executive Vice President, Tax of FMR LLC (2023). |
| Stephanie J. Brown | Chief Compliance Officer of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (2023), FDS (2023), FIAM (2023), FMR H.K. (2023), Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited (2023), FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited (2023), and Strategic Advisers LLC (2023); Assistant Treasurer FMR Capital, Inc.. |
| Jason Pogorelec | Compliance Officer of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (2023). |
| Margaret Carey | Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC; and Chief Legal Officer of FMR H.K, FMR Japan and FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited. |
(2) FIDELITY MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH (HONG KONG) LIMITED (FMR H.K.)
FMR H.K. provides investment advisory services to other investment advisers. The directors and officers of the Sub-Adviser have held the following positions of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years.
| Sharon Yau Lecornu | Chief Executive Officer of FMR H.K., Executive Director of FMR H.K., Director of Investment Services – Asia, and Director of FMR H.K. | ||
| William Francis Shanley III | Director of FMR Japan and FMR H.K. | ||
| James Lenton | Director of FMR H.K. (2023). | ||
| Adrian James Tyerman | Compliance Officer FMR H.K. and FMR UK, Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer of FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited. | ||
| Christopher Rimmer | Treasurer of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, FMR H.K., FMR Japan, and Strategic Advisers LLC; President and Director FMR Capital Inc.; Director of FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited (2021). Previously served as Treasurer of FMRC, FIMM, and SelectCo, LLC; Chief Accounting Officer FMR LLC. | ||
| Stephanie J. Brown | Chief Compliance Officer of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (2023), FDS (2023), FIAM (2023), FMR H.K. (2023), Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited (2023), FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited (2023), and Strategic Advisers LLC (2023); Assistant Treasurer FMR Capital, Inc.. | ||
| Margaret Carey | Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC; and Chief Legal Officer of FMR H.K, FMR Japan and FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited. | ||
(3) FIDELITY MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH (JAPAN) LIMITED (FMR JAPAN)
FMR Japan provides investment advisory services to other investment advisers. The directors and officers of the Sub-Adviser have held the following positions of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years.
| Timothy M. Cohen | Director of FMR Japan; Executive Vice President SelectCo, LLC. |
| Nathaniel Norr Salter | Director of FMR Japan (2023). |
| Rieko Hirai | Director of FMR Japan. |
| Kan Man Wong | Director of FMR Japan. |
| Kirk Roland Neureiter | Director of FMR Japan. |
| William Francis Shanley III | Director of FMR Japan and FMR H.K. |
| Koichi Iwabuchi | Statutory Auditor of FMR Japan; Previously served as Compliance Officer of FMR Japan. |
| Ryo Sato | Compliance Officer of FMR Japan. |
| Christopher Rimmer | Treasurer of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, FMR H.K., FMR Japan, and Strategic Advisers LLC; President and Director FMR Capital Inc.; Director of FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited (2021). Previously served as Treasurer of FMRC, FIMM, and SelectCo, LLC; Chief Accounting Officer FMR LLC. |
| Stephanie J. Brown | Chief Compliance Officer of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (2023), FDS (2023), FIAM (2023), FMR H.K. (2023), Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited (2023), FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited (2023), and Strategic Advisers LLC (2023); Assistant Treasurer FMR Capital, Inc.. |
| Margaret Carey | Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC; and Chief Legal Officer of FMR H.K, FMR Japan and FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited. |
(4) FMR INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT (UK) LIMITED (FMR UK)
FMR UK provides investment advisory services to other investment advisers. The directors and officers of the Sub-Adviser have held the following positions of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years.
| Mark D. Flaherty | Director FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited. |
| Niamh Brodie-Machura | Director FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited. |
| Christopher J. Seabolt | Director of FMR UK; Previously served as Director of FMR HK (2023). |
| Adrian James Tyerman | Compliance Officer FMR H.K. Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer of FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited. |
| Stephanie J. Brown | Chief Compliance Officer of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (2023), FDS (2023), FIAM (2023), FMR H.K. (2023), Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited (2023), FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited (2023), and Strategic Advisers LLC (2023); Assistant Treasurer FMR Capital, Inc.. |
| Jean-Philippe Provost | Director FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited (2023). |
| Margaret Carey | Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC; and Chief Legal Officer of FMR H.K, FMR Japan and FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited. |
|
|
|
(5) GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC (Geode)
Geode serves as investment adviser to a number of other investment companies AND OTHER ACCOUNTS. Geode may also provide investment advisory services to other investment advisers. The directors and officers have held the following positions of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years.
| David Lane | President and Chief Executive Officer (2023). |
| Jeffrey S. Miller | Chief Operating Officer. |
| Michael Ciccone | Chief Compliance Officer (2023). |
| Sorin Codreanu | Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. |
| Matt Nevins | General Counsel. |
| Lionel Harris | Director (2021). |
| Franklin Corning Kenly | Director. |
| Arlene Rockefeller | Director. |
| Eric Roiter | Director. |
| Jennifer Uhrig | Director. |
| Philip L. Bullen | Director. |
| Thomas Sprague | Director. |
| Michael Even | Director. |
| Alok Kapoor | Director (2022). |
Principal business addresses of the investment adviser, sub-advisers and affiliates.
Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR)
245 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
Fidelity Management & Research (Hong Kong) Limited (FMR H.K.)
Floor 19, 41 Connaught Road Central
Hong Kong
Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited (FMR Japan)
245 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited (FMR UK)
245 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
FIL Investment Advisors (FIA)
Pembroke Hall
42 Crow Lane
Pembroke HM19, Bermuda
FIL Investment Advisors (UK) Limited (FIA(UK))
Beech Gate Millfield Lane
Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, Surrey
KT20 6RP, United Kingdom
FIL Investments (Japan) Limited (FIJ)
Tri Seven Roppongi
7-7-7 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, Japan 106-0032
Strategic Advisers LLC
245 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
FMR LLC
245 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC)
900 Salem Street
Smithfield, RI 02917
Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode)
100 Summer Street
12th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
Fidelity Management Trust Company
245 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
Fidelity Investors Management LLC
245 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
Item 32.
Principal Underwriters
(a)
Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC) acts as distributor for all funds advised by FMR or an affiliate, as well as Fidelity Commodity Strategy Central Fund and Fidelity Series Commodity Strategy Fund.
| (b) |
|
|
| Name and Principal | Positions and Offices | Positions and Offices |
| Business Address* | with Underwriter | with Fund |
| Robert Adams | Chief Operating Officer (2021) | None |
| Robert F. Bachman | Executive Vice President and Director (2023) | None |
| Dalton Gustafson | President (2021) and Director (2023) | None |
| Natalie Kavanaugh | Chief Legal Officer | None |
| Michael Lyons | Chief Financial Officer | None |
| John McGinty | Chief Compliance Officer (2021) | None |
| Timothy Mulcahy | Director | None |
| Michael Kearney | Treasurer | None |
| Natalie Kavanaugh | Secretary | None |
| Lisa D. Krieser | Assistant Secretary | None |
| Michael Shulman | Assistant Treasurer (2022) | None |
* 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI
(c)
Not applicable.
Item 33.
Location of Accounts and Records
All accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act and the Rules promulgated thereunder are maintained by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC or Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, LLC, 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210, or the funds’ respective custodians, or special purpose custodian, as applicable, The Bank of New York Mellon, 1 Wall Street, New York, NY; Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA; Citibank, N.A., 388 Greenwich Street, New York, NY, 10013; State Street Bank & Trust Company, 1 Lincoln Street, Boston, MA; and The Northern Trust Company, 50 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60675.
Item 34.
Management Services
Not applicable.
Item 35.
Undertakings
Not applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for the effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 567 to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Boston, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the 26th day of September 2023.
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| Fidelity Salem Street Trust | ||
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| By | /s/Laura M. Del Prato |
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
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| /s/Laura M. Del Prato |
| President and Treasurer | September 26, 2023 |
| Laura M. Del Prato |
| (Principal Executive Officer) |
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| /s/John J. Burke III |
| Chief Financial Officer | September 26, 2023 |
| John J. Burke III |
| (Principal Financial Officer) |
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| /s/Abigail P. Johnson | † | Trustee | September 26, 2023 |
| Abigail P. Johnson |
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| /s/Elizabeth S. Acton | * | Trustee | September 26, 2023 |
| Elizabeth S. Acton |
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| /s/Ann E. Dunwoody | * | Trustee | September 26, 2023 |
| Ann E. Dunwoody |
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| /s/Jonathan Chiel | * | Trustee | September 26, 2023 |
| Jonathan Chiel |
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| /s/John Engler | * | Trustee | September 26, 2023 |
| John Engler |
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| /s/Robert F. Gartland | * | Trustee | September 26, 2023 |
| Robert F. Gartland |
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| /s/Arthur E. Johnson | * | Trustee | September 26, 2023 |
| Arthur E. Johnson |
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| /s/Michael E. Kenneally | * | Trustee | September 26, 2023 |
| Michael E. Kenneally |
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| /s/Mark A. Murray | * | Trustee | September 26, 2023 |
| Mark A. Murray |
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| /s/Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe | * | Trustee | September 26, 2023 |
| Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe |
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| † | By: | /s/ Stephanie J. Brown |
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| Stephanie J. Brown, pursuant to a power of attorney dated January 26, 2023 and filed herewith. |
| * | By: | /s/Megan C. Johnson |
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| Megan C. Johnson, pursuant to powers of attorney dated October 5, 2016 and January 11, 2023 and filed herewith. |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, the undersigned Trustee of the following investment companies:
| Fidelity Aberdeen Street Trust | Fidelity Municipal Trust |
| Fidelity Advisor Series II | Fidelity Municipal Trust II |
| Fidelity Advisor Series IV | Fidelity Newbury Street Trust |
| Fidelity California Municipal Trust | Fidelity New York Municipal Trust |
| Fidelity California Municipal Trust II | Fidelity New York Municipal Trust II |
| Fidelity Central Investment Portfolios II LLC | Fidelity Oxford Street Trust |
| Fidelity Charles Street Trust | Fidelity Oxford Street Trust II |
| Fidelity Colchester Street Trust | Fidelity Phillips Street Trust |
| Fidelity Court Street Trust | Fidelity Revere Street Trust |
| Fidelity Court Street Trust II | Fidelity Salem Street Trust |
| Fidelity Garrison Street Trust | Fidelity School Street Trust |
| Fidelity Hereford Street Trust | Fidelity Union Street Trust |
| Fidelity Income Fund | Fidelity Union Street Trust II |
| Fidelity Massachusetts Municipal Trust | Variable Insurance Products Fund V |
| Fidelity Merrimack Street Trust |
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in addition to any other Fidelity Fund for which the undersigned individual serves as Trustee (collectively, the "Funds"), hereby constitute and appoint Stephanie J. Brown, my true and lawful attorney- in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacity, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, or any successors thereto, any and all subsequent Amendments, Pre-Effective Amendments, or Post- Effective Amendments to said Registration Statements or any successors thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorney-in-fact deems necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, and all related requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorney-in-fact or her substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect only for such time as Stephanie J. Brown shall continue to be an officer of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, this Power of Attorney may be revoked at any time by the undersigned in writing.
This Power of Attorney has been executed as of January 26, 2023.
/s/ Abigail P. Johnson
Abigail P. Johnson
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, the undersigned Trustee of the following investment company:
Fidelity Salem Street Trust
in addition to any other Fidelity Fund for which the undersigned individual serves as Director or Trustee (collectively, the “Funds”), hereby constitute and appoint Thomas C. Bogle, Marc R. Bryant, John V. O’Hanlon, Robert W. Helm, Megan C. Johnson, and Anthony H. Zacharski, each of them singly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacity, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, or any successors thereto, any and all subsequent Amendments, Pre-Effective Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statements or any successors thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, and all related requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. This power of attorney is effective for all documents filed on or after October 5, 2016.
WITNESS my hand on this 5th day of October, 2016.
| /s/Jonathan Chiel |
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POWER OF ATTORNEY
We, the undersigned Directors or Trustees, as the case may be, of the following investment companies:
| Fidelity Aberdeen Street Trust Fidelity Advisor Series II Fidelity Advisor Series IV Fidelity Boylston Street Trust Fidelity California Municipal Trust Fidelity California Municipal Trust II Fidelity Central Investment Portfolios II LLC Fidelity Charles Street Trust Fidelity Colchester Street Trust Fidelity Court Street Trust Fidelity Court Street Trust II Fidelity Garrison Street Trust Fidelity Hereford Street Trust Fidelity Income Fund Fidelity Massachusetts Municipal Trust Fidelity Merrimack Street Trust | Fidelity Money Market Trust Fidelity Municipal Trust Fidelity Municipal Trust II Fidelity Newbury Street Trust Fidelity New York Municipal Trust Fidelity New York Municipal Trust II Fidelity Oxford Street Trust Fidelity Oxford Street Trust II Fidelity Phillips Street Trust Fidelity Revere Street Trust Fidelity Salem Street Trust Fidelity School Street Trust Fidelity Union Street Trust Fidelity Union Street Trust II Variable Insurance Products Fund V |
in addition to any other Fidelity Fund for which the undersigned individuals serve as Directors or Trustees (collectively, the “Funds”), hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney we have given to sign and otherwise act in our names and behalf in matters involving any investment company for which FMR or an affiliate acts as investment adviser and hereby constitute and appoint Thomas C. Bogle, John V. O’Hanlon, Megan C. Johnson, and Anthony H. Zacharski, each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for us and in our names in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, or any successors thereto, any and all subsequent Amendments, Pre-Effective Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statements or any successors thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in our names and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, and all related requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission. We hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. This power of attorney is effective for all documents filed on or after January 11, 2023.
WITNESS our hands on this eleventh day of January 2023.
| /s/Elizabeth S. Acton | /s/Michael E. Kenneally |
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| /s/Ann E. Dunwoody | /s/Jennifer Toolin McAuliffe |
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| /s/John Engler | /s/Mark A. Murray |
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| /s/Robert F. Gartland |
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| /s/Arthur E. Johnson |
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